how to farm better manual revised

8/13/2019 How to Farm Better Manual Revised

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MBRLC HOW TO SERIES NO. 3

HOW TO FARM BETTER

Published by:Asian Rural Life Development Foundation, International


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To the Valued Reader:

Many of these How To series were originally written in the 1970s by Mr. Harold R.Watson, Dr. Warlito A. Laquihon and other MBRLC staff. They have served a generationof Filipino farmers in giving useful and practical information on farming systems for the

small farm family.

Interestingly enough, the demand for this type of information has only grown through theyears. This revised and updated version of the How To series is an attempt to continuein the tradition of giving simple information, concepts and principles to small farmers,students and extension workers involved in growing vegetable and fruit crops, and inraising poultry and livestock

If you have any questions, please fee free to write and/or contact us at our internationaloffices of the Asian Rural Life Development Foundation (ARLDF):

Mr. J. Jeffrey Palmer, DirectorARLDF InternationalP.O. Box 30Samyaek Suanprung P.O.Chiang Mai, 50201THAILAND

e-mail: [email protected]

You can also contact our base work in the Philippines at:

Mr. Steven L. Musen, DirectorMr. Henrylito Tacio, Program Information OfficerMBRLCP.O. Box 41Bansalan, 8005PHILIPPINES

e-mail: [email protected]; website: http://www2.mozcom.com/~mbrlc

We are very happy to share our experiences through this manual.

Happy farming!

J. Jeffrey Palmer, DirectorARLDF International

February 2004


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UPDATED AND REVISED EDITION, 2004

With the purpose of facilitating wide information transfer, permission is hereby given forreproducing the contents of this manual, with the condition that proper acknowledgements

are made and two copies are sent to the publisher.

These How To series can serve as a practical and simple guide for engaging in variousprojects. The information is based on good research and the sound experiences andpractices of the MBRLC.

Bibliographic Citation:MBRLC Editorial Staff. How to Farm Better. MBRLC, Kinuskusan, Bansalan, Davao delSur. 2004 Edition. How to Series No. 3.

Editorial Staff:

Mr. Henylito D. TacioMr. Steven L. MusenMr. J. Jeffrey Palmer

Note: The trade names, manufacturers and distributors cited in this publication are usedsolely for the purpose of providing specific information and do not endorse productsnamed or imply criticism of similar ones not mentioned. Mention of a trade name,manufacturer or distributor does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product.

Published by MBRLC, Kinuskusan, Bansalan, Davao del Sur, Philippines.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

How to Grow Ampalaya .. 5How to Propagate Frui t Trees Asexually 7How to Grow Azolla .. 9How to Grow Banana 11How to Grow Barbados Cherry . 13How to Make Basket Compost .. 15How to Grow Black Pepper 17How to Raise Bro iler Chickens.. 19How to Grow Cacao . 21How to Grow Calamansi . 23How to Grow Cassava . 25How to Fatten Cattle in Your Backyard .. 27How to Grow Coffee . 28How to Grow Corn 30How to Raise Ducks with Fish and Snails . 32How to Raise Ducks . 34

How to Grow Eggplant . 36How to Make a FAITH Garden 38How to Feed Swine .. 40How to Raise Dairy Goats .. 42How to Raise Swine . 44How to Farm Your Hilly Land 46How to Inoculate Leguminous Plants . 49How to Grow Pigeon Pea 51How to Raise Layer Chickens .. 53How to Grow Mangosteen . 55How to Grow Okra 57How to Grow Pineapple . 59

How to Raise Rabbits . 61How to Grow Rambutan . 63How to Grow Low land Rice ... 64How to Produce Your Own Seeds ... 66How to Grow Sesame . 68How to Grow Bush Sitao 70How to Raise Golden App le Snails . 71How to Grow Sorghum .. 73How to Grow Soybeans . 75How to Grow Stringbeans . 77How to Grow Sweet Corn .. 79How to Grow Sweet Pepper . 81

How to Grow Sweet Potato .. 83How to Tan Rabbit Skins .. 85How to Raise Tilapia .. 87How to Grow Tomato . 89How to Grow Vegetable Transp lants . 91How to UPLIFT Your Small Low land Farm .. 93How to Grow Winged Beans 95


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HOW TO GROW AMPALAYA (MOMORDICA CHARANTIA)

IMPORTANCE 1) Ampalaya is one of the vegetables you need to plant in your farm orgarden. Aside from being a good source of vitamins and minerals, it is alsoa good source of income because it has a ready market. Almost all the parts

of this plant are useful. Its fruits and leaves--and sometimes its stalks--canbe sold.

VARIETIES 2) There are two types of ampalaya: the white and the green types.The latter, however, is more popular among consumers. Among thevarieties you can grow in your farm or garden are the following:Lagus Africa, Indang (or BPI Long Green), Iloilo Long, Santa Rita,Laur, Polo, Karela, and Silang.

ADAPTATION 3) The ampalaya vine is found everywhere in the country for it grows ondifferent kinds of soils. However, for best result, plant it on a well-drained,sandy-loam or clay-loam soil which is rich in organic matter. Do not plant

ampalaya in wet areas because it cannot tolerate too much moisture. Youcan grow ampalaya any time of the year as long as there is sufficientmoisture.

LAND 4) Prepare the land thoroughly before planting ampalaya. Plow andPREPARATION harrow the field three times and then furrow it with a distance of two meters

between rows. If you intend to plant ampalaya in your garden, be sure youprepare the plot thoroughly. Usually the ampalaya is planted in hills aboutone meter apart.

PLANTING 5) There are two ways of planting ampalaya: transplanted and directseeded. If your area doesn't have enough water supply and ampalaya

seeds are rather limited, it is much better to sow the seeds first in a seedbox or seedbed. Press the seeds into sterilized soil and then water the seedbox or seedbed every day until transplant-ing time. (Sterilize the soil bypouring boiling water on the surface of the soil or by burning dried leaves ofbanana on top of the soil.) The seedlings are ready for transplanting whenthey have one or two pairs of true leaves.

Seeds to be used for direct planting should be dried in the sun for two days.Then plant three to five seeds per hill five centimeters deep in rows. Afterseveral days, when sprouts are seen on the ground, thin out the plantsleaving only two to three of the strongest looking plants per hill.

TRELLISING 6) When the plants are about one foot long, you can erect two-meter highvine supports of either ipil-ipil or madre de cacao on each hill. Reinforce thesupports with plastic twine or rope and weave one-foot square wire mesh totop the trellises. Later on, inspect the fruits to be sure they hang well. Thisis done in order for you to avoid harvesting curled or deformed fruits.

CULTIVATION 7) You can start doing a shallow cultivation with a hoe or "guna" or animal-drawn plow three months after planting.


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WEEDING 8) This is very important in amplaya growing. Weeding is done in order toeliminate weeds, which will compete with your plants for moisture andnutrients.

IRRIGATION 9) Apply just enough water to keep the soil moist--not too wet but not toodry. Do not over water your ampalaya plants since, as stated earlier, they

cannot bear too much moisture.

FERTILIZATION 10) Proper watering coupled with adequate fertilization will increase plantvigor. At planting, apply a complete fertilizer (14-14-14) at the rate of twotable spoons per hill eight centimeters from the base of the plants. Whenplants are three weeks to one month old, side-dress with one tablespoon ofurea and two table spoons of ammonium sulphate.

CONTROL OF 11) The most common pests that attack ampalaya are the melonPESTS fruit fly, thrips and aphids. You can control melon fruit fly by using

Foliafume-soap, which is available from your agricultural stores or from theBureau of Plant Industry and its local agencies. Thrips can be controlled by

spraying with Hamidop 600. To control aphids, Orthene 75 or Malathion maybe used at regular intervals.

CONTROL OF 12) There are two common diseases of ampalaya: fusariumDISEASES wilt and anthracnose. Fusarium wilt can be controlled by crop rotation and

by observing sanitation in the farm or garden. Control measures foranthracnose include spraying the plants with fungicides, sanitation, anddisinfecting seed before planting.

HARVESTING 13) You can start harvesting ampalaya when most of the fruits have reachedmarketable size and when seeds are still immature. This is usually 50 daysafter planting. Fruits are harvested every four days thereafter.

FRUIT 14) To prevent bruising and to prolong the freshness of ampalyaPROTECTION fruits, place them in bamboo baskets lined with fresh banana leaves while

harvesting.


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HOW TO PROPAGATE FRUIT TREES ASEXUALLY

INTRODUCTION 1) You can multiply the number of your favorite fruit trees and even enhancetheir good characteristics by propagating them asexually. Asexualpropagation means the reproduction of a plant by its vegetative parts that is,by stems, leaves or roots. Sexual propagation, on the other hand, is the

reproduction of plants through seeds. Many trees do not reproduce theirown desirable characteristics when propagated through seeds, and sometrees do not even bear seeds.

ADVANTAGES 2) The advantage of asexual propagation over sexual is thatOF ASEXUAL you can reproduce the exact characteristics of the treesPROPAGATION you want, shorten their maturity period and decrease their size. You can

also enhance the adaptability of your trees to poor soil conditions bycombining a resistant rootstock with a less resistant but more desirablescion.

METHODS OF 3) There are five most common methods of asexually propagating

ASEXUAL trees. These are: cuttings, marcotting, inarching, grafting andPROPAGATION budding. The easiest to do and most popular among these methods are the

cuttings and marcotting.

PROPAGATION 4) Trees that you can propagate by cuttings are citrusBY CUTTINGS (calamansi, oranges, lime), guava, rambutan, chico, Barbados cherry,

coffee, and many others. Choose young stems from your favorite andhealthy trees. Cut them in the nodes with a length of about seven to tencentimeters. Cut their leaves in half to prevent too much evaporation ofwater, but do not strip off all the leaves.

