Northwest Cambodia Research Articles

Ungoverned landscapes: analyzing post-conflict resettlement in Sdao commune in northwest Cambodia

Ungoverned landscapes: analyzing post-conflict resettlement in Sdao commune in northwest Cambodia

Evaluation of Mungbean Varieties for Adaptation to Rice-Based Cropping Systems and Profitability in North-West Cambodia

Two varieties of mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) are most commonly grown in Battambang Province North-West Cambodia: KPS-2 (Thailand); and DX-208 (Vietnam). From the buyer’s point of view, the ideal variety would have large shiny seeds and from the farmer’s point of view, resistance to pod-shattering for single-pick or mechanical harvesting is a priority. KPS-2 has resistance to pod-shattering but small seeds and DX-208 has large seeds but has pods that shatter readily. The ideal variety would have both traits. This study evaluated 17 released mungbean varieties from Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Australia for grain yield, seed weight and resistance to pod-shattering in a series of experiments from 2019 to 2021. In 2019, the four Cambodian varieties were evaluated alongside 11 Australian public varieties. Five of the Australian varieties were rejected because of low seed weight, dull seed coat and unacceptable color. Cambodian variety CMB-1 was rejected because of dull seed coat and indeterminate maturity. In 2021, the six remaining Australian varieties were re-evaluated together with locally grown varieties (DX-208, KPS-2) and Cambodian varieties (CARDI Chey, CMB-2 and CMB-3). The seed weight for Emerald was very similar to that for DX-208. Seed weights for CARDI Chey, CMB-3, King and Shantung were not significantly different to KPS-2. In laboratory testing for resistance to pod shattering, Delta, Emerald and KPS-2 were the most resistant and DX-208 was the most susceptible to pod shattering. The Australian varieties Delta and Emerald are recommended for further testing across other mungbean growing regions of Cambodia before submission for registration and commercial release.

U–Pb dating for zircons from granitic rocks in southwestern Cambodia

U–Pb dating was conducted for zircons from a total of 14 samples from 13 granite bodies in southwestern Cambodia using LA-ICP-MS. The granitic rock samples were collected from southwestern Cambodia, southwest of the Mae Ping Fault extending from northwest Cambodia via Tonle Sap Lake to southern Vietnam. The studied rock bodies belong to the ilmenite-series, except for three granitic rock bodies. They were identified as I-or A-type. The analysis yielded three distinct age ranges: 295–309, 191–232, and 75–98 Ma. The 295–309 Ma ages are associated with the Paleo-Tethys Sea subduction beneath the Indochina Block. The ages of 191–232 Ma may correspond to the amalgamation period of the Sibumasu and Indochina Blocks during the Indosinian Orogeny. Granitic rocks with ages of 75–98 Ma occur near the southeastern Cambodia-southern Vietnam border. Formation of these granitic rocks was associated with the Paleo-Pacific Ocean Plate (the Izanagi Plate) subduction beneath the Indochina Block. The region in which these granitic rocks occur is part of the Dalat–Kratie Zone.

Where do Smallholder Farmers get Their Information? An Exploration of the Sources of Agricultural Information in Northwest Cambodia.

Where do Smallholder Farmers get Their Information? An Exploration of the Sources of Agricultural Information in Northwest Cambodia.

Adaptation constraints and prospects for future research priorities in lowland rice-based farming systems: learning experiences from Northwest Cambodia

