Agriculture.ph Blog

Yam (ube) contains a substance that shows some potentials as a cure for hypertension.

The substance has been named PhilRootcrops Protein-1 (PRP-1) by the Visayas State University (VSU), whose research has discovered the root crop’s medicinal properties.

It can safely be used as a hypertensive drug, Dr. Edgardo Tulin of the VSU-PhilRootcrops said.

Dr. Tulin said PRP-1 is a naturally-derived angiotension-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitor from yam. ACE inhibitors are proteins that are commercially important for the treatment of hypertension.

He said the yield of PRP-1 from crude protein extracts of yam roots was 364 milligrams per 100 grams of tubers.

PRP-1 can also be purified from cooked yam tubers and was still able to include proliferation of bone marrow cells and spleen cells, he added. Spleen is an organ near the stomach or intestine of most vertebrates.

Dr. Tulin observed that PRP-1 was not allergenic to mice, suggesting that it can be administered safely without worry of having an allergic response.

“No observable morphological changes in the internal organs of the test animals were observed for both acute and chronic toxicity studies. Hence, PRP-1 can be used safely as a potential hypertensive drug,” he said.

Dr. Tulin said that the promising activity of PRP-1 is an opportunity to create natural drugs from widely cultivated crops in the country.

He concluded: “It is a natural protein that could safely be produced and could be readily available, particularly in the developing countries. PRP-1 has great potential for treatment against hypertension and, additionally, this protein has an essential role in metabolic regulation, particularly in glucose metabolism.”

Written by: Rudy Fernandez

Source: www.philstar.com.ph

A SPICE is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for the purpose of flavoring, and sometimes as a preservative by killing or preventing the growth of harmful bacteria.

In the Philippines, the two most popular spices are garlic and onion. The other two known spices are tomato and ginger. But these four are not only good for flavoring your bland foods; they have also healing powers.

Garlic, for instance, has been hailed as “nature’s herbal wonder drug.” In the past, it was said to strengthen the heart; protect against the plague; cure colds, athlete’s foot, toothache, and snakebite; repel vampires and demons; grow hair; stimulate sexual performance; and rid the dog of fleas.

Today, scientists all over the world are examining the folklore’s claims of garlic’s benefits. But the therapeutic qualities of garlic are nothing new. Sanskrit records reveal that garlic remedies were pressed into service in India 5,000 years ago, while Chinese medicine has recognized garlic’s powers for over 3,000 years.

Even Louis Pasteur, who discovered penicillin, recognized the anti-bacterial powers of garlic back in 1858.ÿ During World War I, surgeons regularly used garlic juice to stop wounds turning septic.

So, what is it about garlic that makes it such a boon to our health? When cloves are chewed, crushed or cut, they release a sulphur-bearing compound called allicin — the chemical that gives garlic its pungent aroma. And it’s the allicin that scientists have discovered is the magic ingredient thought to be responsible for garlic’s therapeutic qualities.

“Allicin is the remarkable agent that fights bacteria,” points out the editors of ‘Super Life, Super Health.’ “It seems to even fight some infections that are normally resistant to antibiotics.’ But allicin is unstable and sensitive to heat,” the editors remind. “Cook the garlic lightly, if at all, and always mince it to release the most allicin.”

In 2007, a news story from the British Broadcasting Corporation reported that garlic may prevent and fight the common cold. “Garlic can actually kill germs and clear up your cold symptoms rapidly,” says Dr. Elson Haas, the author of ‘Staying Healthy with the Seasons.’ He recommends two to three oil-free capsules three times a day.

If you have sore throat, load up yourself with garlic. “When a sore throat is caused by a virus infection, as opposed to bacteria, eating garlic can bring quicker relief,” suggests Dr Yu-Yan Hey, a nutrition professor who researches on the healing properties of garlic.

Onions are found in a bewildering array of recipes and preparations spanning almost the totality of the world’s cultures. When eaten raw, onions may irritate the stomach. When that happens, milk is reportedly effective in neutralizing the effects.

Ancient Greek athletes consumed large quantities of onions because they felt it would “lighten the balance of the blood.” When Rome conquered Greece, the Roman gladiators were rubbed down with the onion to “firm up the muscles.”

In many parts of the world, onions are used to heal blisters and boils. In the United States, products that contain onion extract are used in the treatment of topical scars; some studies have found their action to be ineffective, while others found that they may act as an anti-inflammatory.

