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Mr. Ato Belen uses Effective Microorganisms (EM) using in the proliferation of bad smell in the piggery

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ER76_heoAE

Mr. Ato Belen explains how vermiculture helped him land a frontpage in the Agriculture Magazine by producing large vegetables through the use of organic farming

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COCONUT

Introduction

The coconut industry in the Philippines plays a key role in shaping national development. It is among the top ten export produce of the country as exhibited by the good export performance of both traditional and non-traditional coconut products. About one third of the country’s arable agricultural land or 3.26 million hectares is planted to coconut representing sixty four (68) out of total seventy nine (79) provinces, and 1,195 out of the 1,554 municipalities in the country. It provides a sustainable income source for Filipinos by way of employment generation through its many programs.

Coconut (Cocos Nucifera L.) is popularly known as the “TREE OF LIFE” because of the variety of products and by-products made from the tree namely: coconut meat, oil, juice, husk, shell, shell charcoal, leaves, husk, pith, inflorescence, trunk and roots. Details of specific products and by-products from coconut are enumerated in Chapter VII.

Unfortunately, despite the numerous coconut plantations in the country, productivity levels remain low and one of the reasons may be attributed to lack of information on appropriate technologies for Coconut farming. This article is being written in the AGRIFISH Online to provide individual farmers basic technologies appropriate for productive coconut farming.

Selection of Breeds

There are many varieties to choose from and selection will be based on the needs of the farmer. Majority of the farmers utilize the coconut meat for copra. Copra is the dried meat from where oil is extracted for industrial and domestic use. If this is the primary reason for growing coconut, the farmer must select the breed that produces the most amount of copra per unit area and per unit time. Resistance to pest and diseases and stress factor such as resistance to drought and strong winds is also a consideration. In some cases, farmers consider exotic varieties such as macapuno.

There are two recognized types of coconut varieties: the a) dwarf and the b) tall variety. These are simply distinguished according to its height. Dwarf coconuts are usually early maturing. It produces nuts during its earlier years compared to the tall varieties. Tall varieties however yield more nuts than dwarf varieties. Description of some studied coconut varieties are indicated below:

Propagation and Care of Seedlings

There are many types of propagation techniques.

Natural: Coconut is a monoecious crop (having both the male and female flowers are borne in the same plant). When the male part fertilized the female flower, the resulting offspring is called Inbred. This method follows the same characteristics the mother plant has.

Controlled Pollination. The production of hybrid is done by removal of male flowers and artificial pollination of female flowers of a different tree during pollination time. To ensure no inbreeding is accidentally done, male flowers are removed and female flowers are covered to prevent inbreeding.

Tissue culture is also practiced. This adopts the genetic characteristics of the mother tree. The advantage of this method is it multiplies easily without using a large area. It may also be a method to replicate pest and disease resistant varieties.

Nuts are subjected to selection where those that are barren, dry or not sloshing; deformed and damaged nuts are discarded. Nuts are placed in cool dry place until they germinate. These nuts contain meat and water that support and nourish the growth of the embryo during germination. Nuts are placed in germination beds to facilitate careful selection of good seedlings. All seedlings that germinate within 11 to 15 weeks from sowing or 84% whichever comes first shall be selected.

Planting in polybags reduces transplanting shock since most of its roots are not disturbed during transplanting. Recommended polybags are black 40 cm long, 40 cm high and 0.20 mm thick.

Otherwise seedbeds are prepared for nursery. Seedbed should have a very friable soil. The land must be plowed several times. Blocks with dimensions of 1 meter width or less are laid-out to allow nursery caretakers to move freely. In between blocks, footpath are maintained at 40 cms apart. Seeds are laid on its side in the furrow and covered with soil so that about one-fourth of the nut diameter is above the ground. Shading of any sort must be provided. Young coconut trees could not survive under direct sunlight specially during summer months.

Coconut Plantation Establishment

Site Selection

1. Land must not be water logged. Coconuts do not grow well on flooded land.
2. Soil depth must not be less than 1 meter. Root canopy is more than 1 meter.
3. Rain water is available most of the year. Areas that have distinct dry season is not preferred.

Clearing and Levelling

First activity in Field planting is clearing of weeds, debris and other unwanted crops. Most unwanted crops are old coconut trees that have pest and diseases. It is very important to properly dispose infested / diseased coconut trees. If possible burn or bury into deep pits to avoid contaminating newly planted coconut trees.

Lay-outing and Planting

Triangular system of planting coconut is recommended with rows laid out in a north-south direction. The distance between palms in a row should be 9 m x 9 m to 10 m x 10 m for tall varieties and 8 m x 8 m to 8.5 m x 8.5 m for dwarf hybrid coconuts. Staking is done to ease in locating where the tree will be planted.

After staking, dig a hole with the dimension of 50 cm diameter and 50 cm depth. Seedlings are ready to for planting when they reach 7 months in seedbeds or pots. Best time to plant is during the onset of the rainy season. This is to avoid drying up of newly planted coconut trees. And to ensure greater survival since the trees roots have established itself and ready to absorb moisture left in the soil during the summer months.

Before the seedlings are placed on the hole, fertilizers are applied inside the hole as basal application (refer to table on fertilization below). Prompt replanting of dead trees must be done to avoid uneven growth of coconut trees.

Plantation Management

1. Cultivation – to remove weeds and improve soil moisture absorption and aeration.
2. Irrigation and drainage – water logging and drought damages significantly coconut trees.
3. Cover crops and control of weeds – Cover crops are beneficial to coconut because it prevents erosion during rainy season, excessive water lost during summer months. Some leguminous cover crops like Centrosema and Stylosanthes fixes nitrogen in the soil. Competition for sunlight, water and nutrients with coconut however must be avoided. Two serious weed problems for coconut are cogon and lantana. These two weeds can completely take over the small coconut tree.
4. Intercrops – these are extra sources of income for the farmer. This is explained further on Chapter VI below. Considerations in selection of crops are market for the intercrop, competition it may offer to coconut as regards to water and nutrient requirement, tolerance or need for shade and dangers it may offer as alternate host for pest and diseases.
5. Animals under the coconut – same as intercrops these are extra income for the farmer. However, caution must be considered in over crowding in one area. Soil tends to be compacted in overgrazed areas especially for cattle.

Nutrient Management

Table 2.0: Corrective fertilization of N, K, CL and S depending on the age of coconut (wt per palm per year) Component     N     K     CL     S
Field Planting     30 g     75 g     66 g     36 g
6 months from Field Planting     40 g     125 g     111 g     49 g
1 year     0.10 kg     0.30 kg     0.26 kg     0.12 kg
2 years     0.15 kg     0.45 kg     0.40 kg     0.18 kg
3 years     0.20 kg     0.60 kg     0.53 kg     0.24 kg
4 years     0.30 kg     0.80 kg     0.70 kg     0.36 kg
5 years and above     0.40 kg     1.00 kg     0.90 kg     0.48 kg

Pest and Disease Management

Two main methods in controlling pest and diseases are a) chemical and b) biological. Chemical makes use of insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc as a means of control. While biological means utilizes parasites and predators.

