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Production Guide on Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thumberg) Matsum and Nakai)

INTRODUCTION

Watermelon is mow widespread in all tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Mostly grown for fresh consumption of the juicy and sweet flesh of mature fruits. Locally known in the country as pakwan it is one of the most popularly grown fruit vegetable in the country today during summer

Its is planted 5000 hectare, the bulk of which is planted during the regular season (October to January) however there are few commercial off-season grower in Marinduque, Sorsogon and Pampanga.

VARIETIES

ADAPTATION

Climate – watermelon grows best when the monthly average temperature is about 21oC to 29oC. Planting is on the month of October to January. And for off- season is early August.

Soil – A well drained, fairly fertile and sandy loam soil is ideal for watermelon production, however with proper it can be successfully grown in clay soil.

CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT

Land preparation – Field should be prepared thoroughly by plowing and harrowing and removing the different plant debris. It should also be pulverized and leveled, furrows are made 2 meters apart.

Sowing – Pre-germinate the seeds before sowing; soaking it in water for overnight period. Drill 2-3 seeds per hill at a distance of 1.5x 2,0 meter apart. Ten to fifteen days after emergence thin to one plant per hill, a hectare of land will need 3-4 kilograms of seeds.

Fertilization – soil analysis is recommended but in general for organic fertilizer a hectare should need about 10-15 tons. Side dress with 10-20 grams per hill of 14-14-14 two weeks until onset of female flower. At fruit setting apply 10 grams of urea (46-0-0) and muriate of potash (0-0-60) at 1:1 ratio 2-3 times every two weeks.

Irrigation – Field should be irrigate whenever necessary by either using furrow irrigation or by manual watering. Frequent high irrigation 10-15 times is recommended at planting time, vegetative, flowering and fruiting development stage. Do not allow the fruits to get wet while irrigating. Two weeks prior to maturity irrigation should be stop.

Weeding and Cultivation – Shallow cultivation by off baring, 15 days after planting followed by hilling up at 30 days after planting and hand weeding thereafter until the crop have attained sufficient size to cover the soil which in turn will suppress the growth of weeds.

Training of vines – Re arrange or train the vines along the rows 25 days after planting to facilitate watering and weeding but main vines should not be touch anymore

Fruit thinning – removal of misshapen fruits, thining of two fruits per vines of varieties which produced large size fruits and 4-6 in the case of small fruited varieties are suggested and done when the largest fruit is 10 cm long and 10 cm in diameter.

PEST AND DISEASE

Insect

Thrips, aphids, cucurbit beetle, melon fruit fly, spider mites, cutworm. Spray insecticide at manufacturer recommendation.

Disease

Downy mildew, powdery mildew, mosaic, anthracnose, use appropriate chemicals in controlling these diseases by following the manufacturer recommendation.

HARVESTING

Watermelon fruits do not ripen further after pickling, hence the fruits should be mature enough when harvested. It takes a watermelon to mature from 35 to 45 days after pollination.

Harvest indexes could be used:

-Tapping a dull or hallow sound is an indication to maturity

-Color – fruit part resting in the ground becomes a distinct yellow patch as in sugar baby

-Tendril right behind each fruit dried down up to the base.

Cost and Return Analysis Per Hectare.

Marketable yield of 10 to 15 tons hectare at P15 per kilograms

REFERENCES:

Water Melon Production Guide, Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forest and Natural Resources. Department of Science and Technology. Information Bulletin No.156/2000

Estimated Cost and Return of Production of Fresh Vegetable for 2001. Bureau of Plant Industry. Crop Production Division.

Paje M.M and Vossen van der H.A.M. PROSEA Vegetables. Plant Resources of South-East Asia. Siemonsma J.S. and Kasem Piluek (Editors   Bogor Indonesia.1994.pp 144-148

Filipino-Hawaiian investors put up first macadamia-tree plantation in Ilocos Norte

BADOC, Ilocos Norte—About 400 saplings of Hawaiian macadamia trees found a new habitat on a sprawling idle land in sitio Paratong, Saud, Badoc, Ilocos Norte, with the launching of the first macadamia demonstration farm in the country.

