Agriculture.ph Blog

Cutting trees is not bad?

Cutting trees is not really a bad thing. That’s what our friend Dave Deppner, the founder of Trees for the Future, says. Trees, he said, are an important resource for everyone on earth. What is bad is when people cut trees but do not replant them. Trees are cut for many reasons. Valuable wood is needed in construction, furniture making and so many other uses. Wood, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization is the major source of cooking fuel for over half of the world.

For more than 25 years, Trees for the Future, a non-government organization, has been planting trees in more than 50 countries and has been responsible for establishing no less than 90 million trees. What the NGO has been planting are a wide range of multi-purpose fast-growing trees. These include species for timber, fuel wood, forage, erosion control, etc.

What they don’t plant are eucalyptus and pine trees which don’t make for sustainable land management for the long term. Eucalyptus trees are fast growing in a wide range of elevations, soils and climatic conditions. While they produce fuelwood and timber for many uses, eucalyptus do not lend themselves to sustainable land management systems.

Dave cites many communities in Central America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia which are suffering from the long-term damage caused by invasive eucalyptus plantings. The roots are so widespreading, they absorb most of the moisture at the expense of other vegetation. Eucalyptus trees inhibit the growth of other vegetation, exposing soils to erosion, and causing lakes and ground water to disappear with their aggressive roots.

Pine trees, on the other hand, do have some benefits, but like eucalyptus trees, they do not lend themselves to sustainable land management. Pine trees can leave soils in much worse condition than when they were first planted. The blanket of pine needles make the soil acidic and they are a great fuel for forest fires.

Deppner says that in their program at Trees for the Future, they encourage communities to plant multipurpose fast growing trees that not only produce useful products within a short time but also encourage the growth of field crops, vegetables, and other vegetation around them.

Written by Zac Sarian

Source: Manila Bulletin

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

Why Dagupan’s Bonuan ‘bangus’ tastes better

DAGUPAN CITY—In the fish consignacion (wholesale) market of Dagupan that operates 24/7, fish dealers sort out to look for the Bonuan bangus which they intend to ship to other provinces other than the milkfish produced in other areas of Pangasinan.

It seems the Bonuan bangus is a preferred stock of milkfish which vendors can cash on once these are shipped via refrigerated vans to the markets of Metro Manila.

A few hours later, the Bonuan bangus would sell like hot cakes in Q-Mart in Quezon City, the Quinta Market in Manila and other markets though priced higher than other milkfish sourced out from other fish producing areas of the country.

Nothing can compare with Bonuan bangus. Even the milkfish produced in Western Pangasinan, like Bolinao, Bani, Alaminos and Anda or Binmaley, and even those from Bulacan, Pampanga and Bataan can’t stand in comparison with the bangus produced in Dagupan’s brackish water.

That is why in so many times, vendors try, but fail to fool their customers by placing tags of Dagupan bangus in their selling tables although in truth, their milkfish comes from other milkfish producing areas of the country.

One trick they usually do is to make it appear as if the fish they are selling came from Bonuan in Dagupan City is by cutting the lower tail of bangus.

This is because of the little known fact that the real Bonuan bangus has a lower tail shorter than the upper tail, which really makes it very unique as compared with the milkfish produced in other areas.

But, according to director Westly Rosario, chief of the National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center (NIFTDC) in Dagupan and one of the top technical experts on bangus, this is not the only distinguishing mark of the Bonuan bangus. The other is that it has a short head, a protruding stomach which is its most delicious part when cooked in any way, and a short mouth.

How come the Bonuan bangus acquired these distinct physical characteristics not present in other milkfish produced for instance in Western Pangasinan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan and even at Laguna de Bay?

This question was posed to Rosario, also executive director of the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) who is among those behind the establishment of the National Bangus Center as chief of the NIFTDC.

Rosario admitted he was involved in a study during his early years in the BFAR that looked into why Dagupan bangus tastes better than the other milkfish grown in other areas.

The BFAR team, he said, not only looked into the kind of soil that is present in Dagupan, but also the water that serves as the life blood of fishponds culturing bangus in commercial scale.

Rosario said that though Dagupan and the towns of Binmaley and Lingayen share the same river system called simply as the Dagupan River, they produce bangus with varying tastes and qualities.

Based on the study, the sweet taste of the Dagupan bangus may have been partly influenced by the clayish soil condition in Bonuan fishponds and rivers.

