Rice is one of the important cereal crops in the world and it is the most single important in the Lao PDR, which cultivates as daily staple food. However, rice production in Northern provinces of the country is remaining with subsistent farming, especially in Namor, Viengphoukha and Pha Oudom districts. Farmers usually use their traditional practices for rice cultivation, including the use of local varieties for long time. They normally colletect and storage seeds by their own which are usually poor quality, and therefore their rice production is low productivity. To overcome this problem, the project aims to improve the rice productivity in the project target districts through improvement of rice cultivation including the selection of suitable improved rice varieties for different environment, seed multiplication techniques and other crop management. Three experiments were carried out through the project life, started in the wet-season (WS) year 2008 with the trial on the introduction of three improved rice varieties namely Thadockhams (TDK) varieties, and in the WS 2009 and 2010, a participatory rice variety selection trials of nine improved varieties and one the most popular local variety was used as control variety, and the last experiment aiming to demonstrate farmers on seed multiplication techniques. These research activities were conducted in Namor, Vieng Phoukha and Pha Oudom districts. Experiment 1., in the WS year 2008; three improved rice varieties namely TDK5,TDK 6, TDK11 were test in the farmers’ field in three different districts, and local varieties were used as control. The 4 main plots were laid out in 4 farmers’ fields in each districts, each farmer was used as a replication. Data collection for yield were taken by the samples in the sub plots area of 2m x 5m. The results showed that, TDK11 was given highest yield in all experimental areas: Namor: 4.25 tons /ha, Vieng Phoukha: 4.22 tons/ha, and Pha Oudom: 4.91 tons/ha.2) In WS year 2009 and 2010, two experiments were carried out: (1) the farmers participatory rice variety selection trials with 9 rice varieties and then six varieties were selected by farmers for further trial in 2010, and (2) a trial aiming to demonstrate farmers on seed multiplication techniques. The yield of 9 varieties in Namor was ranged from 1.7 to 2.44 tons/ha, in Vieng Phoukha from 2.99 to 4.14 tons/ha, and Pha Oudom from 2.66 to 4.96 tons/ha. In WS 2010, replicated yield trial of the most promising six varieties was carried out in Viang Phoukha and Pha Oudom districts. The results of the trial showed that TDK10252-B-B-59-9-6 was the highest yield with 3.89 tons/ha in Vieng Phoukha, and while the rice variety R28154 given the highest yield 7.13 tons/ha in Pha Oudom district. The result of PM&E showed that number of farmers using the improved rice varieties was increased, and many farmers had experience in producing quality rice seeds for their own use. 

Fulltext