Harvest Management

For the purpose of obtaining high oil content in copra, the nuts should be harvested not earlier than twelve months after pollination. Harvesting using a “Halabas” (a sickle mounted on a bamboo pole) is much faster than climbing each tree. A picker can harvest 100 trees a day using the “Halabas” while only 25 trees a day for climbing each tree.

Intercropping

The active root system of a coconut palm is concentrated only within 2 meters from its base. Therefore, for a coconut plantation with a spacing of 8m x 8m leaves about 8,000 sq. meters space is left unproductive. To maximize the use of land and other resource such as manpower, machinery, fertilizer, pesticide, etc, intercropping is then adopted. Another reason why intercropping is practiced is the unusual fluctuations of the price of copra. Inclusion of other crops lessens the burden of the coconut farmer by giving alternative sources of income.

Two types of cropping pattern:

1. Sequential crop – producing two or more crop in single stand one after the other on the same plot during the same year.
2. Intercropping – growing two or more crop species at the same time in the same field.

Five ways of Intercropping:

1. Mixed intercropping – simultaneous growing of two or more crop specie in an irregular arrangement, i.e. without a well-defined planting pattern

2. Row intercropping – simultaneous growing of two or more crop specie in a well-defined row arrangement

3. Strip intercropping – simultaneous growing of two or more crop species in a strip wide enough to allow independent cultivation, but at the same time, sufficiently narrow to induce crop interactions

4. Relay intercropping – planting one or two crops within an established cropping pattern wherein the final stage of the first crop coincides with the initial development of the other crops

5. Multi-storey cropping – coconut + black pepper + cacao + pineapple are planted so that each crop produces canopies at different heights.

One general rule in intercropping is to arrange to rows of intercrop in a way that these receive maximum sunlight throughout the day. With regards to selection of crops, the following factors must be considered:

1. Market for the intercrop – coconut farmers must ensure they know where to sell the products of the intercrop. Alternate market outlets must also be determined in case pole vaulting happens.

2. Competition it may offer to coconut as regards to sunlight, water and nutrient requirement. – Intercrops must be selected so as not to compete with sunlight, water and nutrient. Tree, root canopy must carefully be calculated so as not to cover other intercrop. In very tall coconut, sunlight increases as the height of coconut trees becomes taller.

3. Ecological factors

* Microbial activity – Interplanting cacao between coconut palms showed success in many trials. Coconut-cacao intercrop improved the microbial activity of the rhizosphere. There was an increase in organic matter component of the soil caused by the periodic shredding of cacao leaves. Nitrogen fixing and phosphate solubilizing bacterial activity also increased. As a result, coconut yields were retained and cacao yields increased. Presently, PCA with funding from DA BAR will be spearheading an agri-business development project on Coconut-Cacao Intercropping project.

* Increase of pest and disease – some intercrop favor the build up of unfavorable pest and disease population. Observations on different trials are being documented for reference purposes. In other instances, however, build up of parasites and predators occur. This favors slow down of pest and disease population. In fact, some institutions like PCA and BPI are into direct research on rearing parasites and predators.

Another option in Coconut-based Farming System is Animals under coconut – the main benefit of grazing animals under coconut is for the removal of weeds. Manual and chemical process of weeding is done away with. Manure from the animals also helps in increasing the organic matter and nutrient of the soil. A disadvantage however especially for large animals is the over grazing which leads to compacted soil. Coconut roots are sensitive to aeration. To avoid this, cattle grazing must be supervised carefully.

Products and By-Products

1. Copra – is the dried coconut meat. It is the source where coconut oil is extracted for many uses.

1. Oil – extracted processed/filtered oil obtained from copra. It is mainly used for cooking but also used for many other purposes; moisturizer, liniment for muscles and joints, cosmetics, medicines, soaps and detergents, paints, biofuels, etc.
2. Coconut milk – the liquid obtained by pressing grated coconut meat. This is used for cooking. And making home-made coconut oil.
3. Latik – heat coagulated content of coconut milk. This is also used for food purposes.
4. Dessicated coconut – dried coconut grated meat mainly prepared for food uses.
5. Coconut Flour – this is the de-oiled dessicated coconut that is finely grounded. This is used in baking.

2. Coconut Shell – This is the protective covering of the coconut meat and water. This makes a very good source of charcoal. This is a very good fuel for domestic cooking.

1. Activated charcoal – found to possess the ability to adsorb gases and vapors hence finds uses in gas mask, cigarette filters, removal of bad odors from air-conditioning, freezers and refrigerators, and many other adsorption capabilities. Continuing research on this is making advances lately. Activated charcoal are used in filtering water and air.
2. Charcoal briquettes – coconut shell charcoal are processed into briquettes so that it is easier to transport. Specifically used in grills.
3. Novelty items – local craftsmen make indigenous novelties from shells such as lamps, figurines, picture frames, musical instruments, souvenirs and many more.

3. Coconut Husk – the fibrous outer covering of the nut. This part extends from the nut skin to the shell and varying thickness up to 5 cm.

1. Coco-coir – The hair-like thread extracted from the coconut husk by mechanical method or by the decorticating machine. The resulting products are coco dust and coco coir. Coco coir is used for upholstery, mattress fibers, filter pads, carpets, erosion nets, insulation material, biodegradable pots, orchid and ornamental planting medium, etc.
2. Coco dust – Are the medium collected after separating the coir from the husk. It has very good water retention capabilities thus used mainly as potting medium.

4. Coconut Water – the liquid found inside the coconut. It is an excellent and readily available drinking water. The quality of water varies according to the age of the nut. Younger nut water is largely consumed locally as beverage. Water from mature nuts is used as raw material for making nata de coco, vinegar, intravenous fluid, electrolyte, wine and alcohol. Large uses however have not prospered

5. Coconut Sap – a very sweet juice obtained from a young inflourescence. Locally known as Tuba. Toddy in India.

1. Liquor – Coco-sap are left to ferment and made into alcoholic beverages called “Tuba”. In Samar and Leyte province, they add bark from a local tree and ferment to produce “Bahalina”. In Southern Tagalog and Bicol area, coco-sap are distilled and made into a strong alcohol called “Lambanog”.
2. Vinegar – Coco sap are also made into vinegar.
3. Coco sugar – Coco sap are sometimes cooked to produce sugar. This has been a long practice in some places but not in very large quantities.

References

Banzon, Julian A and Velasco, Jose R. “Coconut” Production and Utilization. Copyright 1982

Dar, William D. “Coco-based Farming Systems” State of the Knowledge and Practice 1990

Bourgoing, Raymond D “Coconut: A pictorial Technical Guide for Smallholders” Edited by Dante Benigno 1991

Native Chicken Technoguide

Introduction

The Philippine native chicken is the common fowl found in the backyards of most rural households. It is a mixture of different breeds and believed to have descended from the domesticated red jungle fowl.

It is estimated that 54.74% of the total chicken population of the country areNative Chicken native (UPLB, 2001) distributed as follows: Western Visayas, 13.32%; Southern Mindanao, 10.63%; Southern Tagalog, 9.51%; Central Visayas, 10.36%; Cagayan Valley, 9.29%.

