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

Soil acidity is a common problem in many crop areas in the Philippines, especially among growers of crucifers (cabbage and the like) in upland vegetable areas. For soil nutrients and fertilizers to be effectively taken in by plants, a certain level of the soil’s acidity or alkalinity is required.

Most crops thrive on slightly acidic soils with pH levels of 5.0 or higher but soils in many areas are too acidic as a result of continuous planting, heavy use of chemical fertilizers and erosion. Such practices and factors deplete natural elements such as calcium and magnesium that neutralize soil acidity, causing stunted plant growth and susceptibility to pests and diseases.

Usually, farmers resort to applying agricultural lime at a rate of 40 sacks or around two metric tons per hectare to address their soil acidity problems. This burdensome practice, however, is not sufficient to correct the soil’s pH level. Experts recommend a few more truckloads of about 100 to 200 sacks of agricultural lime to bring the pH level of the soil to an ideal level. As processed calcium compounds quarried from limestone deposits, agricultural lime takes a long time to react and neutralize the soil’s acidity. Thus, conventional liming is done before each planting season and only takes full effect in time for the next planting season.

In line with its thrust of partnering Filipino faarmers, Jardine Distribution, Inc. (JDI), a company distributing agricultural chemicals, has introduced Limelite as a convenient alternative to this tedious task of soil conditioning. Limelite is an organic water-soluble calcium powder that gives the same benefit of conventional liming but with relatively a lot less needed, takes effect immediately and is easier to apply. As opposed to the truckloads of agricultural lime usually applied by farmers, only 2.4 kilograms per hectare of Limelite is needed to provide the same soil conditioning effect.

As an ionized solution, Limelite quickly reacts with the soil to neutralize its acidity and increasing the soil’s pH level. Limelite’s water-soluble formulation allows it to be applied through spraying and is therefore more convenient than the troublesome chore of applying truckloads of agricultural lime.

Trials have shown Limelite’s consistent efficacy in increasing the soil’s pH level and improving crop stand to generate better yield and is positioned in the market as the alternative to laborious and more expensive conventional liming. Product launches are held in key vegetable areas targeting crucifer growers where conventional liming is practiced the most.

As the challenge lies on changing the farmers’ age-old practice of  conventional liming, the features of Limelite on convenience and efficacy are stressed during presentations and in all other activities and materials. Continuing farmer education through JDI’s field activities are likewise employed to generate awareness and eventually expand Limelite’s usage I in other crops.

Source: Manila Bulletin

One piece of good news we just learned is that the major breeders of Boer goats have rolled back their prices on purebred bucks in an attempt to encourage the use of purebred animals to improve the body size and meat quality of the existing native and other imported breeds in the country.

Rene Almeda of Alaminos Goat Farm in Alaminos, Laguna, had just informed us while we were preparing this page that he had decided to reduce the price of purebred Boer bucks. What used to sell for P24,000 to P30,000 per head has been reduced by half, from P12,000 to P15,000 per head. And the other good news, he said, is that another competitor has followed suit.

He said, however, that the purebred female Boer goats are still priced at P24,000 per head.

The move to reduce the prices of purebred Boer goats is hoped to enable more goat raisers to use purebreds to upgrade their stocks. The government could then buy locally bred purebred animals instead of importing from abroad what it needs in its goat improvement program. It is very essential that purebreds should be used to improve the local animals. If a buck of mixed blood is used, the resulting progenies may not be as uniform as when a purebred animal is used.

What is needed now is to improve the weight of animals for slaughter so that the raisers will be able to increase their incomes from their animals. The native goats usually weigh an average of 18 kilos at slaughter time. If the animals could be improved to 30 to 50 kilos at maturity, the income could be doubled. At present, the live weight price of slaughter goats is P120 per kilo. And so the going average price per head is just about P2,400 to P2,800.

Almeda says that it has been proven that the Boer goat will greatly improve the size and meat quality of the offspring of the native and other breeds now raised by local farmers. In Australia, he said, theBoer goat was used to sire the feral goats there and now that country is the biggest exporter of goat’s meat to the United States.