Onions may be especially beneficial for women, who are at increased risk for osteoporosis as they go through menopause, by destroying osteoclasts so that they do not break down bone.

In Georgia, where the Vidalia onion is grown, the rate of stomach cancer is 50 percent less than other parts of the nation. Extract of onion inhibits blood clotting. Onion reduces high cholesterol levels, and is said to stimulate the immune system. In people with diabetes, onion use lowers the fasting glucose level. Onion improves glucose tolerance and lowers insulin levels.

One bad thing about onions is that they can irritate your eyes. However, eye irritation can be avoided by cutting onions under running water or submerged in a basin of water. Rinsing the onion and leaving it wet while chopping may also be effective. Another way to avoid irritation is by not cutting off the root of the onion, or by doing it last, as the root of the onion has a higher concentration of enzymes.

Tomatoes are now eaten freely throughout the world, and their consumption is believed to benefit the heart among other things. They contain lycopene, one of the most powerful natural antioxidants, which, especially when tomatoes are cooked, has been found to help prevent prostate cancer.

Tomato extract branded as Lycomato is now also being promoted for treatment of high blood pressure. Lycopene has also been show to improve the skin’s ability to protect against harmful ultraviolet rays.

Dr. C. C. Thakur in his book Introduction to Ayurveda has said that it improves the digestive system and cures chronic diseases of the stomach. It is a blood purifier, cures anemia, piles, liver troubles and chronic fever.

“Everything good is found in ginger,” so goes a popular Indian proverb. Ginger has been used medicinally in Asia for millennia. In China, for instance, a drink made with sliced ginger cooked in sweetened water or a cola is used as a folk medicine for common cold. In India, ginger is applied as a paste to the temples to relieve headache.

The ancient Greeks welcomed the arrival of ginger and quickly put it to good use as a digestive aid. To lighten the load of a big meal placed on the digestive system, the Greeks would end an evening of fabulous fasting by eating some ginger wrapped in bread. Eventually, this practice evolved into the world’s first cookie gingerbread.

A study showed that taking two to four capsules of dried ginger before traveling in a car, boat, plane, or trains prevented motion sickness in 90 percent of the people who participated in the study.

“To combat travel sickness, take a quarter of a teaspoon of powdered ginger or a one centimeter slice of fresh root ginger at least 20 minutes before you get in the car or board a ferry,” suggests an article which appeared in Reader’s Digest.

The Minnesota-based Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research recommends ginger for nausea and vomiting. It instructs, “To prevent nausea after surgery, ginger has been given as one gram by mouth one hour before surgery. For chemotherapy-induced nausea, capsules of ginger root powder have been given orally one gram per day for 5 days, starting on the first day of chemotherapy.”

Written by: Henrylito D. Tacio

Source: www.philstar.com.ph

Seaweeds, aside from their commercial value, have health and wellness properties.

This explains why people who regularly consume these so-called “ocean herbs”, notably the Japanese, have longer life span and are healthier.

Scientific studies have shown that seaweeds have more protein than meat, more calcium than milk, and higher fiber than vegetables, according to the University of the Philippines Diliman-College of Science-Marine Science Institute (UPD-CS-MSI).

Dr. Marco Nemesio Montaño of the UPD-CS-MSI said that the many beneficial properties of these dietary algae include being anti-oxidant, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-tumor, and anti-wrinkle.

Moreover, seaweed lowers blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol, and inhibits cell-cell adhesion, he said at the 2008 Agriculture and Fisheries Technology Commercialization Forum organized recently by the Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR).

Reporting on the strides achieved in seaweed research, Dr. Montaño said that there are some phytochemicals (plant chemicals) unique to seaweed. These include carotenoids (seaweed pigments) such as fucoxanthin, seaweed sterols, fibers, seaweed anti-herbivore chemical defenses, and acidic polyssacharides (carrageenan, fucoidan).

Fucoxanthin is a pharmacologically active caretenoid commonly distributed in brown algae. It acts as an anti-oxidant (“sweeper” of the body’s toxins or “radicals,”, among other things) and inhibits colon cancer cells and cells of neuroblastema (malignant tumor).

