Agriculture.ph Blog

Coconut Philippines: An awardee of US Green Book Festival

Bruce Haring, the managing director and festival producer of the US-based Green Book Festival e-mailed Lalaine Villafuerte-Abonal to confirm that she was the only Filipino who made it to the Winner Circle of the 2009 Green Book Festival competition as an Honorable Mention winner for her 550 page, full-color book entitled “Coconut Philippines”. All the rest of the winners were US and UK authors. Bruce Haring, the festival’s producer is also the author of several music industry books including Beyond the Charts: MP3 and the Digital Music Revolution and Off The Charts: Ruthless Days and Reckless Nights Inside the Music Industry, for which he earned a 1997 Non-Fiction Book of the Year award. Bruce Haring is also a former entertainment journalist for USA Today, Daily Variety, Billboard, Associated Press and others. This international award to Coconut Philippines brings honor to our country, the largest producer and exporter of coconut by-products worldwide.

The 2009 Green Book Festival is an annual competition honoring books that contribute to greater understanding, respect and positive action on the changing worldwide environment.

The panel of judges of the annual Green Book Festival are drawn from the ranks of journalists, authors, publishers, agents, film directors and illustrators based in the USA.

The annual Green Book Festival competition is organized by JM Northern Media LLC, a company based in Hollywood, California and is focused on media and the people who make it. Founded in 1999, they produce annual events and report on the people who are making things happen in the world of digital media and beyond.

Today, Coconut Philippines, an awardee of the Green Book Festival is considered the most comprehensive visual reference guidebook on coconut and its by-products. The hard-bound book showcases a superb collection of creative coconut products that ranges from food, skin care, giftwares, decorative accessories, furniture, fixtures, fashion items, spa ingredients, construction and building materials to biofuels and other industrial products.

In July 2007, Lalaine V. Abonal, author of Coconut Philippines was also chosen as Power Books Filipino Author of the Month. Powerbooks Specialty Store is a complete one-stop bookstore with 12 branches in the Philippines.

Lalaine Villafuerte-Abonal is an ardent advocate of coconut products and is the founder of the company: Coconut Republic based in California. Coconut Republic exports Philippine-made coconut products mostly to the USA and Europe and is now an internationally registered trademark in the following countries: USA, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Singapore, China, Japan

The best-selling coconut products of Coconut Republic are all-natural and 100% organic including coconut sugar, coconut syrup, coconut flour, coconut vinegar, coconut seasoning, coconut toasted shreds, virgin coconut oil and several others. On August 19, 2009, Coconut Republic received its USDA NOP Organic Certification from the US-based certifying agency Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA International). OCIA is one of the world’s first, largest and trusted leaders in organic certification.

The Coconut Philippines book is available online at Amazon.com and major bookstores in the Philippines including National Book Store, Fully Booked, Power Books, Ayala Museum, Solidaridad bookstore, Trade Winds, Academic Connection, and Book Trend Enterprises.

Have a joyful day!

Written by NELLY FAVIS-VILLAFUERTE

Source: Manila Bulletin

Agriculture studes grow vegetables

Four senior agriculture students at the Visayas State University in Baybay, Leyte, are growing high-value vegetables provided by East-West Seed Company on 3,000 square meters allocated by the university so they could earn money for their tuition and other school expenses.

The four are Jonathan Requiso, Rodel Morales of Ormoc City, Noel Gantala of San Francisco, Southern Leyte (all horticulture majors) and Andy Cornell Bornillo, an agronomy major from Bien Unido, Bohol. They are trained by specialists of the seed company on the improved techniques of growing high-yielding hybrid seeds. Dr. Elizabeth Briones of VSU, on the other hand, serves as the coordinator.

The four work as a team so that when one is not busy with his academic work, he attends to the vegetable garden. They themselves prepare the plots for planting. They germinate the seedlings, transplant them and take good care of them so that they will produce a reasonable harvest.

Their standing crops include 560 hills of okra which have given them so far 40 kilos sold at P25 per kilo. The crop is still productive and they expect to harvest more from the same. The first harvest from their 150 sweet pepper plants will be made soon. An earlier planting of 150 plants had yielded 23 kilos which they sold for a total of P1,955.

The 460 hills of Big C cucumber that they planted last May yielded 395 kilos which grossed them P7,330. They have also a planting of the Pipinito cucumber which is just beginning to produce fruits.