Written by Zac Sarian

Source: Manila Bulletin

Tomatoes can be kept field-fresh for three weeks without using cold storage, according to the researchers from the Laguna-based Philippine Horticulture Training and Research Center (PHTRC).

One economical alternative is to use the Evaporative Cooling and Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) Technology which prolongs the storage life of fresh tomatoes under ordinary condition using locally available materials.

Developed by the team of Gloria Masilungan, Dr. Edralina Serrano and Kevin Yap, Evaporative Cooling and MAP Technology utilizes coconut coir dust and polyethylene (PE) plastic packaging and a suitable crate or container for storing tomatoes.

Masilungan said that the technology can be easily adopted by vegetable farmers at the village level production especially during periods when the price of tomatoes is low due to abundant supply, giving them up to three more weeks to store their produce while waiting for higher selling price.

“It is important, however, that the tomatoes to be stored must be green and firm to maximize the benefits of this technology,” says Masilungan. Otherwise, storage period will be shorter than what is expected. She also emphasized that the fruits must be free from injury and mechanical damage.

The technique is to wash the tomatoes first in water with chlorox (1 tablespoon of chlorox for every 1 liter of water) to disinfect the fruits from pathogenic microorganisms. The tomatoes are then dried and packed in PE bags with 2 pinpricks per kilogram of tomatoes. Moisten the coir dust with chlorox-mixed water and line the base of the container with this. Place the packed tomatoes in the middle and cover with moist coir dust. The researchers recommend a kilo of coir dust per kilo of tomatoes.

How does this technology work for tomato? PHTRC said that PE bag modifies the tomato surrounding by decreasing oxygen and increasing carbon dioxide. These result in the delay in ripening and discoloration of the peel, reduction in weight loss and moisture loss, and reduction in injuries from chilling. The cooling effect of moist coir dust, on one hand, also delays ripening of tomato.

Evaporative Cooling and MAP Technology was one of the technologies featured by PHTRC at the recent Agrilink trade show held at the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay City. Others included Controlled Atmosphere Storage Protocol for Mango, Low Temperature Requirement of Tropical Fruits and Vegetables, Coco Coir as Storage Medium to Extend Shelflife and Enhance Quality of Tomato, MAP for Horticultural Perishables, Desiccants for Seed Storage, and many more.

Written by Melpha Abello

Source: Manila Bulletin

One successful agribusiness venture that continues to surge is Harbest Agribusiness Corporation owned by our good friend Arsenio ‘Toto’ Barcelona. This company started in 1997 with the introduction into the local market of the hybrid seeds of Known-You Seed Company of Taiwan. Years before, another company tried to introduce the same but the venture did not last long.

It took a very determined Toto Barcelona to make Known-You Seeds become a byword among progressive Filipino farmers. At first, Toto had to contend with the high cost of the hybrid seeds that he was promoting. Many farmers complained that unsprouted seeds of hybrid ampalaya were costing as much as P5 apiece. But that did not discourage Toto to promote Known-You Seeds. He just had to show that by planting hybrid seeds, yield could be multiplied many times and in the end the farmers will make more income.

For a start, he had to buy initial seeds which were first planted in trials at UP Los Baños with the help of Dr. Diosdado Castro, former staff of the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC) in Taiwan. As expected, the trials were successful and that gave him confidence to make the business an honest-to-goodness business. He also had to conduct field demonstrations in the provinces.

Among the seeds that have now become bestsellers are Red Lady papaya, Bright Jean sweet corn, Phoenix squash, seedless and other varieties of watermelon, honeydew melons, ampalaya, tomatoes, eggplant, various sweet and hot pepper varieties, patola, upo and others.

He had made collaborations with local government units as well as the SM Foundation in training farmers on the production of high-value crops.

How did he get the Taiwan connection? Well after graduation, he was hired by a friend to manage a donut factory in Taipei. The posting led to one business after another, including organizing farm tours in Taiwan for agribusinessmen from the Philippines. That eventually led him to recognize the potentials of Known-You Seeds. Today, aside from seeds, Harbest Agribusiness also distributes various farming inputs, including small tractors for land preparation in vegetable farms. The operation is now nationwide. A new office in Bicol was inaugurated just recently.

