Videos for best management practices in maize cultivation in Southeast Asia

August 20, 2013. Penang, Malaysia – Best management practices (BMPs) for maize cultivation are now accessible on DVD. This comprehensive video covers important aspects of maize cultivation, from selecting the optimum plant population for the local environment to proper harvesting techniques.

Maize is the second most important cereal crop in Southeast Asia, next to rice. Not only is it a dietary staple for many Asian cultures, it is also a major component in the animal feed industry. There is a huge opportunity for maize farmers to use sustainable intensification to improve their livelihoods by increasing maize yields to meet the growing demand.

The International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) and its Southeast Asian partners have been working with farmers to improve the productivity and profitability of maize cropping systems. Recent studies on more than 100 farms across the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam have revealed that with better quality germplasm and BMPs, these farmers can increase yields by more than 10 percent (Pasuquin, J.M. et. al., Closing yield gaps in maize production in Southeast Asia through site-specific nutrient management, in preparation).

The BMPs showcased in the video highlight techniques for optimal crop and field management. With an extensive section on balanced nutrient management, the video focuses on how farmers could maximize the benefits of BMPs by applying the 4R Nutrient Stewardship approach, i.e. apply the right source of nutrients, at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place.

This video, produced by IPNI in collaboration with partners in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, and with support from the International Potash Institute, is among several tools developed by IPNI to support the wider-scale dissemination of 4R Nutrient Stewardship in the region. It complements the Nutrient Expert^® for Maize software, a decision support tool based on the principles of site-specific nutrient management (Pampolino, M.F. et. al. 2012., Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 88:103-110, http://seap.ipni.net/article/seap-3057). Nutrient Expert^® for Maize assists extension agents and farmers in crop intensification, providing fertilizer recommendations that are tailored to their specific growing environments.

The instructional Maize BMP DVD has been released in several languages, including Bahasa Indonesia, Vietnamese, and Filipino (with English subtitles). The Filipino version is now available on YouTube for easier access.


Contact
Dr. Thomas Oberthür, IPNI Director of Southeast Asia Program
Email: toberthur@ipni.net