Attended by Filipino-Hawaiian investors, together with Mayor Mufi Hannemann of the city and county of Honolulu, Hawaii, and party on November 9, the first macadamia tree plantation in the country will serve as a demonstration farm for the production of macadamia nuts, a high-valued commercial crop in the United States and some parts of Europe.

Valued at P2,000 per seedling, the Filipino-Hawaiian investors, led by Mito Ablan, brought some seeds three years ago and started propagating macadamia in a nursery farm in Tarlac. About 200,000 macadamia seedlings are ready for planting.

Study shows that macadamia can be grown in the Ilocos region, which has a tropical climate like Hawaii.

Like mango trees that abundantly thrive in the Ilocos region, Ablan said macadamia could be harvested from six to eight years depending on the variety.

Ablan, who is also the president of the Ilocos Norte Association of Hawaii, has encouraged fellow Filipinos in Hawaii who have idle land in Ilocos to develop their vacant lots and invest in macadamia farming.

In Hawaii, he said about 19,000 acres is planted to macadamia, and it is bringing almost $700 million in income.

Macadamia nuts grown in Brazil, Australia and Hawaii consist of only 2 percent of the world consumption, Ablan added.

According to Badoc Mayor Thomas Torralba, they have identified more than 3 hectares of private lots which they initially developed as a demonstration farm. Ablan said the first Philippine macadamia demo farm in his town has been established in cooperation with Mac Nut (Phils.) Inc. and the government of Ilocos Norte under the administration of Gov. Michael Keon.

To sustain the project, Torralba said the local government of Badoc would be coordinating with technical experts from the Mariano Marcos State University and the Department of Agriculture for the proper care and maintenance of the project.

Unlike other fruit-bearing trees in Ilocos, Ablan said macadamia nuts could be harvested from June to December as it assures an all-year-round supply of quality nuts. The seeds are not perishable because it is hard.

In an earlier interview, Governor Keon said the provincial government is looking forward to the success of the macadamia plantation in Ilocos province, as he encouraged other municipalities to do the same.

He said farmers would ultimately benefit from the project by giving them other alternative source of income with its global demand.

In his speech, Mayor Hannemann told local officials and Ilocanos here that his government hopes to establish stronger ties and better cooperation with Ilocos provinces geared toward the promotion of cultural exchanges and to solidify economic ties.

Most of the Filipinos in Hawaii are Ilocanos who trace their roots in Ilocos Norte and other neighboring provinces in northern Philippines.

Written by Leilani Adriano

Source: Business Mirror

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Philippines: Avocado cultivation gaining ground in South Cotabato

Commercial avocado cultivation has gained ground in South Cotabato, with 80 hectares already planted to an early maturing variety bound for export, local Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) officials said on Tuesday.

Aurelio A. Banggayong, Jr., BAS South Cotabato chief, said that Standard Philippines Fruit Corp. (Stanfilco), a subsidiary of Dole Philippines, Inc. (Dolefil), embarked on a contract growing program with upland farmers in Polomolok and Tupi towns for avocado propagation.

“Upland farmers have started planting the avocados. The initial target is 300 hectares with room for expansion,” he said.

The variety of avocado (Persia Americana) pushed by Stanfilco can bear fruit three years after planting, Mr. Banggayong said.

A source from Dolefil, a multinational company based in Polomolok town, confirmed the venture but did not provide additional details. Mr. Banggayong said that Stanfilco, whose major business is Cavendish banana growing, will buy and market the avocados in Japan.

Source: bworldonline.com

Pointers on growing rambutan

Rambutan is one good crop to grow for a number of good reasons, whether in the backyard or in a plantation. For one, rambutan will most likely bear fruit every year without much intervention once it has attained fruiting age. Of course, the trees have to be adequately fertilized and other simple requirements are also provided.

Rambutan can be grown in most places in the Philippines, including in the Ilocos where there is a distinct wet and dry season. One retired judge in Ilocos Sur has been harvesting a lot of fruits every year from his four-hectare rambutan plantation.