“It has been found that fucoxanthin reduces the viability of prostate cancer cells by inducing apoptosis (natural cell death) to a greater extent than the other carotenoids. Moreover, it can induce apoptosis in human leukemia cells,” said Montaño, as reported by BAR’s Christmas de Guzman.

In terms of wellness, a new product line developed by UPD-CS-MSI from seaweed extracts is the Seamoy (with approved patent and trademark).

This is a seaweed-based, low-cost air freshener gel that uses floral scents to give rooms, cabinets, lockers, and cars a clean, fresh smell. The gel can be easily handled and packed in many ways.

The use of seaweeds as a base ingredient for air fresheners has improved the quality of those existing in the market today, said Montaño.

Air freshener gels usually last only for two to three weeks whereas some soft gels, which may contain soft paraffin, can cause clogging in air-conditioning units.

Such gels also are expensive owing to the high production cost of its base ingredient, carrageenan, an algal polysaccharide used to give the air freshener gel a clear appearance. Carrageenan is extracted from certain types of seaweeds.

Summing up, Dr. Montaño encouraged people interested in venturing into seaweed business to initiate R&D activities that would facilitate funding and improve the seaweed industry.

Written by: Rudy A. Fernandez

Source: www.philstar.com

SLEEK and silvery, beloved because of its mild, sweet flesh, and its melt-in the-mouth belly fat, bangus or milk fish is a favorite Philippine fish, not to mention that is also the country’s national fish.

Today, bangus is making waves in such countries as United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong where Filipinos are either working or living.

The Philippines is one of the top bangus producers in the world, along with Indonesia and Taiwan. “Until recently, the country has contributed around 55 percent share of the world bangus production,” reports the Laguna-based Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (PCAMRD).

Bangus is one of the most important fishes raised by Filipinos. Because of its adaptability to aquaculture, bangus is widely cultured in brackishwater fishponds, fishpens and recently in marine cages. Data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) of the Department of Agriculture on bangus production by sector showed an increasing trend from the aquaculture sector: from 210,882 metric tons in 1990 to 360,018 metric tons in 2004.

On the other hand, bangus production in the municipal sector showed decreasing trends: from 2,869 metric tons in 1990 to 438 metric tons in 2001. In 1995, the municipal sector contributed 7,466 metric tons of the total production of 158,615 metric tons harvested that year.

In the commercial sector, bangus production was posted at 6 metric tons in 1990 and went up to 222 metric tons in 1997 but went down to 5 metric tons in 2001 (a trend that started in 1999).

PCAMRD reported that bangus production is expected to ascend, based on current trends, to 382,000 metric tons in 2008 and 451,000 metric tons in 2010 (as assumed at 11 percent annual growth).

As President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said during the First Bangus National Congress, the country is envisioned to reach 10 major markets/countries with exports volume of 15,000 metric tons “in five years time.”

The Philippines exports bangus in frozen, canned, dried, smoked or marinated forms. Bangus in frozen form is exported in 30 countries. Those in canned form are sent to 23 countries and dried or smoked bangus are sold in 17 countries. The United States, Saudi Arabia and Guam are major export markets for specific product forms.

In the local front, domestic consumption of bangus is expected to increase, too! In order to meet the demand of the growing population, the Philippines will have to expand production at the rate of five percent per year. Per capita consumption of bangus is estimated to be 1.96 kilograms per year.

Bangus is nearly related to tuna and salmon because of its fusiform shape and migratory nature. There is only one species of bangus (Chanos chanos) known all over the world and most of them are found in the Philippines, Indonesia and Taiwan.

According to PCAMRD, Taiwan is adopting the intensive culture system because of its limited area for fishpond development. It involves stocking of 10,000 to 25,000 fish per hectare, use of mechanical aerators and feeders and stock manipulation in deep-water ponds.

With this method, Taiwan can produce 8,000 to 12,000 kilograms per hectare compared to the national average production of 300 to 1,000 kilograms for Indonesia and 600 to 800 kilograms for the Philippines.

In the Philippines, bangus production is primarily dependent on the availability of brackishwater fishpond (over 190,000 hectares), fertilizers, pesticides, lime, fishfarm implements such as nets and bancas and special equipments like aerators and pumps particularly for the intensive method.

