philrice magazine 2013 3q

Managing Editors: JAIME A. MANALO IV • CHRISTINA A. FREDILES • Contributors: JAYSON C. BERTO • ALFRED FRANCO T. CABALLERO • COXIELA L. CABRERA • ASHLEE P. CANILANG • JOY BARTOLOME A. DuLDuLAO • CHARISMA LOVE B. GADO • ANDREI B. LANuzA • MARY GRACE G. NIDOY • MERVALYN G. OPLAS • RODEL D. OREJuDOS • ANNA DOROTHY O. RAMOS • SHEREEN P. RAzON • RIzzLA I. SALAS •MICHELLE COLLEEN G. TOBIAS • Cover Design and Layout: CARLO G. DACuMOS • Illustrations: ANDREI B. LANuzA • ALFRED FRANCO T. CABALLERO • Circulation: ALFRED FRANCO T. CABALLERO • ASHLEE P. CANILANG • Admin. Support: MICHAEL S. REYES • Consulting Editor: CONSTANTE T. BRIONES • Editorial Advisers: EuFEMIO T. RASCO JR • KAREN ELOISA T. BARROGA

www.philrice.gov.ph www.pinoyrkb.com

PHILRICE TEXT CENTER: 0920-911-1398

The editorial team encourages readers to photocopy and circulate published articles with proper acknowledgment. Everyone is also invited to contribute articles (600-800 words plus at least four photos/illustrations with credits) and suggest topics, or refer individuals and organizations engaged in rice whose stories are worth featuring. Please email [email protected] or mail to: T H E E D I T O R , PhilRice Magazine, Development Communication Division, Philippine Rice Research Institute, Maligaya , Science City of Muñoz, 3119 Nueva Ecija

CONTENTS

ABOUT THE COVERJust like pieces of toy building bricks, we are

adding more colors to Palayamanan. We endeavor to show how crops, livestock and the overall ecosystem can build on each other. The strategic arrangement of every piece to form

a holistic whole symbolizes the science behind the now Palayamanan Plus. And indeed, just like toy building bricks, not every piece will perfectly fit with others. But once it fits, it

forms an impressive work of art that challenges the imagination of its creator to create yet

another masterpiece.

2009 Binhi Agri Magazine of the Year2007 Binhi Hall of Fame Awardee2001 Gawad Florendo Awardee

DA lAunches PAlAyAbAngAn

Ph exPorts sPeciAl-quAlity rice

lADy reseArcher wins iAMure AwArD

DeV’t org helPs Philrice reAch Mothers

PriVAte seeD coMPAnies helP goV’t

nyr uPDAtes

Are we reADy for the big leAP?

bAlAncing ProfitAbility AnD sustAinAbility: eco-

fArMing in PAlAyAMAnAn Plus

rice on toP

into the DArK: insiDe the liVing soil

gK’s enchAnteD fArM: wAtereD with fAith, nourisheD with science

technologies & breAKthroughs: nAture-insPireD, science-bAseD fArMing

reVisiting AZollA

MungbeAn: the blAcK golD thAt DecorAtes fArMers’ liVes

PAtterns in the fielD: the benefits of DiVersifying fielD croPs

corn: the next big thing

rice AnD VegetAble fArMing in the ArMM: 3 AnD counting

there’s A right croP for your soil

usAPAng MAgsAsAKA

Kuru sAKA

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PHILRICE CENTRAL EXPERIMENT STATION, Science City of Muñoz, 3119 Nueva Ecija • Tel: (044) 456-0433, -0258, -0277; Telefax: (044) 456-0651 loc 203; E-mail: [email protected] BRANCH STATIONS: PHILRICE BATAC, MMSU Campus, Batac City, 2906 Ilocos Norte; Tel: (077) 670-1867; Telefax (077) 792-4702, -2544; Email: [email protected] • PHILRICE ISABELA, San Mateo, 3318 Isabela; Tel: (078) 664-2954; Telefax: (078) 664-2953; Email: [email protected] • PHILRICE LOS BAÑOS, UPLB Campus, College, 4031 Laguna; Tel: (049) 501-1917; Telefax: (049) 536-8620; Email: [email protected] • PHILRICE BICOL; Batang Ligao City, 4504 Albay; Cell: 0906-935-8560; 0918-946-7439 • PHILRICE NEGROS, Cansilayan, Murcia, 6129 Negros Occidental; Cell: 0928-506-0515; Email: [email protected] • PHILRICE AGUSAN, Basilisa, RTRomualdez, 8611 Agusan del Norte; Tel: (085) 343-0778; Telefax: (085) 343-0768; Email: [email protected] • PHILRICE MIDSAYAP, Bual Norte, Midsayap, 9410 North Cotabato; Tel: (064) 229-8178; Telefax: (064) 229-7242; Email: [email protected] • PHILRICE FIELD OFFICE, CMU Campus, Maramag, 8714 Bukidnon, Tel: (088) 222-5744 • LIAISON OFFICE: 3rd Flor. ATI Bldg, Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City, Tel/Fax (02) 920-5129, Cell: 0920-906-9052

ERRATAThe 2013 2ndQ issue of the PhilRice magazine said that SACLOB costs P5,000. It should be P8,000 per

piece. Also, the picture captions for the PhilRice SACLOB and GrainPro Volcani Cube were accidentally

switched. We apologize for the mistakes

Department of Agriculture

1PhilRice Magazine • July - Sept 2013 • Vol 26 NO 3

the + in PAlAyAMAnAn Plus In 2001, PhilRice developed Palayamanan, a rice-based farming systems research and development platform. It centered on household food security and on augmenting the income of farmers. Diversification and integration efforts were at the heart of Palayamanan. Reports of increased income, and several similar programs with different names (e.g. Gulayamanan in ARMM), but anchored on the same brand by other institutions, public and private, had mushroomed as a result. The Institute and thousands of farmers nationwide could not have been more pleased.

In Palayamanan plus, we build on the familiar platform and strengthen the understanding of the science behind it, operating on the premise that this could result in a better chance of optimizing crop yield and caring for the environment.

The idea is for more farmers to know and appreciate the science behind the integration and diversification in a farming system — how components interrelate with each other, how their interactions can be optimized, and what the components as a whole contribute to the system. The abstractions above may be clearer when one thinks of the three major emphases of Palayamanan plus: scale, integration, and profitability. Admittedly, it’s a mighty task.