Here are some important pointers on growing this exotic fruit tree. One is to plant the right variety. There are many varieties of rambutan but not all of them are recommended. Among those which produce good quality fruits are R-5, Super Red, Rongrein, Jetli, R-162 and some others. Maharlika is an old variety but is not as good as the newer ones and has a lower price in the market.

The planting distance is also important. On farms with rich soil, the distance of planting should be at least 10 meters apart. If the soil is poor, the distance between trees could be 8 meters apart.

How do you take care of the juvenile plants? Planting is best done at the start of the rainy season. However, planting could be done anytime of the year for as long as the trees are provided with adequate moisture during the dry months. Grafted seedlings that are two to three feet tall are usually used for planting.

Monitor the growth of young trees. If the weather is too hot, provide some shade (like coconut fronds) so the plant will not get scorched. Apply organic fertilizer, about a kilo per tree every two months. Also, apply chemical fertilizer every two months at the rate of 150 grams per tree or thereabouts. You can alternate applying urea and complete fertilizer. Watch for insect damage. Insects might feed on the new leaves. Aphids and other pests could be easily controlled by spraying with common insecticides.

It is best to have fruiting trees that are low-growing (about five meters tall) with spreading branches. This can be achieved by cutting the lead trunk and developing the lateral branches. This is best done when the trees are properly distanced. In pruning, cut the weak branches.

Fertilize the trees with both organic and chemical fertilizers. The organic fertilizer may be the processed kind or composted chicken manure, or some other manures. At the beginning of the rainy season, spread a sackful of manure under the canopy of the trees. Repeat this six months later. The chemical fertilizer may be applied every three months, the amount depending on the size of the trees. Two kilos may be applied per tree each time. Organic foliar fertilizer (balanced, complete formulation) may be sprayed on the leaves every month.

During the dry months, make sure that the trees don’t suffer from drought. During the rainy season, on the other hand, make sure that the plantation is properly drained.

Source; Manila Bulletin

Paterio “Pat” O. de Guzman: Veteran Mango Grower Uses Home-Grown Technologies

At first glance, Mr. Paterio or “Pat” O. de Guzman hardly fits the farmer stereotype. With his meztizo features and charming demeanor, he can pass for a veteran actor straight from the movies. But Mr. De Guzman is more a veteran in growing mangoes.

He and his wife Marcelina own an 18 ha mango farm in Brgy. Julo, San Antonio, Nueva Ecija.They have been in the mango business since 1969, after trying their luck in poultry. Marcelina handles the marketing aspects, while he manages the activities in the farm. They first planted 100 trees with 20 x 20 m planting distance, and have continued to plant every year. Now they have 1,700 ‘Carabao’ trees, of which 800 are bearing and 900 non-bearing. Bearing trees are approximately 20-30 years old while non-bearing trees are about 3-6 years old. Over the last five years, they have been able to produce an average of 40 tons per season.

Mr. De Guzman used to grow crops in between the trees, like watermelon, corn, tomatoes, nuts, and monggo, but since the trees have grown big, he stopped growing intercrops and concentrated on his mangoes. Aside from mangoes though, the business-minded couple also tends sheep and makes homemade ice cream.

He learned about mangoes not from school but from attending seminars, reading books and other information materials, and from experiences shared by fellow mango growers. As he hires Cebuano baggers to wrap his fruits yearly, he has also picked up some indigenous technologies from them, such as the “ug-og method”, and using a “damba” for chemical spraying.

In the “ug-og” method, trees are shook gently so that leafhopper and their excreta would fall off the tree and not cause sooty mold, a fungal disease. They also use the “ug-og” method to selectively thin out rotten flowers and small, inferior fruits.

The “damba” is a tripod made of two 14 ft bamboo stems and a 20 ft stem placed underneath the bamboo canopy. This is a common practice in Cebu where instead of spraying insecticide from the bottom of the tree, the sprayer can use the “damba” and climb to the top of the canopy and spray from there. Thus, he will not be soaked in chemicals.

One of the tips that he adopted from peers is leaving three superior flowers out of five or more in a panicle. This way, the tree’s nutrients will be shared by less flowers and have greater chances of becoming mangoes of large and even extra large sizes, which are ideal for export.

He encourages others to try bagging, also a Cebu-rooted practice, because eversince he started bagging, sales have gone up. Even export rejects are sold at a high price in the local market.

