Showcasing rice production techniques, agricultural technologies, and best farming practices based on knowledge from research findings, learning and media resources, and in-country projects.
Background
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) developed the Rice Knowledge Bank (RKB)—a digital extension service that provides practical knowledge solutions, specialized for small-scale farmers in developing countries. RKB showcases rice production techniques, agricultural technologies, and best farming practices based on IRRI’s pool of knowledge from research findings, learning and media resources, and in-country projects.
Challenge
The RKB exists to address the great challenge of agricultural development: bridging the innovations from the research laboratory to the rice fields around the world. As an organization, IRRI’s aim is to see significant and sustainable changes in the lives and health of resource-poor farmers from marginalized communities and ecologies. Placing accessible, affordable, and appropriate knowledge in the hands of farmers is key in improving their lives and societies.
How does it work?
The information in RKB are available in formats that are location-specific and accessible local languages, for the use of extension intermediaries, academics, and scientists in public, private, and civil society sectors. RKB contains articles, fact sheets, books and manuals, web and mobile apps and videos.
RKB is presented as a web interface and an offline mobile application (RKB Lite)
Results:
- From May 1, 2014 to April 12, 2020, RKB has had 8.9 million page views from different parts of the world. Our top 10 countries with most users are: 1) India, 2) Philippines, 3) US, 4) Nigeria, 5) Malaysia, 6) Sri Lanka, 7) Pakistan, 8) Indonesia, 9) Bangladesh, and 10) Australia.
- RKB, in its effort to go local, has also contributed to the development of country knowledge banks in 16 rice-producing countries.
- 85.9% of responses (out of 2942) reported that RKB was helpful in finding information
Next Steps
Country collaborations: The team continues to explore the production of geography-specific content with country partners by expanding and strengthening collaborations between countries as a channel to provide more localized and ready-to-use knowledge. Integration with IRRI Education: One of the key platforms for sharing IRRI’s scientific research as well as reaching a wide breadth of stakeholders is through the courses that IRRI Education offers. Using RKB as a foundation for these courses, RKB will grow as a knowledge hub for wider audiences for large-scale dissemination on best agricultural practices.
For more information, visit http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/ or Contact rkb@irri.org