The Palayamanan Bahay-Kubo concept was phenomenal as many were able to relate to it. But with the “plus”,we now endeavor to widen the scale—from the bahay-kubo and beyond. We would like to see not just a bahay-kubo, but communities being on the same page as far as rice-based farming

system is concerned. This brings us to our next point, integration.

It is not always ideal that Palayamanan be integrated in the farm of one rice-based farmer alone. Approaching integration at the community level may be harder but more practical and beneficial. For instance, in one community, a farmer can specialize on one vegetable, another on fish, and another on livestock. From there, farmers can discuss how they can build on one another. Here, scale and integration become more apparent and vital.

Once rice-based farming systems have been successfully integrated in a community, strategies on where and how to sell their goods now come in and so does profit. And since the community acts as a fully coordinated system, it lessens our carbon footprint. Food production becomes more local, food miles minimized. This ties us back to our institutional goal of helping create competitive, sustainable, and resilient farming communities.

In this issue, we show several strategies that can be employed by rice farming communities and explain the science behind them – the value of a living soil, the importance of choosing the crops to plant before, during, or after rice, the purpose of rotating crops for pest and nutrient management and other technologies that might bolster Palayamanan plus. We give real-life examples that justify the “plus” in Palayamanan plus. More so, we bank on Palayamanan plus as our recipe for survival in the light of land and water resource scarcity, and the perils of climate change.

EDITORIAL

2 PhilRice Magazine • July - Sept 2013 • Vol 26 NO 3

The Department of Agriculture (DA), with PhilRice as lead, has kicked off this June a nationwide rice production competition dubbed as Palayabangan: The 10-5 Challenge.

The challenge aims to level up the rice production standard to 10-5, that is, 10 ton/ha yield at only P5 input cost/kg of palay. The current average input cost is P11/kg. “The 10-5 Challenge supports the goal of the Food Staples Sufficiency Program and the advocacies of the National Year of Rice (NYR) 2013. NYR aims to help increase farmers’ productivity and boost their morale,” Dr. Eufemio T. Rasco Jr, PhilRice executive director said. Palayabangan, according to Rasco, is a “new initiative that will provide opportunities for all players in the rice sector to show what they can do to improve yield and reduce

DA lAunches PAlAyAbAngAn

The country is starting to reclaim its status as rice exporter.

After 40 years, the Philippines is a rice exporter again. It shipped 15 tons of organic black rice and 20 tons of aromatic long-grain rice to Dubai on May 6.

A ceremonial send-off for Philippine rice exports led by the Department of Agriculture was held at the Manila Harbor Center to mark that historic day. The last time we exported rice was in 1973.

Farmers from Don Bosco Founda-tion for Sustainable Development, Inc. in North Cotabato, produced the black rice. SL Agritech farmers in Talavera, Nueva Ecija planted the Jasponica rice.

According to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, the country registered a 5.5% increase in rice production for the first quarter of this year. That makes Agriculture Secretary Alcala confident that the Philippines can go beyond the initial 100-ton shipment target for this year.

Ph exPorts sPeciAl-quAlity rice

production cost”. “This initiative will also address issues on agriculture competitiveness, which would eventually help decrease smuggling and importation,” he stressed. He added that the 10-5 Challenge will continue until the goal of “high income-low cost production” is achieved and sustained. Invited participants in this competition are farmers, farmer groups, Gawad Saka awardees, seed and fertilizer companies, non-government organizations, civil society groups, and state colleges and universities. Prizes at stake are as follows: P5 million in project fund and technology promotion activities for the national winner; P100,000 cash for the regional winners; and P10,000 cash for consolation. Winners will be known in November 2013. Detailed information related to this competition are available at the National Year of Rice website www.nyr2013.com. - The Web Team


lADy reseArcher wins iAMure AwArD

With over 400 participating researchers, entomologist Gina

D. Balleras, PhilRice Midsayap, won the 2013 International Association of Multidisciplinary Research (IAMURE) Outstanding Filipino Researcher award in the World Research Festival (WRF) held at Marco Polo Hotel, Davao City on May 13. The WRF recognizes “great achievements of individuals and institutions in the production, promotion, utilization, and commercialization of research.” It was conducted by IAMURE and the Philippine Association of Institutions for Research.

Balleras presented her work Combined Effects of Crop Establishment and Harvest Methods on the Rice Stem Borer (RSB) and Its Natural Enemies’ Population. She competed in the ecology division and bested 38 other researchers. Co-authored by Marjie Doverte, results showed that transplanting at recommended seeding density, and

DA- National Rice Program Coordinator Dante Delima added that we could hit the target by July.

Organic black rice will be shipped next to the Netherlands. Heirloom

cutting stubbles closer to the ground would minimize RSB population in the succeeding cropping season. They evaluated the cost-effective combination of crop establishment and harvest methods in mitigating RSB damage that favors effective natural enemies’ population.

Their study also showed that RSB population is positively correlated to the effective predators and parasitoids’ population in transplanted fields. They also discovered that RSB population during fallow period was high in drier paddies with 27 to 32-cm standing stubbles. Balleras received a plaque and a certificate for winning the diamond awards, first place, for best in powerpoint and oral presentation, and in talent; and platinum award, second place, for best dressed researcher. She showcased her grace and artistry through a Singkil dance. She wore a brightly colored dress with gold, brown, red, and blue linings.

Balleras earned a BS degree in agriculture (cum laude) from the University of Southern Mindanao in 2000, and an MS degree in entomology minor in plant pathology from UP Los Baños in 2008. She’s been with PhilRice for 8 years, and was recently promoted to Senior Science Research Specialist. Gina hails from Bual Norte, Midsayap, North Cotabato. - Rodel D. Orejudos

rice from Mountain Province will be shipped to the United States by October. - Michelle Colleen G. Tobias

Gina D. Balleras, 2nd from right, claims her plaque during the World Research Festival in Davao.

DA Sec. Alcala (2nd from right) inspects the rice for export to Dubai.


DeV’t org helPs Philrice reAch Mothers

The seed companies said they will complement the seeds they produce with “reliable and cutting-edge technologies that shall help increase farmers’ yield.”

Bayer has launched Arize Bigante Plus, the company’s most tolerant variety to bacterial leaf blight, a disease that causes wilting of seedlings as well as yellowing and drying of leaves leading to yield reduction of up to 30%.

SL Agritech implements the “Plant now, pay later” scheme to help farmers buy adequate inputs needed in rice production.