Sustainable agricultural development not only addresses global food insecurity but may also alleviate poverty by enriching the lives of millions of smallholder farmers. Improving the sustainability and profitability of agriculture where smallholders are dominant creates profound impacts because small landholding farmers produce approximately 70–80% of the global food. The need for a thorough understanding of the factors affecting farmers’ adoption of agricultural technologies and practices has been identified from extant literature as an important research gap. Responding to the research gap and need, this study examined the challenges that prevent farm households from adopting improved farming practices and/or technologies in Banteay Meanchey and Battambang provinces in Northwest Cambodia. A total of 524 rice producing farm household representatives were randomly selected from a household database maintained by the local government authorities. A mixed methods approach was used in the study including semi-structured interviews followed by in-depth interviews, field observations, and literature review. Farmers were found to be confronted with a range of challenges and concerns, including soil degradation, weeds, diseases, insect pests, high production costs, flooding, droughts, changing rainfall pattern, and unreliable rainfall distribution. The research findings demonstrate that improved crop production practices (e.g., adopting mechanised direct seeding methods of crop establishment, maintaining and improving soil health through crop residue retention, growing cover crops, etc.) and better resource use efficiency (e.g., reducing seeding rates to less than 100 kg/ha, being more strategic in the use of integrated nutrient, weed, and pest management strategies, etc.) can be a starting point for sustainable intensification of rice production. This transition towards intensifying paddy production sustainably may become even more effective through a clear understanding of local contexts, farm household characteristics, available resources, and the farm management practices and constraints. We observed that farmers and their associations have yet to be fully recognised as partners and actors in Cambodia. Instead, they tend to be viewed as beneficiaries and recipients of improved practices and technologies. We, therefore, propose that farmers and their associations be acknowledged and included in a process of co-creation of knowledge-practices. Such partnerships will enable the inclusion of factors (e.g., production costs, production risks, complexity and practicability of implementations, product market and prices, etc.) shown to influence farmers’ adoption of innovative farming practices and technologies. The original contribution of this article is a real-world account of the constraints and limitations experienced by smallholder rice farmers in Cambodia, which are connected to future research and development priorities in the region.

Model for Predicting Rice Yield from Reflectance Index and Weather Variables in Lowland Rice Fields

Smallholder rice farmers need a multi-purpose model to forecast yield and manage limited resources such as fertiliser, irrigation water supply in-season, thus optimising inputs and increasing rice yield. Active sensing tools like Canopeo and GreenSeeker-NDVI have provided the opportunity to monitor crop health and development at different growth stages. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of in-season estimation of rice yield in lowland fields of northwest Cambodia using weather data and vegetation cover information measured with; (1) the mobile app-Canopeo, and (2) the conventional GreenSeeker hand-held device that measures the normalised difference vegetative index (NDVI). We collected data from a series of on-farm field experiments in the rice-growing regions in 2018 and 2019. Average temperature and cumulative rainfall were calculated at panicle initiation and pre-heading stages when the crop cover index was measured. A generalised additive model (GAM) was generated using log-transformed data for grain yield, with the combined predictors of canopy cover and weather data during panicle initiation and pre-heading stages. The pre-heading stage was the best stage for grain yield prediction with the Canopeo-derived vegetation index and weather data. Overall, the Canopeo index model explained 65% of the variability in rice yield and Canopeo index, average temperature and cumulative rainfall explained 5, 65 and 56% of the yield variability in rice yield, respectively, at the pre-heading stage. The model (Canopeo index and weather data) evaluation for the training set between the observed and the predicted yield indicated an R2 value of 0.53 and root mean square error (RMSE) was 0.116 kg ha−1 at the pre-heading stage. When the model was tested on a validation set, the R2 value was 0.51 (RMSE = 925.533 kg ha−1) between the observed and the predicted yield. The NDVI-weather model explained 62% of the variability in yield, NDVI, average temperature and cumulative rainfall explained 3, 62 and 54%, respectively, of the variability in yield for the training set. The NDVI-weather model evaluation for the training set showed a slightly lower fit with R2 value of 0.51 (RMSE = 0.119 kg ha−1) between the observed and the predicted yield at pre-heading stage. The accuracy performance of the model indicated an R2 value of 0.46 (RMSE = 979.283 kg ha−1) at the same growth stage for validation set. The vegetation-derived information from Canopeo index-weather data increasingly correlated with rice yield than NDVI-weather data. Therefore, the Canopeo index-weather model is a flexible and effective tool for the prediction of rice yield in smallholder fields and can potentially be used to identify and manage fertiliser and water supply to maximise productivity in rice production systems. Data availability from more field experiments are needed to test the model’s accuracy and improve its robustness.

Grandparent caregiving in Cambodian skip-generation households: Roles and impact on child nutrition.

This study aims to understand nutrition‐related roles, responsibilities and ethical issues of grandparents caring for their grandchildren in skip‐generation households in rural Cambodia. Over the past decade, Cambodia has experienced a rise in economic migration of working age populations. This has resulted in increasing numbers of ‘skip‐generation’ households, in which grandparents and grandchildren co‐reside without parents, reflecting potential household vulnerability. This qualitative study involved in‐depth interviews and focus group discussions with Cambodian grandparents who were primary caregivers to grandchildren for six months or longer. A total of 39 grandparents were recruited at two sites in north‐west Cambodia. Interviews and focus group discussions were conducted in Khmer and were recorded, transcribed and translated into English. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Grandparents in this study looked after an average of three children, aged between two months and 18 years old. Overall, 40% were sole caregivers. Analysis showed that grandparents, particularly grandmothers, played a central role in their grandchildren's health and nutrition. Although grandchildren's health and nutrition were a major priority to grandparents, they reported facing significant challenges to safeguard their grandchildren's and their own nutritional needs. As a result, grandparents frequently faced difficult ethical trade‐offs and prioritised their grandchildren's health and nutrition over their own. This study highlights that in order to improve child nutrition, policies and interventions need to be designed in ways that support and enable grandparent caregivers to meet their grandchildren's health and nutritional needs without neglecting their own.

