TAGBILARAN CITY. Rice Crop Manager (RCM) is an application contributing to the implementation of appropriate modern precision farming by providing farmers with personalized crop and nutrient management recommendations matching their location-specific rice-growing conditions. Adjacent farmers with different rice-growing conditions receive different recommendations. These recommendations intended to increase rice production of farmer’s field both irrigated and rainfed. Research from its first phase confirmed that farmers who followed the RCM recommendation could increase their yield and net income.

Last April 23-26, 2019 at Panda Tea Garden and Suites, Dao District, this city, the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) Region VII together with the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office VII (DA-RFO7) and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) facilitated the RCM Advisory Services Training of Trainers. Twenty-three Agriculture Extension Workers (AEWs) from the different provinces of Central Visayas participated in the said training.

Highlights of the training include discussions on the updates of the application, a workshop on the step-by-step operation of RCM Advisory Services and a field simulation at Brgy. Bahaybahay, Sikatuna, Bohol.

During the simulation, participants interviewed the farmers, registered & measured their fields using GPS and generated RCM recommendations. They even explained them to the farmers for easy understanding and strongly advised to follow the recommendations.