Figure 1.A simple method to propagate plants by cuttings.

ROOT 5) To speed up root formation, you can treat the tips ofFORMATION your cuttings with Rootone or Alpha-napthalene Acetic Acid. (A.N.A.A). You

can buy these rooting chemicals from agricultural stores in your area.


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PLANTING 6) Plant your cuttings in a box filled with ordinary sand. You can adjust thesize of the box according to the number of cuttings you need. Sand will onlyserve as a rooting medium.

WATERING 7) Water your cuttings three times a day and cover the box with atransparent plastic sheet (this will conserve moisture and maintain a humid

and warmer temperature suitable for root development).

TRANSPLANTING 8) When your cuttings have already developed a pair of about two-inch roots(this will take about two months), transplant them in plastic bags filled withsterilized fertile soil. They should remain for another month under a partialshade before transferring them to the field.

PROPAGATION 9) Marcotting is similar but easier and more sure ofBY MARCOTTING success than cuttings. As long as you follow the steps illustrated below

(Figure 2), you can just wait until your stem develops its own roots. Themother tree will do its usual feeding and watering until the stem can feeditself.

When new shoots appear just below the ball of the soil, roots have alreadygrown. If you can see whitish roots breaking through the soil inside theplastic wrap, your marcotted stem is ready for transfer.

Figure 2.Propagation by marcotting

CUTTING 10) In cutting the rooted stem from the mother tree, be careful not to twistthe ball of earth. Cut it just below the tied end. Remove the plastic wrapbefore transplanting the new plant in a bag of sterilized fertile soil. Let itremain in partial shade until it is hardened.


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HOW TO GROW AZOLLA (ANABAENA AZOLLAE)

INTRODUCTION 1) Chemical fertilizers are getting more expensive these days. As a result,rice farmers are discouraged to apply the recommended amounts offertilizers. But rice farmers should not feel that the situation ishopeless. They could still increase their yield by using Azolla.

IMPORTANCE 2) What is special about this water fern is that it contains a blue-OF AZOLLA green algae, Anabaena Azollae. This algae has the ability to convert or

"fix" nitrogen from the air, as much as 30 to 40 kilograms per hectare.

CHEMICAL 3) Based on the chemical analysis of Azolla, the plant nutrientsANALYSIS available per ton of fresh Azolla are as follows: 2.10 kilograms of nitrogen

(N), 1.05 kilograms of phosphorous (P), and 1.75 kilograms of potassium(K). For 20 tons of Azolla biomass incorporated in the soil, it will contributemore or less 42 kilograms of N, 21 kilograms of P, and 35 kilograms of K, ora total of 98 kilograms of NPK per hectare.

GROWING 4) To grow enough Azolla biomass for one hectare of rice-field, startAZOLLA with a small nursery bed of three square meters. This requires 600

grams of Azolla seeding materials and will produce in 12 to 16 days abouteight to 10 kilograms of fresh Azolla biomass. This is enough to seed a 40-square-meter bed which will yield in 12 to 16 days about 120 kilograms offresh Azolla sufficient to seed a 600-square-meter multiplication bed. A 600-square-meter bed seeded with 120 kilograms of fresh Azolla seedingmaterials will produce in 12 to 16 days two tons of fresh Azolla sufficient toseed one hectare.

MULTIPLI- 5) It takes about one and a half months to grow enough AzollaCATION biomass to seed one hectare, assuming that a healthy growth of

Azolla doubles its biomass every four days. It is a must for Azollagrowers/users to maintain a nursery or multiplication bed of at least 40square meters to provide a continuous supply of Azolla seeding material orinoculum.

SECURING 6) Azolla is grown throughout the country, mostly by riceAZOLLA farmers. Secure from them your Azolla seeding material.INOCULUM

STEPS IN 7) Here are eight steps in growing this small aquatic fern:AZOLLACULTURE *Select in your farm an area that is not directly exposed to sunlight.

*Prepare the field just like you prepare for rice culture.

*Maintain the water level at five to seven centimeters deep.

*Sow fresh Azolla inoculum at the rate of 200 grams per square meter whichis equivalent to about two and a half level cans of condensed milk.


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*Broadcast super phosphate fertilizer (powdered form, 0-18-0) at the rate of8.3 grams per square meter or about one heaping table-spoonful of thefertilizer on top of the Azolla biomass. Tap the Azolla biomass gentlyimmediately after fertilization to moisten and dissolve fertilizer to preventfrond burning. Follow these rates of appli-cation: three-square-meternursery or multiplication bed, 12.5 grams; 40-square-meter nursery bed, 170

grams; 600-square-meter nursery bed, 2.5 kilograms. Make fourapplications at four days interval.

*If visible infestation occurs, apply a pinch of carbofuran per square meter.Do this every time you ob serve such infestation.

*If your nursery is bigger than one square meter, gently tap the Azolla with a"tingting" broom spread wide to scatter them and accelerate their growth.

*After eight to 12 days, the whole one square meter area will be coveredfully with more than one kilo of fresh Azolla biomass. This is now ready as asource for further multiplication in bigger nursery beds.

UTILIZATION 8) Aside from its uses as a green manure, Azolla can also be utilized aslivestock and poultry feed and as organic fertilizer.

*As livestock and poultry feed - Azolla contains 22 to 73 per cent crudeprotein (on a dry weight basis). It can be dried, pulverized and mixed withother low protein rations up to 20 to 25 per cent, as generallyrecommended. However, it is not recommended as a pure ration because itneeds supplementation with three essential amino acids (lycine, methionineand histidine).

*As organic fertilizer - Azolla makes an excellent compost with rice straw.

Since Azolla has a high protein content, it enhances decomposition. Forexample, rice straw alone rarely decomposes readily. When rice straw and

Azolla are piled together in alternate layers and kept moist, the whole massturns into friable compost in only five to six weeks.


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HOW TO GROW BANANA (MUSA SPP.)

IMPORTANCE 1) Banana is one of the favorite fruits of Filipinos. This sweet, finger-like fruitcomes in a number of varieties.

VARIETIES 2) The most common varieties grown in the country are: Gros Michel,

Latundan, Bungolan, Lakatan, Saba, Chinese Dwarf, and GiantCavendish. Other common varieties are Morado, Pitogo, Los BanosSenorita, Tindok, Gloria, Granada, and Tumok.

ADAPTATION 3) Plant banana in a well-drained, fairly fertile soil. For best yields, growbanana in sandy loam to clay loam soils with excellent drainage and liberalamounts of organic matter. Regions having an average rainfall of about4000 millimeters a year are ideal places for planting this fruit.

PROPAGATION 4) There are two common propagation materials: rhizomes and suckers.Large suckers are preferred. They should be removed from strong clumpswith a spade when four to five feet tall. Cut off the largest leaves. Suckers

should have many healthy roots. If healthy suckers are not available, thesuckers are cut off and the rhizomeis trimmed of all damaged roots and dark tissue, or cut into piecescontaining only white, healthy tissue and few buds.

LAND 5) The land should be prepared thoroughly. Plowing andPREPARATION then harrowing must be done two to three times until the soil is well-

pulverized. Remove stumps and bushes from newly-cleared fields.

SPACING 6) Good spacing is 3.5 by 4.0 meters or even farther apart, particularly forlarge varieties.

PLANTING 7) The holes should be 45 centimeters (1.5 feet) in diameterHOLES and almost knee-deep. Place about 10 grams of complete fertilizer and a

few grams of granular nematocide in the bottom of each hole. It is alsodesirable to cover the planting materials with compost and soil. A good thicklayer of mulch will improve the recovery and growth of the planting material.Soil around each new plant should be tamped and watered.

FERTILIZATION 8) In poor soils bananas should be fertilized frequently for maximumproduction. Since the potash requirement of banana is high, the fertilizershould contain N-P-K at a ration of 3-1-6. The amount of fertilizer dependson the size and age of the stalk and on the number of stalks per clump.Young plants should be started with one pound of a 6-2-12 mixture or a

similar formula applied every two months. Increase this gradually to five tosix pounds at flowering and fruiting time, 10 months later.

PRUNING 9) Prune or de-sucker the plants at least once a month. Allow only one ortwo suckers with well-developed underground stems and narrow, sword-likeleaves to survive. De-sucker the plants before the side-shoots reach twofeet in height.


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PROPPING 10) To protect heavily bearing plants from wind damage and collapse, propthem up with bamboo poles. Two bamboo poles are tied together andopened like a pair of big scissors. Place the neck of the plant between thepoles.

BAGGING 11) You can use plastic bags to wrap developing fruit

OF FRUIT bunches to prevent peel scratching by birds and bats, sun scalding, fungalinfections (which cause spots and discoloration), and infestation by insects.

The upper part of the bag should be tied to the neck of the bunch and itslower end should be left open. Remove the bags during harvesting.

CONTROL 12) The serious diseases that will attack your banana areOF DISEASES the following: Panama disease (also known as banana wilt and vascular

wilt), sigatoka disease, pitting disease, and Bunchy Top disease. You cancontrol and/or prevent their occurrence by planting resistant varieties,spraying fungicides, and practicing field sanitation.

CONTROL 13) A common pest is the banana weevil which attacks theOF INSECTS corms. It can be controlled by sanitation, by cutting affected corms, and by

spraying with chemicals. Another pest is the red rust thrip, which destroysthe leaves. It may be controlled by spraying with chemicals.

HARVESTING 14) Saba may be harvested 15 to 16 months after planting (MAP); Lakatan,14 to 15 MAP; Dwarf Cavendish, 8 MAP; and Giant Cavendish, 6 to 7 MAP.