Wild gardening as a sustainable intensification strategy in northwest Cambodian smallholder systems

Within the last decade, Sustainable Intensification (SI) has emerged as a strategy to respond to future food security challenges. It incorporates increased food production without the cultivation of more land while incurring no net environmental cost. Frameworks attempting to measure SI often focus heavily on production indicators while overlooking other important indicators, such as impacts on economic, social, or human conditions. In this study, we evaluate the purposeful assemblage and management of neglected and underutilized species (NUS) in fringe areas around rural homesteads as a potential SI strategy. We use a recent SI assessment framework developed by the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sustainable Intensification (SIIL) that incorporates five measurable domains (productivity, economic, environmental, human condition, and social). We present findings from a qualitative case study in northwest Cambodia to assess local conceptu­alization of wild gardening, current uses of NUS, perceived benefits and challenges to their use and management, and the potential of wild gardening as a SI strategy. The qualitative methods employed 65 key informant interviews and four focus group discussions with both men and women partici­pants. Our results indicate that wild gardening is an important component of rural livelihoods in northeast Cambodia. However, a general lack of knowledge of strategic benefits, such as nutrition poten­tial, inhibits its use for maximum benefits. Wild gardening addresses multiple SI domains simultaneously and demonstrates the potential to be a promising SI strategy for improving rural livelihoods in Cambodia.

Survey of Weed Management Practices in Direct-Seeded Rice in North-West Cambodia

Two-hundred rice farming households from eight lowland rice villages in North-West Cambodia were surveyed in 2020 to determine changes in farmers’ knowledge, weed management practices and weed seed contamination in seed kept for sowing. The major yield constraints cited by farmers were lack of water, inability to manage water and competition by weeds. Water shortages result in reduced crop establishment, non-optimal herbicide application timing and poor weed control. Reduced tillage, drill planting and use of pre-emergence herbicides can improve weed management. The adoption of drill planting improves crop establishment and enables the use of pre-emergence herbicides. Possible reasons for changes in weed problems include the change to a two-crop rice system in the wet season and spread of seeds by harvesting machines. The main weed seed contaminants of rice seed kept for sowing were Echinochloa crus-galli, E. colona, Fimbristylis miliacea, Ischaemum rugosum and Melochia corchorifolia. F. miliacea was the only species effectively removed by village cleaning methods. Although prevalent in rice fields, Cyperus. iria with <0.2 seeds per 500 g and Leptochloa chinensis with nil contamination were insignificant contaminants of seed samples. The majority of farmers in the study area are relying on repeated use of a narrow range of post-emergence herbicides, thus leading to increased severity of weed problems in dry direct-seeded rice. Integrated weed management is required to reduce over-reliance on post-emergence herbicides. This will require engagement with the local input supply network to introduce advice on improved weed management and sustainable herbicide use.

Attitudes towards and Relationships with Cave-Roosting Bats in Northwest Cambodia

Bat populations are declining worldwide because of anthropogenic activities, including habitat destruction and hunting. Cambodia represents an important case study for studying human-bat interactions, as loss of karst caves and the destruction of forests threaten the stability of bat populations and the ecosystem services they provide. Cambodians rely on bats for tourism revenue, fertilizer from guano, and as a source of protein. However, there is a lack of information on people's attitudes towards and relationships with cave-roosting bats. In 2018, we interviewed 60 residents around three karst outcrops (Sampeau Hill, Banan Hill, and Reichiatra Hill) in Battambang Province, northwestern Cambodia, along with agricultural professionals in Battambang Town, the province's capital. The primary objectives of the interviews were to examine people's (1) attitudes towards bats, (2) experiences with bats, and (3) engagement in high-risk behaviors associated with transmission of bat-related diseases (e.g., guano mining, hunting, etc.). Most respondents (70%) held positive attitudes towards bats and listed guano production, pest control, and tourism as benefits bats provide. Additionally, all informants believed bats should be protected and stated that they would feel sad if bats were extirpated. Conversely, respondents noted that many people eat bats. We followed these semi-structured interviews with five key informant interviews involved with the conservation of bats, which provided information on the history of human-bat interactions within these communities. Respondents' positive attitudes towards bats and recognition of ecosystem services bats provide indicate they would support bat conservation policy and may be interested in developing community-based conservation programs around karst outcrops.