It also supplies Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Indonesia with hybrid seeds.

Group, said reducing rice wastage and eating brown rice will be promoted during their meetings. Their clients will also be encouraged to share these practices among their families.

PhilRice’s Hazel V. Antonio, NYR 2013 campaign director, said “what makes this partnership special and unique is the involvement of mothers, who generally decide on and prepare

PriVAte seeD coMPAnies helP goV’t

government’s “active partners in hybrid rice breeding work.”

Syngenta, Seedworks Phils. Inc., and DuPont Pioneer Phils. also support NYR 2013, the country’s advocacy campaign that aims to not only help increase the country’s rice supply but also to encourage the public to minimize rice wastage and eat the right amount and healthier forms of rice.

Bound by a commitment.

Six multinational seed companies have pledged to help the

country become rice- self-sufficient during the 1st National Hybrid Rice Congress in April.

SL Agritech Corporation, Bioseed Research Phils., and Bayer CropScience said they support the National Year of Rice (NYR 2013) by being

PhilRice and the Laguna-based Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) have signed a

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in support of the National Year of Rice celebration.

The 1-year MOU that took effect June 7 promotes responsible rice consumption and good farming practices. President Aquino III proclaimed NYR 2013 late last year to intensify the government campaign to achieve rice self-sufficiency.

Marilyn M. Manila, head of the CARD Community Development

the food in the households. Making them aware on rice wastage and healthier forms of rice will help mold responsible rice consumers and healthy families.”

Studies show that Filipinos waste an average of 2 tablespoons of cooked rice each every day, which is equivalent to P6.2B, or the consumption of nearly 2.6M Filipinos a year.

CARD’s Marilyn Manila and PhilRice Executive Director Eufemio T. Rasco Jr. after the MOU signing.


For DuPont, making the farmers understand the benefits of recommended technologies will help lessen government’s rice imports.

Dr. Alex T. Rigor, one of the company’s plant breeders, also said they will include the value of saving rice and healthy rice consumption in their training programs.

PhilRice’s Dr. Eduardo Jimmy P. Quilang, co-chair of the three-day congress, said the public-private partnership in the rice sector is being pushed to give farmers cheaper and wider choices of hybrid rice seeds. - Michelle Colleen G. Tobias

Eating brown rice is being promoted as studies show that complete milling and polishing, which result in the preferred white rice, remove 67% of its vitamin B3; 80% vitamin B1; 90% B6; half of the manganese and phosphorous; 60% iron; and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids.

Moreover, CARD will provide loans to cooperatives that will venture in inbred and hybrid rice production to help increase seed and rice supplies.

CARD, which has 2 million clients nationwide, will also help PhilRice identify technology demonstration project sites that will showcase practices for farmers to adopt.

Antonio said NYR 2013 also promotes better inbred and hybrid varieties for different farm environments.

Other than disseminating NYR 2013 advocacies, CARD with 1,451 offices nationwide, will also help PhilRice market its rice and rice-based products and farm machinery. Mervalyn G. Oplas

nyr uPDAtesWith help from the media industry, academic institutions,

transportation groups, government bureaus, and private institutions, the National Year of Rice 2013 advocacy can now reach more Filipinos.

GMA7 has already started playing the NYR videos while ABS-CBN will be hanging posters inside their studios. Radio stations DZAS,DZBB, and others are playing the Panatang Makapalay ad, an advocacy pledge that promotes responsible rice consumption.

Whether the public is travelling by air, water, or land, information ads can be seen and heard. - Michelle Colleen G. Tobias

PhilRice visitors recite the Panatang Makapalay.

NYR standee at the NAIA Terminal 3. DOH Asec Enrique Tayag performs the NYR dance.

Prof. Yuan Long Ping (2nd from right), China’s national treasure and father of hybrid rice, receives a rice mosaic of himself as a token of appreciation during the 1st National Hybrid Rice Congress at PhilRice in April. “The government has a major role [in hybrid rice development]. It should craft policies that will encourage farmers to plant and the private sector to produce seeds,” the 2001 Ramon Magsaysay awardee for government service said. Prof. Long Ping added that rice wastage should be considered a crime.


food security and income. A team of senior consultants had evaluated its impact and assessed its sustainability.

Palayamanan Phase i: gains

Drs. Santiago R. Obien, Leonardo A. Gonzales, and Emil Q. Javier reported that Palayamanan expanded from a 1-hectare site at PhilRice Central to 161 sites in 40 provinces during the period 2004-2009. Established in state universities and colleges and research institutions were 33 sites in 20 provinces from 2005 to 2007. Total financial assistance was more than Php 21 million. Improved farm diversity was observed through the integration of vegetables, livestock, and poultry in selected sites in Iloilo. Model farms in Loboc, Bohol had higher rice yields in 2005 through 2009. Also, Palayamanan sites were more profitable than monocrop rice farming. Partner institutions wanted the program to continue.

wider insights

The evaluation team also pointed out flaws in Palayamanan. It was not designed for longer-term continuity as a research platform of PhilRice. It was also ineffective in capturing the interactions of science and economic principles, and did not provide a system of monitoring and evaluation during implementation. Moreover, it lacked a clear framework that situates its position within the context of PhilRice R&D or within the DA’s agricultural diversification programs.

PhilRice Executive Director Eufemio T. Rasco Jr. observed that Palayamanan had a very high level of horizontal rather than vertical integration. Horizontal integration means engaging in an enterprise not directly related to rice like livestock or pomology; vertical involves an enterprise that serves as an input to rice production such as the use of biofertilizers, azolla, biocontrol

towArD PAlAyAMAnAn Plus

Are we reADy for thebig leAP?

We all are aware of it: our popu-lation will continue to

grow. Coupled with the rise of industrialization and urban-ization, Filipinos will need more rice for food. Climate change also affects food secu-rity, no thanks to more erratic patterns of flood and drought. Alarming concerns.

The agriculture sector needs to ensure food security that responds to the impacts of our changing climate and rapid population growth. Palayamanan has the potential to achieve this objective. Introduced in 2001 under the Rice-based Farming Systems Program of PhilRice, Palayamanan is now seen as contributing to household

•riZZlA i. sAlAs


agents, rice cultivars and hybrids, or minimum tillage. The latter supports rice production and therefore should be emphasized in the next phase of Palayamanan.

