Total Rice Production Research Articles

Analysis of Perceived Effects of Rainfall Variability on Rice Yield in Lokoja, Kogi State, Nigeria

This study analyzes the perceived effects of rainfall variability on rice production in Lokoja using data on rainfall and rice production from 2013 to 2022, and data on demographic and socio-economic characteristics of farmers as well as their perception on the effects of rainfall variability. The study was done using well-structured questionnaire administered in the study area to the 140 selected respondents, and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24 was utilized to analyze the data. Results showed that rainfall have significant effects on rice production with varied yield based on rainfall fluctuations in the amount of rainfall with as much rice production of about 4269 tonha-1 when precipitation was suitable between about 1250 - 1350mm, but when less than normal precipitation (<1250mm), it reduces the production yield to about 2361 tonha-1. Similarly, the results revealed that when the rainfall amount was highest, the total rice production was reduced, with cultivated areas having heavy rainfall resulting in flooding. Results further showed that on average 1282mm of rainfall produced 2693 tons of rice in the study years. About 44% of the respondents refuted early rainfall onset affecting rice production with months such as June, July, and September in some of the years with high rainfall intensity having adverse effects on rice farming, with 43% of the respondent noting that it limited the amount of land available for cultivation, while 26% noted that it reduces rice yield while the remaining 31% noted that it destroys rice stands.

Policy Constructivity and Food Security Strategies: Vulnerability Issues of Rice in Kota Belud, Sabah

The recent escalation in imported rice prices, coupled with a domestic shortfall in rice production, has significantly impacted Malaysian residents, particularly affecting the economically vulnerable B40 group which constitutes a substantial portion of the population. This scenario has contributed to a consistent increase in the cost of food items. Concurrently, the domestic scarcity of white rice is attributed to heightened demand triggered by the inflated prices of imported rice. Despite Malaysia’s 130,282 hectares dedicated to rice cultivation contributing to 40% of its total rice production, with Kota Belud, Sabah being one of the most prolific rice-producing regions spanning 7,092 hectares, the country still faces a critical vulnerability in rice and paddy supply. Notable, the area under rice cultivation in Kota Belud expanded by 1000 hectares to 9392 hectares in under three years, as of 2019. This paradox raises questions about the sufficiency of national rice supply amidst such expansion. This study aims to dissect the multifaceted factors contributing to rice supply shortages, focusing on stakeholder engagement, selection processes, and their leverage in policy-making. These elements critically affect policy space choices, alongside the feasibility and effectiveness of policy interventions. Employing qualitative methodologies, the research integrates structured interviews with key informants and the analysis of secondary data for empirical backing. Furthermore, to enrich the study's findings, questionnaires are distributed to 100 villagers in a qualitative exploration aiming for a comprehensive understanding of the issue. Preliminary findings underscore the necessity of prioritizing food security at the national level. To enhance food security concerns in Sabah and across Malaysia, the study suggests engaging the youth, enhancing road networks, developing adequate drainage and irrigation systems, and promoting a balanced cultivation of commercial and paddy crops, among other strategic interventions. These approaches are pivotal in navigating the complexities of food security and establishing a resilient rice supply chain.

Spatiotemporal variation in rice water requirements and area in the cold rice cultivation region of China: Past and Future