The usual practice in harvesting bananas in the country is to cut the bunchwhen they are green at varying stages of maturity.

To harvest bananas, make a deep cut about the middle of the stalk or trunk

and allow the top to fall gradually until the bunch can be caught or graspedby a worker below. The bunch is then cut, leaving a fruit stalk long enoughfor the bunch to be grasped and carried.


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HOW TO GROW BARBADOS CHERRY (MALPIGHIA GLABRA)

IMPORTANCE 1) How would you like to grow a valuable fruit tree in your garden that willbear fruit within six months? A tree that provides fruit with the highestknown source of vitamin C? A tree that is attractive and easy topropagate? If you are interested in these qualities, then growing Barbados

Cherry might be a worthwhile project for you.

USES 2) The fruit, which is sour and turns bright cherry red when ripe, can eitherbe eaten plain, preserved, or crushed and strained and mixed with sugarand water to make delicious juice or ice candy. Three ripe fruits provide afull day's supply of vitamin C (one fruit has eight times as much vitamin C asone calamansi or calamondin).

ADAPTATION 3) The climate in most regions of the country is suited for growing theBarbados Cherry. In planting this fruit tree, select an area in your farm orhome lot where the soil is fertile, deep and well-drained.

PROPAGATION 4) You can propagate Barbados Cherry by hardwood cuttings, marcotting,and budding or layering. But the best method is by marcotting.

MARCOTTING 5) Marcotting is done by growing roots on a branch while the branch is stillpart of the tree. The branch with the new roots is then cut off and planted.Below are the steps in marcotting:

a) Select a woody branch thicker than a pencil. Near theend of the branch use a sharp knife to remove a 1/4"strip of bark. Carefully clean the exposed strip, thusremoving the cambium layer.

b) Make a ball of moist clay soil or moss and place itaround the exposed cut. Wrap securely with plastic andtie both ends.

c) When roots are visible through the plastic (1-2 months),cut the new marcott from the mother tree. Remove aboutone-half to two-thirds of the leaves and prune for abalanced shape. Remove the plastic and transplant to aprepared seedling bag, taking care not to damage thedelicate young roots while handling. Water it thoroughly

Allow the seedling to "harden" in the shade forthree to four weeks or until new leaves begin to grow.

LAND 6) If planted on the farm, it is better to plant BarbadosPREPARATION Cherry in a land previously plowed and planted to other crops. But if the

land has been idle for some time and is weedy, it should be plowed andharrowed at least two times in order to eliminate the weeds and loosen thesoil.

PLANTING 7) Follow the recommended steps in planting Barbados Cherry:PROCEDURE


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- The distance between the holes for the plants is threeto four meters in a square pattern.

- Dig a hole one-and-a-half feet deep and one-and-a-halffeet in diameter. Then fill half of the hole with mixedsoil consisting of one-third animal manure, one-third

sand, and one-third garden soil.

- Remove the plastic bag covering the marcotted BarbadosCherry with a sharp blade or knife. Then gently setthe plant inside the hole, gradually covering with pul-verized top soil.

- Finish filling the hole with top soil, packing it lightlyuntil the hole is filled up to ground level.

- After planting, water the plant abundantly andregularly thereafter, making sure the area where the

roots are concentrated is sufficiently wet so it canprovide moisture needed to sustain the growth of themarcot until the next watering.

FERTILIZATION 8) The amount and the kind of fertilizer to apply depend upon the soil fertilityof your area. As a general guide, one to two handfuls of complete fertilizer(14-14-14) per plant will be enough. Frequency of application dependsupon the growth of your plants.

SPRAYING 9) Spray your plants regularly with insecticide like Malathion to get rid ofinsects destructive to Barbados Cherry. Follow carefully what isrecommended on the manufacturer's label.

HARVESTING 10) The Barbados Cherry will bear fruit four to six months after planting. Thefruits are ready to harvest when they look cherry red.


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HOW TO MAKE BASKET COMPOST

WHAT IS 1) Basket composting is the process by which your home garbage,BASKET garden and farm waste and leguminous plants like ipil-ipil leavesCOMPOSTING? are allowed to rot in baskets which are half buried in garden plots.

The resulting product is called basket compost. The purpose of basketcomposting is to directly use plant nutrients that can be derived from therotting materials for home food production.

BENEFITS 2) Basket composting will give you these benefits:

a. You can immediately use the basket compost without waiting for theusual 3 to 4 months period as is necessary in the old method of composting.

b. It requires less work because you don't need to turn the compostingmaterials.

c. Your home and its surroundings will become cleaner because garbageand waste are collected and decomposed in compost baskets.

d. There is higher vegetable crop production at less cost.

MATERIALS 3) The materials needed are all available in your backyard:NEEDED

a. Any old round baskets of at least 1 foot in diameter and 1 foot inheight. Stakes or wire could be used by forming them into shapes of roundbaskets. The purpose of the basket is to hold your composting materials inplace.

b. All home organic garbage, farm and garden wastes, weeds and grasseswhich can be gathered while cleaning and preparing your gardenplots. Leaves of nitrogen fixing trees/shrubs (NFT/S) such as Flemingiamacrophylla, Leucaena leucocephala, Desmodium rensonii, Indigofera anil,Glircicidia sepium, etc., if available, are excellent materials for basketcomposting.

c. Any farm manure which will be the source of rotting organisms andnitrogen.

PROCEDURE 4) You can modify or improve the procedure in basket composting.Generally, this is how it is done:

a. Clean your garden site and prepare the garden plots thoroughly. Saveweeds and grasses for composting materials.

b. Make holes in the garden plots large enough to accommodate the size ofyour baskets. The baskets should be one meter apart. Then half bury thebaskets in the holes.


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c. Place the most decomposed garbage and manure into thebasket first. The un-decomposed materials like ipil-ipil leaves, grasses andweeds should be placed into the basket last.

d. If the materials placed in the bottom part of the basket are almostdecomposed, you can immediately plant your seeds or seedlings 2 to 3

inches outside the baskets. Do not plant inside the basket.

e. If the materials placed in the baskets are green leaves, plant your seedsor seedlings 2 to 3 weeks later. This will give the materials enough time tostart decomposing. If you use green leaves of ipil-ipil you need at least 5kilos to start it. Add 2 kilos of leaves every two weeks. In this way, you neednot to buy commercial fertilizer for your plants.

f. Water only at the center of the basket instead of watering the plants. Thelower part of the basket is cool, moist, and has abundant nutrients for yourcrops. Later on, the roots will grow into the basket.

g. Unlike the old procedure of composting, you don't need to turn the rottingmaterials. Just keep on adding new and un-decomposed materials.

h. After harvesting your garden crops, remove the contents of the basketsand spread them evenly around the baskets, working the decomposedmaterials into the soil. This will act as a starter for the next plants until rootsare able to penetrate into the baskets where abundant plant feeds areavailable.

BASKET 5) Here is how basket composting will look in your gardenCOMPOSTING plots.IN YOUR

PLOT

CROPS FOR 6) Some garden crops which have been successful with the useUSE WITH of basket composting are tomatoes, pepper, beans, soybeans, sweetCOMPOST corn, lima beans, acorn squash, eggplant, and okra. You can try

other vegetables also.


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PLANTS vines climb the supports, the tops should be pulled down at the desiredheight of two to three meters. Every three months, manure or compostshould be applied to each hill to maintain plant growth.

PEST 10) Two common insects attacking black pepper are the leaf-MANAGEMENT hopper and the mealy bug. To control these, spray the plants with either

Sevin 85S, Malathion or Thiodan.

Black pepper is also attacked by root grubs and African snails. To preventroot grubs, select a well-drained area for planting. Control the snails withpoison bait which you can obtain from commercial agricultural stores.

Another way to control the snails is to simply crush them and place themaround the plants to decompose and become organic fertilizer. Ants shouldbe prevented from building their nests around the pepper plants.

CONTROL 11) Diseases found to cause damage are "sudden death"OF DISEASES disease, wilt, and "pollu" disease. Sudden death is believed to be caused

by eelworms and root fungus. No effective control measures have been

found although pulling and burning infected plant parts may prevent spread.

"Pollu" disease, characterized by hollow and light berries, is caused byinsect damage (flea beetles and gall fly), fungus attack (Colectotricumspp.) or physiological disturbances of the plants that cause the prematureshedding of spikes. This disease can be partly controlled by spraying thevines with Bordeaux mixture and insecticides.

HARVESTING 12) The first harvest of black pepper berries is on its third year. The spikesare ready for harvest when several berries attached to them have turnedred. Remove the spikes by hand from the vines. Rub the berries off byhand or beat them lightly with a stick to separate them from the spikes.

On the third year, the first harvest varies from one half to one kilogram perplant. At the age of seven years, the yield is approximately 1.5 kilogramsper plant.

DRYING 13) After harvesting, dry berries immediately under the sunlight until theybecome black and wrinkled. The ideal remaining moisture content of blackpepper is 12 percent. Dried berries can be stored for long periods of time.

MAKING 14) Black pepper is sold in the market in two forms--blackWHITE PEPPER and white. If the latter is desired, select the best and ripest berries and

submerge them in water for one to two weeks to let them soften. After

soaking, allow the berries to ferment before removing the outer hull.


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HOW TO RAISE BROILER CHICKENS

IMPORTANCE 1) Protein is one of the most important elements in our daily diet.Production of broiler (or meat-type) chickens is one way to provide protein inyour diet and to provide additional income for your family.

CONSIDERATIONS 2) Before deciding to raise broilers, you should considerIN BROILER the following factors: (1) interest plus knowledge onRAISING broiler production, (2) water supply, (3) availability of feed and veterinary

supplies, (4) market and (5) the peace and order situation in your area.