They are also expecting to have a good income from the 127 Morena eggplant seedlings that they planted last June 12. They just harvested the first 10 kilos last July 27 which they sold at P30 per kilo.

They are now harvesting twice a week at an increasing volume. They expect to harvest a lot because the plants are very healthy and robust.

Besides the money that they make, what is even more important is the skill that they acquire in vegetable production. That could start them in their own agribusiness after graduation.

Written by Zac Sarian

Source: Manila Bulletin

Gawad Kalinga beneficiaries grow their own vegetables

At the Gawad Kalinga Village in Barangay San Andres, Cainta, Rizal, it is not unusual to see families doing their organic vegetable gardening everyday at the 3,600-square meter garden where “pinakbet”- and “chopsuey”-type of vegetables are grown.

These families, numbering 57, are beneficiaries of Bayan-anihan, a food sufficiency program that was officially launched last July 15 by the Gawad Kalinga in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Selecta, agricultural schools, local government units, non-government organizations, and the youth.

Bayan-anihan aims to help eradicate hunger by empowering poor families to produce their own food through backyard or organic farming, says Tony Meloto, founder of Gawad Kalinga. Likewise, it aims to launch 2,500 farms in the next three years and to continuously feed at least 500,000 people.

Previously, the Bayan-anihan had its soft launching five months ago during which a ceremonial planting was done simultaneously in 115 communities all over Luzon and some areas in the Visayas. As of its official launching, John Marie Concepcion, Selecta’s CEO and managing director, said that Bayan-anihan has already produced 41 metric tons of harvest which fed more than 17,000 people.

How do they do it? Mike N. Dimagiba, executive director of Bayan Anihan Foundation, Inc. said that every family is given a 10-square meter plot where they can grow vegetables, rootcrops, and culinary or medicinal herbs the organic way. The farmers are provided with fertilizers and open-pollinated seeds so that they can replant without the need to buy new stocks of seeds for their next crop.

Of course, the participants are also provided with continuous training and education to keep them updated on the latest farming technology.

In San Andres where there are 94 homes built by Gawad Kalinga, the 57 families that participated in Bayan-anihan no longer buy vegetables from outside. Now, each family can have a regular supply of vegetables harvested from their 10-square meter plot provided by the Diocese of Antipolo.

One of them is Billy Leones who said that they now have continuous supply of vegetables on their table. Leones is among the first group of farmers who were sent to Pangasinan for a 6-day training on vegetable production.

Fely Caparino, a 46-year old housewife also from San Andres Gawad Kalinga, has been religiously tending to her plot where she planted kangkong, eggplant, sitao, tomatoes and okra. From these, she harvests an equivalent to a day’s meal every other day, and, sometimes, every three days.

The same is true with 56-year old Erlinda Kamantigue who makes additional money from the sales of her excess produce. She said that a week prior to our visit, she had almost a kilo of excess eggplant which she sold to her neighbor.

When asked how they find farming in Gawad Kalinga Village, the beneficiaries said they are learning to appreciate organic farming through Bayan-anihan. They apply their plants with organic fertilizer. They also practice mulching with rice straws and plant residues to conserve moisture, suppress weeds and enrich the soil when these materials decompose.

To control pests, they manually collect and destroy affected plant parts. They also spray a concoction of dissolved detergent and chili extract which they have proven effective and economical aside from being environment-friendly.

Dimagiba stressed, however, that the 10-square meter farming model is just the initial phase of Bayan-anihan. Eventually in the near future, it shall include small-scale farming, integrated farming, and later on, the establishment of cooperatives.

Written by Melpha Abello

Source: Manila Bulletin

What’s new in goats

We just visited the Small Ruminants Center (SRC) at the Central Luzon State University and one of the interesting items we saw is the portable pelletizing machine developed by the center as part of an ongoing research project funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD).

Dr. Edgar Orden, deputy director of the SRC, said they fabricated the pelletizing machine with the use of second hand materials so that it is not very expensive. Without the motor, it costs just about P20,000.

What is important is that it works. Pelletizing makes it possible to incorporate in one small amount the balanced nutrients needed by the animals. The pellets that they are producing at present consist of shredded napier, ipil-ipil leaf meal, rice bran, copra meal, molasses, dicalcium phosphate and a small amount of salt. A shredding machine that breaks the napier grass into fine particles is also being used by Dr. Orden. It can shred other materials, too.