Studying rice water requirements (ETc) and area is crucial for developing irrigation schedules and adjusting crop structures. The cold rice cultivation region is China’s main high-quality rice production base and has the lowest temperature, highest latitude, and greatest sensitivity to climate. However, little research has focused on its past rice distributions and ETc, and its future variations are not yet clear. Past ETc was calculated by the Penman–Monteith and crop-corrected coefficient method, and past rice distribution patterns were analyzed based on the annual paddy rice planting area datasets. Future reference crop evapotranspiration (ET0) was projected by the statistical downscaling model (SDSM) based on the CMIP6 ensemble of daily predictor variables. The food and agriculture projections to 2050 datasets were used to project future rice areas, and the patch-generating land use simulation (PLUS) model simulated rice distribution. Finally, we projected future rice water supply demand. The results showed that ETc showed a decreasing trend, and the total rice area and production increased by 4.52 and 5.49 times from 1990 to 2020. Both in the past and future, rice was densely distributed in and expanded into the Sanjiang and Songnen Plains, and the spatial characteristic of ETc was as follows: the west was larger than the east, the north was larger than the south, and the central was in between. In the four future periods, the total ETc demonstrated an upward trend, increasing by 7.44–21.04, 15.64–34.74, 24.74–45.84, and 16.14–41.14 mm under the SSP126, SSP245, SSP370, and SSP585 scenarios, respectively, compared to the historical period. And it is generally ranked as SSP370 > SSP245 > SSP126. Finally, we projected future rice water supply meet the demand caused by rice area expansion.

Assessment of Association Between Observed Weather and Detrended Weather with the Detrended Rice Crop Yield in the Konkan Region of Maharashtra

Maharashtra’s total rice production (1961-2014) strongly increases. This is due to the increasing cultivated area and the influence of improved technology. Whereas, year-to-year fluctuation in production is mainly because of fluctuations in the climate. Hence, only the rice crop yield is taken for the detailed study of climate and agriculture in the selected districts from 1981 to 2014 period. Correlation analysis indicates the influence of climate change on detrend yield. A heavy shower of rain and hail can cause immense damage to a standing crop, ready for harvest (Crop weather calendar 2003, IMD). Thus, yield is the summation of conditions in all successive weeks of the crop. Correlation analysis was carried out to see the impact of observed weather with detrend yield and detrended weather with detrend yield. The Research Work explores the importance of additional Climatic variables, other than Temperature and Rainfall, and their impact on Rice crop yield. There is a significant relationship between the Observed Weather Parameter and De-trended Weather Parameter with the De-trend Yield, at different Growth Stages of Crop. The study brought about the Relationship between Rice Crop Yield and Weather Parameters, with and without Climate Change.

Stubble Burning in India: Environmental Concern and Alternative Tools

India is recognized as the world's second-largest agro-based economy. With 20% of the world's total rice production, India ranks second in the world behind China. Farmers in northern India, including Punjab, Haryana, and other regions, frequently burn any leftover stubble or straw in their fields after the grain harvest. So as to decrease the quantity of agricultural waste, farmers carry out this clearing technique (Parali burning) to get the fields ready for the next planting season. In India as well as other countries throughout the world, crop residue burning is an alarming issue. Every year, throughout the months of September and October, the Delhi and its nearby areas witness significant air pollution due to stubble burning after rice harvesting, which leads to chaos. Despite implementing numerous significant steps, both the Central and Delhi governments have not yet been able to resolve this issue. There are several adverse consequences of burning stubble, such as the release of potentially dangerous pollutants into the air, increased smog production, and worsened human health. Moreover, this has a detrimental effect on the nutritious value of the soil. Crop residue can be dealt with different efficient ways, even though it cannot be completely eradicated. In this regard, the present article aims to investigate optional environmental friendly disposal methods for stubble burning that India could implement. It is possible to transform stubble into something valuable in a number of ways such as the production of electricity from biomass, domestic animal feed, or even the production of necessary end products like medicines, health products, and composts. Furthermore, addition of crop leftovers into soil can also improve the physical, chemical, and biological qualities of soil in a number of ways. In North India, the majority of farmers think burning is the best option as they are unaware of various other options available to control stubble. Therefore, extensive awareness campaigns are required to inform farmers about the adverse impacts of stubble burning and the availability of other better financially viable solutions.

