DIGITAL FOOD SYSTEMS EVIDENCE CLEARING HOUSE 

RiceAdvice is a free Android application that provides farm-specific advice on rice management practices with smallholder farmers for improving rice yield and profit.

Description

AfricaRice has developed Android based decision support tools for providing farmers with field-specific management guidelines for rice production systems in Africa.

Currently there are two tools available

  1. RiceAdvice (target yield, nutrient management and crop calendar) – supported languages: English, French and Kiswahili
  2. RiceAdvice-WeedManager – supported languages English and French

The tools are interactive, and the guidelines provided by these tools are generated based on farmers’ answers to multiple choice questions on farm conditions, crop management practices and market. Expected users include farmers, extension workers, private rice sectors, development agencies in Africa who are interested in advice for rice production.

RiceAdvice tools can be used on Android devices (version 4.4 and up). Although they can be largely used without an internet connection, an active connection is required from time to time to synchronize information with the database server.

Estimated number of active users:

  • At inception: 10
  • At time of last report: 200

Evidence of impact

A recent impact assessment using randomized control trial in Nigeria showed that RiceAdvice increased yield by about 0.5 t/ha and net income by $212 per hectare.
https://cals.arizona.edu/arec/sites/cals.arizona.edu.arec/files/publications/CRP-201902.pdf

Up to 2019, over 85,000 recommendations have been generated by RiceAdvice in 4 sub-Saharan African countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal).

➥ Economic impact: 

➥ Environmental impact: 

➥ Social impact: 

➥ Technical impact: 

➥ Impact on overall efficiency

Increased efficiency by 0-25%