Native chickens are raised under the free- range system of management. Under this system of management, the chickens are allowed to forage and look for their own food.

The raising of native chickens is an integral part of the farming systems of the Filipino farmers as they are the main source of eggs and meat for backyard farmers. Each household raise about five to 100 heads of native chicken.

Native ChickenNative chickens are well known for their adaptability to local agro-climatic conditions, hardiness, ability to utilize farm-by-products and resistance to diseases. Moreover, they require minimal care, management and inputs.

Meat and eggs of native chickens are preferred by many Filipinos over the same products from commercial poultry because of their taste, leanness, pigmentation and suitability to Filipino special dishes. Moreover, native chicken meat and eggs are priced higher than those coming from commercial poultry.

Improved Management Practices

Housing

- Provide the chickens with shelter made of bamboo, scrap wood, wire mesh or net for their protection against predators and the effects of the elements of weather .

- Provide an adequate area of range for the birds to have free access to natural food.

Selecting the Stock

- To raise productive chickens select hens that are healthy, broody and have demonstrated good laying ability

- Use roosters that are aggressive, healthy and that come from flocks of fast growers or high egg producers

- The native rooster is ready for breeding at age 20-24 weeks.

- Keep just one rooster to a flock of 5-10 hens to produce the satisfactory number of fertile eggs for hatching.

- The native hen start laying eggs between 18-20 weeks of age.

- Provide baskets covered with dried banana leaves, hay or sack to serve as nests to layers. This will minimize egg breakage and ensure egg cleanliness and safety from predators

- The native hen lay about 40-60 eggs/year under the traditional management system, however, with improved management system and better nutrition, native hens can lay 130-200 eggs/year, each weighing about 50 g

Incubation

- Incubate only sound eggs that are 40-50 g each, with good ovoid shape and sound shell quality

- Collect eggs and store them in a cool, dry place

- Store hatching eggs for a maximum of 10 days under normal room temperature. Storage beyond this period will decrease the fertility of the eggs.

- For natural incubation, set a batch of 10-12 eggs under one hen. Small number of eggs from different hens can be collected and set just under one broody hen. This will prevent the onset of broodiness on the other laying hens.

- If a bigger number of eggs are to be hatched, use incubators to artificially hatch them.

Broodiness is the hen’s instinct to sit on the egg for incubation and hatching. This contributes directly to low egg production. Prevent the onset of broodiness by collecting eggs daily. This will encourage the hen to lay more eggs.

When incidences of broodiness are encountered, shorten and break this period by either confining the broody hens individually for 5 days in cages located in a well-lighted and well-ventilated area or by submerging the hen in a pail of water for 5 minutes before releasing it to the flock
Brooding

Natural method

- The traditional way of brooding allows the hen to naturally nurture her chicks. The hen provides the needed heat to the chicks from her body. Also the chicks are allowed to tag along the hen to look for their food.

- When a hen hatched only a few eggs, put the newly hatched chicks together with other newly hatched chicks of another hen

- Encourage hens to resume laying eggs by separating the newly hatched chicks from the hens. The native chicks can then be artificially brood.

Artificial brooding

- House the newly hatched native chicks to protect them from predators and the effects of weather extremes

- Provide curtains made of old sacks, cloth or newspapers to the sides of the house to regulate the brooding temperature

- Roll the curtains up and down to maintain proper temperature and ventilation

- Keep the chicks warm during the first month by using artificial brooders

- Some common artificial brooders are:

- kerosene lamps, with wire around them to prevent the chicks from getting too close to the hot surface

- electric bulb, as a rule 1 watt is good for a chick; therefore a 25-watt bulb is good for approximately 25 chicks

- During hot months, specially during the day, when no artificial source of heat is necessary, the brooders should be removed or turned off

- Observe the behavior of the chicks as this is a good indicator of brooding temperature

- Provide the chicks with local feeds or commercial chick feeds during brooding. After a period of 3-4 weeks of artificial brooding, gradually allow the chicks to forage and train them to look for their own food in the range.

Feeds and Feeding

- Proper nutrition is essential in keeping the birds healthy and productive.

- Let the birds loose in the range to allow them access to natural feeds like worms, grains, seeds, insects, greens and other sources

- Give supplement feeds to the birds during summer months when feeds in the range is scarse, and also during increment weather

- Practice supplementation with high-energy feedstuffs like corn, palay and grated coconut or farm-mixed formulations during these times. This will give the chickens the energy source that they rarely find in the field.

- The supplement feedstuffs can be made available in the house early morning, before the birds are allowed to free range, and in the afternoon to develop their homing instinct

- Commercial feeds can be given, if local feeds are scarse and not available, however, this is not economical because the native birds are not as efficient as commercial poultry

- Provide clean and fresh water to the birds everyday.

- Bamboo poles split in half can be used as feeders and waterers.

- Commercially available feeders and waterers can also be adapted. Keep in mind the proper design and size of feeders to minimize feed wastage.

Vaccination and Disease Prevention

Although native chickens are known to be hardy and resistant to diseases, it would be wise to vaccinate them against common poultry diseases. This will ensure that they will be healthy and productive

- The most common diseases of native chicken are new castle disease or avian pest, fowl pox and fowl cholera

- Follow a vaccination program against these diseases to prevent disease outbreaks
Disease
1st Dose
2nd Dose
3rd Dose
New castle disease    New castle disease 7-11 days old (intra ocular/intra nasal)    4th week (via drinking water/intra-muscular)    Before onset of lay (inter-muscular)
Fowl pox
8th-10th week (subcutaneous)
12th-14th week (subcutaneous)
-
Fowl cholera    3rd-4th week (wing web method)
-    -

- Consult a veterinarian regarding vaccination program and other health problems

- Practice proper sanitation to ensure the health of the flock

- Isolate and separate sick, inactive and weak birds from healthy ones to prevent possible disease outbreak among the flock

- Give proper medication to sick birds for them to recover early

- Burn or bury dead birds immediately, especially those that dead of diseases or unknown causes to avoid risks of infecting the remaining healthy birds

References:

PCARRD, 2000. Improved management of Philippine Native Chickens. Los Baños, Laguna: PCARRD and LDC-DA, 2000. 16 p. – (PCARRD Farm Primer No. 19/2000)

Produced by :

The Content Developmnt Team                                                                                                    OPaPA for Mindanao, USM-OpAPA Team                                                                                         University of Southern Mindanao
Kabacan, Cotabato

Prepared by:

Leonila M. Tolentino
Team Leader, Content Developmnt Team
OpAPA for Mindanao, USM-OpAPA Team, USM, Kabacan, Cotabato

Production Staff:

ercelita M. Morgan
Project Staff, USM-OpAPA Project, USM, Kabacan, Cotabato

For more information, Write or see:

Virgilio P. Oliva, Jr.
Area Manager, OpAPA for Mindanao
USM-OpAPA Team, University of Southern Mindanao
Kabacan, Cotabato

BANANA

Introduction

Banana can grow from the poorest to the richest type of soil with varying success. It can tolerate a wide range of soil pH (4.5-7.5) but is sensitive to standing water. Banana plants require moist, deep, fertile and well-drained soil. For maximum growth & production, it should be planted in fertile sandy loam soil or in alluvial loam soil.