Cropland Conversion and Its Effect on Rice Production in Lampung Province, Indonesia

Lampung Province is one of the national rice producers in Indonesia. This study aimed to determine the patterns of cropland conversion, specifically rice fields, and available rice fields from 2013-2018 and to analyze the effects of two independent variables (rice field area and rice field conversion rate) on the dependent variable, i.e., total rice production. The conversion rate was calculated from 2013 to 2018, then categorized into three classes, and spatially mapped with rice field area and availability. Multiple regression tests were conducted to determine the relationship between the two independent variables. Results show that while rice fields were concentrated in Lampung Selatan, Lampung Tengah, and Lampung Timur, their conversion to non-agricultural lands was found throughout the province. Rice field areas increased in the north and east but shrunk in the south, west, and center. The statistical analysis revealed that rice field area, conservation rate, and their combination do not affect the amount of rice production in most regencies/cities in the province.

Pathogenicity of rice blast isolates (Pyricularia oryzae) in irrigated lowland of Bangladesh

AbstractRice blast poses a significant threat to food security in Bangladesh, particularly in irrigated lowland (boro rice), which constitutes over 50% of the country's total rice production. While using resistant varieties is an effective method to control rice blast, developing durable resistance is challenged by the pathogen's high variability. To address this, the current study examined the distribution of rice blast reaction types in the major rice‐growing ecosystem of Bangladesh, the irrigated lowland. Two surveys were conducted and 80 blast isolates were evaluated for pathogenicity against differential varieties (DVs). The results revealed that the high frequency of virulence (over 80%) for blast resistant genes, such as Pib, Pit, Pia, Pik‐s, Pi12(t), Pi19(t) and Pi20(t), whereas Pish, Pik‐m, Pi1, Pik‐h, Pi9 and Pita‐2 genes had the least virulence frequency. These low virulence frequency genes demonstrated promising potential for the development of blast resistant varieties in Bangladesh. The isolates were further categorized into two distinct cluster groups based on their reaction patterns to DVs, with theones coming from the eastern region predominantly in Cluster I, while the ones from the northern regions belonged mainly to Cluster II. Additionally, the isolates were classified based on five reaction types, namely U, i, k, z and ta, following a new designation system. Among these, U63, i0, k100, z06 and ta403 were the most dominant reaction types. Although these reaction types were prevalent across Bangladesh, their distribution frequency varied in different major rice‐growing regions. Furthermore, the study observed that early maturing varieties in the irrigated lowland ecosystem were highly susceptible to blast. The findings of this study will be crucial for developing a comprehensive and long‐lasting blast protection system in Bangladesh, focusing on broad‐spectrum resistance strategies.

Farmers Perceptions of the Price of Certified Rice Seeds in Padang City, West Sumatra Province, Indonesia

In the Strategic Plan Document (RENSTRA) of the Agriculture Service in Padang City for 2019–2024, it is determined that rice is a strategic commodity. One effort to increase rice production is a policy of increasing the use of certified rice seeds at the farmer level. Lowland rice production in Padang City shows a downward trend in the period 2018 to 2020. Total rice production in 2018 was 104,561 tons and rice production in 2020 was 80,092 tons, this condition shows a decline in rice production from 2018 to 2020 of 23.45%. The decline in rice production in Padang City is thought to be caused by farmers not responding well to the use of certified rice seeds. The price of certified rice seeds in Padang City is Rp. 11,000 – Rp. 15,000 per kg and the price of uncertified rice seeds in Padang City is Rp. 5,500 – Rp. 7,500 per Kg. The aim of this research is to describe farmers perceptions of the price of certified rice seeds in Padang City. Data collection was carried out using interviews and questionnaires. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. The total research sample was 96 farmers taken from 6 sub-districts in Padang City. The selected subdistrict is an area designated by the Padang City Agricultural Service as a food area. Based on research results, farmers perceptions of the price of certified rice seeds in Padang City are 42.7% of farmers perceptions of the price of certified rice seeds at affordable prices, Farmers perception of the suitability of the price of certified rice seeds in accordance with the benefits obtained is 77.1%, Farmers perception of the suitability of the price of certified rice seeds according to the quality obtained is 90.6%, The perception of farmers regarding the price of certified rice seeds compared to the price of non-certified rice seeds is that all respondent farmers said that the price of certified seeds has a high price.

