Nanao Rice Field Observation, Yilan
Nanao Rice Field Observation, Yilan
Observations of the RichFarm group in plant height, heading, and harvest performance
2021 | Nanao, Yilan, Taiwan | Rice Field Observation
In 2021, Rolling Greens carried out a field observation in a rice field in Nanao, Yilan, comparing a control area with no inputs, an area treated only with a commercial organic fertilizer, and an area treated only with Rolling Greens RichFarm. The Rolling Greens group received no fertilizer of any kind during the season, so that the effect of the product itself on rice growth and harvest could be observed.
Observations covered plant height, stem development, heading, and weed conditions during the growing season, as well as productive tillers, grain test weight, and harvest yield at harvest.
• Control group: no additional inputs applied
• Organic fertilizer group: commercial organic fertilizer only
• Rolling Greens group: Rolling Greens RichFarm only, with no fertilizer applied at any point in the season
Work began with a site survey and soil sampling on 10–11 March 2021. Inputs were applied on 16–17 March and transplanting took place on 20–21 March. Several field inspections followed between April and July (including the field observation record of 16 June), random sampling was carried out on 19–20 July, and harvest of the two groups was completed between 30 July and 3 August.
Trial Note | Drainage from the organic fertilizer group flowed into the control group’s water inlet, so the water flow of the two areas was not fully independent. This may have affected weed conditions and field conditions in the part of the control area near the inlet. The two groups also differed in field area and soil fertility. These results should be treated as a commercial field observation rather than a fully randomized trial.
1. Tallest mean plant height in the Rolling Greens group
Mean plant height in the Rolling Greens group was about 10.2% greater than in the control group, and also greater than in the organic fertilizer group.
▲Rolling Greens group height 124cm
2. More visible heading
• Control group: heading visible in some plants
• Organic fertilizer group: no clear heading observed that day
• Rolling Greens group: more plants observed to have entered the heading stage
This was a visual field observation on the day; the proportion of plants heading was not quantified.
3. Stems and field vigor
On-site records show that stems in the Rolling Greens group were generally thicker and more uniform, while the control group varied in thickness and the organic fertilizer group tended to be thinner. The Rolling Greens field also showed a more uniform deep green color, with individual rice plants clearly distinguishable. These are on-site morphological observations; no instrument measurements of stem thickness or leaf nutrient status were taken.
At the harvest stage, the original report compared the organic fertilizer group with the Rolling Greens group and did not include harvest data for the control group.
4. Productive tillers
Tillers are the secondary shoots that grow from the base of the rice stem; those that produce filled panicles are productive tillers, which are directly linked to harvest yield.
Mean productive tillers in the Rolling Greens group were 2.4 times those of the organic fertilizer group, with a maximum of 28 tillers in a single plant, above the 23–25 range considered normal for this variety.
5. Grain test weight
Mean test weight in the Rolling Greens group was 10.53% higher than in the organic fertilizer group. Measurements were based on filled grain from 25 plants per batch, with two batches per group. In addition, because the Rolling Greens group received no fertilizer during the season, it showed insufficient nutrient supply later in the season and a higher proportion of immature green grains.
6. Harvest yield
Converted to a per-area basis, yield in the Rolling Greens group was 75.8% higher than in the organic fertilizer group. Soil fertility differed between the two fields, so this difference cannot be attributed solely to the inputs; see Trial Notes for the relevant conditions.
In this observation, the Rolling Greens RichFarm area performed in a consistent direction from the growing season through harvest: it led in plant height, heading, and stem observations in mid-June, and also exceeded the organic fertilizer group in productive tillers, test weight, and yield per unit area at harvest. Notably, the Rolling Greens group reached these results without any fertilizer applied during the season.
At the same time, the absence of fertilizer led to insufficient nutrients late in the season and a higher proportion of immature green grains. This points to a sensible practical role for RichFarm: a microbial supplement used alongside an existing fertilization program, not a replacement for fertilizer.
This observation had no replicate blocks and no statistical analysis, and the two fields differed in area and soil conditions, so the size of the harvest-level difference still needs to be confirmed by formal trials. For Rolling Greens, the value of early field observations like this one lies in gradually accumulating complete data on crops, environments, and application conditions as a basis for later formal trials and commercial validation.
This page was compiled from the original 2021 field records (the June observation report and the August harvest report). The data should be read with the following conditions in mind:
• Plant height and productive tillers were sampled from 5 plants per group, and test weight from 2 batches per group (25 plants of filled grain per batch); no statistical significance analysis was performed
• The control area may have been affected by irrigation water from the organic fertilizer group upstream; the original report for the harvest stage did not include control group data
• The two fields differed in area and soil fertility. Yield has been converted to a per-fen basis, but the influence of differing soil conditions cannot be ruled out
• The Rolling Greens group received no fertilizer during the season and showed insufficient nutrients and a higher proportion of immature green grains later on
• Heading, stem thickness, and field color are visual observation records
This page is a field observation record; the results reflect the performance of a single field in a single growing season.
Rolling Greens works with growers, agribusinesses, and research partners to design field trials for different crops, climates, and fertilization systems, evaluating RichFarm’s performance under real production conditions.
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