Aside from bagging, he also does pruning. Mr. De Guzman believes a healthy mango tree only has a few branches and sunlight can pass through.

When asked about his expertise in mango production, he politely refuses to call himself an expert. As he said, he may be a little ahead than his colleagues, but that is due to long years of toil and experience. He is also not selfish when giving out mango-growing tips to other growers, as long as he can help them. (February 13, 2002)

Source: PCARRD

Growing the world’s most expensive coffee

THE promotional cost of a cup of civet coffee in some Asian trade conventions was US$5.

In London, a cup of the same brew cost US$99. That makes this coffee brew the most expensive in the world today.

Certainly, that is more than an encouragement to enterprising Asian coffee farmers where civet cats are found to cash in on this latest fad.

The emerging interest on civet coffee will demand sufficient supply and ultimately challenges producers to sustain a promising and highly profitable industry.

In the Philippines, a few brewers have already come out with their own civet coffee product brands. The main problem is that civet cats are wild animals and they are endemic. In areas where they are found, the civets are hunted and eaten as a delicacy.

Even if they are not considered food in some places, civet cats are becoming extinct as their forest habitats are continually cleared.

Certainly that raises questions on long-term supply sustainability, wild life concerns and marketing ethics.

Ollopa Anun, a pioneering and promising Igorot civet coffee producer, said that civet cats can yet transform the Arabica coffee farming in the Cordillera as a profitable livelihood for farmers.

The current recommended technology for Arabica coffee requires the planting of 1,000 trees per hectare. That does not give farmers reasonable profit claimed some farmers and experts.

Arabica plantations have yet to emerge in the region. The crop is still grown at the range of three to ten plants as a backyard crop.

Anun got me committed not to reveal his name for the time being until after the launching of his coffee house in Baguio City this November. He said he grows Arabica coffee in a one-hectare farm in Tuba, Benguet.

He intends to make good profit on his farm through the production and marketing of civet coffee and value adding.

He resolved this by growing civet cats, Arabica coffee, herbs and stevia all in his one-hectare farm. He processes civet cat droppings of coffee beans mixed with herbs and sweetened with stevia plants which is 10-15 times sweeter than raw sugar.

His coffee blend makes a premium instant coffee brew that is at par with any civet coffee, if not the best, in the international market today.

The product comes with the brand name “Hagiyo Blend.” It is all natural and organic, Anun says. The first of its kind, the blend’s ingredients are packed in a bag like that of commercial instant tea. This aromatic and healthy product is registered with the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD).

The current challenge for Anun these days is marketing his product. For local buyers, he sells a sachet of civet coffee at a cost of P50 or P1,500 per box of 10 saches.

Anun wants to sell it in the international market at US$50 per sachet. The cost covers production, postharvest and other expenses which include the care and food of his civet cats such as banana, alumit fruits, among others.

Anun sees the integration of civet cats in his Arabica coffee plantation as another way of conserving these endemic wild animals. The cats roam freely in his fenced coffee plantation, he said.

Indirectly, the venture should provide an alternative refuge to civet cats from people who value them only as fooddelicacies or those who plunder the cats’ wildlife habitats. The wild animals are still found and hunted from all over the Cordillera’s remaining forests.

The potential economic and environmental benefits of civet coffee farming or the establishment of a civet coffee industry in the Cordillera are reasonable arguments on their own. I am desperately hedged in a corner. I whisper, maybe it is a good industry. Let us wait and see. At this point, that is loud enough for me.

Written By Robert L. Domoguen

Source: Sun Star

Philippines: Dried pineapple a healthy snack

Satisfying the common snack attack doesn’t have to be a guilty affair, especially when it comes to pineapple. Sunsweet Growers’ new Philippine Pineapple dried fruit snacks pack a punch of sweetness without any of the emotional aftermath of, say, a candy bar. Planted at a higher, cooler elevation, this juicy Philippine variety maintains some of its moisture even in a dried state.

Sunsweet Philippine Pineapple can be found at major supermarkets for $3.99 for a 6-ounce bag.