Preparation of Planting Materials

Suckers (Sword or maiden leaf)

1. Suckers must be 11 to 20 cm in diameter and weigh 2.3 to 2.7 kg. Remove the leaves except the two youngest.
2. Cut back 10 cm above the rhizomes for maiden leaf suckers.

Corms

1. Obtain corms from healthy large suckers that have not fruited yet.
2. Use corms with cut tops at 10 to 15 cm in diameter, with a minimum of one good bud.
3. Dip the corms in a solution containing fungicide and insecticide plus spreader sticker.
4. After treating 60 corms, add 1/3 of the chemical mixture and level the solution back to 20 li. water.
5. Use hand gloves and mask when dipping corms.
6. Dip the corms for 5 to 10 minutes and air dry under the shade.

Land Preparation

1. Clear underbrush and remove all stumps.
2. Plow deep and harrow the soil two to three times.
3. Dig holes at least 50 cm diameter and 30 cm deep, five (5) meters between rows for Saba and three (3) meters between rows for Latundan and Lakatan.

Planting

1. Plant either the whole corm or cut the corm into pieces with each piece/bit having at least one viable bud.
2. Plant suckers or corms erect in the hole about 30 cm deep. Cover the soil and press gently
3. Planting distances:

* Saba/Cardaba (5 x 5 meters apart)
* Latundan/Lakatan (3 x 3 meters apart)

4. Replant the ungerminated plant materials 3-4 weeks after planting.

Nutrient Management

1. Fertilize the plant with 0.25 kg Urea plus 0.25 kg Muriate of Potash every three months in each mat to ensure proper growth of banana plants (or based on leaf or soil analysis).
2. Apply the fertilizer 30 to 60 cm from the pseudostem in a ring or by band placement.
3. On slopes, the fertilizer must be forked-in on the uphill side of the plant.
4. Ring/Strip weed or use herbicides until plants provide shade to suppress weed growth.
5. Remove dry leaf sheaths and leaves quarterly using a pruning knife attached to a long pole.
6. Remove unwanted suckers by digging or cutting off from point of attachment to the mother plant or by severing the sucker at the ground level with the use of a special roguing knife that scoops out the growing point.
7. Debell bunches immediately after the appearance of the false hand.

Harvesting

Maturity Indices:

1. The plant has six or less functional leaves.
2. Fruits are full, plump, round and light green.
3. Angles in the fingers are rounded.
4. Leaves turn yellow.

HARVESTING DATES
Variety     Weeks from Flower Emergence     Days from “False Hand” Appearance
Latundan     9 – 11     Harvest not earlier than 70 hanging days
Lakatan     12 – 14     Harvest not earlier than 80 hanging days
Saba/Cardaba     20 – 24     Harvest not earlier than 118 hanging days

Small Bunches:

1. Cut the trunk slowly and partially about 1/3 from the top to ensure slow toppling of the bunch.
2. Use knife, bolo, sickle or hatchet to do the operation.
3. Hold the peduncle leaving about 30 cm of the stalk for easy handling.

Big Bunches:

1. Bamboo pole is used to support the upper portion of the bunch.
2. The harvester moves the base of the pole slowly until the bunch touches the shoulder pad.
3. The harvester cuts the stem of the bunch 46 cm above the fruit to provide a handle for the carrier.
4. Do not cut the pseudostem close to the ground after harvest. Leave at least 1-1.5 meters of the pseudostem.

Postharvest Handling

1. De-handing with a knife or special de-handing knife.

1. Clean/wash the newly harvested fruits.
2. Air dry after washing
3. Pack the fruits

2. Sorting/grading

Size (length of fingers) requirements of different cultivars of banana in the Philippines. Variety     Large
(cm)     Medium
(cm)     Small
(cm)
Latundan     13     8 – 13     6 – 8
Saba/Cardaba     12     10 – 12     8 – 10
Lakatan     15     10 – 15     10

3. Packaging

Several available packaging materials:
1. woven large bamboo or rattan baskets lined with dried banana leaves or newsprints
2. wooden crates of 30 kg capacity
3. 12 kg capacity cartons.

Storage
Packed fruits are either kept in cold storage or ripening rooms. Optimum storage temperature for some banana cultivars
Cultivars     Optimum Temperature (c)     Storage Period (days)
Saba/Cardaba     10     35
Latundan     14     21-28
Lakatan     13     28

Low Temperature

The optimum storage condition for most bananas, either mature of ripe is 13°C to 14°C and 95% relative humidity (RH). By placing the fruits in a 10m3 cold room, the shelf-life can be extended by about two or more weeks. The cold room can hold up to 250 cartons measuring 49 cm x 34 cm x 22 cm.

Modified atmosphere and village level storage

To minimize the cost of delaying the ripening of the fruits, modified atmosphere (MA) at ambient condition can be adopted. This is done by sealing the fruits in polyethylene bags (usually 0.05 mm thick) before packing them in cartons. With this method, ripening is delayed by at least two weeks depending on the fruits maturity.

Ethylene scrubbers are also enclosed in the bags to increase the storage life.

Another way to delay ripening is by embedding the fruits in moist sawdust. One kilogram of sawdust mixed with 1.5li water is enough to cover one hand weighing 2 kilograms. Using this method, ripening could be delayed by one month.

Packaging

For local Market:

The fruits are packed in bamboo baskets, wooden crates and corrugated cartons. These containers are lined with newspapers, banana leaves or polyethylene sheets. The linings are used to prevent the fruits from injuries during further handling.

As much as possible bamboo baskets are avoided, for they can easily be deformed. The baskets are also unstable and can easily roll off during transport. The sharp edges of the baskets may also puncture the fruit. The collapsible wooden crates with veneer slots functions better.

For Export Market:

Bananas being exported are packed in cartoon boxes with fiber boards at the bottom. These boxes are lined with thin polyethylene films. Holes, 2.5 cm in diameter on the sides of the boxes are provided for ventilation.

For Middle East shipments, vacuum packing is used. Air is sucked from 0.05 mm thick plastic bag before it is sealed and the box stapled. The approximate weight of the package is 13 kg.

Average weight of the boxes vary depending on the importing country. For Japan, the required weight is about 12.5 kg per box. This contain 4-6 hands. Boxes exported to New Zealand and Hongkong average 18 kg per box.

Transport and Handling

Transport of bananas are usually done by trucks or jeeps. Loaded bunches are closely packed and layered with green banana leaves to prevent shaking and bruises during transport. The vehicle should also be ventilated for inter-island shipments, bananas are loaded in 10 foot container vans with pallets. The boats carrying these container vans are unrefrigerated and sthe doors are left open during transport.

Cavendish are shipped from Davao to Manila in sealed polyethylene bags with ethylene (C2H4) scrubbers and packed in cartons. The ethylene scrubbers help in delaying the ripening of the fruits for more than one week. Fruits for export are kept in refrigerated ships maintained at 13° to 14°C.