Is there a way the Philippines can still compete with other bangus exporting countries? The answer is affirmative, if the country will only do the following suggestions from PCAMRD: Increase production of export-sized fish (500-600
grams) should be done through the low-intensive method, considered the best technology for producing high quality bangus at lower cost; initiate in processing milkfish into value-added products to create a good expert market demand at attractive prices; and continue allocate funds from the government in the form of credits to support private sector activities.

Written by: Henrylito D. Tacio

Source: www.sunstar.com.ph

THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is considering the possibility of promoting and funding bluefin tuna sea ranching research in the hope of producing tuna fishers instead of hunters.

However, the proposal received a lukewarm response from local government and tuna industry leaders in General Santos City, stressing that tuna ranching is not suitable to the country’s waters.

Agriculture Undersecretary Jesus Emmanuel M. Paras said trailblazing a bluefin tuna management program is being seriously considered with the possible help from the Spanish government.

Marfenio Y. Tan, president of the Socksargen Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries Inc., noted that tuna culturing would not be feasible in Philippine waters.

“In the first place, it is very expensive. Our [sea] waters are not suited for tuna culturing,” Tan, who owns various purse seine vessels, said.

Sea ranching of bluefin, a high-value tuna species, has been taking place in Italy, Algeria, Croatia, France, Libya, Morocco and Spain.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said that sea ranching is a “cause of concern,” since it involves using juvenile fish as “seed stock” in tuna-fattening operations.

Sea ranching or captured-based aquaculture is a practice in which tuna are caught in the wild and then penned and fattened using aquaculture techniques prior to harvesting, it added.

South Cotabato Representative Darlene R. Antonino-Custodio said that tuna ranching would be difficult in the country since it has not been tested yet locally, noting that tuna does not thrive on manufactured feedstock but on raw fish.

“Bluefin tuna also prefers cooler water. They are not endemic in our seas,” she said.

Filipino producers of large tuna mostly catch yellowfin tuna, which has less value than a bluefin.

Yellowfin tuna are also exported; when sold in the local markets in General Santos City, the price ranges from as low as P120 per kilo.

On the other hand, in Japan, where demand for sushi and sashimi is high, a single large adult bluefin tuna can reportedly sell for US$50,000 or more.

Tan also doubted that culturing yellowfin tuna would be a hit in the country, noting that it will be an expensive venture.

Custodio said that no successful breeding of yellowfin has been achieved so far in the country.

In 2005, FAO estimated that production of bluefin tuna via sea-ranching runs around 25 000 tons a year, up from 10, 000 tons in the previous five years.

Captures of “seed stock” may be going unreported, handicapping efforts to assess the stocks’ status, it said.

Source: www.sunstar.com.ph

Fish cage culture is one of the fastest growing business opportunity right now.  The use of fish pens and fish ponds to grow out common varieties of fish is a thing of the past due to environmental problems such as water pollution and poor water management.  Fish cage culture at sea or in brackish waters is now more popular here and abroad.  INCA’s fish cage system includes plastic polyethylene pipes, plastic double or single stanchions (shown in Photo), nursery & grow out nets, net weights, and mooring devices.

With INCA’s plastic circular or rectangular fish cage system, various high value fish such as the Green Grouper (Lapu Lapu) can be produced intensively to standard marketable sizes.  Milk fish (Bangus) production is also a regular variety to culture in these fish cages.  Depending on loading densities of fish fingerlings, production capacities of these fish cages can be up to 10 to 20 Metric tons of fish harvest every grow-out cycle of 4 months.

In coordination with the Philippine Bureau of Fish and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) INCA has access to the various technologies and experiences in developing and operating mariculture systems for various species of fish production.  Now, there are at least 25 Mariculture Parks in the Philippines that are able to orient and accept investors or entreprenuers who are interested to venture into fish farming.

For more information please contact us at ralphc@inca.com.ph or ralphc@skyinet.net or incaplastics@yahoo.com so we can discuss in detail more about the fish cage system.  You may also visit our website at http://www.inca.com.ph

Fish Cages in Taal Lake

THOSE of you who frequently fly to Manila must surely have seen from above the tiny squares that litter Laguna de Bay as you approach the airport.

Yes they are fish cages that have made the Laguna de Bay so famous but have also become an environmental problem if not the source of the slow decay of what was once the country’s most scenic inland water system.

Down here in Sarangani Bay, the coves along its 240-kilometer coastline are slowly catching up and many fish cages have sprouted over the last few years.