Aside from that, the soil, said Rosario, was found to be low on phosphorous, but high in calcium, the element contributing to the growth of bones of the bangus being raised in captivity.

As to the water, the type existing in Dagupan is brackish, which is a mixture of fresh water from the upland draining into the Dagupan River and salty water from the Lingayen Gulf. This makes the water in Dagupan truly unique, aside from the fact that there are seven rivers criss-crossing the city whose water ends up in the Lingayen Gulf.

Restituto Basa, one of the most respected historians of Pangasinan, wrote in his column “From the Salt Bed” syndicated in many of the newspapers in Pangasinan, that the mixture of fresh water and salt water to form into brackish water is really the secret why Bonuan bangus tastes better.

The fresh water comes from the upland of Mount Ampucao in Tuba, Benguet that drains into the Tagamusing River in Binalonan, onto Santa Barbara through the Sinocalan River, the Marusay River in Calasiao and then to Dagupan’s Pantal River down to the Lingayen Gulf.

Other water bodies and estuaries from the south are draining into Dagupan, the catch basin of many rivers in Pangasinan.

As to the physical aspect of Bonuan bangus, its short head and a lower tail shorter than the upper tail, was influenced by the unique feeding method being applied by local fish farmers they inherited from their ancestors.

Rosario said local fish farmers used to feed their fish with the naturally-grown lablab, an aquatic plant produced through fertilization with the aid of the burning sun.

The process is done once the fishpond is emptied with water after one production cycle and dried for a few days.

Rosario said because of this unique feeding method, Bonuan bangus won’t eat the food in the surface of the water vertically, unlike other fish, but rather horizontally. And in the process, its lower tail is thrusted into the lablab in the bottom of the fishpond, thus explained why its lower tail is shorter than the upper tail.

Its round head, according to Rosario is influenced by constant diving into the floor of the fishpond to eat lablab undergrowth, the natural method of feeding bangus. PNA

Source: Business Mirror

Bright prospects for soybeans

FIGURING out what’s the best meat alternative on earth? Look no further, it is soybean (scientific name: Glycine max). Experts consider soybean as one of the best sources of complete protein.

A complete protein is one that contains significant amounts of all the essential amino acids that must be provided to the human body because of the body’s inability to synthesize them.

On account of its extraordinary qualities, soybean is known as “the meat that grows on crops.” In the United States, soybean is one of the most important sources of vegetable oil. Its seeds contain 44 percent of the best quality protein. Weight for weight, its protein content is approximately twice that of meat and 12 times that of milk.

“Soybean can supplement or replace our daily protein requirements which we usually derive from animal and marine sources,” wrote Dr. Crisanto Escano in a report submitted to the Laguna-based Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources Research and Development (Pcarrd) some years back.

The origins of the soybean plant are obscure, but many botanists believe it came from China. The soybean has been used in the said country for 5,000 years as a food and a component of drugs.

According to the ancient Chinese, in 2853 BC the legendary Emperor Shennong proclaimed that five plants were sacred: soybean, rice, wheat, barley, and millet.

Cultivation of soybeans was long confined chiefly to China, but gradually spread to other countries. From about the first century AD to the Age of Discovery (15-16th century), soybeans were introduced into several countries in Asia, including the Philippines.

Today, Filipinos have long adopted soybeans in their diet with soy sauce, soy cheese (tokwa), soy paste (miso), soy curds (tahuri), salted beans (taosi), and soy cheese with syrup (taho). Recent products include soy flour, soymilk, and soybean lecithin.

Soybean has big prospects in agriculture, particularly in the livestock industry. Soybean meal accounts for a significant part of commercial feed formulation. Owing to a strong demand for meat products, the need for soybean meal as feed ingredient is likely to expand even more. In fact, some feed millers are willing to buy whatever volume farmers could produce.

Unfortunately, much of the soybean meal required for commercial mixed animal feed is not supplied locally. Soybean meal demand for this purpose is largely met through imports. Once importation is lessened, commercial feed production is likely to experience bad times.

Other bright prospects for the soybean market lie in the growing popularity of soy-based food products. Taho, for instance, is fast becoming a favorite snack among both urban and rural folks. Protein-fortified cereal made from soybean, combination soy and cow’s milk, and pure soymilk for infants allergic to cow’s milk, are slowly carving a niche in the local market.