Meanwhile, Dr. Rene Sumaoang of Novatech has recommended the addition of a rumen enzyme, Rumizyme, that he has cultured. He said that Rumizyme could enhance further digestibility of the nutrients in the pelletized feed.

Dr. Orden also enlightened us about the results of their study on three-way-cross goats. He said that the three-way cross of native goats, Anglo Nubian and Boer results in more than 15% increase in dressing percentage. The dressing percentage is close to 50 percent, which means that the meat obtained from one animal when slaughtered is about 50 percent of the liveweight.. Ordinarily, he said, the dressing percentage of the native goat is just over 30 percent.

Dr. Orden also briefed us on an ongoing project that is part of the RED or Rural Enterprise Development project of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The results are very encouraging but that is another story that we will write about next time.

Written by Zac Sarian

Source: Manila Bulletin

COA uncovers new fertilizer scam

Another fertilizer distribution irregularity has been unearthed by the Commission on Audit (COA) in the wake of continued public condemnation drawn by the P728 million fertilizer scam, which implicated former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante and other Department of Agriculture (DA) personnel.

Although the amount involved in the recently discovered irregularity pales in comparison with that in the 2003 scam allegedly masterminded by Bolante, COA auditors lamented that farmers were denied benefits from the program that involved the distribution of organic fertilizers.

State auditors led by Elnora Sta. Maria also pointed out that the latest irregularity dampened the efforts of the government to promote the use of organic fertilizers.

In its 2008 audit report on the financial condition of the National Agricultural and Fishery Council (NAFC), the COA noted that the P10-million it distributed to 10 organic fertilizer manufacturers under the Organikong Abono –Tulong sa Magsasakang Pilipino Project has not been repaid to the NAFC.

“Out of the 10 proponents, three did not submit accomplishment reports while five were found not to have distributed the required 5,00 bags of organic fertilizers, thus, not fully achieving the objective to promote organic usage,” the COA report said.

Not one has returned the start-up funds, government auditors added.

Growth Philippines, one of the recipients of the P1-million assistance, ceased to exist one year after it received the money in 2005.

Other recipients of the financial assistance were the Manila Fertilizer, Sanders Organic Fertilizer, Sagana 100 Philippines, Romarc Enterprises, Galactic Resources Development Corp. Fabcom Philippines, Novatech Agri-Food Industry, Sea Crop Feeds and Fertilizers Technology Center, and Extreme 3000 Enterprises.

Sta. Maria asked NAFC Executive Director Ed Fondevilla to send demand letters to remind producers of their overdue obligations and exert efforts in locating and going after officials of Nutrigrowth to recover government funds released to them.

In the same COA report, state auditors advised NAFC to pursue legal steps to recover from the Quedan and Rural Guarantee Corporation the P12.54-million the government firm failed to spend in putting up corn feedstock service centers in several corn-producing provinces in the country.

The amount is part of the P46.64-million released to Quedancor and other government agencies to finance fishery and agriculture projects but remained unused.

“The remaining unused fund of P12.5 million was not returned to NAFC. Instead it was placed in an investment per letter of the officer-in-charge (of Quedancor) dated November 27, 2007. However, verification of the short term investment account of Quedancor disclosed that no investment was placed under the NAFC account,” COA revealed.

Written by Ben R. Rosario

Source: Manila Bulletin

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5 x 5 – P12.6 (100) – P126 (1000)
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10 x 9 – P60 (100) – P600 (1000)
10 x 10 – P70 (100) – P700 (1000)
11 x 10 – P80 (100) – P800 (1000)
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14 x 12 – P125 (100) – P1250 (1000)
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Call or text us @ 0917-5111009 or email @ agri_center@yahoo.com

‘Ideal’ ethanol feedstock may be commercialized in 5-10 years

An “ideal ethanol” feedstock from “cellulosic ethanol” is seen as a second generation, “way of the future” feedstock that can be commercialized by the Philippines in the next five to 10 years.

A memorandum of agreement (MoA) between the Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development (PCASTRD) and the the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (NIMBB) will be signed to carry out a P10 million, five-year program toward the commercial availability of cellulosic ethanol.