Unlike their fresh water cousins in Laguna de Bay, fish cage owners in Sarangani are growing high-valued salt-water fish varieties and are not yet encountering concerns on environmental degradation.

With the Celebes Sea fronting Sarangani bay, pollution brought about by these fish cages at the mouth of the bay is the least of the concerns of local government units and residents along the coastal areas.

In fact, the Provincial Government of Sarangani has been encouraging local fisher folks to venture into the highly lucrative yet still largely untapped aquaculture-by-the-sea industry.

Frontrunner

The Alsons Aquaculture Corporation (AAC) has been in the forefront in commercial fish cage operations in the Sarangani Bay.

The company has been growing bangus, pompano, talakitok, seabass, grouper (lapulapu) and mangagat in Kapatan, Glan.

In an interview before he run and eventually won for governor in the province, Miguel Rene Dominguez, then the national marketing manager of AAC said its fish cage operations is still in its experimental stage although initial results have been encouraging.

Although Dominguez failed to supply enough data to support his claims, he said that costs of production for bangus in sea cages are still very prohibitive. But these have been somewhat offset by the relatively minimal cost of maintenance.

Right now, they are producing export-class bangus at their modular sea cages in Kapatan.

But the more promising varieties have been the culture of grouper and pompano that are being sold live or processed into value-added products.

Small fish cage owners

Over the next few years after AAC set up the cages in 1999, several fisherfolks from Sarangani and General Santos also started to construct their own fish cages.

Notable among them are the villagers of Kawas in Alabel, Sarangani. There are now at least 15 fish cages in Kawas growing wide varieties of fishes.

Most of these fish cage operators however prefer talakitok and lapulapu because of their high market value.

Unlike AAC that uses commercial feeds, these small fish cage owners in Kawas use “trash fish” to feed their stock.

Their cages are also obviously poor copies of AAC that uses steel structures and PVC pipes for floaters. For their part, the villagers use bamboo as substitute for steel and plastic drums for floaters.

These are however decidedly low cost with equivalent and even perhaps even higher yield ratio.

Costs

A 10×10 meter fish cage could very well accommodate 10,000 fingerlings of talakitok that could be grown to as much as 500 grams over a six-month period.

At current prices of P130 per kilo (landed at the fishport), it could yield as much as P800,000 gross for fish cage operators (factoring in mortality).

Fish cage operators are very particular on feed rate conversion (FCR). Nonoy Jopson, who is managing a cage in Kawas says the FCR for talakitok should at the most be at one is to 5 kilos (each fingerling must not consume over five kilos in the six months before it is harvested).

Trash fish now sells at P10-12 per kilo during lean months. The cost of each wild talakitok fingerling is between P2 to P3.50.

Adding up labor and maintenance costs, a small fish cage operator in Kawas said one production cycle is more than enough to recover the cost of construction of a fish cage with still enough net income for the operator.

A 10×10 meter fish cage could be built for as low as P50,000 including net, labor and mooring.During grow-out period, technicians suggest that the net be replaced and cleaned every two months.

Growing lapu-lapu takes a little longer.The ideal weight at harvest for lapu-lapu is between 800 grams to a kilo. AAC buys lapu-lapu grown by small fish cage operators at P300 per kilo for chilling and processing and P350 per kilo live.

Wild lapu-lapu fry could be bought for P7 each although AAC, which has a hatchery of its own, sells their fries at P7 per inch.

Advantages and disadvantages

Raising fish stocks in cages has its advantages and disadvantages. Marine fish cages are simple to construct and require small financial investment. These can easily be managed, fed and harvested. Fish cages are also transferable for better environment conditions and can be stocked with fish at higher densities.

The opportunities for expansion are also virtually unlimited. On the downside, crowded condition will also make fish stocks vulnerable to disease incidence aside from high feeding cost.

They are also susceptible to adverse weather condition and vulnerable to the effects of pollution.Of course, they are also attractive to poachers and vandals.

Written by: Edwin G. Espejo

Source: www.sunstar.com.ph

TODAY, tilapia is now widely distributed around the world. It has become the mainstay of many small-scale aquaculture projects of poor fish farmers in the developing world.

“The fish is cultured in more than 70 countries,” said Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III, the executive director of the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (PCAMRD).

