PARTICIPATORY PERFORMANCE TESTING AND VALIDATION (PPTV): INCREASING ACCESSIBILITY TO ADAPTIVE RAINFED RICE VARIETIES IN REGION 3

Rainfed lowland rice production in the country is typically characterized as subsistence farming with lower yield than irrigated rice production but covers around 4.5M ha or 30% of the total area harvested. Improving the rainfed agroecosystem could contribute to national production (PSA, 2016). Participatory Performance Testing and Validation (PPTV) trials were conducted to validate the agronomic performance and organoleptic of newly released rice varieties for rainfed lowland ecosystem. PPTV field trials were established in selected Provinces in the Region with the largest rainfed area and low production for rainfed lowland ecosystems namely Aurora, Bulacan, Tarlac, and Zambales. The trials were laid out using Randomized Complete Blocked Design (RCBD) replicated four times across farmers' fields. The treatments were five NSIC registered rainfed and two check varieties. Based on the results, NSIC Rc416, NSIC Rc480, and NSIC Rc418 performed better than IR64 and NSIC Rc27 in terms of agronomic performance which includes yield and tillers count. Likewise, these top-performing varieties have intermediate to moderately resistant reactions to pests and diseases. These results were consistent for both the 2019 and 2020 wet cropping seasons. Data obtained from field trials were close to the recorded crop potentials indicating their adaptability in selected trial sites. The preferred varieties of farmers based on the preferential analysis were NSIC Rc416 which obtained the highest preference score and was ranked first by farmers in terms of physical and growth performance compared to the other two varieties NSIC Rc346 and NSIC Rc478 and the checks IR64 and NSIC Rc27. In terms of organoleptic testing, results revealed that NSIC Rc418 was the most preferred based on aroma and taste while NSIC Rc480 for tenderness and stickiness was attributed to low amylose content. The overall score showed that NSIC Rc480 got the highest ranking considering all organoleptic characteristics. Based on the findings, NSIC Rc416, NSIC Rc418, and NSIC Rc480 were the top-performing and most preferred varieties. Farmers' field demonstration showcasing these varieties with seed production and distribution component is recommended for rapid dissemination and adoption of these varieties.