Bananas should not be placed in areas with extreme temperatures. The boxes should not be dropped, thrown, stacked in inverted position, rolled or tipped. If possible, horizontal dividers or separators should be constructed to prevent compression of commodities in the lower layers.

References

Banana Production by : Rene Rafael C. Espino, Ph. D., et al, 2001

CASHEW

Introduction

In the Philippines, cashew is called kasoy or balubad in Tagalog or Balogo in Ilokano. It originated from north-eastern Brazil and was brought to the Philippines in the 17th Century. At present, cashew is cultivated in many tropical countries, the main producers are Brazil, India, Mozambique and Tanzania.

The cashew plant is an evergreen tree that grows up to 12 meters tall, with a dome-shaped crown or canopy bearing its foliage on the outside, where flowers and fruits are found.

The growth of the taproot reaches a depth of 1.5-2 times the height of the plant during the first 4 months. Extensive lateral roots are formed later and reach far beyond the canopy spread of the tree during the first year of growth. In mature trees, the root volume is generally confined within the tree canopy. Very few laterals are formed beyond the 6 meter drip-line of the tree.

The fruit has a kidney-shaped nut, about 3 cm x 1.2 cm attached to a much enlarged and swollen pedicel or receptacle forming the fruit-like cashew apple. The cashew apple is pear-shaped, 10-20 cm x 4-8 cm, shiny, red to yellow, soft, and juicy. The seed is kidney-shaped, with reddish-brown testa, two large white cotyledons, and a small embryo. The kernel remaining after the removal of the testa is the cashew nut of commerce.

Favorable Growing Conditions

It can grow successfully in areas with a very distinct dry season or where the annual rainfall is as low as 50 cm. It can likewise grow well in areas with high levels of rainfall (as much as 350 cm annually) provided the soil is well-drained.

Seed System

1. Nursery Site

The nursery site should be well-drained and exposed to sunlight. It should have a good source of irrigation water for the maintenance of the plant materials. It should be protected against stray animals.
2. Nut Selection

Nuts for planting should be obtained from mother trees of known performance. They should be fully matured and of high density (heavy) grade to ensure good germination and vigorous seedlings. Seeds are water tested; those that sink are chosen since they have higher viability and germinate quickly.
3. Sowing the Seeds

Cashew seeds expire easily. Dry and newly collected seeds must be sown/propagated as soon as possible to prevent loss in viability. They are sown on individual polyethylene bags containing an equal mixture of fine sand and organic matter.

Seeds are sown 5-10 cm deep with stalk end facing upward in slanting position. This prevents the emerging cotyledons at the soil surface from being destroyed by rats, ants, snails, and birds.
4. Care of Seedlings

Seeds will germinate within 1 to 2 weeks after sowing. Excessive watering should be avoided. If seedlings are week and stunted, urea solution at the rate of 10 tbsp per gallon of water should be applied.

The seedlings must be properly taken care of until they are ready for field planting or for use in asexual propagation (grafting). Seedlings are ready for field planting when they have attained a height of 20-50 cm.
5. Propagation

Cashew can be propagated sexually or asexually. Asexual propagation can be done through airlayering, inarching, marcotting or grafting. Grafting is the best method for large-scale asexual propagation of cashew.

With cleft grafting, the seedlings are cut in traverse section (crosswise) and the remaining stem is cut longitudinally (lengthwise). The scion from a selected mother tree cut into the shape of a wedge is put between the two separated parts of the stem of the seedling, and the seedling and the scion are then wrapped with a plastic ribbon.

Up to 100% success has been obtained with 10-week old seedlings. In Palawan, plant propagators can get an average of 95% success in cleft grafting.

The use of young seedlings of about two months old result in more rapid takes, and the plants are ready to be planted at the age of 3 ½ months.

Sexual propagation is done by sowing the seeds directly on individual polyethylene bags. It should be done during the dry season so that the seedlings could be planted in the field at the start of the rainy season.

Land Preparation

For commercial purposes, the land should be thoroughly prepared. Plow the area 2-3 times followed by harrowing until the desired tilth of the soil is attained. It should be done before the start of the rainy season. For backyard or reforestation purposes, just underbrush the area and if possible collect all cut grasses, shrubs, and other rubbishes and burn them. The soil should be cultivated properly in order that the seeds may be sown with the required depth or that holes may be dug deep enough to bury the ball of seedlings. Rows of cashew trees should be properly laid out with the proper distancing by placing markers at the desired distance between hills in a row before digging the holes.

Crop Establishment

1. Distance of planting

Distance of planting varies according to the purpose for which the trees are planted. For reforestation, 3m x 3m is recommended to encourage early shading and to aid in smothering weeds.

For commercial plantings in the Philippines use 6m x 6m which is too close compared to the practice in other countries.

Triangular planting was found to be most productive layout and should be tried. This method, however, is rather difficult for farmers to follow.

High density planting gives more kernel per hectare up to age 7 years. Low density planting gives less per hectare but more per tree.
1. Triangular (12m x 12m x 12m) = 79 plants/ha
An alternative and easier method is the quincunx arrangement and should also be tried.
2. Quincunx (15m x 15m) = 76 plants/ha
3. Square
The simplest recommended planting distances are 9m x 9m at the less fertile lower slopes and 10m x 10m at the more fertile lower slopes.

2. Lining, Stacking and Digging of Holes

Rows of cashew should be properly laid out by placing markers between rows and between hills in a row.

The holes should be dug a month before the planting of seedlings. The holes should have a dimension 20 cm x 20 cm.
3. Planting Time

In places with distinct dry and wet seasons, planting is best done at the start of the rainy season.
4. Planting

There are two methods of establishing cashew that may be employed. These are direct seeding and transplanting of seedlings or sexually propagated materials.

In direct seedlings, 2 to 3 seeds are planted 5-10 cm deep with the stalk end facing upward and in a slanting position. This prevents emerging cotyledons at the soil surface from the ravages of field rats, ants, snails and birds.

Seeds are planted 30 cm apart in a triangular position when 3 seeds are used. The seeds will germinate 1-2 weeks after sowing provided that the soil has sufficient moisture.

Thinning should be done leaving only the most vigorous plant to develop 1-2 months from germination. Thinning is preferably done during the start of the rainy season.

When transplanting seedlings or sexually propagated materials, remove carefully the polyethylene plastic before setting the seedlings in the holes.

Fill the holes with surface soil first and firm the soil at the base of the seedling carefully allowing the roots to remain in as natural as possible.
5. Weeding and Cultivation

The plants should be cultivated and free from weeds at a distance of 1 meter around the trunk. The orchard should be weeded as often as necessary. Cut grasses should be left in the area between the hills to dry and to used later for mulching. Mulching helps conserve moisture around the plant during the summer months, keep down the weeds and increase the amount of humus in the soil when decays.
6. Intercropping and Covercropping

A considerable part of the land is available for intercropping during the early years after the establishment of the cashew orchard.

To provide sufficient protection from the heavy growth of weeds and grass, the spaces between rows may be used for planting cash crops. This would enable the grower to earn additional income.