“In this light, it is not farfetched to predict that soymilk may someday be used to replace expensive whole cow’s milk in dairy products like ice cream, as is now being done with tokwa in meat dishes,” Dr. Escano pointed out in his Pcarrd report.

Indeed, soybean production has a wide potential in the Philippines. According to the Davao-based Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC) Foundation, Inc., soybeans can be grown in any part of the country, except in areas with heavy rainfall.

“Farmers can plant soybeans in nearly all types of soil, but best results are obtained from mellow, fertile, sandy or clay loam soil,” said Roy C. Alimoane, the MBRLC director. “The crop doesn’t germinate well in soil that is too dry or too wet.”

Dr. Escano said soybean can be profitably grown in lowland rice-based cropping system (LRBCS) or in upland crop-based cropping scheme (UCBCS).
In LRBCS, soybean can be planted in a well-drained lowland rice field where water supply is inadequate for a second rice crop. It can also be relay-planted (the planting of second crop with the first before the latter is harvested) to make use of time in the cropping season and to maximize water use.

Soybeans are grown starting November to early December, after one rice cropping. While for two rice cropping systems (two rice crops followed by soybeans), the legumes are planted from February to May.

In UCBCS, soybean is a good rotation/alternative crop or intercrop in areas where upland rice or corn is the main crop. It may be intercropped with sugarcane, sorghum, coconut, citrus or other row crops that are not yet fully grown.

In upland cropping system, soybean is planted during the wet season (July to October). It can also be planted from November to January after upland rice.

Soybeans are ready for harvest 120 to 150 days after planting, depending upon the variety planted and the season when they are grown. For general purposes, the crop can be harvested when about 90 percent are mature. In harvesting, the plants may be pulled and tied into small bundles. These bundles may be set into stacks and threshed as soon as they are dry.

There are many several other uses of soybeans. In China, Japan, and Korea, soybean and products made from the bean are a popular part of the diet. The Chinese invented tofu and also made use of several varieties of soybean paste as seasonings.

Immature soybeans may be boiled whole in their green pod and served with salt, under the Japanese name edamame. Because of the proclaimed health benefits of soy, edamame has been featured as an ideal snack alternative in fitness and healthy living magazines.

Soybeans are also used in industrial products including oils, soap, cosmetics, resins, plastics, inks, crayons, solvents, and clothing.

Written By Henrylito D. Tacio

Source: Sun Star

Fruits: Mother Nature’s own cure

FRUIT is food, drink, and medicine, neatly packed by nature in attractive, handy and easy-to-open containers. It has sustained man in good health since he first had wit enough to reach out and accept the precious gift.

Some fruits have been grown on this planet long before recorded history. Others have evolved and improved over the centuries, to such a degree that past generations would never recognize them in their present form, while few fruits are of fairly recent origin.

The medical properties of fruits have been the subject of interest among noted herbalists and physicians of old, who have recommended them for their dietary and remedial virtues with a certainty based on custom, observation and limited scientific knowledge.

What is known is that fruits are very rich storehouses of vitamins, minerals, organic acids and natural sugars, all vital to man’s being. They provide energy and stimulate the appetite while aiding the digestion of, and supplementing, other foods in one of the most pleasant ways imaginable. At the same time, they purify the blood of its toxic substances, cleanse the tissues, and help the body to resist disease.

As such, fruits are a natural remedy for some, if not all, common ailments. Filipinos are lucky enough to have an abundant array of healthful tropical fruits which other people from other countries have to pay dearly for and usually eat canned, preserved or frozen.

Here are some fruits you should keep eating — for your health’s sake: Banana: This fruit is low in protein, free of fats but high in energy. A fully ripe banana has 20-25 percent sugar. It has a significant amount of B-vitamins, especially B1 and B6. B1 is a brain tonic whereas B6 relieves, in particular, uncomfortable symptoms of the pre-menstrual tension syndrome like irritability, headaches, tender breasts, and water retention.

If you are having trouble with stress, potassium-rich banana can help you. Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates the body’s water balance. When you are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Cashew: Health experts and nutritionists considered cashew as “nature’s vitamin pill.” Its nuts has various health advantages as they are significant sources of iron (essential for red blood cell function and enzyme activity), magnesium (promotes energy release and bone growth), phosphorus (builds bones and teeth), zinc (essential to digestion and metabolism) and selenium (has important antioxidant properties, thus protecting the body from cancer).ÿ These nuts are also good sources of protein.

