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[1] Rice farmers Siriporn and Amnat Taidee used to burn their paddy fields between plantings - a common method for clearing crop residue that is partly responsible for the toxic smog that blankets much of Thailand each spring. This quick and inexpensive way to prepare for a new growing cycle has long been viewed as the only viable option for millions of Thai rice farmers.
[2] But for the couple from Chiang Rai, abandoning what Amnat called “the old way of doing things” for new microbial solutions has been a boon. Thanks to the hungry bacteria that chew up post-harvest leftovers, their soil is softer, their yields are up and their fertiliser bills are down.
[3] Bangkok has restricted burning of crop residue for years, but a recent crackdown has put government environmental goals on a collision course with traditional agricultural practices. The threat of heavy fines and even prison has frightened farmers – but many feel they still have no alternative. “It simply pushes the burden onto farmers,” said Witsanu Attavanich, an environmental economist at Kasetsart University.
[4] The Taidees were early converts, using a product called Soil Digest, developed by Thai scientist Wichien Yongmanitchai, which uses five strains of Bacillus bacteria – one of which is derived from traditional fermented soybeans. Siriporn said the solution decomposed the “terrible” stubble on the fields within days, helping restore the soil. “The rice is coming in great, and the soil is healthy,” she said. “This microbial stuff is a game-changer.”
[5] Last year, authorities in Chiang Rai – one of Thailand’s main rice-growing provinces – began encouraging local farmers to try microbial solutions. Around 2,000 have made the switch – a fraction of the province’s 100,000 rice farmers.
[6] Microbial products have long been used in Thai agriculture, but demand for newer formulations targeting straw decomposition has grown sharply since the crackdown on burning intensified a few years ago. The Thai government promotes free access to microbial products for farmers, but officials said that stocks had run out and they were struggling to scale up supply. For those who cannot access government supplies, private market alternatives are pricey.
[7] Without microbial treatment, rice straw takes around 30 days to soften enough to till – Yongmanitchai’s solution works in five to seven days. Early trials show yield increases of up to 20 per cent. The retired professor also said the bacteria can reduce methane emissions from paddy fields by at least 20 per cent, helping Thailand meet its climate commitments. “This is one of the biggest benefits to make (for achieving) carbon neutrality in the rice field,” said Yongmanitchai.
[8] But Yongmanitchai knows his small operation cannot reach Thailand’s 20 million farmers on its own. And without government and corporate backing, the gap may prove too wide. “The government wants to reduce straw burning – but there is no one-size-fits-all solution,” said Nipon Poapongsakorn, an agricultural policy expert at the Thailand Development Research Institute. To start, he suggested conditional subsidies tied to a no-burn commitment and access to machinery and farmer education.
Source: Agence France-Presse, April 16