The dried pineapple from Kopali Organics is another good choice, juicy without added sugar. It’s one of 10 snacks from the company, which also makes very good chocolate-covered bananas using fair-trade chocolate. That fits with the company’s mission to support sustainable farmers and their communities.

Kopali Organics are available at Bay Area Whole Foods and San Francisco’s Rainbow Grocery for $3.99 per 1.8-2 ounce package.

Source: www.sfgate.com

Processed dragon fruit products launched

In celebration of the Cavite State University’s (CvSU) 2nd Research, Extension, Continuing Education and Training Services Week, four dragon fruit processed products were launched. These products were jam, jelly, juice and puree.

The products were developed through the project “Pilot testing of dragon fruit jam, jelly, puree, and juice” by CvSU’s research team led by this writer. Other members of the team include Dr. Edna DA. Vida and Prof. Fe N. Dimero as project staff; Dr. Nelia C. Cresino, Dr. Ma. Agnes P. Nuestro, Ms. Carmen Batiles, and Ms. Ma. Fatima C. Ilagan as support staff.

The project was made possible through a grant from the Department of Science and Technology-Technology Innovation for Commercialization and the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development.

The dragon fruit juice has two variants, the “clear” juice drink and the “pulpy,” which is rich in fiber. Both flavors, however, are enhanced with calamansi. After the launch, the products will undergo marketability assessment.

The dragon fruit products have the following label specifications:

1. Trade Mark – The trade mark is the CvSU Laya at Diwa Statue mounted in a round golden plate with Cavite State University printed on top. On both sides is a dragon fruit chain indicating that the product is one of the dragon fruit product lines. At the bottom is the year 1906 enclosed in a ribbon indicating the year CvSU was established.
2. Brand Name – The brand name is “Severino’s” named after Don Severino De las Alas.
3. Product Name – The product names are: dragon fruit jam, dragon fruit jelly, dragon fruit juice, and dragon fruit puree.
4. Other features:

* Name of Manufacturer:  The manufacturer is the Cavite State University assisted by the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development (PCIERD) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
* Net content:  280 ml (jam and jelly), 320 ml (juice and puree)
* Ingredients:  Indicates the ingredients used such as dragon fruit, pectin, sugar, citric acid, and artificial food color
* Nutrition Facts:  Indicates the nutritional information of the product as analyzed by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute
* Packaging:  The jam and jelly is packed in a round clear glass with metal caps, while the juice and puree is packed in an elegant bottle with gold cap (juice and puree) and white cap (jam and jelly).

Incidentally, CvSU is the base agency of the Southern Tagalog Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium or STARRDEC. STARRDEC is one of the 14 regional research and development consortia of PCARRD.

Written by Teddy F. Tepora, STARRDEC-RACC

Benguet can earn P1 billion from coffee

“EACH province might only have to do 100 or 80 hectares, each town might only have to do 10 or 20 hectares, it is small if we look at it but if we put them all together there is one billion sitting in Benguet and it does not come from the mines, it comes from coffee.”

This was according to Pacita Juan, co-chairperson of the Philippine Coffee Board Inc. during the coffee tree planting last July at the BSU Nature Park in Bektey, Puguis to launch the Pilipinas Gising at Magkape (PGAM) program in the Cordillera.

“It will be sustainable, it will be good for the environment, and it will be good for the generations to come,” she added.

The PGAM is a project to rehabilitate and rejuvenate all coffee plantations in the Philippines. The program includes a seven-year plan towards self-sufficiency in coffee by 2015. A major part of the plan is communicating the viability of coffee production to farmers and investors.

As a main partner to the program, BSU dubbed as the center for Arabica coffee R&D in the Philippines will provide technical support and initial coffee seedlings to the project. The technical support will be through the identification of areas with coffee production in the province, identification of beneficiaries for the rehabilitation and rejuvenation of coffee farms and the conduct of social preparation in the identified program areas among others.

According to the program focal person and BSU-IFHSA director, Prof. Val Macanes, the initial target areas for the coffee rehabilitation program are Kibungan, Kapangan, Tublay, Atok, Kabayan and Bokod.

Written By Jennyline S. Tabangcura

Source: Sun Star