Cellulosic ethanol is believed to be an ideal biofuel feedstock as it uses waste materials that normally do not have economic value. It uses non-food part of crops, non-food crops like grasses, or industrial waste like wood chips, skin and pulp. This makes food security a non-issue compared to other feedstocks like corn, sugarcane, and cassava.

“It does not compete with food resources. Since cellulose cannot be digested by humans, its production does not compete with food. In comparison, sugar and starch-based ethanol are from a variety of food crops (and) require vast agricultural lands and input,” said Dr. Fidel Rey P. Nayve Jr., program leader of the “Fuel Ethanol Production from lignocellulosic Feedstocks.”

Authorities are trying to develop a local technology for this as cellulosic ethanol is already produced on a large-scale basis in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Raw materials for it are abundant and grow with hardly any production cost. Producing it does not leave any waste since plants – wood, straw – are made up mainly of cellulose, so that “the whole plant can be harvested.”

“The Philippines has plenty of agricutural residues such as rice straw, rice hulls, sugarcane bagasse, corn stover, and corn cobs as well as potential energy crops like cogon grass and talahib,” according to Nayve as reported by a report of Mervin John C. De Roma.

Aside from eliminating substantial waste, the process of producing ethanol from cellulosic materials helps reverse the adverse effects of climate change and may even earn carbon credits for its producers. A United States Department of Energy study indicated that cellulosic ethanol cuts off greenhouse gas emission by 85 percent “over reformulated gasoline,” according to De Roma.

Written by Melody Aguiba

Source: Manila Bulletin

The bamboo’s place in a modern house

“Pliant like the bamboo” is a phrase often used to describe the Filipino. This is because of the Filipino’s ability to bend without breaking, to withstand the storms of circumstances, and ultimately come out the winner. While we have found credence in these qualities of the bamboo and the Filipino, we have likewise been drawn to its beauty and grace and would always opt to plant bamboo when given the opportunity and space.

Our interest, however, in bamboo as more than a lovely tree started when we read some years ago of a powerful earthquake that struck Sichuan province in Central China. With almost 70,000 killed in the earthquake and 1.5 million homeless, the Chinese government was at a loss to provide temporary housing in a matter of days.

We read of designer Ming Tang who came up with the idea of folding houses that looked like origami and utilized bamboo. He used bamboo poles, assembled into rigid geometric shapes that could easily be transported and re-assembled at the final site. They were then covered with recycled paper.
The Chinese government approved a fast track where these pre-fabricated bamboo temporary shelters could be built.

The project demonstrated not only to the Chinese but to the rest of the construction industry the rare qualities of the bamboo – how its lightweight and elastic properties are adept in resisting earthquake aftershocks. Its success undoubtedly gave rise to a fast-growing temporary shelter industry using bamboo especially in earthquake prone countries like Japan and China.

But the permanent housing industry was another matter. Bamboo was material for décor, one that spruced up a bathroom and gave an exotic look to a living room. But it couldn’t be accepted yet as building material. At a conference on non-conventional materials and technologies held in held in Vietnam in 2002, discussions were held on the research on various ways that can make bamboo an accepted construction material in the USA.

Proponents of the studies are looking for the means to makes these bamboo houses meet the building code standards of the Western world. They are also working at coming up with the first internationally accepted grading system for bamboo.

With all these in our mind bank, you can just imagine our excitement at stumbling into what appeared to be an all-bamboo house on the main street of Liliw, Laguna almost adjacent to the church entrance. It stood out in all its glory beside commercial establishments and buildings. We were told the owner was out of town, would return late, but we could come over the following day if we wanted to catch her.

Lydia Cortez Lugada is a school nurse at the Laguna Polytechnic State University and she commutes daily between work and home. She told us her parents were farmers and she had always remembered the small house of bamboo in the fields. Because her father had an artistic bent, he decorated the bamboo house with other items mostly also of bamboo, nipa and other native material.

When Lydia acquired the property near a place where she was already living, she thought of duplicating the farm house, “ang bahay namin sa bukid,” as she calls it.

Without any architect, engineer, contractor, or interior designer, she went ahead and did some drawings. She called a few trusted carpenters and proceeded to build her bamboo house in the year 2000. It has a concrete foundation, and utilizes hardwood and other materials like sawali for walls and under roofing. But for Lydia and those who stop by to marvel at it, this home will always be the Bamboo House.

