Farming and seed conservation practices of rice farmers in the marginal uplands of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, Philippines

This study was undertaken to make an inventory of the upland rice resource base of Lake Sebu, to document traditional farming and seed conservation practices of the T’bolis and to detect the occurrence of genetic erosion in the farmer’s fields. Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) techniques were the methods used in the study. Results revealed a very high level of genetic diversity (136 landraces) of traditional upland rice cultivars in the area. Seed movement was also unrestricted in the area for most of the sitios. The system of cultivation in the area, however, is done at the subsistence level and is purposely geared towards domestic consumption. No effort is also exerted with respect to the conservation of the rice resource and it is made possible through continued utilization. For the T’bolis in Lake Sebu, the availability of planting materials does not warrant conservation. Genetic erosion therefore occurs in farmers’ fields and traditional varieties are lost on a continuous basis. Unless mitigating measures are done to save the upland ecosystem, these valuable genetic resources will be irreversibly lost.