Project News

It has been one month now since the transplanting was conducted in Maliana I and the Project Monitoring Staff are now paying frequent visits to the farmers to remind them about the next actions to be taken in water control and weeding for their trials of the Comparative Cropping introduced by the Project. The Project has so far introduced a Push Weeder to 37 farmers out of 42 which were originally targeted, while 17 farmers out of 37 have already implemented weeding by the Push Weeder for the second time in their paddy fields.

Generally, farmers who used the Push Weeder in their paddy fields for this cropping season were delighted to directly experience the advantage of using it in their paddy fields by noticing the difference of paddy growth in the Comparative Cropping. According to them, the growth of paddy in the plot where the line transplanting has been applied, is better and healthier compared to the one where the random planting has been applied. It is also true that some farmers already recognized the real benefit from the technical assistance by the Project as they hardly seen the presence of weeds in their paddy fields.

Mr. Luis Leto Pereira (60), a farmer from Raifun was thankful for the Project support to advise him to regularly monitor his paddy field by weeding and water control. He said that because he properly followed the advice by the Project on water control, there are almost no weeds in his paddy field during his second use of the Push Weeder.

Mr. Mariano Boe Mali (50), another farmer from the same village, clearly observed the change in colour on the paddy in his Comparative Cropping. He curiously explained that the colour of paddy in the plot of the line transplanting turned to dark green, while the rest of paddy that was randomly planted had the colour of yellow due to lack of water control and weeding.

Thus the farmers in Maliana I were pleased and eager to continue working together with the Project while curiously following the next progress of the Comparative Cropping before making their choice to implement the line transplanting in the following second cropping.

Project Monitoring Staff explaining to farmers on weeding and water control.

Project Monitoring Staff explaining to farmers on weeding and water control.

Farmer in Raifun applied Push Weeder one week after transplanting.

Farmer in Raifun applied Push Weeder one week after transplanting.

Current landscape of paddy field in Maliana I.

Current landscape of paddy field in Maliana I.