Research has also shown that chemicals in cashew nuts kill gram positive bacteria, a pervasive mouth affliction that causes tooth decay, acne, and tuberculosis. Eating cashew nuts at moderate levels, some say, can eliminate abscessed teeth, though this has not been proven yet by proper clinical trials.

Guyabano: Touted to be one of the healthiest fruits known to man. The flesh of the fruit consist of a white edible pulp that is high in carbohydrates (particularly fructose) and considerable amounts of Vitamin C, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, potassium and dietary fiber. It is low in cholesterol, saturated fat and sodium.

To reduce fever, a decoction of leaves can be taken internally. It has the same effect as when leaves are added to bathing water. In the Caribbean, it is believed that laying the leaves of the guyabano on a bed below a sleeping person with a fever will break the fever by the next morning.

The crushed fresh leaves are also applied on skin eruptions for faster healing. A poultice of young guyabano leaves is applied on the skin to alleviate rheumatism and other skin infections like eczema. Applied during the healing of wounds, this can result in less or no skin scars.

Lanzones: The seed and rind is rich in tannin and contain chemical substances that are medicinally and industrially useful. The fresh peeling yielded a volatile oil, a resin, and some reducing acids. The resin is believed to be nontoxic and protective to the stomach against alcohol.

The decoction of bark and leaves is used for dysentery. The powdered bark is used to treat scorpion stings. The bark resin can be used for swellings, and is considered as an anti-spasmodic. Tincture prepared from the dried rind used for diarrhea. The dried fruit skins when burned emit an aromatic smell which repels mosquitoes. It also makes a pleasant room inhalant.

Mango: Mango aficionados are no longer surprise to know that luscious fruit is an important source of beta carotene and vitamin A, which “influence the susceptibility of a host of infectious diseases and the course and outcome of such diseases,” to quote the words of a 2002 review of medical studies by the National Institute of Nutrition in Hyderabad, India.

“Mangoes are a safe source of vitamin A and beta carotene,” said Ennata Avena, a research specialist in the food analytical service laboratory of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute in the Philippines. As it ripens, the amount of beta carotene also increases.

When the fruit is still green, the amount of vitamin C found in mango is higher. Vitamin C, along with other vitamins found in fruits and vegetables, seems to protect people against cancers of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, stomach, colon, and breast.

One study has shown that taking an extra 60 milligrams of vitamin C each day can help lower heart disease. Vitamin C has also been found to protect against declining mental ability and stroke.

Mangosteen: This fruit receives some popularity in the Western countries because of its medical properties. Dr. James Duke, who worked for the United States Department of Agriculture for 35 years, mangosteen has over 138 beneficial properties including antioxidants and Xanthones, a unique biological compound that can kill cancer cells.

Extensive research on mangosteen juice has been conducted in countries worldwide over the past years and revealed the benefits gained from drinking mangosteen juice. Reportedly, mangosteen juice can combat Parkinson’s disease, fungal and viral ailments, aging and Alzheimer’s disease.

Papaya: Ripe papaya, mashed or strained, is a good supplementary food for infants, which like its mellow taste. It is easy to digest and can quickly relieve constipation. Two tablespoons of papaya can supply the daily vitamin C needs of infants, or of children below six years old.

A slice provides the adult with his daily vitamin C requirements. The ripe fruit is also a good source of pro-vitamin A.

Just a word of warning: Before following the recommended cures here, be sure to talk with your physician first.

Written By Henrylito D. Tacio

Source: Sun Star

Vegetarianism in kids

(Part 2)

EARLIER studies showing the advantages of vegetarianism were conducted in the early part of the 20th century, comparing the endurance, strength and quickness of recovery from fatigue of the human hand.

The findings showed that vegetarians were superior in endurance, strength and faster in recovery from fatigue than those who are meat eaters. A similar study was conducted this time in athletes.

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The test was to hold the arms horizontally as long as possible, leg-raising from prone face-up position and deep knee bending. The results were similar with the first endurance test. Vegetarians were noted to be substantially much better in endurance than meat eaters.

Data from the Seven Day Adventist study showed that Seven Day Adventists (SDA) was found to have lower incidence rates of coronary artery disease and cancer as compared with the general population. These findings signified that the lower rate of coronary artery disease and cancer may be related to the diet of SDAs who were mostly vegetarians.