STOCK 3) If you want to produce high-quality chicken meat, you have to raiseSELECTION broilers that are adaptable to local conditions, available any time of the year,

and if possible, resistant to diseases. Some of the most common broilers inthe country are Arbor Acres, Cobb, Hubbard, Peterson Chicks, and Stanbre.

SITE 4) Build your broiler house in an area with good drainageSELECTION and plenty of water.

BROILER 5) A broiler house should protect the birds from rains,HOUSE strong winds, and extremes of temperature. It should be easy to

clean. Provide one-half square foot of floor space per bird.

BROODING 6) There are two types of brooding: natural and artificial. In naturalbrooding the mother hen provides the heat, but this system is good only fora limited number of chicks. Artificial brooding makes use of electric lamps,bulbs, etc. as sources of heat for the chicks.

FEEDS AND 7) There are three types of commercial feeds available inFEEDING the market today: the broiler starter, the broiler finisher, and the

straight broiler mash. Starter rations contain about 24-25% protein.Finisher rations are about 20-21% protein. The straight broiler or all-purposemash contains 22% protein.

The starter ration is fed to the birds during the first 5 weeks. From 5 weeksto marketing age (8 weeks) the finishing ration is fed. If you prefer to use theall-purpose ration, feed this from the start up to marketing age.

The following ration is one which you can mix yourself:

Tikitiki (rice bran) ................. 16 kilosSoybean meal ........... 15 "

Binlud or crushed corn . 10 "Copra meal ............. 4 "Ipil-ipil leaf meal ... 3 "Limestone ................ 1 "Meat & bone meal ........ .. 1 "Salt .................. 0.2 "

Afsillin ................ 0.1 "

Total 50.3 kilos


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FEED CONSUMPTION AND FEED CONVERSION OF BROILER CHICKS====================================================================

Age of Chicks Average Weekly Feed Cumulative Feed Consumption(Days) Weight Consumption per kilo of weight gain

====================================================================0 43 gm. NA NA

1 - 7 74 " 85 gm. 1.15 kilos8 - 14 154 " 125 " 1.37 "

15 - 21 269 " 225 " 1.62 "22 - 28 423 " 348 " 1.85 "29 - 35 628 " 429 " 1.93 "36 - 42 868 " 637 " 2.13 "43 - 49 1123 " 723 " 2.50 "50 - 60 1384 " 890 " 2.50 "

====================================================================SOURCE: SEARCA, A Training Manual for Poultry Production

DISEASE 9) The most economical and best way to control diseasePREVENTION is through prevention, which could be achieved by proper

AND CONTROL management, effective sanitation and a vaccination program. Evenwith all the precautionary procedures, however, communicable diseases stillstrike.

The following symptoms are early signs of disease: sudden drop in feedconsumption, difficulty in breathing, disturbed feathers, irritation, cloudyeyes and pale mucous membranes, and drop in weight.

In case you suspect disease in your broilers, you need to isolate the

affected birds right away. Consult your veterinarian or any other authority todetermine the exact cause of the disease and how to treat it. Birds whichdie should be burned or buried.

MARKETING 10) Broilers are marketed at 7-8 weeks of age. Plan the right time toproduce your broilers so they will be ready for sale when the demand ishighest. Studies show that the months of November and December are thebest marketing times for broilers. It may be possible to locate buyers right inyour own community...especially in areas where the family income isgenerally high.


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HOW TO GROW CACAO (THEOBROMA CACAO)

IMPORTANCE 1) Cacao is the source of the delicious chocolate drink. It is also used inflavoring candies, pastries and ice cream. The cacao oil is used in themanufacture of cosmetics (lipstick, facial creams, etc.) because it does notbecome smelly. It is also used in pharmaceuticals as a base for important

antibiotics. For your own home consumption and to increase your income,plant cacao either in your farm or backyard.

VARIETIES 2) There are three common varieties of cacao from which you can choose:the Criollo (the native variety), the Forastero and the Trinitario.

ADAPTATION 3) Plant cacao in areas where the rainfall is evenly distributed throughoutthe year. It grows well in a clay loam soil that is rich in organic matter.

Cacao likes partially shaded sites; therefore you can grow it under coconuttrees. For open areas, you can grow shade trees like ipil-ipil (Leucaenaleucocephala) and/or madre de cacao (Gliricidia sepium), but you need to

plant the trees six months ahead of the cacao.

PROPAGATION 4) Cacao is usually propagated by means of seeds. Select your seeds frombig pods obtained from strong, healthy and most productive trees. Removefirst the slimy covering of the seeds by rubbing them with ashes orfermenting them for a day and then washing off the slimy covering withwater. Cacao seeds cannot be stored for along time; therefore, they must be planted immediately after taking themfrom the pods.

GROWING 5) Prepare plastic bags (size: 15 cm x 20 cm x .002 mil) bySEEDLINGS making holes at the bottom for drainage. Fill each bag with fertile and

easily crumbled top soil. Plant your seeds in the prepared plastic bags 2centimeters deep and with their radicle (root point) down.

You must provide shade for your seedlings. After twomonths, or when the leaves of your seedlings are already mature and hard,you can transplant them in the field.

LAND 6) Prepare your land by clearing all underbrush. MeasurePREPARATION distances of 2.5 to 3.0 meters apart and put stakes for

AND your guide. Dig holes big enough to accommodate theTRANSPLANTING ball of soil around the roots of your seedlings. To prevent damaging the

roots of your seedlings, cut the plastic bags with a sharp knife and lower

carefully the seedlings into their respective holes. Cover first with topsoilthen the subsoil. Water after transplanting. If possible, plant cacao at thestart of the rainy season.

WEEDING 7) Control weeds by ring weeding about one meter around the trees.Weeding should be done only when necessary. Ring weed young cacaoplants at least once a month during the rainy season. In sloping areas youcan plant cover crops like wild peanut (Arahcis pintoi).


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FERTILIZATION 8) Start fertilizing your cacao plants when you think it is needed or at oneyear after planting. Fertilize your non-bearing cacao plants with completefertilizer (14-14-14) at one-half kilo per tree per year. As for bearing plants,provide them the same kind of fertilizer at one kilo per tree per year. Splityour application into two: one-half at the start of the rainy season and theother half six months later. In the absence of commercial fertilizer, you can

use ipil-ipil and madre de cacao leaves and/or manure.

MULCHING 9) A mulch of ipil-ipil leaves or grasses around the trees will lessen the needfor weeding. It will also maintain the fertility and the organic matter contentof your soil.

PRUNING 10) Prune your cacao trees to remove unwanted growth. This will makespraying and harvesting easier. In addition, it will help control pests anddiseases and maintain high yields.

PEST 11) Cacao pod borer is the most serious pest of cacao. ToMANAGEMENT reduce damage by this pest, cover all developing fruits with plastic bags.

Insects can be controlled by spraying Malathion or any recommendedinsecticides. Be sure to follow the dosage written on the label.

The most common cacao diseases are black rot and stem canker, which arecaused by fungus. They can be controlled by spraying fungicides likeDithane. You can also control the spread of these diseases by removingand burning infected fruits, stems and heavily infected trees.

HARVESTING 12) Harvest only mature pods. Pods are mature when they change color:from red to yellowish orange and green to yellow. Remove the beans bybreaking the pods.

FERMENTATION 13) Ferment the cacao beans after they have been extracted. Fermentationis accomplished by putting the mass of seeds in a box provided with 20-30holes or in a basket. Stir the seeds at least once a day for three to sevendays for uniform fermentation. When a cut section of a bean shows anouter brown ring, you can then dry and store the beans. Beans can besafely stored at eight per cent moisture content.


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HOW TO GROW CALAMANSI (CITRUS MITIS VAR. MICROCARPA)

USEFULNESS OF 1) Calamansi is the most popular and commonly used citrus fruit in theCALAMANSI Philippines. Its juice, which is rich in minerals and vitamin C, makes a

nutritious fruit drink. It helps to prevent respiratory diseases, strengthens thebones and stimulates growth. Every household recognizes calamansi as a

medicine, a kitchen ingredient, a beauty concoction and an essential fruitdrink. You can have a year round supply of this versatile citrus fruit bygrowing the plant in your home lot.

SOIL AND 2) It is easy to cultivate calamansi. The plant grows well in cool andCLIMATIC elevated areas. It thrives best in rich and sandy soil.REQUIREMENTS

PROPAGATING 3) You can buy calamansi seedlings from the Mindanao BaptistCALAMANSI Rural Life Center. Plant the seedlings five meters apart. If you are

planting grafted calamansi, dig a hole at least 40 centimeters indiameter and 40 centimeters deep. Set the seedling into the hole and

put back the soil mixed with compost. Water the plant daily.

FERTILIZATION 4) If you want to produce big, luscious fruits, fertilize the plantsregularly. One month after planting, apply 50 to 100 grams (which isabout one handful) of Urea and 16-20-0 (mixed) around each tree.Fertilize every four months.

Starting on the second year, increase the fertilizer to 200 or 300grams (Urea and 16-20-0 mixed) per tree every four months.

The tree bears fruits after 1 to 2 years. By that time you should applycomplete fertilizer like12-24-12 at the rate of 1.5 kilos per tree to

increase fruit yield. By the time your tree is 8-10 years old you shouldincrease the fertilizer to two to three kilos per tree three times peryear.

Apply the fertilizer properly by mixing it with the soil. Cover the soilaround each tree with dry leaves to conserve moisture. Uproot weedswhen necessary.

Apply fertilizer to producing trees three times yearly: first, during therainy season before flowering; second, two months after flowering;and the last, after harvesting.