Value Chain Analysis of Milled Rice Produce in Husking Rice Mill

This study was aimed to identify the present status of rice milling, map and analyze milled rice along with associated constraints and recommend priority areas of interventions using primary and secondary sources data during the period of 2012-14. In a quantitative survey, stratified random sampling was used to identify respondents, while qualitative investigations involved focus groups and key informant interviews. In the country, there are about 15,500 husking mills, 650 semi-automatic mills, and 300 automatic rice mills. Husking mills still dominate the rice milling sector and it covers about 70% of total milled rice production. However, recent trends show that the husking rice mills fail to compete with modern automatic and semi-automatic rice mills in terms of quality finished products and market demand, in turn shifting to semi-automatic and automatic rice mills is going on. The milling capacity and capacity utilization of husking mills was found to be 0.8-1.0 th-1 and 34%, respectively. Milling cost, profit per ton of fine parboiled rice and BCR for husking were found to be Tk. 2601, Tk. 3637 and 1.4, respectively. The profit margin for parboiled fine rice processed in a husking mill was found to be 37.04%. Employment opportunities in terms of labor and staff requirement for husking mills were found to be 14.17 man hours per metric ton of paddy and 6.95 man hours per tonne of paddy, respectively. Husking rice mills produce more broken, less head rice recovery and quality is less than automatic rice mills. Beside these, in husking mill bran and husk are mixed together that’s not suitable for edible oil extraction and briquette production. In terms of quality of rice e.g. less broken rice, absence of stones and black kernels, brightness, color etc., the rice mills having modern equipment produce higher quality rice, with higher market demand and higher profit making ability compared to rice mills having traditional equipment. Bangladesh Rice J. 26 (2): 19-39, 2022

Analyses of Productivity and Profitability in Boro Rice Cultivation within Blast-Affected Areas of Kushtia District

This study evaluated the profitability dynamics of blast affected Boro rice cultivation within specific regions of Kushtia District of Bangladesh during the period of 2018-19. A total of 90 farmers, with 30 from each upazila, were selected randomly for participation in this study. The findings revealed substantial yield losses, with the most significant impact observed among11% farmers affected by a disease severity scale of 9 in BRRI dhan28, resulting in a yield loss of 3.92 t/ha. Similarly, a blast severity scale of 9 led to yield losses of 2.0 t/ha in BRRI dhan29, affecting 7% of farmers. The Miniket cultivar exhibited a yield loss of 1.70 t/ha among 56% of farmers with a severity scale of 5. Interestingly, Mirpur experienced devastating losses for both BRRI dhan28 and BRRI dhan29, while Kushtia Sadar suffered significant yield losses for the Miniket cultivar based on disease severity and yield impact. Application of Nativo 75 WG (0.40 Kg/ha) and Trooper 75 WP (0.50 Kg/ha) at the lowest (3%) disease incidence resulted in a remarkable 68.97% increase in yield for BRRI dhan29 in Bheramara. Conversely, spraying of Amistar Top 325 SC (0.56 l/ha) did not lead to increase yield. In Miniket cultivar at Bheramara, Nativo 75 WG (0.45 Kg/ha) and Amistar Top 325 SC (0.37 l/ha) resulted in a lower yield of 2.99 t/ha due to application at a higher (50%) disease incidence. Furthermore, a yield increase of 69.67% was observed with the application of Nativo 75 WG (0.34 kg/ha) in the Miniket cultivar at Kushtia Sadar. The highest gross return, gross margin, net return, and benefit-cost ratio were recorded in Bheramara, amounting to Tk 1,24,084/ha, Tk 46,037/ha, Tk 5,797/ha, and 1.05, respectively. Notably, BRRI dhan29 exhibited the maximum gross return and yield of Tk 1,32,435/ha and 6.14 t/ha, respectively, whereas BRRI dhan28 demonstrated the lowest gross return and net return of Tk 1,09,737/ha and (-) Tk 8,321/ha, respectively, due to higher blast disease incidence. Labor costs constituted the largest share (34.10%) of the total rice production expenses. Despite BRRI dhan28 exhibiting lower net and gross returns per hectare due to higher blast disease incidence, the highest yields in BRRI dhan29 were attributed to its comparatively lower disease infection rate among the three varieties. Evidently, the cultivation of the Miniket cultivar resulted in higher net returns due to its superior market price and quality, especially when disease incidence was lower compared to BRRI dhan28. This emphasizes the importance of blast management strategies and the use of resistant varieties with high yield potential and market value in ensuring sustainable productivity and profitability in Boro rice production. Bangladesh Rice J. 26 (2): 1-18, 2022

