Jhoana Opena

Through a five-year ACIAR program in Laos and Cambodia, our research co-designed and field-tested integrated weed management (IWM) for mechanised direct-seeded rice, working with partners across 14 villages. The packages (good seed, precise seeding, early water management, mechanical tools, mungbean intercropping, and judicious herbicides) reduced weed-seed contamination by ~90% (≈290 → ~30 seeds/kg) without reducing head-rice yield, improving grain quality and farm returns. Addressing baseline reliance on herbicides (≈43% of farmers in Laos; ~80% in Cambodia), we shifted practice toward safer, targeted use—including drone applications—while training 49 Master Trainers and delivering gender-responsive farmer training that increased women’s confidence in weed ID and safe handling. The work also informed draft national drone guidelines (Cambodia) and herbicide-use guidance (Laos), providing a scalable, gender-inclusive pathway to higher profitability, reduced chemical dependence, and more sustainable rice systems.