PESTS AND 5) To keep the trees healthy, protect them from pests andTHEIR diseases. To control citrus bark borers, spray the treesCONTROL with EPN 300 solution. You can also use copper fungicide for the

same problem. To prevent the pest from spreading, cut off the infected partsand burn them.

The aphid is another harmful pest. To control aphids, spray the trees witheither Malathion solution (3 tablespoons in 5 gallons water), MethylParathion (2 tablespoons in 5 gallons water), or Diazinon (3 tablespoons in


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5 gallons water). If aphids have already attacked, cut off the infectedportions and burn them.

Other harmful pests are the Purple Scale and Glover's Scale. Insecticideseffective in controlling these pests include: EPN (3 tablespoons in 5 gallonswater), lime sulfur (15 tablespoons in 5 gallons water), Malathion (3

tablespoons in 5 gallons water), or Methyl Parathion (2 tablespoons in 5gallons water).

DISEASES 6) Calamansi is prone to diseases such as Gummosis andAND THEIR citrus scab. Gummosis is caused by either a lack orCONTROL excess of fertilizer or damage done by insect pests or farm machineries. To

control both of these diseases, spray the plant with Zerlate or anyrecommended fungicide solutions.

HARVESTING 7) Calamansi trees will start to bear fruit after one or twoTHE FRUITS years. To harvest, detach the fruits from the branch either manually or

using a scissor. Take care not to damage the branches or the leaves. You

will have better quality fruit if you leave a portion of the stem attached to thefruit and do not tear the skin of the fruit when you harvest.

You can sell the extra fruits in markets, hotels or restaurants. Use calamansiin your daily intake of fruit drinks.


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HOW TO GROW CASSAVA (MANIHOT ESCULENTA)

IMPORTANCE 1) Cassava, locally known as "kamoteng kahoy" or "balanghoy," deservesmore attention than it presently receives. It has many different uses, andeven its by-products can be used.

VARIETIES 2) There are several varieties of cassava grown throughout the country. Forfood production, the following are recommended by the experts: GoldenYellow, Katabang, Macan, and Brazil. If you want to grow cassava for starchproduction, plant Java Brown or Hawaiian 5. Other common varietiesinclude Rough Intermediate, White Smooth Intermediate, Kapo White, KapoColorado, Aipin Manteiga, and Vasscurinha. The poisonous variety is calledBogor

CLIMATIC 3) You can grow cassava any time of the year. But you canRANGE not grow cassava in a very cool area with a high altitude. For optimum

growth and best performance, plant cassava in a warm climate with awell distributed rainfall of 1,000 to 2,000 millimeters per year.

TYPE OF 4) Cassava grows in different kinds of soils, but for bestSOILS root development you need to plant it in a deep, well drained, easily

crumbled soil. PROPAGATION 5) Cassava is planted through stem cuttings. The best planting materials

come from healthy and mature plants at least 1.5 meters high. The stemwith brown bark can be cut into 18-inch planting material. The stem amongthe leaves should not be used.

As soon as you get the trunks and cut them into planting materials,you need to plant them immediately before they dry out and lose their

vigor. But you can store the cuttings for up to 10 days provided youbundle them under a wet cloth or other covering.

LAND 6) Prepare your land for planting cassava in the same way asPREPARATION you do for other crops. Be sure to plow deep or dig with a shovel to

enable the tubers to grow big. Usually plowing and harrowing aredone twice or three times depending on the soil and how many weedsyou have.

PLANTING 7) You should plant cassava at the end of the dry season orSEASON at the start of the rainy season. This will ensure that the cuttings you

planted will get enough water to sprout and grow well.

PLANTING 8) You can plant cassava cuttings 100 centimeters betweenDISTANCES rows and 75 centimeters between plants in the row. Where ridge

planting is used, the distance between ridges is usually 120centimeters.

METHODS OF 9) If the soil is dry, plant the cuttings lying down andPLANTING cover with soil to prevent them from drying up. If the soil is moist, you

can plant the cuttings standing with about five centimeters of the tops


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above the soil. Planting the stem cutting in a slanted position is thedesired method of planting. This allows uniform distribution of tubersand makes harvesting easier.

WEEDING 10) Weeds usually develop in the cassava field, especially after itrains. The first weeding should be done as early as two weeks after

planting, and the second weeding one month after planting. Thenweed the field for the last time two months before harvesting.

CULTIVATION 11) Cultivate your cassava field three weeks after planting either with theuse of hand tools or by passing a carabao-drawn plow between rows.Cultivation is done to kill the weeds and to break the soil that has hardeneddue to rain. Avoid cultivating the field two months after planting since thetubers will have started to develop.

FERTILIZA- 12) The usual rate of fertilizer is 50 to 100 kilos ofTION nitrogen per hectare, plus 50 to 100 kilos of phosphorous, and 75 to 120

kilos of potassium...but cassava has the ability to produce on very poor soil.

PEST 13) Cassava is one of the most insect-resistant plants inCONTROL agriculture. Spider mites, mound building termites, cerambycid borers, corn

silk beetles, scale insects, mealy bugs, and white-flies occasionally attackcassava, but you can control them by using insecticides such as Malathionor Sevin, following the manufacturer's recommendations.

DISEASE 14) Disease incidence in cassava fields is very rare.CONTROL However, the following are reported to be attacking cassava

occasionally: cercospora leafspot, bacterial blight, tuber rot, and tip blight.These diseases can be controlled or eliminated by spraying affected plantswith fungicides such as Manzate and Parzate.

HARVESTING 15) Varieties used for food may be harvested as early as 4 months afterplanting. If the entire field is to be harvested at one time, you need to cut thestems just before harvesting. After doing this, you can start pulling them byhand or with the aid of hand tools. If progressive harvesting is to be done,select only the marketable tubers from a plant. Then replace the soil tocover the hole.

STORING 16) The cassava root has a very high perish ability. Cassava tubers shouldbe milled into starch or consumed as food within twenty-four hours afterharvest or they will deteriorate. You can, however, store cassava tubers byputting them in a dark place. Or you can bury them directly in either clay

loam or sandy soil.


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HOW TO GROW COFFEE (COFEA SPP.)

INTRODUCTION 1) Coffee is one of the favorite hot drinks of Filipinos. Only a very fewhomes from north to south of the country are without coffee to grace theirtables.

VARIETIES 2) There are four commercially known varieties of coffee grown in thecountry: Arabica, Liberica, Excelsa, and Robusta.

SOIL 3) Plant coffee in a soil that is deep sandy clay loam, rich in humus,REQUIREMENTS and with good drainage. Soil of volcanic origin is best. The tree

suffers severely in areas that are water-logged or where the water levelstays near the soil surface.

CLIMATIC 4) An environment which has a free air movement is mostREQUIREMENTS favorable to the plant's growth. Arabica can be planted 900 to 1,800

meters above sea level while Robusta, Liberica, and Excelsa can be plantedfrom sea level up to 900 meters above sea level.

SEED 5) Always get seeds from healthy and high-yielding trees.SELECTION Choose only large and fully ripe berries. Avoid dry, overripe berries

left on branches. Small wrinkled, lightweight and abnormal berries shouldnot be used.

PROPAGATION 6) Remove the pulp from the seeds and plant them in plastic bags filled witha fertile soil medium. When your seedlings develop six pairs of true leaves,they are ready for transplanting.

VEGETATIVE 7) Coffee can also be propagated asexually through cloning.PROPAGATION To reproduce a clone, split lengthwise into two halves a finger-sized vertical

shoot about one foot long with 4 to 6 nodes. Cut leaves partially beforesplitting. Set nodal cuttings in germination boxes 1 x 2 inches apart and 1inch deep, then place boxes in a shaded area. Nodal cuttings will produceroots and shoots within 45 days. Then transplant seedlings into individualplastic bags with soil. A full-grown seedling with 4 to 6 pairs of leaves couldbe attained in about 6 to 8 months.

LAND 8) Prepare your land by plowing and harrowing and then byPREPARATION digging holes. The holes for your coffee should be about 30 centimeters in

diameter and 30 centimeters deep, depending on the size and height of yourseedlings.

PLANTING 9) The distance between holes depends on the variety andDISTANCE pruning system adopted. Here are the suggested distances for planting:

Arabica, 2-3 meters; Robusta, 3-4 meters; and Excelsa and Liberica, 4-5meters.

FERTILIZATION 10) The general recommendation for non-bearing trees in the absence ofsoil analysis is an equal amount of NPK and ammonium sulfate or urea(from 250 to 300 grams per tree per year); and for bearing trees (7 years


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and above) one kilo of 14-14-14 per tree per year plus urea side dressed atthe rate of 300 grams per tree per year.

For one to two-year-old trees, make a furrow five centimeters deep aroundthe plant, place recommended fertilizer in a continuous band and cover withsoil.

For fruit-bearing trees, apply the recommended fertilizer in holes or trenchesaround the trees or spread the fertilizer over the area one-half meter awayfrom the trees.

WEEDING 11) Weeds compete with coffee plants for nutrients in the soil. Controlweeds by weeding about one meter around each plant.

PRUNING 12) This means the removal of unnecessary branches (excess, old anddead branches) and undesirable water sprouts. Pruning is best done beforegeneral flowering or after harvest.

MULCHING 13) Mulching your coffee plants improves soil texture, nutrients, and waterabsorption and retention. It also minimizes soil erosion and lowers soiltemperature. The mulch should be as thick as possible and donecontinuously.

COVERCROPPING 14) Non-climbing crops like Desmodium heterophylum or Arachis pintoican increase organic matter, hold water and minimize soil erosion underyour coffee. The Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center is one good source ofcuttings of hetero and wild peanut. Cover crops which compete with coffeefor nutrients and moisture should be used only in between rows to minimizesoil erosion.