Palayamanan plus: the next PhAse

The evaluation team recommended that it be under the All-Philippine Rice-based Farming Systems and On-Farm Trials Network. This refers to farming systems that revolve around rice-based cropping sequences. One option is growing two full-season rice crops plus a third quick turnaround rice crop (rice–rice–rice), or growing two full-season rice crops plus a third crop like mungbean or leafy vegetables (rice–rice–3rd short-season crop). The other option is rice followed by a full-season second crop, plus a 3rd short-season crop.

the economic activity is not directly using the rice area as an alternative or complementary activity during the year.

Palayamanan Plus should be under the supervision of the Deputy Executive Director for Research since the possibility of generating technologies for the rice-based multi-commodity system is large and more complicated, and would require more research efforts than development.

PhilRice was likewise advised to generate supplemental funding for a Palayamanan research portfolio from external sources. Lastly, rice specialists should be deployed in selected farming system sites with special program funding from the DA-BAR.

beyond our comfort zones

We have benefited from the Bahay-Kubo (Phase I) concept, a diversified farm that looked after household food security. Now armed with better research-generated knowledge, it is time to go beyond our comfort zones to explore more competitive, sustainable, and resilient large-scale farming solutions to ensure food security for every Filipino in a globalized world.

Meeting the challenges and recognizing opportunities at the commercial level require a high-level and long-term commitment. Much remains to be done.

It was also agreed that Palayamanan Plus be in support of the rice self-sufficiency goals of the government; in parallel with the PalayCheck platform; and be filtered across location-specific sites in different agroecological environments.

PhilRice has to redefine Palayamanan activities that directly use the rice land resource as part of the economic activity during the year. Project activities should not be part of the Palayamanan research platform if

Demonstration field for lowland rice in Matalam, North Cotabato.

A Palayamanan farmer-cooperator in Arakan, North Cotabato.


Ecological farming”, or eco-farming, has been defined since the early 80s when

the concept of sustainable agriculture was in its early stages. Some had correlated eco-farming solely with “pure organic farming”, but current definitions are continuously evolving to encompass technologies and farming systems that can attain a sustainable agricultural ecosystem.

PhilRice refers to eco-farming as a combination of sustainable approaches to rice farming, coupled with the application of precision technologies (GPS-assisted farm machines, etc.), or site-specific management practices governed by the knowledge of soil, crop and weather characteristics, development and use of appropriate and better rice varieties, and optimizing on-farm resources and production to maintain and improve farm income.

•AnDrei b. lAnuZA

Palayamanan Plus

While the average Filipino farmer may not be able to afford and adopt most precision technologies, they can slowly increase the diversity of and optimize on-farm resources to increase profitability. This is where Palayamanan Plus plays a crucial role in a sustainable integrated rice farming system.

Dr. Rolando Cruz of PhilRice’s Agronomy, Soils, and Plant Physiology Division states that Palayamanan Plus incorporates a

“scientific system” for integrating livestock, other crops, and even microorganisms within the rice farm that makes economic and ecological sense.

“Everything in Palayamanan should serve a purpose. Since the main crop of the farmer is rice, livestock and other crops should contribute something to the main crop and the overall farm ecosystem,” says Cruz.

Cruz cited the 2000 study of A.G. Cagauan, R.D. Branckaert, and C. Van Hove, Integrating Fish and Azolla into Rice-Duck Farming

bAlAncing ProfitAbility AnD sustAinAbility:

eco-fArMing inPAlAyAMAnAn Plus


in Asia, as a good model of an ecologically and economically sound farming system similar to what he wants to achieve with Palayamanan Plus. The study looked into integrating fish and azolla (see related story in this issue) into a rice-duck farming system where each element benefits the others.

“The study shows how fish and duck provide a natural biological control for rice, while azolla serves as their food source and a weed control agent for rice. This is what Palayamanan Plus should be. Farmers should understand the purpose served by each animal and crop, how they interact with his farm and rice crop, and not just put anything for the sake of having other crops and animals in his rice farm,” states Cruz.

increase rice production?

Can an ecological farming system like Palayamanan Plus be viable for commercial or mainstream levels of production, particularly if the main crop is rice?

In 2008, a research paper, Is Eco-logical Agriculture Productive?, written by Lim Li Ching of the Third World Network looked into the productivity of ecological agriculture in Africa.

Ching said yields from eco-agriculture can be broadly comparable to conventional yields in developed countries. In developing countries, eco- agriculture practices can greatly increase productivity using a variety of resource-conserving technologies, including integrated pest and nutrient management, conservation tillage, agroforestry, water harvesting in dryland areas, and livestock and aquaculture integration into farming systems.

Dr. Sergio Francisco of PhilRice’s Socio-economics Division, on the other hand, has a different view. He asserts that one of the major

challenges in Palayamanan Plus is the proper accounting of the actual land area of farmers practicing this farming system.

“If a farmer decides to plant other cash crops or raise animals like fish, ducks, chickens, carabaos, or pigs in a 1-ha farm, the land allotted for rice farming shrinks. The added livestock, biological pest control, and compost may increase his overall profit, but rice production diminishes,” says Francisco.

Putting the “PrActicAl AnD smart” in clean and green rice farming

Palayamanan Plus does have its advantages in terms of profitability due to the increased income from livestock and other crops as well as savings on farm inputs due to recycling nutrients and natural control of pests. But farmers have to be prudent about how they diversify their rice farms. “Practical and smart farming,” it is so-called.

rotAte it right!1. Know the family where your crops belong to make

sure that you plant on the next cropping a crop that

belongs to a different family.

2. List down the crops you want to grow by also

considering the market’s demand. For example, plant

leafy vegetables on the first cropping season, next

fruit vegetables, then root crops, then legumes, then

small grains.

3. Grow legumes before grains or cereals. Leguminous

plants have a special relationship with nitrogen-

fixing bacteria called Rhizobium. By biologically

fixing nitrogen levels in the soil, legumes provide

a relatively low-cost method of replacing nitrogen

in the soil, enhancing soil fertility and boosting

subsequent crop yields.

4. Practice green manuring. Green manuring is the

plowing under or soil incorporation of any green

manure crops while they are green or soon after they

flower. Green manures are forage or leguminous crops

that are grown for their leafy materials needed for

soil conservation.