Fishery experts have dubbed tilapia as “aquatic chicken” because it possesses many positive attributes that suit the fish for a varied range of aquaculture systems.

For one, tilapia tolerates a wide range of environmental conditions and is highly resistant to diseases and parasitic infections.

Other good traits of tilapia include excellent growth rates on a low-protein diet, ready breeding in captivity and ease of handling; and, more importantly, wide acceptance as food fish.

“Tilapia has become a very important fish in the world, especially in Asia and Africa,” said Dr. Guerrero, who holds a doctorate degree in fisheries management from Auburn University in the US. “Where you have a problem of protein deficiency, where there is hunger and malnutrition, people depend on rice and cultured fish like tilapia.”

Next to milkfish (more popularly known as “bangus”), tilapias are among the widely cultured species in the Philippines.

The culture of tilapia in freshwater ponds and cages has been a commercial success.

Currently, there are an estimated 15,000 hectares of freshwater ponds and 500 hectares of cages in lakes in lakes and reservoirs producing over 50,000 metric tons of tilapia.

It was not until the Nile tilapia was introduced in the country that Filipinos started to like the fish.

“The Nile tilapia became popular because of its rapid growth, large size and high yield potential,” notes a PCAMRD briefing paper. “Like other tilapias, this species is resistant to parasites and diseases, resistant to overcrowding and has the ability to survive low oxygen levels. They also grow in both natural and artificial fish foods, and utilize manure well. They are excellent table food fish with white firm flesh and no intramuscular bones.”

As a result of tilapia’s popularity among Filipinos, the Philippines is now ranked fourth among the top 10 largest tilapia producers in the world – after China, Egypt, and Thailand.

Other top producing countries, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), are Indonesia, Uganda, Mexico, Tanzania, Kenya, and Sri Lanka.

Tilapia production grew by five percent during the last 14 years, noted the industry strategic plan for tilapia. This served as a major determinant in the gross supply of tilapia in the country.

Tilapia surplus stood around 2,000 to 5,000 metric tons during the same period. In 2020, the surplus is expected to reach around 10,000 metric tons.

The popularity of tilapia has made it as one of the most in-demand fish. “With its wider acceptability in the Filipino table and the growing population, the total tilapia supply needs to be increased,” Dr. Guerrero pointed out.

Here’s a good news: Tilapia products – fresh and frozen fillets, whole and gutted fish — have become important commodities in the international seafood trade. However, the Philippines “cannot supply the international market with frozen whole fish” since our price is much higher than those coming from Thailand and Taiwan.

Tilapias are the most important group of fishes of the large and diverse “Cichlidae” fish family, which comprise about 700 species. Cichlids are mainly found in Africa and South America.

Written by: Henrylito D. Tacio

Source: www.sunstar.com.ph

KORONADAL CITY — Locally produced mangoes may end up without viable markets locally and abroad if local growers or producers would not cut down on their use of chemicals and other inorganic substances, an agriculture official here warned.

Reynaldo Legaste, South Cotabato agriculture office chief, said their studies showed that the practice of local mango producers to spray chemicals even a week before harvests have increased the presence of chemical residues to their produce.

“The international market, especially Japan, is very strict with these requirements. They want products that are chemical-free or those that have passed the standard level of residues,” he said.

According to Japan’s External Trade Organization, the uniform standard for chemical residues in imported fruit products is only .01ppm (parts per million).

The agency said it turns back products that exceed such standards.

Legaste said that last year, a shipment of mango products from an area near the province were sent back by Japan after it failed to meet its standards for the presence of chemical residues.

Although the products were not marked or came from the province, he said it created a problem for local mango producers as well.

Owing to this, Legaste urged local mango farmers and producers to consolidate their ranks and set their own production practices following the internationally-accepted standards.

“They should be one in following all the standard production regulations and ensure that they produce the best quality so they can get a good market,” he said.

Legaste said their office will provide assistance to local mango producers and farmers in terms of familiarization and improving their technical capability on Good Agricultural Practices.

Legaste earlier said the local government of South Cotabato is planning to open at least 2,500 hectares of fruit plantations, including mango, in various parts of the province within the next three years as part of its effort to help build up the province’s fruit industry.

He said they have so far helped develop 4,000 hectares of mango plantations, 2,000 hectares for durian, and 1,500 hectares for various fruit-trees, such as, rambutan, lanzones, avocado, and pomelo.