Comparing the vegetarian and non vegetarian SDAs, investigators have noted lower incidence and death rates of coronary artery disease among vegetarian SDAs as compared to SDAs who are meat eaters.

Vegetarians SDAs have lower incidence rate of cancer as compared to non vegetarian SDAs by 50-70 percent. Investigators have noted that non vegetarian SDAs who ate meat were found to have a higher risk of colon cancer 2.8 times that of vegetarian SDAs.

Breast cancer was noted to be lower in SDA women as compared to the general population. The authors have speculated that the reduced rate of breast cancer in SDAs was attributed to a reduced intake of fried potatoes.

Other studies on breast cancer have noted that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables reduced breast cancer risk by 25 percent. However, in a pooled analysis of eight prospective studies with at least 250 incidents of breast cancer cases per study showed that of the total 7,377 incident cases of invasive breast cancer occurring among 351,825 women whose diets were analyzed showed a weak non-significant association with intake of fruits and vegetables and the incidence of breast cancer.

It is apparent from the study that an apple a day cannot keep the breast cancer away. Maybe in future studies that should be started early in childhood may swing back the pendulum in favor of fruits and vegetables. In the meantime let’s continue eating the apple to keep the other diseases away.

Worthwhile to remember is a study about breast cancer and carbohydrates. Women who ate large amounts of white rice, white bread, pasta and other starches were found to have increased risk of breast cancer to as high as 30 percent.

Vegetables are used for human food. Many vegetables today are being recognized as a source of nutrients, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Aside from its nutritive value, vegetables appeal to man’s sense of taste from its color, texture, aroma and flavor that add to his enjoyment in the art of eating.

Some may have distinctive taste and flavor favored by others in the preparations or in complementing the taste and presentation of other foods.

The carbohydrate source of vegetables is sugar and starches. Vegetable sugars which make up to 10-15 percent of the carbohydrates are responsible for taste of fresh vegetables. Majority of the carbohydrate source are starches mostly from potatoes, sweet potatoes and cassava.

Like the raddish and garlic, the edible portion of potatoes, sweet potatoes and cassava, can be replanted as seeds to propagate the vegetable for the next harvest. Fiber is the undigestible carbohydrate which cannot be absorbed in the intestinal tract. Sources include bran, cereals, whole wheat products likely cooked vegetables with skin and fruits.

Vegetables are low in fats. Vegetable fats are mostly polyunsaturated in contrast to the high saturated fats of animal origin. Diets of vegetarian children need adequate amounts of fatty acids. This can be obtained from sources like canola oil, nuts and soy products.

There are certain vegetable fats that should be avoided in the preparation of foods of vegetarian children such as vegetable shortening and vegetable oil like sunflower oil.

They contain certain acids that may interfere in the conversion of vegetables fats to essential fatty acids. Many vegetables are low in protein and nearly all vegetable proteins are deficient in amino acids except for soy beans, lima beans and peas.

Most vegetables have high vitamin contents like vitamin C which is present in all vegetables in varying amounts, vitamin A in yellow and green vegetables the same as vitamin K, E and the B complex vitamins except vitamin B12 which is not present in vegetables. Vegetables are low in minerals. This can be compensated if vegetables are consumed in large amounts.

However, vegetable consumption in bulk amounts may compromise or replace the intake of other necessary nutrients and in some instances may even result in the deficiencies. (To be continued next week)

Source: Sun Star

Growing garlic for profit, health

GARLIC (scientific name: Allium sativum) is one of the most important food seasonings in the world. From the earliest times, garlic has been used as a food. It formed part of the diet of the Israelites in Egypt (Numbers 11:5). It was consumed by the ancient Greek and Roman soldiers, sailors and rural classes.

Garlic’s mellow taste and aroma spice up gourmet dishes the world over. Popular with health-conscious cooks because it adds flavor without fat, some people still object to the herb’s strong odor, which is known as bawang among Tagalogs and ahos among the Visayans.

Like most spices, garlic is a relatively good source of calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. Its leaves are sources of protein and of Vitamins A and C. In the Ilocos Region and in many parts of the country, the green tops are used for pinakbet, an Ilocano delicacy.

But because of its many other uses, demand for the crop is continuously increasing. Most of the garlic grown in the Philippines comes from Ilocos, Southern and Tagalog regions. However, the crop can be grown anywhere in the country.