Detection of Non-Technical Losses in Irrigant Consumers through Artificial Intelligence: A Pilot Study

Non-technical losses (NTLs) verified in the power distribution grids cause great financial losses to power utilities. In rural distribution grids, fraudulent consumers contribute to technical problems. The Southern region in Brazil contains more than 70% of the total rice production and power irrigation systems. These systems operate seasonally in distribution grids with high NTL conditions. This work aimed to present an artificial intelligence-based system to help power distribution companies detect potential consumers causing NTLs. This minimizes the challenge of maintaining compliance with current regulations and ensuring the quality of services and products. In the proposed methodology, historical energy consumption information, meteorological data, satellite images, and data from energy suppliers are processed by artificial intelligence, indicating the suspicious consumer units of NTL. This work presents every step developed in the proposed methodology and the tool application in a pilot area. We detected a high number of consumers responsible for NTLs, with an accuracy of 63% and an average reduction of 78% in the search area. These results corroborated the effectiveness of the tool and instigated the research team to expand the application to other rice production areas.

BRRI dhan104: BRRI’s Basmati Type Aromatic Rice Variety for Irrigated Ecosystem in Bangladesh

An enhancement over already available premium quality enriched aromatic rice varieties for Bangladesh is the recently announced BRRI dhan104 type of rice, which has long slender grain and is high yielding and ideal for Bangladesh's irrigated ecology. The variety has satisfactorily passed the Proposed Variety Trial (PVT) conducted in the farmers’ field in Boro 2021-22 season. As a result National Seed Board (NSB) approved this variety for commercial cultivation in the Boro season (dry season) in 2022. It has modern plant type with 92 cm plant height and matures by 147 days. The proposed variety showed 0.68 t/ha higher yield than check variety BRRI dhan50. Identifying characters of this variety are green leaf, intermediate plant height, erect flag leaf, long slender grain, and intermediate leaf senescence. In average, it can produce 7.30 t/ha grain yield but it has potentiality to give 8.71 t/ha grain yield under favorable climatic condition and appropriate agronomic management. Thousand grain weight of the variety is 21.5 gm and head rice yield is 57.2%. It is strong aromatic basmati type rice variety (according to GCMS system the value of volatile aromatic compound is 2.12 ppm), 29.2% amylose content with 8.9% protein content. Farmers can benefit financially from growing the premium quality enriched aromatic rice variety BRRI dhan104 and the total rice production will be increased along with possible to earn foreign currency by export this variety. Among the released variety by BRRI, the BRRI dhan104 is the only variety of aromatic basmati type.

Exploring Asset-Based Community-led Development (ABCD) Elements for Determining Farm Technologies in Rural Rice Farming Community – Kelabit Highlands, Sarawak