INSECT CONTROL 15) Insects such as coffee berry borer, coffee leaf folder, scale insects, stemborers and leaf miners cause damage in coffee. Chemicals like Malathionand Gusathion will control these insects. Follow the recommendations onthe label.

CONTROL OF 16) Coffee rust and other diseases can be controlled byDISEASES using copper base fungicides.

FLOWERING 17) Arabica coffee flowers in about two and one-half to three years aftertransplanting. Other varieties flower somewhat later.

HARVESTING 18) Berries mature in a shorter period in lower and warmer areas than in

higher and cooler areas. Arabica berries mature after 10 to 11 months fromflowering. Robusta takes 10 months and Liberica and Excelsa, 11 to 12months. The first harvest, however, is not yet commercial in quantity orquality.


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HOW TO GROW CORN (ZEA MAYS)

IMPORTANCE 1) Corn, or mais as it is commonly referred to in the Philippines, is a foodcrop that is rich in starch or carbohydrates but comparatively low inprotein. It is the second staple food in the country, next to rice, but containsmore vitamin A, protein and fats than rice.

Aside from being used as a staple food, corn is also utilized for animal feedsand can be made into oil, corn syrup, fuel, paper, and many other products.

VARIETIES 2) There are many recommended and available varieties for production.Hybrids (HV) are available and have potential high yields, however, theyusually require high inputs and are more susceptible to diseases. Openpollinated (OP) varieties are usually lower yielding but are true-to-type inthat the seeds can be saved over and over and still produce the samevariety with little or no loss of yield and characteristic. Composite varietiesare popular in that they are a step above open pollinated varieties but stillnot dependent on chemical inputs for good yields.

Our favorite open pollinated varieties used at the RLC include: Tiniguib (atraditional white corn) and Hawaiian Super Sweet (a delicious sweet corn foreating). These varieties can easily be grown and perpetuated by the localfarm family.

Our favorite composite varieties include: DMR 1 and 2 (Downy MildewResistance) and USMARC 1 and 2. These are proven local composites thathave good food and feed values. Each has a yellow and a white variety. Theyellow corn is usually used for feed. The white for human consumption.

CLIMATIC 3) Corn grows best in a warm sunny climate with sufficient

RANGE water supply. A rainfall of 200 mm to 1500 mm is needed during itsgrowing period.

SOILS 4) The best soil for corn is one which is well drained and with a texture of siltloam or loam type. Light sandy soils, gravelly soils and heavy clays do notinduce healthy root development. Soil which is deep, well pulverized, andyet fairly compact is excellent for corn.

LAND 5) Plowing should be done when the soil is moist. For anPREPARATION animal-drawn plow, a depth of 4-6 cm is enough. The field should be

harrowed after plowing and again within two days before planting to levelthe soil.

PLANTING 6) The two most common methods of planting corn are:METHODS a) surface or flat-bed planting in which seeds are drilled or hill-planted; b)

ridge planting in which the seeds are placed on top of the ridge. In slopingareas, corn should be planted in contour rows.

DEPTH OF 7) If the soil contains considerable moisture at plantingPLANTING time, the seeds should be planted from 2-5 cm. deep. In

dry soil the seeds should be planted 5-8 cm deep.


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SPACING 8) You need 6-7 gantas (cups) of good seeds to plant a hectare.

The rows should be spaced at 75 cm with hill spacing of 50 cmwith 2 plants per hill or drilled at 25 cm between hills with one plant to eachhill.

FERTILIZA- 9) Corn requires an abundance of nitrogen and liberal amountsTION of phosphate and potash. It also needs considerable amounts of

calcium, magnesium, and sulfur. The recommended rate of fertilizer to beapplied per hectare is 90 kilos of nitrogen, 30 kilos of phosphorous, and 30kilos of potash.

During dry season, it is advisable that you apply all the recommendedamounts of fertilizer just before planting.

A basal application and side-dressing application are recommended for wetseason. One half of the recommended amount of nitrogen fertilizer isapplied at planting time while phosphorous and potassium are applied in the

furrow and then covered. The remaining half of the nitrogen is side-dressed4-5 weeks after germination or when the cornplants are about knee-high.

If commercial fertilizer is very expensive, you can use leaves of nitrogenfixing plants (tree/shrubs). One hundred kilos of dry NFT/S leaves can giveyou 4.0 kilos of nitrogen, 2.0 kilos of phosphorus and 1.5 kilos of potassium.(Three kilos of fresh NFT/S leaves produce approximately one kilo of dryleaves.)

CULTIVATION 10) Cultivate your corn in order to control weeds. Weeds can also beAND WEEDING suppressed by hand pulling, hoeing and by application of herbicides.

PEST 11) The following destructive insects will attack your corn: whiteCONTROL grubs, armyworms, cutworms, corn borer, corn ear-worm, rice weevil,

lesser grain borer, flour beetle, rice moth, and maggots. You can controlthese insects by spraying chemicals, handpicking, or removing and burninginfested corn plants.

DISEASE 12) Downy mildew, leaf rust, leaf spot, kernel blast, ear andCONTROL stalk rot, bacterial leaf stripe, rhizoctonia disease, corn smut, and

pythium root rot are diseases that infect corn. Control them by plantingresistant varieties, by spraying chemicals, by removing and burning infectedcorn, and by practicing crop rotation.

HARVESTING 13) Harvest your corn when the ears are mature. This is usually 110-115days after planting. Remove the husk and dry to about 15% moisture.


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HOW TO RAISE DUCKS WITH FISH AND SNAILS

IMPORTANCE 1) Ducks, fish, and snails can be grown together in the same pond withoutthese animals competing with each other for food. By growing themtogether, you can maximize production and increase your income.

AREA OF 2) This depends on the size of your lot, but the minimum size shouldTHE POND be at least fifty square meters per dozen ducks.

POND SITE 3) Be sure to construct your pond in a site where a steady supplySELECTION of water is available. It must receive sunlight throughout the day.

POND 4) When you dig your pond, see to it that the side where youCONSTRUCTION drain the water is deeper than the other side. This will facilitate

draining your pond and harvesting the fish. Dig out just enough soil tomaintain a water depth of 1/2 to 3/4 meter. Use the excavated soil toconstruct dikes. The dikes should be thicker at the base than at the top toprevent erosion.

Next, install a water control gate near the water source and drainage canal.Provide the gate with a wire screen with one-square-centimeter holes. Thescreen should be placed before the gate door.

MANURING 5) Cow dung, pig dung, chicken droppings, duck manure, kitchenTHE POND waste, compost, and green manure such as green leaves and grasses can

be used to fertilize your pond. Spread the manure on the surface at the rateof five kilograms for every 50 square meters.

You can also use commercial fertilizer. Broadcast evenly one-fourthkilogram of urea and one-fourth kilogram of 12-24-12 on every 50 square

meters of surface.

FILLING THE 6) After applying fertilizer, let water into the pond and leave thePOND pond for two weeks to allow algae to grow.

STOCKING 7) For this project, the recommended fish breed is TilapiaOF FISH nilotica. It grows fast and starts breeding in five months. Unlike Tilapia

mossambica, nilotica does not need frequent restocking in ponds andseparation of male from female fish. Stock 2-3 tilapia per square meter.

BUILDING OF 8) Construct the duck house in one side above the water of yourTHE DUCK pond. For a pond area of 50 square meters, 12 to 15 ducks are

HOUSE sufficient. Provide two males and 10 to 13 females. Build them a house witha floor area of 4 square meters or 6 by 6 feet. The floor should be made ofbamboo or wooden slats. In addition, build a swimming pen beside the duckhouse with an area equal to the floor area of the house.

BREED OF 9) The Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center recommends theDUCK TO Khaki Campbell duck for this project. Compared to other


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RAISE duck breeds, the Khaki Campbell is bigger in size and best for eggproduction. If you cannot secure this breed, start with the native or Paterosduck.

RAISING OF 10) Instead of becoming a full-fledged rural industry supplying protein forGOLDEN APPLE the Filipino diet, the backyard raising of golden apple snail turned into a

SNAILS serious problem in rice fields. But while rice farmers consider golden applesnail a pest, duck raisers consider it a good source of protein for ducks.With proper water management and use of ducks, the snails can becontrolled in the rice fields. (See "How to Raise Golden Apple Snails.")

The golden snail contains almost all the nutrients that ducks need. Snailmeat provides protein and iron and its fat gives energy. The shell containscalcium, phosphorus, vitamins and minerals. Ducks given good qualitysnails have a very high egg production.

DUCK 11) The ducks are fed with a ration of one part snail, oneFEEDING one part rice bran, and one part palay (un-husked rice) or broken

corn. They should also be given green leaves like kangkong (Ipomeaaquatica) and leguminous cover crops.

DUCK 12) Feed and water your ducks regularly every morning andMANAGEMENT afternoon. They will start laying eggs at five to six-months. Maximum

egg production lasts for 1-1/2 to 2 years.

Before gathering the eggs, first lead the ducks out to their swimmingpen. Then gather their eggs and clean their feeding troughs by scrapingwasted feed towards the water where the fish are waiting. The feeds will beeaten by the fish, and duck manure will fertilize the pond and promote algaegrowth.

SNAIL 13) Feeding is not a problem for golden apple snail. This snailFEEDING eats almost anything: vegetables, tree leaves, aquatic ferns, and even

kitchen leftovers.

HARVESTING 14) Harvest full-grown tilapia at least once every two weeks. ThisTILAPIA is both economical and necessary because if the fish in the pond multiply

too fast, the food for fish will become inadequate. This will result in small,stunted fish.