The most commonly grown variety is the Ilocos White, which has purpose to white scales. It is moderately resistant to insect pests and diseases. It matures 90 to 110 days after planting and has a potential yield of 3.5 tons per hectare. It has a prolonged span of shelf life. Other varieties such as Batanes white, Batangas white, Ilocos pink, Nueva Ecija pink, and Tan Bolters are also grown but not commercially.

Garlic grows well in clay, alluvial and sandy loam soils. Sandy loam, properly applied with fertilizer, generally produces big, compact and heavy bulbs of good quality. Heavier soils such as clay loam also give profitable yields if they are cultivated and fertilized properly.

Garlic requires cool weather during the early stage of growth thus it is best to plant them on the months of October and November. During the ripening stage, a comparatively dry soil, dry atmosphere and moderately high temperature are important.

According to a fact sheet prepared by the Department of Agriculture (DA), the area where the garlic is planted should be thoroughly prepared. “If the field is weedy and/or the soil surface is very irregular, plow and harrow the land thoroughly to kill weed seeds and to produce a fine, firm, smooth and level surface,” it says.

DA recommends broadcasting fertilizers, which should be mixed thoroughly with the soil before leveling the field. “For one hectare, use 125 to 175 kilos each of urea (45-0-0) and complete fertilizer (14-14-14 or 12-24-12),” the fact sheet instructs. “Mix the two fertilizers thoroughly. If urea is not available, use 235 to 270 kilos of ammonium sulphate. Mix with 115 to 130 kilos of 14-14-14 or 12-24-12 fertilizers.”

After fertilizer application and the field is already leveled, rice straws are spread evenly throughout the entire paddy to a thickness of about 5 centimeters as mulching materials. After placing the mulch materials, the field is irrigated just enough to moist the soil. In a few days, the field is ready for planting.

A day before planting, the pieces of cloves are prepared in the afternoon. “Carefully separate the cloves from each other, taking care not to injure them,” the fact sheet states. “Choose only the big pieces for planting. Soak the cloves for two minutes in a solution of Malathion prepared by mixing three tablespoonfuls in five gallons of water.

Treating the cloves with Malathion would kill the microscopic mites that cause ‘tangle top,’ a common garlic disease. Drain off the solution and put the cloves in a clean container for planting.”

In planting, the rows are marked with the use of parallel lines of string spaced 20 centimeters apart and placed just on top of the straw mulch. The DA instructs on how to plant: Hold the clove between the thumb and forefinger and set one-fourth of the clove into the soil.

Then press the soil slightly but firmly towards the clove. Plant the cloves at intervals of 20 centimeters in the row. Garlic does not need much irrigation. As long as there is sufficient soil moisture, bulb formation would be normal.

Garlic matures 90 to 120 days after planting. Generally, early planting has a longer period of maturity than the late planting. Indices are the softening of the main stem above the bulb and the yellowing of 75% of the leaves.

Mature plants are uprooted from the ground and arrange in windrows with leaves on to protect the bulbs from the sun. When the leaves have completely dried, the crop is braided and placed in trays for further curing and storage.

Garlic is rarely kept in cold storage in the Philippines. The farmers store their produce under ambient storage conditions in several ways (1) by hanging the bundles in rows with bamboo stick or lumber in a well ventilated place; (2) by packing them in a wooden crate, arranging them in such as way that the air will circulate freely; (3) by packing them in a wooden crate, arranging them in such a way that the air will circulate freely; and (4) by piling the bundles to form a pyramid (mandala), which are placed in a storeroom (bodega).

To minimize pest infestation during storage, the area is cleaned and dried. Before the stocks are stored, the area is sprayed with Malathion or other insecticides recommended for the control of storage pest. Under the mandala type of storage, the garlic is kept from touching the concrete floor by using bamboo slats or lumber properly arranged on the floor.

The slats are covered with empty polyethelene bags sprayed with insecticides. The surrounding is regularly sprayed with the recommended insecticides to prevent the occurrence of insect pests.

But garlic is not just only for cooking. “Because garlic has the power to save from death, endure it, though it leaves behind bad breath,” Duke Robert I of Normandy once said. In those days, garlic was said to strengthen the heart; protect against the plague; cure colds, athlete’s foot, toothache, and snakebite; repel vampires and demons; grow hair; stimulate sexual performance; and rid the dog of fleas.