Malaysia is a net importer of rice, and Sarawak itself contributes approximately 8.2% of total national rice production. Although Malaysia national policy targeting to achieve 80% self-sufficient level of rice for national food security agenda, another alternative is to explore some premium quality traditional rice varieties that potentially entering into premium market for the socioeconomic advancement especially for the rural areas. Traditionally, the choice of farm technologies are implemented through government direction in a top-down approach, through decisions, strategies, and diffusion processes driven by the agencies. This study aims to explore the elements of Asset-Based Community-led Development (ABCD) as an alternative to conventional needs-based development within a community of rice farmers based in the Kelabit Highlands – a rural community in the highlands of the East Malaysia state of Sarawak. The study collected interview data from rice farmers in the Kelabit Highlands community and also discussed the role of agencies and their efforts to form partnerships, and peer collaborations based on those assets identified and community strength. The study also evaluated the ABCD framework as a means to visualize community-based assets. Clarifying these factors would identify suitable farming technologies that are socially desirable in the Kelabit Highlands and determine a bottom up method for other rural communities to evaluate and pave a path forward in selecting farming technologies that fit into their landscape.
 
 Keywords: ABCD, bottom-up, farm technologies, rice farming, top-down

Review on double haploid in rice plant (Oryza sativa L.)

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important and indigenous crop in India. Rice is a plant belonging to the family of grasses, Gramineae (Poaceae). It is a major food crop of the world and forms the staple diet of about half of the world's population. Rice is repeatedly mentioned in ancient Indian texts, including the Yajur Veda. The area under cultivation of rice in India is 45416 thousand hectare, Total production of Rice during 2020-21 is estimated at record 122.27 million tonnes. Two major Asian cultivated varieties of rice have been historically recognized as japonica and indica subspecies. Japonica rice is sticky and indica rice is non sticky. Obtaining high quality homozygous pure lines by classical breeding methods is very time consuming and labour intensive. Due to uncontrolled pollination, the results are hard to obtain through this method. In-vitro haploid production offers an excellent solution for development of high quality homozygous pure lines in lesser time. Indica rice is mainly cultivated in tropical and subtropical environments at lower latitudes or altitudes, whereas japonica rice is grown mainly in more temperate environments at higher latitudes or altitudes. Anther culture is easy in japonica rice, but its application in Indica rice is limited as it is difficult to breed through anther culture. Indica cultivars of rice showed low anther culturability (1.2% callus induction) whereas Japonica cultivars had 20-fold higher (28.1%) anther culturability.

Inorganic and Natural Silicon Sources as Soil Amendment on Growth of Local Aromatic Rice Variety

Lodging causes a yield loss of approximately 1 ton per hectare as 20% of the total rice production. Silicon(Si) fertilisers significantly improve paddy grain yield, and lodging resistance by improving leaf firmnessbesides promoting better plant canopy and boosting photosynthesis. The objective of this study was todetermine the effects of Si derived from calcium silicate (CaSiO3), rice husk ash, and rice straw on paddyplant growth. A pot study was conducted at MARDI Seberang Perai during the main season (2019/2020)and the off-season (2020) using the MRQ 76 rice variety to evaluate 10 Si carriers. The growth parametersof the paddy plants such as number of tillers, plant height, and chlorophyll content at different growth stageswere evaluated. During season 1, treatment with 100% CaSiO3 (T4) significantly improved the plant height.Nevertheless, the organic Si (T1, T2, and T3) and combination between organic Si with CaSiO3 (T5, T6,T7, and T8) resulted in the tallest plants during season 2. Treatment T7 increased the tillering number permeter square during season 1 whereas in season 2 treatment T8 performed better compared to the standardfertiliser (T9) and control (T10). However, the treatments evaluated in this study did not significantly affectthe chlorophyll content of the paddy plants. Applying a combination of rice straw (50%) and rice husk ash(50%) a day before transplanting, followed by CaSiO3 (100%) as a silicate material during panicle initiation,along with additional NPK fertiliser (17:3:25:2MgO) during heading stage (T7), and without additionalNPK fertiliser (17:3:25:2MgO) at the heading stage (T8) were most effective in enhancing crop growth andmaintaining the paddy cultivation. Therefore, the findings in this study suggested the potential of usinginorganic and organic Si to improve the growth and development of aromatic rice variety.