The provincial government earlier identified municipalities traversed by the Roxas mountain range as primary target areas for the development of the mango plantations.

They also tapped several areas of Barangay Ned in Lake Sebu town, which was earlier identified among the viable agribusiness areas in the province.

Source: www.sunstar.com.ph

BELIEVE it or not, bonsai — which has always been conveniently attributed to the Japanese — is really Chinese in origin. Ask Serapion S. Metilla, the country’s foremost expert on bonsai.

“It is highly likely that the Chinese were the first civilization to plant plants in pots because their paintings and scrolls, which dated back before the 12th century, reveal images of plants in pots,” Metilla surmised, adding that it was the Japanese who really developed the art to perfection and gave its name: bonsai (pronounced bone-sigh, with accent at the end).

Actually, the word “bonsai” comes from the Japanese words “bon,” which means “pot” and “sai,” which means “to plant.” In simpler terms, bonsai is a potted plant. When miniature landscapes are created as a setting to the “sai,” the art is termed “saikei” (”kei” means “scenery”). But if the artists’ emphasis is strictly a miniature landscape, “bonkei” is the proper term.

If Chinese were the people behind bonsai, how come Japanese were the one credited for popularizing the art of bonsai? Robert Perry, writing for the ‘Science Notebook,’ contends: “For centuries, the Japanese have been practicing the unusual art forms of miniature tree and landscape culture.” In fact, bonsai figures prominently in ‘The Karate Kid’ series.

“No one knows exactly how long it began, but it was known at least as early as the sixth century,” Perry continues. “Someone became intrigued by the tiny gnarled trees he found growing in rock crevices high up in the mountains of Japan. The small trees eventually were cultivated in the emperor’s yard.”

Trial and error produced an art of maintaining the training the miniature growth. Trees were grown singly or in groups and even as miniature forests.

“Bonsai pieces are living artworks which are heirlooms in themselves,” comments Jose Mari Lacandula, a horticultural expert who used to write a weekly column for a national daily.

As wealthy patrons, following the cue from the palace landscape, began paying large sums for the best available specimens, others started the practice. The sudden monetary value encouraged perfecting a science of treatment that could produce such miniature. Today, bonsai has become a popular horticultural hobby.

Many kinds of trees are suitable for bonsai culture.

The most common ones, according to Metilla, are mulberry trees, prodocarpus, “kamuning,” “mulawing-aso,” “kalyos” (known scientifically as ‘Streblus asper’), “balite” family (’Ficus’ species), candle tree (’Parmentiera cereifera’), “bignay” (’Antedisma spp.’), pines and junipers, cydas, boxwood, narra, and China holly (’Malpighia coccigera’).

These fruit trees are also good for bonsai culture: rambutan, caimito, camachile, sampaloc, atis, and duhat.

Among shrubs, bushes and herbs, the following yield the best bonsai results: dwarf bamboo, “tsaang bukid” or Fukien tea, variegated gumamela, bougainvillea, sampaguita, rosal, azalea, santan, lantana, oregano, and chrysanthemum.

Bonsai are classified according to size. The large ones measure twenty-five-and-a-half to thirty-six-and-a-half inches. Midway are the regulars, eight-and-a-half to twenty-five inches. The miniature or midget types called “mame” (pronounced Mah-may) measure two to no more than eight inches high. The price of bonsai ranges from P1,000 to P50,000 – depending upon the planting material and form. The older the bonsai is, the higher the price is.

Zac Sarian, editor of ‘Agriculture Magazine’ once reported that a driver in Central Luzon once sold a bonsai material he gathered near the seashore for P25,000!

Although the art of bonsai is of recent introduction in the Philippines, history records show that it was already practiced in the country in the late 15th century. According to a book, ‘Relacion de las Islas Filipinas,’ written by a Spaniard in 1590, “The Chinese in Manila were fond of planting red ‘balete’ trees in the holes and crevices of coral stones and laced these in basins with a little water. When the plants have established their roots, these were placed on their altars.”

Metilla agrees. “I think the Philippines is the first country in Southeast Asia to grow bonsai,” he says. “Bonsai was introduced here by the Chinese centuries ago, only we did not develop it until the 1960s.”

Written by: Henrylito D. Tacio

Source: www.sunstar.com.ph