The Online Information Service for Non-chemical

Pest Management in the Tropics (www.oisat.org)

regional exchange of high-quality produce and sustainable production in the seas, and in cultivated and wild landscapes. Palayamanan targets increased farm productivity and sustainability, maximized land use, and better resource allocation. The NND promotes the diversity of Nordic products and awareness of the underlying cultures. Palayamanan enhances diversity and ecological balance.

They differ in that the NND focuses on health, food presentation (purity, freshness, simplicity) and preparation (palatability and use of Nordic methods and culinary traditions). Palayamanan runs after a continuous food supply and additional income for the farmer. The NND also develops new uses of traditional foods and

as beta-carotene, folic acid, and iron were enhanced and their consumer acceptabilities were comparable with the regular products. Another on-going study of Dr. Abilgos-Ramos is the nutritional assessment of rice-based farming households. This shall give a good measure of the extent of the Palayamanan’s contribution in advancing the health of the system’s adherents.

More dimensions of the NND are hoped to be infused into the Palayamanan platform, for wealth and health aspirations. The 2013 National Year of Rice goals of improved nutrition and diversified diet can then benefit. For now, a new Filipino food movement anchored on the Palayamanan stands imagination.

We can list a lot of things undesirable about the Filipino diet and food

habits - too much carbs, too oily, and coco milk-rich dishes, little or no fruits and vegetables, the ubiquitous soft drink, frequent merienda of junk foods or sugar-laden local foodfare. The list goes on.

This is not to claim that we should be ashamed of our diet. But in other nations healthy diets are the norm and their long life expectancies are their reward. Japan is there on top.

Having spent a number of years in Japan, their balanced and healthy food is still fresh in my mind. The best way to judge a plate, it is said, is to see a variety of colors on it. One gets satiated by simply staring at the colorful Japanese plate.

The Nordic peoples of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and Finland are also known for their longevity alongside their diverse and healthy diet. Taking their diet consciousness to a higher level, they adopted in 2005 the New Nordic Diet (NND), which takes palatability, health, culture, and environment into consideration.

NND has 10 guidelines: (1) more fruits and vegetables every day; (2) more whole-grain food; (3) more food from the seas and lakes; (4) higher-quality meat, but less of it; (5) more indigenous food from the wild; (6) organic food whenever possible; (7) avoid food additives; (8) more meals based on seasonal produce; (9) more home-cooked food; and, (10) less waste.

Can a similar food movement take root on Philippine soil? The answer may be PhilRice’s Palayamanan system that radiates some parallels with the NND. The NND aspires for local self-sufficiency with the

•Joy bArtoloMe A. DulDulAo

fooD MoVeMentJuMPstArting A new

ingredients. In the Philippines, rediscovery of traditional varieties of rice and indigenous vegetables is slowly gaining ground.

Studies led by Dr. Riza Abilgos-Ramos and Rosaly Manaois of PhilRice’s Rice Chemistry and Food Science Division capitalized on Palayamanan produce for nutritional improvement of certain products. Additives were produced from sili and malunggay leaves, favorite ingredients of the quintessential Filipino tinola. The powdered additives were respectively incorporated into bread and crackers. Their nutritional components such

rice on toP

10 PhilRiceMagazine•July-Sept2013•Vol26NO3

through PAlAyAMAnAn

Microorganisms play pivotal roles in ecological farming systems. Their uniqueness and often unpredictable nature and biosynthetic capabilities make eco-farming effective and

beneficial. They maintain ecological balance and carry out chemical processes that sustain life forms. Yet, are often taken for granted.

G. Corales cited that use of EM resulted in sustained crop yields comparable with chemical fertilizers. Soil management practices such as tillage, fertilizer use, and pesticide application are central to increasing or decreasing rhizobacteria population. Huge perturbation in the farm’s soil system can have long-lasting effects on the population of the rhizobacteria, which can be inoculated as a biofertilizer now available for sale in the market.

Meanwhile, Glomus mosseae is a fungus that promotes better nutrient absorption among crops. In a 2012 study titled Effects of Glomus mosseae on growth and reproduction of rice, it was found that those rice seedlings inoculated with

G. mosseae had better traits than those that were not: 34% height increase; 122% shoot biomass increase; and 9.7% increase in grain yield.

Organic and inorganic phosphorus is among the major essential nutrients needed by crops for growth and development. Studies at the University of Tokyo claim that concentration of organic phosphorus in soils is very low at about 1 ppm (parts per million). This is where phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) could convert inorganic phosphorus into soluble forms that can be taken up by crops. The study Role of Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria on Rock Phosphate Solubility and Growth of Aerobic Rice at the University of Putra Malaysia revealed that PSB significantly improved rice shoot at root development. Significant increase on rice plant biomass and plant height was also noted. PSB cultures are available for sale as biofertilizers in the market.

Nitrogen-fixing agents in the soil are natural “fertilizer factories”. For cen-turies before the invention of chemi-cal fertilizers, Asian rice farmers had relatively high yields just by using natural mineral inputs found in their farms. Among such inputs are the Anabaena, a filamentous kind of cya-nobacteria that exists as a plankton. Certain species of anabaena has been used in rice fields and are proven to be effective natural fertilizers.

In 1987, Chinese scholar Lin Chang used strains of anabaena to develop a new azolla hybrid. Azolla is the world’s smallest type of fern widely used in Europe as natural source of nitrogen for rice, because of the cya-nobacterium that thrives in its leaves.

Many farmers don’t realize the value of microorganisms that they eradicate either knowingly or unknowingly from the rice farms. Knowing these microorganisms will help in making wiser decisions. For all we know, most of the things we need may already be in the soil.

•Ashlee P. cAnilAng

into the DArK:

insiDe the liVing soil

How can crops benefit from them? Microorganisms like soil bacteria are useful in crop production. Rhizobacteria (PGPR) is a free-living soil bacteria that establishes symbiotic relationship with a crop on its roots through the process called nitrogen fixation, thereby promoting plant growth.

PGPR converts gaseous nitrogen into ammonia, making it as an available nutrient to the host plant. PGPRs are also categorized as anaerobic effective microorganisms (EM) used as agricultural amendments in rice production.

In his study Rice production with effective microorganisms: impact on rice and soil, PhilRice’s Rizal

11PhilRiceMagazine•July-Sept2013•Vol26NO3

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Farming anchored on ecologically-based approaches doubles yields. A 2007 article Organic agriculture and the global food supply reports ecological farming in developing countries hits an

80% yield increase per hectare compared with conventional farming. Accordingly, the United Nations in 2011 started campaigning for a major paradigm shift in agriculture encouraging farmers to adopt eco-farming to ease poverty and hunger issues.

