Notes to broadcasters
Farmers have been involved in plant breeding since farming began. Farmers carefully test and select varieties that suit the local climate, soils and tastes. Often, farmers are the best people to select and breed plants because of their extensive experience in the field. Farmers have developed good crop selection skills because their livelihoods depend on choosing the best crop varieties for their farm.
This script is about important on-farm plant breeding work in the Philippines. On-farm research involving farmers, including on-farm breeding work, is becoming more popular in all parts of the world. On-farm plant breeding is a way to find crop cultivars that grow well in local environments, to meet the needs of farmers, and to maintain important crop varieties.
When broadcasting this script and other related information, encourage farmers to learn about selecting and saving seeds, and emphasize that they can make an important contribution to plant breeding work even if they don’t have formal training.
Script
THEME MUSIC.
MUSIC CONTINUES SOFTLY UNDER DIALOGUE.
The program gives farmers an opportunity to test different varieties of rice — varieties that they haven’t grown before.
FADE OUT MUSIC.
There are a number of steps to this plant breeding process.
First the farmers identify problems they have growing rice.
For example, their rice doesn’t yield well because the weather is very dry or their soil is very heavy clay.
Or they lose much of their harvest to common pests, so they are looking for rice that is resistant to pests.
These experiences will determine what kinds of rice a farmer wants to grow.
The farmers then choose a number of different rice varieties that they think will grow well on their farms.
The farmers plant the seed in trial plots.
The trial plots are all located on one farm in the community.
They only plant one type of seed in each area, so that each plant will grow separately and will be easy to observe.
While the rice is growing, the farmers carefully observe and compare the growth of the different types of rice.
At harvest, they note the number of leaves and the size and weight of the grains.
Based on all these observations, each farmer chooses the best varieties to take home and grow again in his or her field.
In this program, scientists and researchers from the university give technical advice and support to the farmers.
Once farmers have chosen the best varieties, they are taught how to cross two different varieties together.
MUSIC/SOUND EFFECTS.
But you don’t need scientists to help you test plant breeds.
If you are a farmer, you are also a researcher.
While you farm, you are always making observations, experimenting with new seeds and methods, and making choices based on the results of your experiments.
This part of your work is important.
It is important to select and save crop seeds and learn about plant breeding.
If you select and save your own seeds, you keep control of a very important resource — the seed supply.
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Acknowledgements
- Contributed by: Jennifer Pittet, Managing Editor, Developing Countries Farm Radio Network.
Notes:
The on-farm rice breeding program described in this script is coordinated by an organization in the Philippines called MASIPAG. It has been in operation since 1986.
In the first year of the program, 47 different cultivars of rice were collected across the Philippines. Farmers selected the best varieties and also made crosses between cultivars. Since that time there have been 200 crosses made. The varieties used in the program give very high yields — higher than the national average.
Another benefit of the program is that farmers learn that they can be plant breeders even if they don’t have formal training. In fact, they have an important contribution to make in plant breeding.
Information sources
- MASIPAG, 3346 Aguila Street, Rhoda’s Subdivision, Anos, Los Banos, Laguna, 4030, Philippines. Tel: (63-49) 536-6183, E-mail: masipag@mozcom.com