CONCLUSION 15) This duck-fish-snail integration technology is an efficient feed conversionproject. Fish, duck eggs and snails can provide high protein food for your

family and the surplus can be sold.


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HOW TO RAISE DUCKS

IMPORTANCE 1) More and more Filipinos are now raising ducks in their backyard.OF DUCK Ducks are productive for a longer period of time than chickens.RAISING Generally, only about one-half or one-third of the laying flock has to

be replaced each year.

Duck raising offers another advantage: The birds don't require anycomplicated housing with plenty of windows, droppings-boards,perches, nest boxes, etc. Generally, you can keep ducks in simplesheds at night and let them loose during the day.

BREEDS 2) There are different breeds of ducks which you can raise: thePhilippine duck (commonly known as itik), the Khaki Campbell, theIndian Runner, the Peking duck, and the Muscovy. The first threebreeds are excellent egg layers. For meat production, raise either thePeking or the Muscovy.

BUYING 3) Buy your breeding stock from reliable duck raisers inDUCKLINGS your area. Start with day-old ducklings. But buy only birds with

steady legs, alert eyes and healthy-looking down feathers.

BROODING 4) The ducklings need to be warmed until they are 1 month old.DUCKLINGS Do not allow the ducklings to get wet during their first month. The

temperatures for brooding are as follows: 95 degrees Fahrenheit forthe first week; 80 degrees for the second week; 75 degrees for thethird week; and 70 degrees for the succeeding weeks.

CARE OF THE 5) When your ducklings show signs of sickness, give them a DUCKLINGS solution of three tablespoons of Noxal in one gallon of water for two to

three days. Withdraw medication for three days, then give it again foranother three days. Terramycin can also be used.

To prevent avian pest, immunize your ducklings with avian pestvaccine which is obtainable from agricultural stores in your area orfrom the Bureau of Animal Industry.

HOUSING 6) Provide each duck with at least 1-1/2 to 2 square feet of floor space.FOR DUCKS The floor of the duck house should be covered with rice hulls, corncobs,

peanut hulls or any similar materials to make it dry and clean. A dry andclean floor helps prevent the spread of pests and diseases.

ARTIFICIAL 7) Raising ducks near bodies of fresh water is ideal because of thePOND natural food that is available in rivers, irrigation canals, etc., but you can

raise ducks without a body of water. If you want to provide water for theducks to swim in, you may use clay or plastic water tubs or build a smallconcrete pond.

FEEDING 8) One-day to six-week old ducklings should be fed with starter rationcontaining 10 to 21 per cent crude protein. Six-week-old to four-month-oldducklings should be given a growing ration with at least 16 percent protein.


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Four-month-old ducks and older should receive a laying ration containing 16per cent crude protein.

ALL-PURPOSE 9) Commercial feeds are good for your ducks, but they are ratherFEED FORMULA expensive. You can mix your own feed. The MBRLC recommends this all-

purpose feed formula: First class tiki-tiki (rice bran), 34 kilograms; binlud

(cracked rice or corn), 30 kilograms; soybean meal, 15 kilograms; coprameal, 8 kilograms; shell powder, 2 kilograms; ipil-ipil leaf meal, 4 kilograms;meat and bone meal, 7 kilograms; salt, 500 grams; and Afsillin, 250 grams.

SUPPLEMEN- 10) Also feed your ducks plenty of chopped green leaves of either kangkongTARY FEEDS (Ipomea aquatica), camote (sweet potato), ipil-ipil (NFT/S) or cassava. Give

each duck at least 10 grams of chopped green leaves daily.

You can also feed fresh Golden Apple snails to your ducks. Studies at theMBRLC showed that Golden Apple snails in the birds' diet help increase eggproduction. (See, "How to Raise Ducks with Fish and Snails," for additionalinformation.)

SOME 11) Provide your ducks plenty of fresh, clean water all the time.REMINDERS Do not directly expose the birds to rain. This will cause a drop in egg

production and make them susceptible to diseases.

If you provide a swimming pond, limit their water "playing" to two hours aday. Too much playing will tire them and make them eat more feed.

Watering troughs should be placed above the floor level if you place theducks inside a house. This will prevent the floor from becoming wet andmessy.

Ducks are active birds and may run in circles if they get excited in thedark. To minimize stampeding, provide dim lighting approximatelyequivalent to a 15-watt bulb per 18.6 square meters (200 square feet) offloor space.

GATHERING 12) Ducks lay eggs at night and early in the morning. It is advisableDUCK EGGS to gather the eggs immediately after releasing the layers for their early

morning feeding. Ducks still laying should be allowed to continue nesting;their eggs could be collected later.

CONTROLLING 13) Practice strict sanitation, correct feeding and proper care andDISEASES management to ensure a disease-free flock. Immediately remove

ducks that avoid the rest of the flock or refuse to eat. Confine them in aseparate pen. Call a veterinarian or any authority. Ducks that die fromdiseases should be buried immediately in a deep hole.

For more extensive information on duck raising, refer to our manual "How toRaise Ducks for Food and Profit."


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HOW TO GROW EGGPLANT (SOLANUM MELONGENA)

IMPORTANCE 1) Locally known as talong, eggplant is cultivated through-out the countryfor its edible fruit. The fruit is a fairly good source of calcium, phosphorus,and iron and a good source of vitamin B. It contains about six percentcarbohydrates and one per cent protein.

VARIETIES 2) There are several varieties of eggplant you can grow in the country,among them: Dumaguete Long Purple, Dingras Multiple Purple #1,Economic Garden Long Purple, and UPL-Eg-2 (Tanglaw). MindanaoBaptist Rural Life Center is growing the Long Purple variety.

ADAPTATION 3) You can grow eggplant throughout the year provided the soil is fertile andwell-drained. It grows in different kinds of soil but grows best in sandy loamor clay loam soils that are rich in organic matter.

PROPAGATION 4) Eggplants are propagated by seeds. Plant disease-free and treatedseeds in a seed box or seedbed just before the end of the rainy season.

GROWING 5) Water the seed box or seedbed with fine drops of water using aTRANSPLANTS sprinkling can. Make sure the seeds do not get washed out. Keep the

seedbed or seed box moist (not too wet nor too dry) all the time until theseedlings are well-established.

LAND 6) Before transplanting the seedlings in the field or garden, preparePREPARATION the area thoroughly. Pulverize the soil well using a hoe or animal-

drawn plow.

TRANSPLANTS 7) Soak well the seed box or seedbed with water beforePREPARATION transplanting to facilitate lifting the seedlings. Then "harden" the

seedlings from 7 to 10 days. This is done by gradually reducing thefrequency of watering and by exposing the seedlings in the sun. Theyshould be allowed to suffer from temporary wilting before watering. Ahardened seedling will stand the rigors of transplanting better and willresume normal growth much sooner than a non-hardened one.

PLANTING 8) Make holes with a trowel. Plant the seedlings on squares 50 to 60TRANSPLANTS centimeters apart, each way. Set the young plants in the holes at a

depth of about 1 centimeter or at the level of the base of theseedlings. Water, then firm again.

MULCHING 9) Mulching around the stem with rice straw or dried leaves is a very

good way to keep the soil moist all the time. In addition, mulching stops thegrowth of weeds and eliminates the need for cultivation.

STAKING 10) If you plant eggplants during the rainy season, it is always necessary toprovide the plants with stakes that are strong enough to prevent the plantsfrom falling down to the ground. Tie the main branch of the plants to stakesto keep the plants in place. Fruiting capability of the plants will be reduced ifthe plants fall to the ground.


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CONTROL OF 11) In the Philippines the most common and destructive diseasesDISEASES are bacterial wilt, phomopsis, and phytophthora root and fruit

rot. These can be controlled by planting healthy, resistant varieties orspraying with recommended chemicals such as Benlate and Captan 50 WP.

CONTROL OF 12) The most destructive insects that attack eggplants are

INSECT PESTS stem borers, spotted ladybird beetles, leafhoppers, and flea beetles.You can control these pests by practicing clean culture, crop rotation, andspraying with insecti-cides such as Gusacarb and Decis.

HARVESTING 13) Harvest eggplants before the fruits lose their purple color and while theyare still young and tender. Harvesting is usually done 3 to 4 months aftertransplanting the seedlings. Late harvesting makes poor quality fruits whichare susceptible to rapid decay. Do the harvesting during the late afternoon.


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nitrogen and other nutrients. (For further details about basket composting,read "How to Make Basket Compost.")

PLANTING 6) The time to plant seedlings around the compost baskets in yourTHE FAITH garden plots depends on the state of decomposition of materialsGARDEN inside the compost baskets. If the materials at the bottom part are nearly

decomposed, you can plant seedlings immediately. But if most of your plantmaterials are still fresh and green, plant seedlings two to three weeks later.

Since camote (sweet potato), alugbati (Ceylon spinach), and kangkong(Ipomea aquatica) are crawling plants, plant them in separate beds onemeter wide and six meters long with a distance of 50 centimeters betweenbeds. Plants should be set 20 centimeters apart. These leafy vegetablesare high in iron, calcium, vitamin A, and other vitamins and minerals. Yourfamily should eat some of these every day.

For patani (lima bean) and winged beans, plant two to three seeds per hillaround each compost basket. Patani and winged beans are the two main

protein producing plants in the FAITH Garden. Other plants which are goodsources of protein are soybeans, string beans, and bush sitao.

Golden squash should be planted in hills 1.5 to 2.0 meters apart. You willneed to construct a trellis for cucumber, patola (gourd), and ampalaya (bittergourd); otherwise the vines will become a problem.

Malunggay (Moringa olifera) should be planted two meters apart along theboundary of your FAITH Garden. The leaves of malunggay are verynutritious and should be eaten often. Kalamansi, Barbados cherry andpapaya should be grown in your yard. In order to fight diseases, our bodiesneed vitamin C, and these trees are very good sources of this

vitamin.