Annual crops can be interplanted between rows of cashew provided they are not closer than 2 meter from the cashew tree.

When the growing of intercrops is no longer feasible, the field should be planted to leguminous covercrops. The planting of covercrops will prevent further soil erosion, conserve moisture, and add organic matter to the soil. The area within 1 to 1 1/2 meters from the trunk should be kept free from weeds and covercrops should not be allowed to cling to the tree.
7. Pruning

Little pruning is practiced in cashew. However, it may be necessary to prune regularly to get the desirable shape of the tree and to facilitate cultural operations.

It is also necessary to remove the diseased and infected branches and unnecessary water sprouts.

It is also necessary to remove the diseased and infected branches and unnecessary water sprouts.
8. Cut wounds should be properly treated with chemicals (coaltar) to facilitate healing and avoid infections.

Nutrient Management

It is advisable to apply fertilizers especially when soil analysis dictates specific soil nutrient deficiencies.

The general recommendations are the following:

1. Seedlings – At planting time apply complete fertilizer (14-14-14) before the seedlings are set in the holes at the rate of 200-300 gm/plant.
2. Young Trees – Apply complete fertilizer at the rate of 300-500 gm/tree plus Urea (45-0-0) at the rate of 200-300 gm/tree.
3. Bearing Trees – Apply complete fertilizer (14-14-14) at the rate of 1.5 to 3.0 kg/tree.

Recommended rate of fertilizer application is applied two times a year. One half of the total requirement per tree should be applied at the start of the rainy season and the remaining half should be applied toward the end of the rainy season.

On established trees, fertilizer should be dug with a depth of 1-10 cm. The fertilizer is then distributed equally. Cover the holes/canal properly with soil to prevent the fertilizer from evaporating or from being washed out by heavy rains.

Water Management

Irrigation is needed during the first dry season. Unlike in the subsequent years, when the root system has already been established and have reached the layer with sufficient moisture. For better yield, it is advisable to irrigate the field regularly especially during summer.

Pest Management

1. Major Pests

1. Twig Borer (Niphonoclea albata N. /N. capito P.)

This insect pest are common during the dry season. The adult beetle girdles the small branches causing them to dry up or break and drop to the ground. Its creamish larvae bore into the pith of the branches. As they feed, they move downward until they pupate. All affected twigs and small branches may eventually die.

Control Measure: Remove or collect all affected twig as well as dried twigs on the ground. Dispose them properly by burning before applying chemical sprays. In using spray chemicals, mix 3-5 tbsp of Malathion, Carbaryl and/or Methyl Parathion per 5 gallons of water. Repeat application at 7-10 days interval when necessary.

2. Mealybugs (Gray Mealybugs – F. vigata) and Thrips (Red-banded thrips – Selen othrips rubrocintus Glard)

These pests sucks the sap of young leaves and shoots. When severe infestation occurs, the tree is weakened and the leaves and fruit may fall prematurely.

Control Measures: Spray trees with any insecticide commonly available at manufacturer’s recommended dosage when there are signs of early infestation.

Leaf Miner (Acrocercops syngramma M.) – Young plants in the nursery and in the orchard are more affected by these pests. Caterpillars of this silvery gray moth mine through the tender leaves, thus, severely damaging them.

Control Measures: Spray 0.05% Phosphamidon at manufacturer’s recommended dosage as soon as infestation is detected on new leaves.

Tea Mosquito (Helopeltis Antonil S.) – A reddish-brown mirid bug which normally appears at the time of emergence of new growth and panicles. Nymphs and adults suck the sap from tender nuts.

Control Measures: Spray Malathion, Phosphamidon and/or Endosulfan at emergence of new growth and inflourescence. A third spray may be done at the time of fruit setting to reduce immature fruit drops.

3. Saw-Toothed Grain Beetle (Cryzaephillus surinamensis L.) – This pest is known to attack the nuts during storage.

Control Measures: Nuts should be thoroughly dried and placed in air tight containers. Surface treatment is recommended. For finished products, fumigation is recommended.

4. Slug Caterpillar (Lamantridae spp.) – The caterpillar feeds on the leaves causing semi-defoliation.

5. Termite – Termites attack the roots and the trunk of cashew trees. They burrow on the bark of roots and branches especially of old trees. They build their soil mounds or nest on dead parts of the tree.

Control Measures: Soil mounds must be destroyed to locate the queen termite. The queen should be killed either mechanically or by spraying with 2% Chlordane. Chlordane should not be applied on living parts of the tree because of its long residual effect. Cistin powder could be applied to any part of the tree infested with termites at the rate recommended by the manufacturer.

2. Major Diseases

1. Dieback or Pink Disease – This disease is caused by fungus Corticium salmonicolor B. that usually occurs during the rainy season. Affected shoots initially show white patches on the bark; a film of silky thread or mycelium develops. Later, the fungus develops a pinkish growth which are the spores that make the bark split and peel off. Affected shoots start drying up from the tip.

Control Measures: All possible sources of innoculum should be removed. Affected shoots are pruned and burned. Cut surfaces must be protected by applying Bordeaux moisture paste. The tree should also be sprayed with fungicide at manufacturer’s recommended dosage.
2. Anthracnose – This disease is cause by fungus Collectorichum gloeospoides that usually infect tender leaves, shoots, inflourescences, young fruits (apples) and young nuts. This disease is most prevalent when there is excessive rainfall coinciding with the appearance of new growth and flowering. Infected parts in its early stage show shiny, watersoaked lesions which later turn reddish-brown. At the lesion site, resinous exudation can be seen. As the disease progresses, the lesions enlarge in size, all affected tender leaves wrinkle, and the young apples and nuts become shrivelled. Inflorescences become black.

Control Measures: Remove all infected parts (source of innoculum) before spraying the tree with fungicide at manufacturer’s recommended dosage of application.
3. Damping-off – This disease is caused by fungus Fusarium. This disease normally occurs in the nursery and effects cashew seedlings especially when the soil medium gets too wet.

Control Measures: Seeds for planting should be treated with Arasan 75 at the rate of ¼ tsp per ganta of seeds before sowing. Soil media for potting should be treated with soil fumingants.

Harvest Management

In the Philippines, cashew trees flower from November to March, while the harvest season is from February to May and may extend up to early June. The quality of nuts and yield is dependent on weather conditions during the fruiting stage. If it rains during the reproductive phase, poor quality nuts are produced. Fruits are usually harvested manually, although a number of farmers wait for the fruits to drop as the main concern of farmers is the nut. Nuts are picked from the ground, separated from the cashew apple, cleaned and dried.

In places where cashew apples are processed into juice, wine and other delicacies, fruits are harvested using a pole with a wire hook attached to its end. The pole is provided with a shallow net or cloth bag to catch the detached fruits.

Processing and Utilization

Nuts are roasted and eaten. At present, the only commercial scale use for the apple is for livestock feed. However, the apple is now being processed into juice, candy, wine, jam, etc. but only to a certain extent since the market for these end products is still in the development stage.