Today, scientists all over the world are examining the folklore’s claims of garlic’s benefits.

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

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

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

Written By Henrylito D. Tacio

Source: Sun Star

Medicinal plant called sayote

THE “hanging green gold.” That was how Northern Dispatch correspondent Arthur L. Allad-iw called sayote due to the crop’s economic value and resilient character. “It is high-yielding while requiring little input,” he wrote in an article posted in Bulatlat. “It is also environment-friendly as it is non-polluting.”

“The sayote vine, which easily grows, knows no boundaries; it climbs over walls to share its fruits and shoots with people who need not ask permission from their neighbor who planted it,” the regional head of the Philippine Information Agency in Northern Luzon was quoted as saying.

Sayote (scientific name: Sechium edule) is also known as tayota, choko, chocho, chow-chow, christophene, mirliton, and vegetable pear. It is an edible plant that belongs to the cucurbits family or vine crops that are grown mostly for their fruits like melons, patola, cucumber, kondol, upo, and squash. The green, papaya-shaped vegetable has large leaves that form a canopy over the fruit. The vine is grown on the ground or more commonly on trellises.

Although most people are familiar only with the fruit, the root, stem, seeds, and leaves are all edible. Oftentimes, sayote is called a poor man’s vegetable due to the many uses of its different parts.

The fruit does not need to be peeled and can be eaten raw in salads. Cooked or raw, it has a very mild flavor by itself, and is commonly served with seasonings (e.g., salt, butter and pepper in Australia) or in a dish with other vegetables and/or flavorings.
Filipinos peel sayote, cut them into thick slices and then cook with meat or shrimps.

In Sagada and the whole of Cordillera, sayote provides ready foods from its uggot (tops) and fruits. Uggot can be prepared easily like the fruits which can be chopped and added to the etag (Igorot ham), with or without chicken. Or, sayote can be sauted and mixed with sardines; it is also an important ingredient for pinikpikan, the Igorot version of the tinola.

Sayote can also be boiled, stuffed, mashed, baked, fried, or pickled.

In Mexico, some people found other and more imaginative uses for sayote ? aside from boiling, they make them into candies or slice and fry for table use. In the Philippines, some candy manufacturers and food processors have found the vegetable an ideal and low-cost base for their various products. It can also be used to make catsup.

The young leaves and tender shorts go into salads. The tuberous part of the root is starchy and is both eaten by humans and used as cattle fodder. The inedible parts or any surplus can be fed to cattle, goats, swine, and other backyard animals.

Unknown to many, the sayote is also a medicinal plant. The leaves and fruit have diuretic, cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory properties, and a tea made from the leaves has been used in the treatment of arteriosclerosis and hypertension, and to dissolve kidney stones.

Due to its purported cell-regenerative properties, it is believed as a contemporary legend that sayote caused the mummification of people from the Colombian town of San Bernardo who extensively consumed it. The very well preserved skin and flesh can be seen in the mummies today.

What is in a sayote fruit? Upon analysis, its edible portion per 100 grams gives 94 percent moisture, 19 percent calories, 0.4 gram protein, 0.1 gram fat, 4.9 grams carbohydrates, and 0.6 gram fiber. Also found in the fruit in small amounts are calcium, sodium, thiamine, vitamin A, riboflavin, ascorbic acid, and niacin.

Since it is loaded with nutrients, it is often used as food for those affected with calamities. In fact, Johnny Fialen, another Northern Dispatch correspondent, considered sayote as “the survivor’s vegetable.”

His explanation: “The sayote has several times served an important role during calamities in the region. Sayote was used to help victims in the areas affected by the 1990 killer earthquake that severely ravaged, among others, Baguio City.

“When Mt. Pinatubo in Zambales erupted in 1991, Benguet farmers were mobilized and about 250 tons of sayote and other relief goods were sent to the victims. More recently, an ‘Oplan Sayote’ was again launched to help families affected by the typhoons in Quezon, Nueva Ecija and Aurora provinces.”

Researchers from the Laguna-based Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) in Los Baos found sayote to be a good soil restorer. They found that one good characteristic of sayote is its ability to grow profusely in some areas with gullies. A striking example was demonstrated in Sto. Niño, Tublay, Benguet where sayote canopy completely rehabilitated gullied areas.
Historical records reveal that even before Hernando Cortes conquered Mexico in 1519, the Aztecs had already been raising the crop. In the uplands of Malaysia and in the Philippines’ mountain provinces, sayote grows profusely.