Written by Zac Sarian

Source: Manila Bulletin

A seaweed-based organic fertilizer which is said to address micronutrient deficiencies, particularly zinc (Zn) deficiency, in rice and other crops was one of the products that farmers should not have missed at the recent Agrilink trade show held at the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay City.

The fertilizer is called MegaZinc Plus, which is claimed to increase rice yield by a minimum of 20 cavans per hectare, increase resistance of rice plants to pest and diseases, increase tillering, induce uniform maturity of grains, and increase milling recovery. It has 1.62% zinc seaweed extracts plus auxins, gibberelins and cytokinins as active ingredients.

Florentino Pangilinan, owner and general manager of Central Luzon Farmers Agro Center in Cabanatuan City, the producer of MegaZinc Plus, said that zincis the most critical micronutrient to rice growth, with Zn deficiency now considered as the third most widespread nutrient disorder in lowland rice areas of Asia, next to nitrogen and phosphorus.

Symptoms of Zn deficiency in rice manifest at 2 to 3 weeks after transplanting. Slight deficiency leads to slight stunting in plant growth and decreased tillering of the rice plant with browning or yellowing of leaves; while very severe deficiency results in the death of the plant. Those that recover will show substantial delay in maturity and reduction in yield by as much as 50 percent.

Agriculture experts say that Zn deficiency can be corrected by adding Zn compounds to the soil or by dipping seedlings in Zn solution before transplanting, but the high cost associated with applying Zn fertilizers in sufficient quantities to address Zn deficiency means additional expenses for poor farmers.

Pangilinan said that using MegaZinc Plus entails only minimal cost to the farmers. One liter of MegaZinc Plus which costs R350 is enough to use for one hectare of ricefield.

MegaZinc Plus is applied at 20 to 45 days after transplanting (DAT) for transplanted rice and at 20 to 50 days after broadcasting for direct-seeded rice, both at a dosage of 10 tablespoons per 16 liter of water.

Pangilinan said that farmers all over the country who have tried MegaZinc Plus on their rice plants have got very good results. One of them is Silverio Almayda of Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija who obtained a yield of 10.96 tons per hectare with the application of MegaZinc Plus at 45 days after transplanting. Farmer cooperator Christopher Luna of Ormoc City also observed increased tillers of rice applied with MegaZinc Plus over that of rice without MegaZinc Plus.

Aside from rice, MegaZinc Plus is recommended for use also on corn, mango, onion, sugarcane, citrus, melon, cucumber, garlic, bush beans, cabbage and pechay.

Written by Melpha Abello

Source: Manila Bulletin

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

Young cob corn (Zea mays L.), the newly developed corn, has been used by Chinese as vegetable for generations and this practice has spread to other Asian countries. It is used as ingredient in most food preparations. It has nutritive value similar to that of non-legume vegetable such as cauliflower, tomato, cucumber and cabbage (Yodpetch and Bautista, 1983). This vegetable has a great potential for cooking purposes and for processing as a canned product. Canned cob corn export to Thailand, Japan and Europe is increasing and has a good future.

Generally, corns farmers strive their competitive position by improving yields and cutting costs of production, for instance, through shortening cultural risks by harvesting for either green corn or baby corn. Young cob corn has a short growth thus a farmer can grow four or more crops a year. It has a wide range of adaptation and does not need intensive cultivation. Pollination is also not a problem because young cob corn is harvested before kernels are developed. Considering these factors, young cob corn has good potentials.

Varieties

Sweet corn varieties are commonly used for the production of baby corn. In some areas of the country, Pioneer 305 and SMC (hybrid) varieties are being commercially grown for young corn. Golden Cross Bantam and Supersweet were also found to possess the best attribute of young cob corn. (Yodpetch and Bautista, 1983). IPB Var 1, IPB Var 2, IES Cn 1, IES Var 2 and Supersweet corn # 33 were also proven to be suitable for young corn production (Masana et al., 1990).

