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PhilRice launches new integrated farm management app

by Mark Joseph Zuniga

Introducing PalayCheck App. Farmers, together with LGU members, PhilRice staff, and the developers of the PalayCheck App, give their big smiles during the photo opportunity in the 2024 Lakbay Palay held at Baker Memorial Hall, University of the Philippines, Los Baños, Laguna. The PalayCheck App was introduced in the event as part of its promotion. Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) recently launched ‘PalayCheck App’, a new smartphone application, designed to make PalayCheck - a rice integrated cropping system, more interactive and accessible for stakeholders. The PalayCheck System recommends nine keychecks for crop management areas, including seed quality, land preparation, crop establishment, and management of nutrients, water, pests, harvest, and postharvest. The PalayCheck App serves as the mobile counterpart of this system with easy-to-use features for farmers, farm managers, and agricultural extension workers. Nehemiah L. Caballong, lead developer, said that one of the app’s main features is the cropping season calendar, which provides a comprehensive schedule of farm practices, from land preparation and planting to harvesting. The schedule is based on the variety of rice the farmer intends to use, the chosen establishment method, and the preferred nutrient management option. “For a successful harvest, rice farmers should adhere to the recommended schedule of farming practices from start to finish. This feature ensures the farmers’ activities are monitored by the app for optimal efficiency,” he said. The app also provides farming recommendations for crop management areas, including pest and disease management, water-use efficiency, and balanced fertilizer use. Caballong shared that these key check recommendations are available in text and video formats for the convenience of the farmers. Another feature is the farm record-keeping function, which enables farmers to track their farming activities, expenses, and harvest data. At the end of the season, the app provides a summary of the production costs and estimated net income, allowing farmers to accurately monitor their results for future improvement of their farming practices. Leylani M. Juliano, lead of the SMART Farm Digital Transformation, said that the smartphone application integrates essential farm app features into one, filling the information needs of rice farmers and helping them organize their farm records. “We encourage our farmers to use this all-in-one app that integrates the agricultural apps developed by PhilRice. Farmers can now digitally access rice production technologies anytime, anywhere,” she said. The PalayCheck App is now available on Google Play Store http://bit.ly/49xls7o for Android users and can also be downloaded from the PhilRice website: palaycheckapp.philrice.gov.ph.

Date Posted: January 29, 2024

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