Making the most out of nothing

According to Cherrie Atilano, farm manager and agriculturist, making the 31-hectare barren land productive was a work of faith. “For a land that’s been quarried for 20 years, growing crops was really difficult. We barely had water, the soil was extremely acidic, and there’s not even a topsoil to begin with!” Cherrie said.

To help solve these problems, Cherrie and the farmers planted 2,000 bamboos around the farm to control soil erosion and set the watersheds. Stacey Irwin in her 2010 article

wAtereD with fAith, nourisheD with science•MArlon M. PrADo

gK’s enchAnteD fArM:

Gawad Kalinga (GK), a nonprofit organization founded by Antonio Meloto, in 2010 built the GK Enchanted Farm anchored on the principles of ecological farming

in Angat, Bulacan. The vision is to empower 60 families in the GK community to produce food for themselves while enjoying a livelihood source.


Bamboo and soil erosion: Holding the earth together one plant at a time notes these benefits are possible mainly due to bamboo’s net-like root system that efficiently holds the soil together.

“To further save water in the soil, we also gathered rice straw and scattered it all over the farm,” said Cherrie. The use of rice straw as mulch is an effective way to conserve soil moisture and augment the farm’s soil fertility. Soil nutrient specialists Dr. Achim Dobermann and Dr. Thomas Fairhurst of IRRI concur to this. According to them, integrating rice stubbles and straw into the soil helps return most of the nutrients acquired by rice: 40% nitrogen, 30-35% phosphorous, 80-85% potassium, and 40-50% sulfur.

Putting wastes into good use

There is no such thing as waste in the Enchanted Farm. Reject lettuce, for example, becomes food for their vegetarian pigs, and pig manure later becomes fertilizer for the lettuce and other crops. Cherrie says kids from the farm gather dry manure on weekends and pulverize it using a manual shredder as part of their planting medium.

“We practice a closed-loop farming system, a zero-waste-type farming where a waste of one farm component eventually becomes the food of another,” said Cherrie.

The farm houses a vermiculture facility that the farmers themselves operate. Using the food wastes and other by-products in the farm, farmers produce their own natural fertilizers.

The use of organic fertilizer offers several advantages over synthetic. For one, organic fertilizer fosters healthy lifestyle and better-tasting produce. According to Virgilio Sison Sr, one of the first farmers in the GK farm, one can tell the difference between organically produced crops and those that are synthetically grown. A 2010 study Fruit and soil quality of organic and conventional strawberry agroecosystem says the

same thing. Organically grown strawberries were sweeter, and with 10% more dietary antioxidants compared with their synthetically grown counterparts.

While organic farming is a win-win strategy for vegetable production, it’s a different case when it comes to rice. PhilRice studies disclosed the use of sole organic matter to fertilize rice is not enough to sustain its growth and attain optimum target yield. Organic and inorganic fertilizers combined achieve the best yield. Cherrie adopts the same principle in their 1.3-hectare upland rice farm.

every square meter counts

The Farm showcases an array of crops and livestock strategically positioned all over the estate. Fallow period is also observed.

“We don’t practice monocropping in the farm, instead we adopt the arranged polyculture system to make every square meter of land productive.”

Polyculture system is a proven method in sustainable farming. According to studies, planting different types of crops in a given area increases the plants’ resilience to drastic weather changes and pest infestations. This, according to Cherrie, also protects the Farm from large yield losses and ensures their farmers with different sources and levels of income in different times.

A diverse crop field system, however, needs careful planning. According to Cherrie, they ensure that adjacent crops complement each other to prevent competition and disease and pest breakouts. “It’s part of our biological control. Tomato, for example, is not planted with eggplant

in the same area since they are both solanaceous crops and share the same pests and diseases,” Cherrie explained.

Clinging to a zero-pesticide policy in the Farm, farmers rely on beneficial organisms and botanical plants that were planted all over, like lemon grass, calendula, and cosmos flowers, to protect crops from pests.

“Agricoolture”

To sustain the initiatives started by farmers in the Enchanted Farm, a program called Agricool was introduced in 2011. Founded by Cherrie herself, the program tries to transform non-farmers into farmers by making agriculture trendy and desirable as a career option. The program banks on 42 kids in the community aging 10 years old and above.

Jason M. Ador, 19, who has been an agricooler for 2 years, confessed he started to love agriculture after joining the program. “I enjoy what we are doing in Agricool, I learned so many things and developed farming skills that I can use in the future,” he said. Jason is fourth year high school now, and he hopes to pursue agriculture in college.

In just 3 years, the Enchanted Farm has shown incredible progress in its mission to improve the lives of the poor, all made possible through the help of social entrepreneurs, private and public institutions, and common people who share the same goal. And this is just the beginning. The Farm is part of the second phase of 2024 GK’s roadmap to a sustainable, hunger-free country. According to Cherrie, more Filipinos still have to benefit from 24 more Enchanted Farms that will be built nationwide.

The road to a hunger/poverty-free country is still unpaved but the seed of hope was already sown. From here on, nothing is impossible and the GK Enchanted Farm is a clear testament to that. What started as a vision, that was watered with faith and nourished with science, has now grown into a beacon of hope for underprivileged Filipinos.


program with assistance from the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC). www.gdrc.org/uem/water/rainwater/rainwaterguide.pdf

3Biodynamic farming uses livestock manures as fertilizers

and improves soil quality using green manures and cover crops. With biodynamic farming, biodiversity among plants, insects, and other animal life is nurtured. www.biodynamic-farming.com, www.biodynamics.com/biodynamics.html

4Conservation Tillage is a farming system where at least 30% crop

residue remains on field while waiting for next cropping. It prevents soil loss because the crop residue decimates the raindrops’ energy, so water will have less erosive force when it reaches the soil. This protection by residue, along with the rougher surface provided by the residue, enables infiltration and reduces runoff that carries soil and nutrients with it. Thus, this method can also help conserve water and fertilizers. www.mda.state.mn.us/protecting/conservation/

Nature and technology are considered two polar opposites

that seldom share symbiotic relationships. With the latest technological farming developments, ecological farmers should be encouraged not to draw a line between technology and nature. Nowadays, farmers are using innovative technologies to manage their farm resources better. Whether it is for water, pest, nutrient, or weed management, there are corresponding technologies that fit a farm’s needs.