As construction proceeded, Lydia remembers seeking out those whose homes she had admired; artisans and craftsmen whose reputations in Laguna were well known. She sought out a window maker in Nagcarlan and recalls asking him to integrate protective metal bars that should be camouflaged by the bamboo. She also consulted with another craftsman from Calauan.

Even in the plants in her small garden in front of the house, she has no preferences, no biases. “Pa tanim tanim lang,” she tells us.

Lydia confesses that she is amazed at the number of people who stop to admire her house of bamboo. “Simple lang naman itong bahay,” she says.

She admits that a bamboo house would not be for everyone. One has to be vigilant against the termites, bukbok, and unos, which are the most rabid enemies of bamboo. One has to have regular maintenance and treatment against these insects.

Apart from nursing, Lydia has a bakery business right beside her house with a branch in Majayjay. A friend offers the information that she is also into building and selling of houses which she neither admits nor denies.

The researchers in Vietnam and in China who are into studying the possibilities of using bamboo as material for houses, now come to mind. We now have this urge to point out to this little house in Liliw to them. We are certain Lydia would be happy to share with them her experiences in building her own house with just a handful of carpenters.

Email the author at bibsycarballo@yahoo.com

Written by Bibsy Carballo

Source: Manila Bulletin

Plant your own vegetables at home

With the national government’s mission to address the country’s food security, the Rizal Technological University (RTU) in Mandaluyong City, through its president Dr. Jose Q. Macaballug, has taken the lead and initiative in the implementation of a project dubbed, Urban Agriculture. This is presently being undertaken at selected barangays in the Mandaluyong City area.

Prof. Arlene Banaria-Alon, director of the University’s Research and Development Center. its project leader, Prof. Alexander Quilang, co-project leader Prof. Norberto Bautista and Prof. Jovita Anit are currently working with the city’s League of Barangays in incorporate this project into each of the chosen barangays.

Spearheaded by Atty. Jessie Cruz, it aims to promote vegetable gardening among city dwellers and eventually teach them to grow home-grown vegetables that are pesticide-free and readily available. In the future, the concept of urban farming can be adopted by other municipalities and cities in Metro Manila.

Urban Agriculture is not a new concept. It is the practice of cultivating, processing, packaging and distributing food in or around a village, town or city. It involves the principles in horticulture, animal science, fisheries, and business. Instead of raising vegetables in the province, it focuses production right in the home, usually in all available spaces like roof top gardens, backyards, vacant residential lots, in school lots or in community parks. Urban farming usually focuses on food production.

Urban farming has been successful in countries like the United States, where vegetables are raised in vacant lots to provide readily available crops in the area. The vegetables are usually cheap as the don’t need to be shipped or transported from distant locations.

With these, some of the activities to be involved in the project will include the planting and raising of small quantities of vegetable crops and small fruit trees, the cultivation of freshwater fish in container, the raising of  poultry and small livestock , the planting of houseplants for indoor use, the vermi-composting (earthworm) of garden wastes and the gradual introduction of organic gardening concepts.

Urban Agriculture aims to encourage the use of the bio-intensive method of food production which will help make urban farming more efficient.

RTU and the local government of Mandaluyong intend to make use of vacant lots, residential spaces, balconies and roof-tops for vegetable growing, urban greening, and landscape beautification. With these, it aims to create an alternative means of livelihood to city-residents, especially women and out-of-school youths. This will also instill an entrepreneurship attitude among residents. It also pushes for the composting of organic wastes, recycling of plastic, styro-foam, glass and metal wastes.

Vegetables and plant crops that can be planted for urban agriculture include Tomato, Bell Pepper, Hot Pepper, Pechay, Mustard, Upland KangKong, Spinach, Squash, Upo, Patola, Ampalaya, Eggplant, Onion, Shallots, Kinchay, Celery, Okra, Sitaw, Batao, Sweet Potato, Leeks, Basil, Alugbati, Raddish, Carrots, Saluyot, Wingbean, Lettuce, Ube, Papaya, Banana, Corn, Malunggay, Pandan, Katuray, Ginger and Gabi.

Fruits tress can be planted in areas with larger planting areas . This may include include Mango, Kamias, Sampaloc, Jackfruit, Star Apple, Balimbing, Guava, Rambutan, Chico, Makopa, and Guyabano.