If you would like to know more about FAITH gardening, read our manual on"How to Make FAITH Garden in Your Homeyard.


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HOW TO FEED SWINE

INTRODUCTION 1) Feeds constitute almost 80 per cent of the production cost of swineraising. Because of this, you need to know what kind of feedstuffs youshould give to your pigs.

PIG RATIONS 2) Give your pigs the recommended amount of feed for their age (seefeeding guide). Be sure to feed regularly.

SWINE FEEDING 3) The following are the suggested amounts of feeds to be given toGUIDE your pigs at different ages:

SWINE FEEDING GUIDEKind of Feed Age Weight Amount of Feed

====================================================================

Pre-starting 0-4 wks. 0.6-5.0 kg. 0.3-0.6 kg./day

Starting 4-8 " 5.0-10 " 0.6-1.5 "

Growing 8-12 " 10.0-60 " 1.5-2.5 "

Fattening/Finishing 4 " 60.0-85 " 2.5-3.5 "

Breeding - 60.0 " 2.0-4.0 "

Lactating 4- 6 " - 5.0-5.5 "====================================================================Source: The Philippines Recommends for Pork Production (1976)

PIG RATIONS 4) Only give your pigs the feed which is necessary for their growth andappropriate for their age. In this way you can be sure they grow well and youcan also avoid spending too much. Be sure to feed at regular times.

Your major feed should be hog concentrates which provide protein, aminoacids, vitamins and minerals. Sweet potato tops, kangkong and other greenleafy feeds are tobe given only as supplements. Mungo and other beans canbe used as substitute for soybean oil meal.

Fresh leftovers from the kitchen are good food for pigs. These may be rice

or corn, gills and entrails of fish, fruit peelings, sweet potato, and otherscraps. Fresh golden apple snails are also an excellent feed.

FEED 5) Swine can adjust well to almost any kind of feed. To the practicalFORMULATION swine raiser, there is no standard ration for any class of swine. The

formula can be adjusted if there is a change in the price of feedingredients or when one ingredient becomes more readily availablethan others. The nutrient requirements of the hogs, however, have to besatisfied.


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In formulating swine rations, know the particular class of swine for which aration is to be formulated. Be acquainted also with the nutrient componentsand unit prices of the available feedstuffs. In addition, decide on a suitablecombination of feedstuffs so that the ration will be palatable, safe,economical and nutritionally balanced.

ALL-PURPOSE 6) A complete, all-purpose feed for swine has been developed byFEED FORMULA the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center. Table 1 shows this formula:

====================================================================Ingredients Volume (in kilograms)

====================================================================Binlud (Ground corn) 10Tiki-tiki (Fine rice bran) 57Ipil-ipil leaf meal (Dried) 7Soybean oil meal 8

Copra oil meal 15Shell powder 2.5Salt 0.5

Afsillin or Pigromix* 0.5====================================================================*Optional

FEED MIXING 6) Feed mixing is a simple farm operation. You can mix swine feeds onconcrete floors or in a mixing box with a shovel or any other suitableequipment. Irrespective of the equipment used, it is important to mix theingredients thoroughly to produce a uniform mixture.

FEED 2) There are three methods of preparing feeds for your swine:PREPARATION cooking, grinding, and soaking. Most popular among backyard swine raisers

is cooking, which If ever you have some questions regarding swine feeding,please let us know. This makes the feed easy to digest, more palatable, andsafer to eat. Grinding the feed into particle size can also increase itsdigestibility. Soaking is done only when the grains have hardened fromstorage and are difficult to chew.


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HOW TO RAISE DAIRY GOATS

INTRODUCTION 1) Goat raising is one of the simple low-cost food production projectsthat a small farmer can get involved in.

BREEDS OF 2) You may start with a native goat and mate it with a purebred,

GOATS preferably a Nubian. From Nubia, in northeastern Africa, this breedweighs about 65 kilograms. A superb breed for Philippine farms, itsdoes produce an average of two liters of milk daily. The MBRLC isone good source of purebred Nubian stocks.

Philippines Native Goat - Small but hardy, it weighs about 35kilograms at maturity. Its average daily milk produc-tion is only 350grams. Therefore, it is necessary that to improve its milk productionthe Philippine goat must be upgraded with the purebred Nubian goat.

Dadiangas Goat - This breed--common in Dadiangas, South Cotabato--is across between the native goat and other breeds like Nubian and Jumnapari.

Other good milkes include Saanen, Alpine, La Mancha, and Toggenburg.

A new, widely adapted meat breed is the Boer Goat from South Africa.

HOUSING 3) Dairy goats need a simple house for protection. It can be constructedusing local materials available in your area. Bamboo slats, ipil-ipil poles, andcoconut leaves make fine flooring, sidings and roofing, respectively. Nipa orcogon grass can also be utilized for roofing.

Provide at least 15 to 20 square feet floor space per adult goat. Raise thefloor of the goat house about 4 feet off the ground to facilitate easy cleaning

and manure collecting. Remember, goats do not like rain and damp places.

FEEDS AND 4) Goats will eat almost any kind of green plants with a preference of leavesFEEDING of certain trees. Green feeds like ipil-ipil (L. leucocephala), Flemingia

macrophylla, Desmodium rensonii, Indigofera tyesmani, kudzu, madre decacao (Gliricidia sepium), para grass, napier grass, and star grass should begiven to your goats daily. In addition, feed your dairy goats concentrates.(First class rice bran mixed with leaf meal in a ratio of 2/3:1/3 makes anexcellent feed.)

It is important to provide fresh clean water and salt at all times.BREEDING 5) The female goat (doe) comes "in heat" when she is about 3 to 4 months

old, but she should not be bred until she is 9 to 12 months old. Mating tooearly retards the growth of the animal and the newborn may be difficult torear.

REARING THE 6) About one week before the female goat is due to kid (give birth), separateKIDS her from the herd. Give her special attention and care. As soon as the kid

is born, observe the mother and see if she licks off the mucus covering thekid's body and around the nostrils. If she doesn't, wipe off the mucous


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material so that the kid could start breathing. Dip the umbilical cord in asolution of 50% iodine and 50% alcohol to prevent infection. If the kid doesnot succeed in sucking milk from its mother, bring it to the doe and induce itto suck by opening its mouth. After the kid is about one week old, separateit from the doe during the night so you can milk the doe in the morning toprovide milk for your family. Then leave the kid with the doe during the day.

DISBUDDING 7) Disbud the kid four days after it is born using the hot-ironAND DEHORNING method. Adults can be dehorned using a dehorning instrument or by sawing

off the horn close to the skull. Consult a veterinarian or an agriculturalextension worker about the procedure. Disbudding isimportant because goats with horns will fight and may damage each other.

HOOF 8) Your goat's feet must be trimmed regularly once a month,TRIMMING unless they are in a pasture or outside. Use a sharp knife when trimming

goat's feet.

DISEASE 9) Goats are liable to cold and pneumonia. Young kids

PREVENTION often die of them. As prevention, it is recommended that some beddingconsisting of old sacks or rags or dried rice straw be provided.

Goats are also susceptible to stomach and intestinal worms. These makethe animals weak and sick and if untreated, goats die of them. De-wormyour goats every six months with Tetrasole and Triabenzole.

MILKING 10) Be regular in milking and feeding your goats. In this way, youTHE GOAT will teach the goats to be regular in their milk letdown. (Note: Let the buck

stay with the doe for a short period of time only. Otherwise, the milk willhave a goat's odor.)

Dairy goats may be fed before they are milked, while they are milked, orafter they are milked. It does not make any difference when they are fed,but the most important is they are fed according to schedule.

DISPOSING 11) When castrated goats have reached the age of 9 months to oneTHE GOATS year, they are ready for slaughter. Does can be butchered for meat when

their productivity declines (about 6-8 years).

RECORD 12)Keeping records of goat stock is a good practice. TheKEEPING records will provide you with information as to which are good milkers, which

are good producers of offspring, which are good meat producers, etc.

CONCLUSION 13) Raise goats and you can produce your own milk, butter, cheese, andmeat, plus a generous supply of fertilizer for your farm or garden. (For amore thorough discussion of goat raising, refer to our manual "How to RaiseGoats.")


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HOW TO RAISE SWINE

IMPORTANCE 1) Swine raising can be a profitable venture for a farmer who puts up a smallbackyard piggery project.

BREEDS OF 2) Among the well-known breeds are: Yorkshire, Landrace

SWINE Duroc, Hampshire, Berkshire, and Poland China. Some newer breeds suchas the Hypor are hybrids and are now commonly available.

If you are a newcomer in swine raising, it is good for you to raise the breedspopular in your area. These breeds are easier to replace and adapted tothe environmental conditions in the locality. You may also startwith crossbreeds because they do not require the techno-logy needed inraising purebreds.

HOUSING 3) Pigs are easily affected by cold and heat. You need, therefore,AND to provide a house that will protect your pigs from heat and rain.EQUIPMENT

Construct your hog house on a slightly sloping and well-drained site so thatthe area will not become too muddy.You may also build your pig house at the site of a fishpond. The waste ofthe pig goes directly to the pond which helps fertilize the tiny plants (algae)that serve as food for tilapia.

If you are planning to build a permanent house, cement the floor to makethe cleaning easier and to reduce the presence of parasites and diseases.Provide your pig house with feeding and drinking troughs and a farrowingpen.

A 9 x 10 foot pigpen can accommodate one sow and her piglets or 10 to 20

growing pigs or 6 to 8 fattening pigs. The walls se

how to farm better manual revised

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