Soil and Climatic Requirements

The best soil for corn is a well-drained with a texture of silt loam or loam type. It should be a type of a soil with a high moisture holding capacity, high amount of organic matter and be slightly acidic (pH 5.3 to 7.3). A rainfall of 200 to 1,500 mm is required in its growing period. However, the optimum requirement of corn is 400 to 600 mm per growing period. In time of moisture deficiency, irrigation is essential.

Land Preparations

A seedbed which is deep, well pulverized yet fairly compact is excellent for corn.

A clayey and weedy field requires more plowing. In a field where trash is plowed under, a second or third operation may be needed to obtain a clean seedbed.

Plowing is done when the field is at the right moisture, when the soil particles 13 cm.  below the ground separate, only a thin portion sticks to the finger but no ball is formed.

For animal-drawn plow, a depth of 4 to 7 cm is sufficient. When tractor is used, 12 to 14 cm is preferable.

Harrowing is done at the time the soil has the right moisture content. It is done again within two days before planting to level the soil.

Planting Method

1.      Surface or Flat-bed Planting

Seeds are drilled or hill-planted on a level to slightly rolling topography at a desired depth and row spacing. It is suited for areas with abundant precipitation and heavy soil types.

2.      Listed Planting

Seeds are placed at the bottom of the V-shaped furrow. A lister, which is double moldboard blade, is used for opening furrow of this kind. It is practiced in areas where rainfall is a limiting factor, where soil drainage is good and the soil is friable.

3.      Ridged Planting

The seeds are placed to a specific depth on top of the ridge. The conditions described in listed planting are also appropriate for this type.

If the soil contains considerable moisture at planting time, the seed should be planted from 2 to 5 cm. deep. On the dry, soil the seeds should be planted 5 to 8 cm. deep.

Rate of Seeding

The amount of seeds needed in a hectare to have a population density of 80,000 to 100,000 plants/hectare is 27 to 30 kg of hybrid seeds. The rows are spaced 100 cm with a hill spacing of 25 cm with 3 plants/hill or drilled 25 cm between hills. No thinning on corn seedlings will be done.

Irrigation

The field should be irrigated moderately even at the time of seed germination and during the early growth and development of corn plants. Weekly irrigation must be done especially during summer.

Fertilization

The recommended rate of fertilizer per hectare is 3 bags 14-14-14 and 1 bag Urea. One half of N and all of P and K is applied in the furrow and then cover 2 to 3 cm layer of soil before planting. Fertilization may also vary as recommended by the Bureau of Soils as a result of a soil analysis.

Weeding

Weeds are the unwanted plant companion of crops. Besides serving as hosts to plants pests and diseases, weeds can reduce corn yield by as much as 50 to 80 % if left uncontrolled.

Weeds are commonly controlled by hand weeding, hoeing within the row and cultivation in between the rows.

Detasseling

Detasseling is achieved by removing all the tassels of corn plants. This is done as soon as the tassels emerge

Crop Protection

Baby corn requires practically no application of pesticides because the crop has short growth duration thereby eliminating the residue factor and minimizing in production cost.

Harvesting

Timelines is the most important consideration in harvesting baby corn. Ideally, young corn is harvested 2 to 3 days after silking or 50 to 55 days after emergence. Harvesting duration may lasts for 15 to 18 days, which is carried on by, hand picking.

Cobs for market must have a good quality. Young cob corn of excellent quality is straight, has uniform ovary alignment, is 4 to 11 cm. long, 0.8 to 1.8 cm.  in diameter, slightly yellow to yellow color, sweet and not fibrous (Yodpetch and Bautista). Cobs must be free from bites of corn borer, must be clean and not broken.

Written by Lolita F. Masana

References:

Interview with Mr. Benny Cadiz

Masana et al. Preliminary Test Evaluation of Baby Corn. 1990

Masana et. al. Baby Corn Production Technology. 1993

Philippine Agriculturist 66:232-244. July-September, 1983

Philippine Agriculturist 67:122-134. June 1094

Report 33rd Meeting of the Philippine Seedboard, Bureau of Plant Industry

The Philippine Recommends for Corn. !981. PCARRD, Los Baos, Laguna

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

Requirements: 100-150 kg of calamansi weekly

Price: P15 per kilo

Delivered to FTI-Taguig

Contact info: 0917-3565822