Improving rice farmers’ decision making in lowland rice-based systems in East Africa (East African ‘RiceAdvice’)”

Irrigated rice advances more and more to become the staple food crop in East Africa. A positive effect of climate change is that high altitude regions formerly ill-suited for rice production offer now a seasonal window with thermal environments allowing the production of irrigated rice. However, little is known about the adaptations required for the system and for the varieties to fit the environment. Particularly cold stress during early seedling growth and during flowering and grain filling constitute a challenge to the genotypes. In addition nutrient management needs to be adapted to the uptake and assimilation capacities of the genotypes grown under these conditions to maximize nutrient use efficiency. The ultimate goal of the project is to develop a smart phone based application to advice farmers on crop management strategies for these environments.

RiceAdvice idea - The development of a smart phone based application to advice farmers on crop management strategies for high altitude irrigated rice production.

RiceAdvice  goal - maximize achievable yields in irrigated rice in high altitude systems through selection of climate smart rice varieties and minimizing water and nutrient use.

RiceAdvice purpose - enable farmers to successfully grow rice in high altitude systems and thus diversify the production system, improve farmers livelihoods and increase food security.

The project is financed by BMZ, the project leadership is located at the Africa Rice Center, Ivory Coast. Partners in the project are the University of Hohenheim, Germany, EIAR, Ethiopia, FOFIFA, Madagascar, and RAB, Rwanda.

People

PD

Dr. Marc Cotter
Project coordination

PhD

Ando Lalaina Razafindrazaka
"Responses of lowland rice genotypes  to variable thermal environments in high altitude cropping systems in Madagascar"

Bayuh Belay Abera
"Genotypic variation in varietal responses of irrigated rice to high altitude environments in Ethiopia"

Chuma André Boshuwenda
"Temperature effects on nutrient availability and uptake in irrigated rice system varying in altitude"

MSc

Germination and early seedling partitioning of lowland rice in variable thermal environments
Master of Science Thesis, Elena Begue [Germany]

Soil temperature related N dynamics in high altitude rice production systems.
Master of Science Thesis, Isaac Vincent [USA]
supported by GIZ/BEAF

Temperature effects on early leaf and panicle development in irrigated rice grown at high altitude in Madagascar
Master of Science Thesis, Simon Istas [Belgium]
supported by GIZ/BEAF

Early leaf area development and leaf area responses to variable thermal environments of lowland rice genotypes in high altitude cropping systems in Madagascar
Master of Science Thesis, Eugen Jedig [Germany]
supported by the foundation fiat panis

BSc

Link to project coordinator

Link to co-project leader - Water stress management - University of Hohenheim

Link to BEAF/GIZ

Publications

Paper

Poster

Talks