There is a demonstration farm beside the Rizal Technological University’s campus where different vegetables are being pilot tested. Designs in vertical farming techniques using PVC Pipes and also in large polypropylene seedling bags are being tested.

Ideal sites or space must have enough open space. This will allow the plants to receive ample morning and afternoon sun. With a more spacious planting site, plants are protected from pedestrians and roaming animals.

Once the site is selected, the people who reside in the area will be trained in urban farming. Soil in the area will be cultivated using a spade and rake.

The project also entails the removal of large rocks, plastic litter and trash found in the selected planting sites. This will be followed by the leveling  of the ground. Soil amelioration will be done using garden soil, compost or coconut coir. Once the site is ready, garden plots will be prepared and the vegetables will be planted.

Proper seed sowing techniques, transplanting, fertilization, pest and disease control and maintenance of vegetable crops will be taught and the residents will be closely supervised.

This project allows small spaces to be utilized for growing small quantities of food crops for family consumption. It also offerrs a small incentive for low income earners who don’t have enough funds to put food on the table.

Some vegetables like petchay, mustasa and kangkong grow very fast and are common ingredients in almost all Filipino dishes. Instead of buying these common vegetables in the market, one can easily harvest them right in his own backyard, where the vegetables he grows areguaranteed to be safe, healthy and pesticide-free.

So, why not grow some of your own vegetables? It’s a worthwhile and interesting challenge, especially for those who have the space and the time to do it.

Written by Justin Merelos

Source: Manila Bulletin

The ‘independent’ plant

This is the perfect plant for those who enjoy gardening but are too busy for it. The Tillandsia plant can almost take care of itself.  It grows on tree branches, subsists on available moisture, and is fertilized by bird droppings.  An added bonus is the flowers that grow from this plant tend to be beautiful and colorful. One species, the Tillandsia ionantha, comes in various shapes and sizes.

Tillandsia ionantha comes from the Greek word “ion,” which means violet. “Antha” comes from the Latin word “antheros,” meaning flower. The plants are often sold abroad as the “blushing bride air plant,” which refers to the plant turning bright red when it flowers.  It is also popularly called the Sky Plant, Air Plant, and Red Wreath.  The plant belongs to the Bromeliad family, similar to that of the pineapple.

The plant is endemic to the Philippines and is native to the southeast of the USA, Mexico and Nicaragua. There, they grow as epiphytes on deciduous trees and rocks at elevations ranging from 600 to 1,650 meters. They have miniature rosettes of grayish green leaves reaching two inches in height. It is an attractive plant that is great for growing on bark slabs. It blooms all year round, especially when exposed to cool temperatures.

The flowers of this plant are very colorful. Colors include intense yellow, white, purple, and red. Said colors often provide a striking contrast with the color of the surrounding leaves.

It also has flaring, tubular and sometimes fragrant inflorescences which last three to four days.

Cultural requirements

The leaves of the Tillandsia ionantha possess tiny grayish-colored scales called trichomes. These trichomes store water until it can be absorbed to reflect intense sunlight from the leaf surface. This prevents excessive water loss through transpiration. The plants use the CAM photosynthetic pathway. The stomata open only at night when it is cool enough to get carbon dioxide. It closes at day when the temperature is higher.  With this, it aids in the plants’ water conservation strategy and prevents it from drying in the wild.

The plant needs bright indirect light and intermediate to warm temperatures. In the greenhouse, the plants can be mounted on small tree slabs or dead woods made from Madre de cacao trees. The plant itself can be attached to the small driftwood using a plastic coated wire or nylon wire or can be glued to the wood using a glue stick. The plants are then misted on a daily basis and fertilized once every week with a balanced fertilizer diluted at about half or one-fourth strength of the recommended rate.

Propagation. Conventionally, the Tillandsia ionantha is easily propagated through the removal of the offshoots which arise from the base of the sides. This happens when the plants are decapitated. The plant can also be propagated by seeds. Seeds are borne in capsules, which split open when mature.  The seeds have a tuft of hairs, which makes them susceptible to dispersion by the wind. This also happens to cogon grass seeds. The hair also enables the seed to hold fast to the tree branches it lands on.

Written by Justine Merelos

Source: Manila Bulletin