Hepatitis C viraemic and seroprevalence and risk factors for positivity in Northwest Cambodia: a household cross-sectional serosurvey

BackgroundDespite a dramatic reduction in HCV drug costs and simplified models of care, many countries lack important information on prevalence and risk factors to structure effective HCV services.MethodsA cross-sectional, multi-stage cluster survey of HCV seroprevalence in adults 18 years and above was conducted, with an oversampling of those 45 years and above. One hundred forty-seven clusters of 25 households were randomly selected in two sets (set 1=24 clusters ≥18; set 2=123 clusters, ≥45). A multi-variable analysis assessed risk factors for sero-positivity among participants ≥45. The study occurred in rural Moung Ruessei Health Operational District, Battambang Province, Western Cambodia.ResultsA total of 5098 individuals and 3616 households participated in the survey. The overall seroprevalence was 2.6% (CI95% 2.3–3.0) for those ≥18 years, 5.1% (CI95% 4.6–5.7) for adults ≥ 45 years, and 0.6% (CI95% 0.3–0.9) for adults 18–44. Viraemic prevalence was 1.9% (CI95% 1.6–2.1), 3.6% (CI95% 3.2–4.0), and 0.5% (CI95% 0.2–0.8), respectively. Men had higher prevalence than women: ≥18 years male seroprevalence was 3.0 (CI95% 2.5–3.5) versus 2.3 (CI95% 1.9–2.7) for women. Knowledge of HCV was poor: 64.7% of all respondents and 57.0% of seropositive participants reported never having heard of HCV.Risk factor characteristics for the population ≥45 years included: advancing age (p< 0.001), low education (higher than secondary school OR 0.7 [95% CI 0.6–0.8]), any dental or gum treatment (OR 1.6 [95% CI 1.3–1.8]), historical routine medical care (medical injection after 1990 OR 0.7 [95% CI 0.6–0.9]; surgery after 1990 OR 0.7 [95% CI0.5–0.9]), and historical blood donation or transfusion (blood donation after 1980 OR 0.4 [95% CI 0.2–0.8]); blood transfusion after 1990 OR 0.7 [95% CI 0.4–1.1]).ConclusionsThis study provides the first large-scale general adult population prevalence data on HCV infection in Cambodia. The results confirm the link between high prevalence and age ≥45 years, lower socio-economic status and past routine medical interventions (particularly those received before 1990 and 1980). This survey suggests high HCV prevalence in certain populations in Cambodia and can be used to guide national and local HCV policy discussion.

From Late Prehistory to the Foundation of Early States in Inland Southeast Asia: a Debate

Mortuary data from three Iron Age sites in Northeast Thailand and three in Northwest Cambodia are here reviewed for information on social formation on the cusp of early states. It has been suggested that the three Cambodian sites present evidence for a complex polity with three social tiers and that this contrasts with the lack of any evidence for equivalent complexity in the three communities in the upper Mun Valley of Northeast Thailand. This model is examined and queried on the basis of insufficient data for the Cambodian sites, and contestable statistical analysis. In its place, an alternative is presented, that identifies a critically important climatic deterioration causing increased aridity which stimulated the development of plough-based wet rice cultivation in irrigated permanent fields. In the upper Mun Valley of Northeast Thailand, this coincided with a swift rise in social elites, interred in lineage-based nuclei in which leading individuals were accompanied by unprecedented wealth. Within a century or two, some Iron Age settlements greatly expanded into regal centers documented through texts that mentioned the state of Sri Canasapura. This transition might also have occurred in Northwest Cambodia at the same time, but evidence for this is so far unconvincing.