A successful raiser can have as much as 200 fruits per plant each season. Would-be raisers may try planting the two common sayote varieties in the country, the spiny and the smooth. Other varieties recognized only by outside fruit appearances as long, oval, and pointed, may also be grown.

Sayote thrives in cool places where rainfall is evenly distributed. October to January is the best planting time. It can be grown in a wide range of soil types as long as the soil is loose and fertile.

Written By Henrylito D. Tacio

Source: Sun Star

Benefits of wheatgrass

CELEBRITY host Dyan Castillejo visited Holiday Gym and Spa, Davao City’s premier health and wellness center, on June 20 to share the benefits of wheatgrass.

Castillejo, a popular TV host for a number of programs such as The World Tonight, Gym Team, MBA-Beat, TV Patrol and Sports Unlimited, talked about the many wonders of wheatgrass to an enthralled audience.

Unknown to many, wheatgrass increases red blood-cell count and lowers blood pressure. It cleanses the blood, organs and gastrointestinal tract of debris. Wheatgrass also stimulates metabolism and the body’s enzyme systems by enriching the blood. It also aids in reducing blood pressure by dilating the blood pathways throughout the body.

Wheatgrass has also been found to restore alkalinity to the blood. The juice’s abundance of alkaline minerals helps reduce over-acidity in the blood. It can be used to relieve many internal pains, and has been used successfully to treat peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis, constipation, diarrhea, and other complaints of the gastrointestinal tract.

Studies have also shown that wheatgrass is a powerful detoxifier, and liver and blood protector. The enzymes and amino acids found in wheatgrass can protect us from carcinogens like no other food or medicine. It strengthens our cells, detoxifies the liver and bloodstream, and chemically neutralizes environmental pollutants.

It also fights tumors and neutralizes toxins. Wheatgrass juice has a powerful ability to fight tumors without the usual toxicity of drugs that also inhibit cell-destroying agents. The many active compounds found in grass juice cleanse the blood and neutralize and digest toxins in our cells.

More importantly, wheatgrass contains beneficial enzymes. Whether you have a cut finger you want to heal or you desire to lose five pounds…enzymes must do the actual work. The life and abilities of the enzymes found naturally in our bodies can be extended if we help them from the outside by adding exogenous enzymes, like the ones found in wheatgrass juice. Don’t cook it. We can only get the benefits of the many enzymes found in grass by eating it uncooked. Cooking destroys 100 percent of the enzymes in food.

The wonders of wheatgrass are endless. It also works as a sleep aide. Simply place a tray of living wheatgrass near the head of your bed and it will enhance the oxygen in the air and generate healthful negative ions to help you sleep more soundly.

Learn more from the experts in health and wellness. Visit Holiday Gym and Spa now, located along Torres St., Davao City with telephone numbers 222-3041 or visit their website: www.holidaygymandspa.com. You may also check out the latest top of the line gym equipment at www.campaigningforhealthyliving.com

Source: Sun Star

Importance of milk cited

MANILA, Philippines – Calcium and potassium top the list of essential nutrients that milk can supply and which the human body needs, a study undertaken by the National Dairy Authority (NDA) showed.

Attached to the Department of Agriculture and chaired by Secretary Arthur Yap, NDA has been tasked to accelerate the development of the country’s dairy industry through policy direction and program implementation.

“Milk has not been among the priority food items of our countrymen especially in the rural areas. They have overlooked its importance,” NDA Administrator Orkhan Usman told The STAR.

Usman pointed out that for one 200-milliliter (ml) glass of semi-skimmed milk, a person gets 7.2 grams of protein, 247 mg. calcium, 194 mg. phosphorous, potassium, 321 mg., 23 mg. magnesium, 89 mg. sodium, 179 mg. chloride, 62 ug. iodine, 39 ug. vitamin A, 1.9 ug vitamin B12, and 19 ug. folate.

He said that for milk drinkers 11-18 years old, the calcium and phosporos nutrient supply from a glass of milk are enough to provide 25 percent of what the body needs, while the iodine component satisfies 44 percent of the body requirement and the vitamn B12 content provides 127 percent of what the body needs.

He urged Filipinos to take milk as part of a healthy and balanced diet saying that three portions a day is the ideal situation.

Written by Teddy Molina

Source: Philippine Star