Water Savings, Yield, and Economic Benefits of Using SRI Methods with Deficit Irrigation in Water-Scarce Southern Iraq

This study evaluated what intervals of irrigation in conjunction with the use of SRI methods could achieve the greatest economic, as well as agronomic returns when growing irrigated rice under the water-deficit conditions of southern Iraq. A field study at the Al-Mishkhab Rice Research Station in southern Iraq recorded input and output data for three different irrigation regimes: continuous submergence of the rice crop; irrigation at 3-day intervals; and irrigation at 7-day intervals. Benefit–cost analysis showed 3-day intervals with SRI methods, giving the highest net returns and highest internal rate of return, indicating that the continuous irrigation of rice fields is a waste of water, with neither agronomic nor economic benefit. In Iraq, there are large opportunity costs for any unnecessary use of irrigation water. The highest water productivity was achieved with 7-day intervals of irrigation together with SRI methods, but this entails some sacrifice of the yield ha−1, as 13% less grain is produced than with continuous submergence of the crop. With 7-day intervals compared to 3-day intervals, water-saving was 44%, but compared to continuous submergence of the crop, the saving was 72%. This large amount of water could, if redeployed, enable many more farmers to cultivate larger areas of the land, increasing total rice production for Iraq, and some of the water saved could be put to other, high-value uses. It would thus benefit the country and many farmers if, in return for rice farmers’ using irrigation water more productively, those who currently grow rice could be persuaded to accept a grain yield somewhat lower than they could produce with 3-day intervals of irrigation and SRI crop management. The redeployment of water saved by having longer irrigation intervals coupled with SRI methods could raise Iraq’s rice output more than enough to compensate the farmers for forgoing some attainable production by their accepting 7-day irrigation intervals. If no such incentive scheme could be established, there would still be a significant benefit for farmers and for the country by moving to SRI production methods with 3-day intervals rather than continuing the present practice of routinely flooding rice fields and using conventional methods.

Analysis of Potential Electric Energy Rice Husk using Gasification Process in West Sumatera

Currently, the use of fuel is increasing, it is feared that fossil fuels will run out in the near future and the national energy policy make the target of the new renewable energy to reach 23% in 2025, especially those most widely used for electricity fuel. Energy from vegetable waste is one of solution to produce new biomass energy an alternative energy to replace fossil fuels. The potential of biomass energy at Indonesian, especially in the West Sumatra area is very large, one of which is solid waste from rice husk agricultural products. In this article, use the rice husk gasification downdraft method to produce synthetic gas to internal combustion engine and coupled with electric generator. The results of rice production at West Sumatera in 2021, which is total of 1.361.769 tons of dry unhulled rice (GKG), will produce 272.353,8 tons of rice husks or about 20% of the total rice production, and mass syngas is 235.335,47 tons, the energy potential electrical 118.924,82 MWh per year. The generator can runs 216 days continuously and cost of fuel is $ 224.64/day vs $302.23/day a diesel engine. So fuel of biomass gasifier 34.5% more efficient compared with the diesel engine.

Multi-Model Rice Canopy Chlorophyll Content Inversion Based on UAV Hyperspectral Images