existing ecological farming technologies

1 Biodiverse Farming or Intercropping, in contrast with

the conventional farming where a single variety of crop is grown over a wide area of a farm, uses a mix of different crops or plant varieties in a field. It has emerged as one of the most important modern approaches in achieving food security amidst the changing climate. Its goal is efficient use of resources that would not be utilized by a single crop to augment yield. www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Manage-Insects-on-Your-Farm/Text-Version/How-Ecologically-Based-Pest-Management-Works/What-Does-a-Biodiverse-Farm-Look-Like

2Rainwater Harvesting involves a water management system where

farmers store rainwater for reuse. This helps farmers secure water in times of drought. In 1989, about 500 rainwater-harvesting facilities were constructed in Capiz with capacities varying from 2 to 10 cubic meters as part of the rainwater-harvesting

•Ashlee P. cAnilAng AnD Michelle colleen g. tobiAs

technologies & breAKthroughsNATURE-INSPIRED, SCIENCE-BASED FARMING


filled sterilized compost substrate is then taken into a cropping house where the mushrooms will be grown for 3 months. Mushroom grown on substrate has been one of the rising sources of income in Ghana. In cultivating oyster mushrooms, rice straw can be added to sawdust when making substrate.

scientific breakthroughs

1Nanofiltration membranes can be used to remove dissolved salts

and micro-pollutants to help soften water and aid in treating wastewater. David Grimshaw, professor at University of London, discussed in his article, Nanotechnology for clean water: Facts and figures, that such membranes are already being used to convert saltwater and wastewater to freshwater. Grimshaw added that these membranes act as barricades that capture particles and microorganisms bigger than

the intended destination at precise timing, thus limiting their adverse environmental impact. Nanoemulsion microcapsules are now available in the market. ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/nanotechnology/docs/nanotechnology_in_agriculture_and_food.pdf

3Biopesticide is a form of pesticide based on microorganisms or

natural products. As one of the important components of integrated pest management, it is created by growing and concentrating naturally occurring organisms like bacteria, microbes, fungi, nematodes, proteins, etc. One of the biopesticides widely used by organic farmers in the US is the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to control crop-eating insects without using chemical pesticides. Once ingested by an insect pest, the Bt microbes will be dissolved in the gut of the insect releasing toxic crystals leading to blood poisoning and eventual death of the insect. www.

practices/constillage.aspx, www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ct/ct-1.html, subsrateermacultureghana.wordpress.com/the-solutions/mushroom-production

5 Soil-free planting. Substrate is one of the widely used

materials in Ghana in Africa for growing mushrooms. Substrate is created using sawdust. The process involves 51-day composting, heat sterilization, inoculation of mushroom spawns, and 4-day incubation. The resulting material or the spawn-

their pores, and selectively reject substances. Additionally, bioactive nanoparticles are designed for water remediation. www.scidev.net/global/water/feature/nanotechnology-for-clean-water-facts-and-figures.html

2Nanoemulsion is one of the breakthroughs of nanotechnology

for agriculture. It is an eco-friendly delivery system for nutrients and pesticides contained in quick-releasing microcapsules. These microcapsules are designed to ensure their contents are released only on

epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/whatarebiopesticides.htm

4Precision Farming, which is also known as satellite farming, aims

to optimize crop input and yields while preserving resources. It relies on technologies like satellite imagery, information technology, and geospatial tools aided by farmers’ abilities to locate their position in a field using a satellite positioning system like a GPS or GNSS. soil4213.okstate.edu/...what’s%Precision%worth%20Blake%20Flu....

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Hoping to cash in on the fern, the then Ministry of Agriculture and Food (MAF) created the National Azolla Action Program (NAAP). Financial and technical support poured into the program, but where is azolla now?

Azolla, according to books

With the revived interest in azolla production as a viable source of organic fertilizer, it pays to consult the books on what exactly is azolla and how one benefits from it.

Azolla sounds like an exotic flower or one of those isolated beaches that adventurers dream of discovering, but it seems to be more exciting than that.

Azolla is an ancient plant that has survived some of the planet’s harshest eras. Its oldest living species, A. filiculoides and A. pinnata, date back to the Pleistocene epoch – about as far back as 2.5 million years ago when ice ages were all the rage on the planet. Now, azolla is still found all over the world in fresh water ponds, ditches, lakes, and rivers.

Taxonomists describe Azolla to have simple roots with rhizomes floating on the water surface. It is bi-lobed, meaning each leaf “unit” consists of an upper lobe which is slightly smaller and performs photosynthesis, and a lower lobe that houses the symbiont blue-green alga (Anabaena) and is always submerged.

In his 1988 primer on Azolla, UP Los Baños visiting professor Dr. Manzoor Khan said that the fern’s name comes from the conjugation of the Greek words, azo (to dry) and ollyo (to kill), which means “when it dries it dies.” Azolla grows well on both wet soil and deep standing water. It multiplies both from spores and by vegetative fragmentation. Spore formation is not very frequent but vegetative multiplication sees most Azolla species doubling its weight in 3-5 days.

reVisiting

AZollA

The energy crisis in the 1970s had the martial law government looking for a cheap way to augment the country’s supply of fossil fuel-based nitrogen fertilizer, a vital input for the

Philippines’ highly agricultural economy. They found it in Azolla, a fast-growing aquatic fern that through its symbiotic relationship with the cyanobacteria, Anabaena azollea, can fix atmospheric nitrogen. When incorporated into the soil, azolla donates nitrogen for rice.

•AlfreD frAnco t. cAbAllero

16

Even after interest in azolla ebbed, several research institutions and SCUs in the country maintain small-scale productions for various purposes. At PhilRice Agusan, azolla is used to feed tilapia and other fish in the fish culture component of the Palayamanan setup. It is also used as an input in the vermiculture component. Meanwhile, researchers at the Benguet State University (BSU) grow azolla as green manure for their organic farming experiments. According to BSU professor, Dr. Tessa Merestela, they currently maintain 3-5 paddies of 3x4 meters of azolla paddies in their campus. Aside from these instances, it seems only those who have been traditionally using azolla as green manure in their farming still use it today.

(first of two PArts)


Khan added that several obstacles need to be overcome for its biological and economic potentials to be realized. Khan in his 1986 booklet, Field problems of Azolla, elaborates about these constraints which include the need of azolla for phosphorous in the soil, either naturally occurring or fertilized. High salinity is also detrimental to some azolla varieties.

