Modified Planting Calendar Cum Mechanization in Water Pump Irrigated Rice Areas of Quirino, Philippines: Reducing Adverse Weather Effect to Rice Yield

In Quirino province, farmers start planting from November until the end of December. The peak of planting is between middle of November until December for dry season. The flowering stage of rice plants fall during January and February, which are cool months with frequent occurrence of rain. Planting of rice for wet season begins middle of June wherein the flowering stage and harvesting falls during rainy months. Planting calendar is defined as a schedule of rice or other crops growing season from the fallow period and land preparation; crop establishment and maintenance; harvest and storage. In general, using cropping calendar has a purpose, foremost, to avoid rainy and cold months during critical growth stage of rice plants. In the modified planting calendar, wet cropping season starts on the month of May to avoid rainy months during critical growth period of rice, and the dry cropping season starts on the last week of December to avoid cool months during critical growth period. Based on the result of study with respect to yield response, modified cropping calendar using mechanical rice seeder has an average increase in yield by 0.41 mt/ha and additional increase in average income of P 13,515.00/ha/cropping, respectively, during wet season (2019 and 2020) whereas, dry season (2019-2020 and 2020-2021) has an average increased in yield by 0.20 mt/ha and additional increase in average income of P 12,060.00/ha/cropping. The project was assessed in barangay Mangandingay, Cabarroguis, Quirino from 2019 wet season up to 2020-2021 dry seasons. These findings was the basis of a wider adaptation of the project in Quirino Province, and also the basis of out-scaling in the provinces of Isabela and Cagayan with a total area of 50 hectares.