References

http://www.da.gov.ph/wps/wcm/connect/resources/file/eb1a824fbf5d90d/Cashew.pdf
http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/ac451e/ac451e07.htm

Birth of Uncle Frank roasted coffee and other success stories

SORSOGON CITY—From an ambulant vendor of bottled vinegar and soy sauce 25 years ago, Francisco Aranda became a successful businessman who was responsible for putting Sorsogon province on the map when it comes to coffee.

In 2008, Aranda received the “Outstanding High Value Commercial Crop Farmer” from the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Gawad Saka Awards.

He was among the five successful businessmen in Bicol to received this year’s Halyao Awards during the 5th Bicol Business Week celebrations in Naga City on May 15.

The affair, now on its fifth year is the region’s biggest annual gathering of businessmen, traders and entrepreneurs. A highlight of this event is the Halyao Awards whose roster of recipients include business tycoon Lucio Tan. Known as the “Bicolano taipan,” Tan grew up in Naga City.

This year’s Halyao awardees also include Robert Obiedo of Camarines Sur, Socorro Buban of Albay, Luz Ricasio of Camarines Norte, and Rafael Chan Lim of Masbate. A preHispanic Bicol word, halyao means merchant.

Halyao recognizes the exemplary achievements of Bicolano businessmen whose “bold strokes and strong drive to turn Bicol into an engine of growth have spurred the generation of countless jobs, new industries, more wealth and opportunities that together bring new hope and optimism for the betterment of the land they love the most: the Bicol Region.”

From a merchant with a pushcart, Obiedo made it big time.

Now a respected community leader, he also owns a posh hotel in Naga City and a chain of department stores across Bicol.

Buban is founder and owner of the oldest surviving bus company in the region that offers the lowest fare in the Bicol-Manila route, while businesswoman Ricasio who used to sell fish in the market now owns and manages her own empire of pawnshops, hotels and copra trading.

Lim is a certified public accountant who gave up a high-paying job in Manila to manage a family-owned merchandising business in his hometown of Cataingan, Masbate and pioneered an agri-veterinary store, a first-class shopping mart and other businesses that offer items his townmates basically need.

Aranda is exalted for his pioneering venture in Sorsogon’s coffee industry and establishing Uncle Frank Roasted Coffee—the brand name for his organically-grown kapeng barako he himself grows in a 5-hectare farm in the outskirt of the city.

The product, certified by the International Coffee Organization Certifying Agency, is a prized item in various outlets nationwide and leading malls and grocery stores in Metro Manila.

Aranda is also responsible for the organization of the coffee growers association here with over 100 members. He shares with the group the technology he acquired in producing quality coffee and establishing business as a stable source of livelihood.

From his hometown in Batangas, Aranda settled in this provincial capital in 1984 and started from scratch a home-based business of bottling vinegar and soy sauce he himself sold in a pushcart on sidewalks downtown. He also moved around to sell his products directly to buyers at home.

His perseverance and industry started paying off when out of his savings he was able to acquire a 5-hectare land in barangay Cabid-an, not far from the city proper. At that time, this provincial capital was still a municipality and land was cheap.

With his family, Aranda cleared the area and bought a sack of coffee berries from, a known producer of high quality coffee in the country, giving birth to the first organic coffee plantation in the city.

He produced kapeng barako, or Liberica, a variety of plump, rounded berries popular in Sorsogon for its distinct aroma and flavor,  Aranda told the BusinessMirror over the weekend.

It is tolerant to drought and could be grown in almost all types of soil, he said.

He uses compost and poultry manure as fertilizer and has adopted regular pruning to ensure that the height of trees remain right for easy harvesting. Pruning shoots also helps produce more branches, flowers and berries, and promotes better light penetration and aeration, Aranda said.

At present, Aranda said his farm has 4,500 trees that produce 150 sacks of coffee berries on average in its eight-month cycle.

“I am now a happy man because aside from a stable source of income for my family offered by this coffee plantation and the other businesses I was able to put up out of this venture, I can also provide jobs for my village mates especially during harvest time,” he said in Sorsogueño dialect.

He said, the secret to quality coffee is the roasting process that thrives on the right amount of heat and timing to achieve the desired flavor.

On marketing, Aranda explained that although coffee commands a good price its pricing depends on the quality and variety of the beans. A sack of roasted coffee costs P8,900.

He said he sells milled coffee for P260 per kilo—packed and labeled Uncle Franks Roasted Coffee, which is a brand registered with the Department of Trade regional office for Bicol.

“My vision along with all the members of the local coffee-growers association of which I am the incumbent president is to make Sorsogon a top producer of organically-grown coffee, that is why we are open to new technologies and techniques,” Aranda said.

He readily offers his farm for activities that demonstrate technology. The group’s slogan is: May pera sa kape…tanim na! (There’s money in coffee…plant now).”

Written by Danny O. Calleja

Source: Business Mirror

Jackfruit: The jack of all fruits

“THE world has always been like this: one man feasts on the jackfruit and the other gets stuck in the sap,” said a familiar saying. Another one goes like this, “Whoever eats the jackfruit, will be touched by the sap.”

The fruit is called a variety of names around the world. The English one, jackfruit, is generally cited as deriving from the Malayalam chakka or cakkai via the Portuguese jaca, the name for it used by the physician and naturalist Garcia de Orta in his 1563 book.

However, a botanist named Ralph Randles Stewart argued that it was named after William Jack (1795-1822), a Scottish botanist who worked for the East India Company in Bengal, Sumatra, and Malaysia.

Like most tropical fruits, Westerners considered jackfruit as somewhat weird and exotic. It is enormous and prickly on the outside and it looks somewhat like the controversial durian (although it tastes like heaven, it smells like hell).

Once a jackfruit is cracked open, what you will find inside are pods or “bulbs.” Often referred to as the seeds, these bulbs are actually the fleshy covering for the true seeds or pits, which are round and dark like chestnuts.

The fruit juices are extremely sticky, so people often oil their hands before preparing the fruit.

Actually, the “bulbs” are delicious raw or as ice cream, jelly, chutney, syrup, and jam. An American journalist describes jackfruit in these words: “The ripe fruit smells like rotting onions from the outside, but the fruit flesh inside smells like banana or pineapple.”

Nutritionists claim the fruit is nearly as calorie-dense as the custard apple. Hundred grams of the edible flesh, including the seeds, contains almost 100 calories, most of it as sugar and starch. The flesh is rich in beta-carotene and potassium, while the seeds are rich in thiamine and riboflavin-B vitamins.

The young fruit is also a vegetable. The cuisines of Bangladesh, Indonesia, India, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam use cooked young jackfruit. In many cultures, jackfruit is boiled and used in curries as a food staple.

Here’s a word of warning: Eating uncooked, unripe fruit can cause indigestion. The culprit is an enzyme that inhibits the gut’s protein-digesting enzyme called trypsin. However, cooking destroys this inhibitor.

On the other hand, the ripe fruit increases gut motility and can cause diarrhea among those who eat too much of the fruit.