Living fences for improved smallholder livestock systems in Cambodia

ABSTRACT In northwest Cambodia, the majority of smallholder households own livestock. Poor consistency in feed supply throughout the year is a major constraint to livestock performance. Another critical challenge, livestock roaming in the dry season for forage, results in smallholders having few options to protect any post-rice dry season cropping activity from free-ranging animals. Living fences have the potential to address both these challenges, by providing high-quality feed for livestock throughout the year, while also serving as a barrier to protect the land from livestock grazing. A mixed-methods approach was used with communities in Battambang Province, including household surveys, a fodder production experiment, a cattle feeding trial, farmer training and data on dissemination and adoption. Results showed that living fence species, such as Leucaena leucocephala, can produce 2.5 kg of fresh weight per week per 100 trees during the dry season. This biomass volume is sufficient to supplement cattle diets so that a smallholder can sustain a small percentage weight gain in cows throughout the dry season. Critical challenges, including land tenure, physical access to paddy lands, and the gendered nature of these farming systems, remain for realizing private benefit on paddy lands culturally considered public in the dry season.

Economic Impact of Rice Tractor and Combine Harvester Custom Services in Northwest Cambodia

Economic Impact of Rice Tractor and Combine Harvester Custom Services in Northwest Cambodia

О деятельности Сестёр Конгрегации Божественного Провидения в Камбодже. Рецензия на книгу Marie-Madeleine Kenning “Then the Khmer Rouge Came – Survivors’ Stories from Northwest Cambodia – a memoir.” Croydon, 2020. 209 р.

The article is a critical review of Marie-Madeleine Kenning’s book “Then the Khmer Rouge Came – Survivors’ Stories from Northwest Cambodia a memoir” published in the UK in 2020. The author of the review identifies the most interesting aspects of the book’s content, such as descriptions of the activity of Sisters of Divine Providence, the everyday lives of local Catholics and their interactions with the Buddhist community.

Weed management practices of smallholder rice farmers in Northwest Cambodia

One-hundred farmers from lowland rice systems of Battambang province in Cambodia were surveyed in 2017 using a structured questionnaire with the objectives to (1) determine farmers' current knowledge and weed management practices and document the effect of adopted agronomic practices on management of weeds in rice, and (2) quantify the extent of weed seed contamination in farmers’ own saved paddy seed lots. To estimate the level of contamination by weed seeds, a one kg paddy seed sample was collected from each surveyed farmer. All farmers practiced broadcast direct-seeded rice (DSR), with an average seeding rate of 181 kg ha−1. For sowing the rice crop, 82% of farmers used their own saved seeds or bought seed from their neighbour. All the paddy seed samples were contaminated with seeds of 34 weed species with an average of 1,070 weed seeds kg−1 of paddy seed. The most common weed contaminants in the seed samples were Oryza sativa f. spontanea (weedy rice), Fimbristylis miliacea, Echinochloa colona, Echinochloa crus-galli, and Ischaemum rugosum. Weeds, in their rice field, were considered a major problem by 93% of farmers with 70% of farmers indicating a yield loss of >20% due to weed competition. All farmers followed a post-emergence based herbicide program for weed control with no use of pre-emergence herbicides. Farmers (75%) relied on the advice of input dealers on the selection and use of herbicides. Knowledge gaps were found among farmers on herbicide application techniques including selection of the right sprayer, nozzle tips, and sprayer calibration. Although 94% of farmers responded that they were aware of pesticide exposure risk, use of boots and gloves, as personal protective equipment, during spraying was low (10 and 54%, respectively). The fertilizer use was lower than recommended rates (50% of recommended N and around 40% of recommended P and K). An exploitable rice yield gap of 1.3 t ha−1 (40%) and 1.1 t ha−1 (30%) was found in the wet and dry season, respectively. These results suggest that integrated weed management (IWM) and optimum fertilizer use can play an important role in closing the rice yield gap in Battambang. IWM options using clean/certified seeds free from weed seeds, optimum fertilizer, selection and application of appropriate pre- and post-emergence herbicides at the right time, amount, and accurate application techniques can improve weed control and hence enhance the rice yield in Cambodia. Farmer training is needed to close their knowledge gaps and to educate them on IWM, especially, to manage difficult-to-control weeds such as weedy rice.