Rice is China’s main crop and its output accounts for 30% of the world’s total annual rice production. Rice growth status is closely related to chlorophyll content (called Soil and Plant Analyzer Development (SPAD) values). The determination of a SPAD value is of great significance to the health status of rice, agricultural irrigation and regulated fertilization. The traditional SPAD value measurement method is not only time-consuming, laborious and expensive but also causes irreparable damage to vegetation. The main aim of the present study is to obtain a SPAD value through the inversion of hyperspectral remote sensing images. In order to achieve this purpose, the hyperspectral image of rice at different growth stages at the canopy scale was first acquired using a hyperspectral imaging instrument equipped with a drone; the spectral characteristics of the rice canopy at different growth stages were analyzed and combined with a ground-level measured SPAD value, the bands with high correlation between the SPAD values and the spectra of the rice canopy at different fertility stages were selected. Subsequently, we combined the spectral characteristics with the continuous projection algorithm to extract the characteristic band and used the PLS method in MATLAB software to analyze and calculate the weight of each type of spectral value and the corresponding canopy SPAD value; we then used the wavelength corresponding to the spectral value with the highest weight as the used band. Secondly, the four methods of univariate regression, partial least squares (PLS) regression, support vector machine (SVM) regression and back propagation (BP) neural network regression are integrated to establish the estimation model of the SPAD value of rice canopy. Finally, the models are used to map the SPAD values of the rice canopy. Research shows that the model with the highest decision coefficient among the four booting stage models is “booting stage-SVR” (R2 = 0.6258), and the model with the highest decision coefficient among the four dairy maturity models is “milk-ripe stage-BP” (R2 = 0.6716), all of which can meet the requirement of accurately retrieving the SPAD value of rice canopy. The above results can provide a technical reference for the accurate, rapid and non-destructive monitoring of chlorophyll content in rice leaves and provide a core band selection basis for large-scale hyperspectral remote sensing monitoring of rice.

Analysis of Rice Marketing Channels Choices in Mwea Irrigation Scheme, Kirinyaga County, Kenya

The National Rice Development Strategy in (Kenya vision 2030) aims to improve food security, rural employment, and income for smallholder farmers in the Mwea irrigation scheme (MIS) through planned and intentional efforts. A study was conducted to identify major influences in choosing market avenues among rice farmers. The study used a sample size of 384 small-scale rice farmers to analyze the different rice marketing channels used in MIS, and to understand the factors that influence farmers’ choices of marketing channels. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the marketing channels, multinomial logit model was used to evaluate channel choices. The marketing channels were Channel 1: Farmer-Consumer (0.3%); Channel 2: Farmer-Brokers-Millers-Consumer (51.1%); Channel 3: Farmer-Brokers-Millers- Retailer-Consumer (42.3%); Channel 4: Farmer- Millers-Retailer-Consumer (62.72%) and Channel 5: Farmer- Millers- Wholesaler-Retailer-Consumer (37.28%). The most profitable channel was direct sales to consumers, which accounted for only 0.3% of total rice production in MIS. The study also found that factors such as education level, participation in marketing groups, distance to market, and age of the household head significantly influenced farmers’ choice of marketing channels. The study is critical in enriching literature on rice agricultural supply chains in Kenya. The study recommends policy considerations to protect small-scale farmers from exploitative brokers and suggests registering brokers to monitor their activities and set standards for fair practices, with the goal of regulating their activities to prevent exploitation of small-scale farmers in rice marketing.

Cluster Analysis of Indonesian Provinces Based On Harvest Area And Rice Productivity Using Single Linkage Method

In this article, a cluster analysis will be conducted for provinces in Indonesia based on the harvest area (ha) and rice productivity (ku/ha) of 34 provinces in Indonesia. Clustering is done using a hierarchical method, namely single linkage. The distance used as the basis for clustering is the euclidian distance. Based on the results of clustering using single linkage, 3 large clusters were obtained. In this article, a cluster analysis will be conducted for provinces in Indonesia based on the harvest area (ha) and rice productivity (ku/ha) of 34 provinces in Indonesia. clustering is done using a hierarchical method, namely single linkage. The distance used as the basis for clustering is the euclidian distance. Based on the results of clustering using single linkage, 3 large clusters were obtained. Cluster consists of 3 provinces, cluster 2 consists of 1 province and cluster 3 consists of 30 provinces. Cluster 1 is a province with high rice production with an average total rice production of 9,628,788 tons. Cluster 2 with an average total rice production of 5,341,021 tons. While cluster 3 with an average rice production of 863,995.34 tons. Furthermore, based on cluster validation using the anova test, the significance value is 0.00>0.05, which means that there is a significant difference between clusters. Thus it can be stated that the division of 34 Indonesian provinces in terms of land area and rice productivity into 3 large clusters using the single linkage method is valid.