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Ockenden Cambodia
Exposure visiting at Soma Rice, Takeo
Case Study Report
On the 7th 8th of November 2016, Ockenden Cambodia (OC) led 30 key farmers which were
INDRA beneficiary to conduct a visit to Kirivong District, Takeo province. In this visit, SOMA
Rice Company was selected for farmers to visit and learn. Soma Rice Company is a place of
rice production with the 300-hectare farm. John Muir was a senior agronomist there. He had
a good coordination with our farmers and OC staffs. Here is technical practice on the farm
which farmers asked and learned from Soma Rice:

Exposure visit to Soma Rice Company, Kirivong District, Takeo.

1. Soil Preparation
Soma rice invested machinery from Australia and Thailand such as tractors, Machine
Seeders. During the 2016 drought, some part of rice farm was planted rice crop with
minimum tillage. For this technique, actually, it required keeping moisture in the topsoil
OCKENDEN CAMBODIA
INDRA PROJECT

Reported by Nhoeb Khan

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with rice stubble. However, John said that, to keep moisture in the soil, technicians had
to spray herbicide on the field in one week or two weeks before planting by their machine
seeder. Killing weed is to keep moisture because any weed will suck the moisture from
the topsoil, said Mr. Piseth, Soma Rice technician. For flooding part, they could not avoid
plowing. Drum Seeder was used to in this case.

Successful story at Soma Rice with rice production during the drought.

2. Seed and Variety

Phkar Rumduol and Saen Kra Oub which are aromatic and short-term rice variety were
preferred at Soma Rice. They just used 30 to 40 kilograms of rice seed in one hectare by
applying conservation farming technics and using machinery. Hybrid seed (F1) was
applied in Soma Rice because it would be increased yield and profit. All of these varieties
were bought from AQIP seed company.

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INDRA PROJECT

Reported by Nhoeb Khan

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3. Rice Seeder and Machinery Use

Soma rice used Cardi ACIAR disc seeder for a dry paddy plot. Cardi ACIAR disc
seeder is 1.5 meters wide of a row space.They used this type of machine with all seed
types and it cost $800 with two functions such as seeding and fertilizing. Thai KID
company disc wet seeder can use with a 4WD tractor and 2.5 - 3.5 m wide of a row
space. It cost $6000 with all seed types and sowing rates in precision plate disc seeder
down to 18kg ha rice for SRI Sustain Rice Intensification.

CARDI Rice Seeder for small and medium scale household farmers. It just costs USD400.

4. Fertilizer Application
Conservation farming was preferred by Soma Rice because John Muir was an expert
there. Soma Rice applied fertilizer according to their observing on leave color and
stage of fertilizer application was commonly flexible. However, our farmers took note
roughly for one hectare of rice as shown below :

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INDRA PROJECT

Reported by Nhoeb Khan

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Stage1: Dap 50kg and Kali 100kg
Stage2: After 15 days applied Urea 75kg and Kali 25kg
Stage3: 15 days later applied Urea 30kg-50kg
Stage4: Panicle Initiation applied Urea 30kg-50kg

5. Integrated Pest Management(IPM)

Soma Rice just sprayed insecticides and fungicides to rid off the hopper, thrips, and
snail as well as BLAST disease. They also sprayed herbicide to destroy weed before
planting rice during the long drought. The technician had to control every stage of rice
growth and observe diseases and insects. They said

Pesticide Sprayer was spraying by tractor to destroy grubs.

However, some part of rice farm was damaged by rats. Our farmers could see rat trap
around the rice field. They did not have a stage for protecting insects, disease, and
rats. If they control it when finding any a problem.

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INDRA PROJECT

Reported by Nhoeb Khan

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Rat Trap protected rice from attacking by rat groups.

John said he would buy to rodenticide from Vietnam to protect rice from rat destroying.
Some part would need to spray some molluscicide to kill bad snails.

6. Climate Change Capacity

John had explained to the key farmers how to measure rainfall and experienced the
climate change affected in 2016. He said farmers should have knowledge on climate
change and adapted yourself with the new technology of conservation farming.
Our farmer agreed with that soil, weather and rainfall knowledge was very useful for
conservation farming, especially rice crops and diversification crops.
Crop rotation practice should be preferred for adapting to climate change as well as
conservation agriculture. Realistically legume family should be planted after rice
harvesting because it can improve soil nutrition and increase profits.
John said to the farmers that they should not rely on the mono crop in the farm. So
farmers had to change to diversification crops by planting mung bean (legume) from

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INDRA PROJECT

Reported by Nhoeb Khan

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January to March. That crop just need a little moisture in the topsoil from the previous
crop.

Conservation farming and Climate Change solution by an Expert, John Muir

7. Harvesting
That farm was not harvested yet but John Muir expected that Soma Rice would be
able to collect yield 4.5 to 5 tons of rice per hectare. They also use harvesting combine
to harvest.

THANK YOU!

OCKENDEN CAMBODIA
INDRA PROJECT

Reported by Nhoeb Khan