Epidemiology of paediatric gastrointestinal colonisation by extended spectrum cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates in north-west Cambodia

BackgroundExtended-spectrum cephalosporin resistance (ESC-R) in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae is a healthcare threat; high gastrointestinal carriage rates are reported from South-east Asia. Colonisation prevalence data in Cambodia are lacking. The aim of this study was to determine gastrointestinal colonisation prevalence of ESC-resistant E. coli (ESC-R-EC) and K. pneumoniae (ESC-R-KP) in Cambodian children/adolescents and associated socio-demographic risk factors; and to characterise relevant resistance genes, their genetic contexts, and the genetic relatedness of ESC-R strains using whole genome sequencing (WGS).ResultsFaeces and questionnaire data were obtained from individuals < 16 years in north-western Cambodia, 2012. WGS of cultured ESC-R-EC/KP was performed (Illumina). Maximum likelihood phylogenies were used to characterise relatedness of isolates; ESC-R-associated resistance genes and their genetic contexts were identified from de novo assemblies using BLASTn and automated/manual annotation. 82/148 (55%) of children/adolescents were ESC-R-EC/KP colonised; 12/148 (8%) were co-colonised with both species. Independent risk factors for colonisation were hospitalisation (OR: 3.12, 95% CI [1.52–6.38]) and intestinal parasites (OR: 3.11 [1.29–7.51]); school attendance conferred decreased risk (OR: 0.44 [0.21–0.92]. ESC-R strains were diverse; the commonest ESC-R mechanisms were blaCTX-M 1 and 9 sub-family variants. Structures flanking these genes were highly variable, and for blaCTX-M-15, − 55 and − 27 frequently involved IS26. Chromosomal blaCTX-M integration was common in E. coli.ConclusionsGastrointestinal ESC-R-EC/KP colonisation is widespread in Cambodian children/adolescents; hospital admission and intestinal parasites are independent risk factors. The genetic contexts of blaCTX-M are highly mosaic, consistent with rapid horizontal exchange. Chromosomal integration of blaCTX-M may result in stable propagation in these community-associated pathogens.

Economic Performance of Using Combine Harvesters in Rice Cultivation in Northwest Cambodia

Economic Performance of Using Combine Harvesters in Rice Cultivation in Northwest Cambodia

Short communication: A survey on parasitoids of rice pest insects in Sisophon, Northwest Cambodia

Of the total nine hymenopteran parasitic wasps revealed from rice paddy in Sisophon, Northwest Cambodia, there are six larval braconid parasitoids: Apanteles cypris Nixon, Bracon onukii Watanabe, Dolochogenidea agilis Ashmead, Pentatermus striatus (Szepligeti), Taiwanhormius sp., Tropobracon luteus Cameron (Braconidae); two pupal ichneumonid species: Casinaria colacae Sonan, Xanthopimla flavolineata Cameron (Ichneumonidae), and one egg scelionid parasitoid: Telenomus rowani Gahan (Scelionidae). Additionally, all the species were recorded for the first time for Cambodia’s fauna.

Using machine learning to guide targeted and locally-tailored empiric antibiotic prescribing in a children's hospital in Cambodia

Background: Early and appropriate empiric antibiotic treatment of patients suspected of having sepsis is associated with reduced mortality. The increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance reduces the efficacy of empiric therapy guidelines derived from population data. This problem is particularly severe for children in developing country settings. We hypothesized that by applying machine learning approaches to readily collect patient data, it would be possible to obtain individualized predictions for targeted empiric antibiotic choices. Methods and Findings: We analysed blood culture data collected from a 100-bed children's hospital in North-West Cambodia between February 2013 and January 2016. Clinical, demographic and living condition information was captured with 35 independent variables. Using these variables, we used a suite of machine learning algorithms to predict Gram stains and whether bacterial pathogens could be treated with common empiric antibiotic regimens: i) ampicillin and gentamicin; ii) ceftriaxone; iii) none of the above. 243 patients with bloodstream infections were available for analysis. We found that the random forest method had the best predictive performance overall as assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The random forest method gave an AUC of 0.80 (95%CI 0.66-0.94) for predicting susceptibility to ceftriaxone, 0.74 (0.59-0.89) for susceptibility to ampicillin and gentamicin, 0.85 (0.70-1.00) for susceptibility to neither, and 0.71 (0.57-0.86) for Gram stain result. Most important variables for predicting susceptibility were time from admission to blood culture, patient age, hospital versus community-acquired infection, and age-adjusted weight score. Conclusions: Applying machine learning algorithms to patient data that are readily available even in resource-limited hospital settings can provide highly informative predictions on antibiotic susceptibilities to guide appropriate empiric antibiotic therapy. When used as a decision support tool, such approaches have the potential to improve targeting of empiric therapy, patient outcomes and reduce the burden of antimicrobial resistance.