There’s more to jackfruit. The pulp, when boiled in milk, yields delicious orange-toned custard, while frying dry, salted bulbs serves up an alternative to potato chips. Jackfruit seeds (nuts) can be roasted like chestnuts or boiled. If left to cook inside the flesh (for example, in curries or other cooked dishes), the nut softens and can easily be eaten.

Jackfruit also possesses some medicinal properties. The Chinese consider jackfruit pulp and seeds tonic, cooling and nutritious, and to be useful in overcoming the influence of alcohol on the system. The seed starch is given to relieve biliousness and the roasted seeds are regarded as aphrodisiac. The ash of jackfruit leaves, burned with corn and coconut shells, is used alone or mixed with coconut oil to heal ulcers.

There are also reports that the latex, when mixed with vinegar, promotes healing of abscesses, snakebites, and glandular swellings. The root is a remedy for skin diseases and asthma. An extract of the root is taken in cases of fever and diarrhea. The bark is made into poultices. Heated leaves are placed on wounds. The wood has a sedative property; its pith is said to produce abortion.

Recent laboratory studies show that lectins found in jackfruit and its seeds may have antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and immunostimulative properties. However, clinical study is still lacking.
The currently available research examines the role of jackfruit leaves in increasing glucose tolerance. More studies in humans are needed to define jackfruit’s potential role in diabetes.

In agriculture, jackfruit is also indispensable. In some areas, the jackfruit is fed to cattle. The tree is even planted in pastures so that the animals can avail themselves of the fallen fruits. Surplus jackfruit rind is considered a good stock food.

Jackfruit is also good in controlling pests. The golden apple snail is one of the major rice pests in Asia, including the Philippines. If they are not controlled, they can devastate the rice crops, causing huge losses to farmers. In Malaysia, some farmers are using jackfruit instead of pesticides to control the snails. They put rotten jackfruits in their rice fields.

This is how they do it. Fresh rotten jackfruits with strong smell are collected. These are carefully placed in a suitable spot with running water and populated with golden snails as bait and should not be submerged under water. The bait is left overnight, and in the morning, snails that gather on and around the jackfruit are collected and destroyed. The rotten jackfruit may be replaced if and when necessary.

Here are other uses of jackfruit:

Latex – The heated latex is employed as household cement for mending chinaware and earthenware, and to caulk boats and holes in buckets. Although it could be used as a substitute for rubber, the latex contains 82.6 to 86.4% resins, which may have value in varnishes.

Wood – Its wood changes with age from orange or yellow to brown or dark-red. It is termite-proof, fairly resistant to fungal and bacterial decay, and resembles mahogany. It is superior to teak for furniture, construction, turnery, masts, oars, implements, brush backs and musical instruments. In Cebu, guitars made from the wood of jackfruit are very popular. Though sharp tools are needed to achieve a smooth surface, it polishes beautifully. Roots of old trees are greatly prized for carving and picture framing.

From the sawdust of its wood or chips of the heartwood, boiled with alum, there is derived a rich yellow dye commonly used for dyeing silk and the cotton robes of Buddhist priests. In Indonesia, splinters of the wood are put into the bamboo tubes collecting coconut toddy in order to impart a yellow tone to the sugar.

Bark – There is only 3.3% tannin in the bark, which is occasionally made into cordage or cloth.

Jackfruit (scientific name: Artocarpus heterophyllus) is native to southwestern India and Sri Lanka. It was reportedly cultivated for food as early as the 6th century BC in India. At approximately 25 centimeters in diameter, jackfruit is reportedly the largest tree-borne fruit in the world.

Written by Henrylito D. Tacio

Source: Sun Star

Indigenous vegetables can eradicate malnutrition, food shortage

PILI, Camarines Sur—From the forest to the household backyard, indigenous vegetables could address malnutrition and head off the looming food shortage.

A study recently conducted by the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), in partnership with the World Vegetable Center, a Taiwan-based research and development institution, shows that at least 10 promising indigenous vegetables are classified as priority crops for massive promotion.

These include alugbati (Basella alba), ampalaya (bitter gourd) or bayok-bayok for leaves (Momordica charantia), himbabao (Allaeanthus luzonicus), kulitis (Amaranthus), labong (bamboo shoot), upo or bottle gourd (lagenaria siceria), malunggay (Moringa), pako (fiddlehead), saluyot (Corchorus), and talinum (Talinum triangulare).

The study is part of the project dubbed, Promotion of Indigenous Vegetable for Poverty Alleviation and Nutrition Improvement of Rural Households in the Philippines, being implemented in the country through regional field units of the Department of Agriculture DA and the National Nutrition Council in cooperation with local government units.

DA regional executive director for Bicol Jose Dayao said on Thursday these “less popular veggies” continue to be underutilized despite their known contributions to health and nutrition.

According to the BAR study, that is due to a lack of available seeds and germplasm for widespread propagation, inadequate information on use, importance, and performance and input requirements, as well as how indigenous vegetables fit into commercial production systems, Dayao said.

Another problem is that these traditional vegetables are being replaced by high yielding commercial varieties which are more proficient and preferred by most producers and consumers.

As such, the genetic resource of indigenous vegetables is dwindling and at risk of extinction, he said.

The promotion of these vegetables seeks to address the problems and boost food security, improve nutrition and the income-generating capacity of the rural poor, while conserving the biodiversity of vegetables indigenous to the Philippines.

The initiative is in harmony with the DA’s program on sustainable-nutrition advocacy by promoting the production, marketing and consumption of highly nutritious vegetables, and with BAR’s national program on indigenous plants for health and wellness, Dayao said.

Through the project, the introduction and selection of indigenous vegetables is promoted through technology demonstrations on proper cultivation and use in selected rural areas giving priority to Bicol, Western Visayas and Northern Mindanao, or regions where malnutrition and poverty are prevalent.

The project pushes for the production of seeds, cultivation in backyard gardens, and consumption of these vegetables, Dayao said.

Other indigenous vegetables being promoted and exhibited by the DA in plots for technology demonstrations are eggplant, amaranth, cucurbit, radish, bottle gourd, luffa (smooth and ridged types), wax gourd, bittergourd, snake gourd, squash, jute, basella, kangkong, ivy gourd, basil, lablab, rosella, okra, yardlong bean, winged bean, cucumber, tomato, and vegetable soybean.

These vegetables were chosen based on nutrient content, medicinal and health benefits, nonfood uses, and volume of production and food preparation.

They are considered indigenous to the Philippines because they grow abundantly in rural areas, although not everybody knows their value as affordable and alternative sources of essential nutrients.

These vegetables are easier to grow, more resistant to pests, and are highly acceptable to local tastes. Indigenous vegetables are suitable as cash crops, source of daily sustenance, new crops and variations to diversify production systems and diets, Dayao said.

Initiating awareness about these vegetables and collecting their seeds are part of initial steps toward their preservation. The ultimate goal is to increase the actual use of these “unpopular” crops, he said.

Promising lineages have been identified, and their seeds are being prepared for distribution. Nutritional tests have also been conducted and production strategies are being developed. In no time, these so-called underused vegetables would soon find their way into the mainstream vegetable arena known to even nonvegetable eaters, he added.

Written by Danny O. Ccalleja

Source: Business Mirror