Azolla is susceptible to all herbicides used in transplanted rice. Further, it has been observed that high light intensity coupled with low pH (3.5-4) and low light intensity and high pH (9-10) slows down azolla growth.

There are also issues in pest management. Azolla is attacked by a variety of pests and diseases including the azolla caseworm, webworm, midge, and snails. It is also vulnerable to fungi attack.

On top of all this, azolla has to compete for resources with several

Azolla grows faster in open surfaces like fields, ditches, and ponds than in dual culture (grown together with other crops like rice). A moderately deep (1/2-1m), preferably shaded pool or ditch will do to grow and maintain the starter inoculum before it is transferred to the field for multiplication. Normally, 100-500g/m2 is the optimum seeding rate.

nAAP

NAAP began in 1982. It was to be a 5-year program jointly run by the University of the Philippines and the MAF to promote the use of azolla as an organic nitrogen fertilizer.

Since 1975, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) scientists, in collaboration with MAF field technicians had been experimenting with azolla. According to Nora Quebral in her 1987 case study, Promoting agricultural productivity: The case of the national azolla action program, it was a verbal note by then IRRI director-general Nyle Brady to President Marcos about the wonders of Azolla that led to a PhP5 million fund for its popularization.

NAAP’s goal by the end of year 5 was to have azolla used in 1 million hectares of rice land all over the country. They postulated that this level of utilization will save the government at least $2.2 million in foreign exchange a year for every 100,000 hectares of lowland rice, or $22 million for one million hectares by 1987. These did not happen.

In the next issue, we will feature the experiences of farmers and researchers who tried azolla production. We will endeavor to answer some of the most intriguing questions such as: Where is azolla now?

Azolla’s uses

Healthy azolla plants contain 3-5% nitrogen and 22-37% crude protein. It also has an astounding 100% daily growth rate, meaning a 100g/m2 starter can become 200g/m2 overnight. According to Khan, it is entirely possible to harvest 200-250 tons of Azolla per hectare in a year, which is a lot of N and green manure for agriculture.

In rice production, the yield increases proportionately to the amount of green manure added. However, a full bloom of Azolla yields only around 20 tons per hectare or 30kg of nitrogen, according to the NAAP book Azolla: Its culture, management and utilization in the Philippines. Farmers are cautioned to depend on azolla for only half of the N requirements of the field and the other half from chemical sources as one would need 2-3 harvests to suffice.

Azolla is also used to remove high concentrations of

salts (nitrates and phosphates) from water. It can be

used to control mosquito larvae in stagnant water and

weeds in the field. Not to mention that Azolla being a

non-toxic high-protein plant, is edible to fish, ducks, and

as Khan will testify to, the occasional human.

cultivating azolla and its problems

For all the excitement over its wonderful qualities and uses, propagating azolla for agricultural use would have been more doable if not for certain innate and seemingly inextricable difficulties. “Azolla specificity to its native environment is well known,” according to Dr. Khan. Azolla inoculum of different species and their different strains will react differently to their environment.

endemic and introduced species such as: Lemma sp., Spirogyra sp., Apanothece sp., Salvinia molesta, and Pistia stratiotes.

Most azolla species come from temperate regions making tolerance to higher temperatures a major constraint to growing azolla in the tropics. There are, however, several species like the A. pinnata from Thailand and a strain of A. caroliniana from North-eastern America and the Caribbean that have been shown to be prolific under Philippine conditions.

17PhilRiceMagazine•July-Sept2013•Vol26nO3


From the soil grows the farmers’ seed of hope. From the same soil sprouts

the “golden” beads that keep the farmlands of San Mateo, Isabela more healthy and profitable.

Mungbean (balatong or munggo) is called “black gold” in this town owing to its dark color when ready for harvest and the many blessings it gives to the local farmers and residents. Mungbean is a big thing in San Mateo, which they celebrate through the Balatong Festival in May. Aside from money, research also proves the contribution of mungbean to the rice land’s fertility.

science of relay-cropping

In 2003, the local government of San Mateo observed a decline in rice yield. The Bureau of Soils and Water Management traced this from the depletion of organic matter in the soil due to intensive chemical farming.

“That prompted us to strategize on reversing the trend by introducing a

different cropping pattern with rice and mungbean as components,” said municipal agriculturist Emiliano Camba who is also now a rice-mungbean farmer.

Under the pattern, farmers plant mungbean after 2 seasons of rice, usually during March or April. As a drought-tolerant crop, Camba’s team saw the potential of mungbean’s root system to restore the natural fertility of the soil as it is filled with nitrogen-fixing bacteria beneficial to rice farming. PhilRice soil scientist Constancio Asis explained that “mungbean’s nodules are filled with Rhizobium, a bacteria that fixes N from the air and makes it available to the mungbean plant. When mungbean is incorporated to the soil, it releases N for use of the rice plant.”

Asis added that sandy loam soils also favor the activity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in mungbean roots.

“Mungbean is very ideal in the sandy loam soil of San Mateo after the dry season rice harvest because the soil can drain easily. We noted a decrease in nitrogen application among farmers who practice relay-cropping,” added Camba.

In a study of Dr. Rose Mary Aquino of the Cagayan Valley Integrated Agricultural Research Center, planting mungbean after rice has reduced nitrogen (N) fertilizer application in rice by 2 bags/ha “because of the donated N to the soil as fixed by mungbean. That is equivalent to more or less P2,000/ha savings from chemical fertilizer,” Aquino said.

Aquino also noted that basal application of complete fertilizer is no longer necessary as the residual fertilizer in the soil after rice harvest is enough to sustain the needs of mungbean.

“Rice is a very voracious nitrogen user. Mungbean’s residual fertilizer will compensate for that. Isn’t that a great mungbean bonus?” Aquino added.

A study by P.K. Aggarwal and colleagues published in the Agronomy Journal, however, argued that increased N transfer above the expected amount from legume to rice has no concrete evidence. Therefore, improvement in rice production may be due to the increased aerial space for N extraction after mungbean

the blAcK golD thAt DecorAtes fArMers’ liVes

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also very easy to grow and maintain. Farmers will just broadcast the seeds before the soil moisture evaporates and go back come harvest time, ” Camba said.

San Mateo farmers are aware of mungbean’s nitrogen-fixing characteristic. They know it helps the soil become healthy. However, their topmost concern boils down to the financial gain they get from an otherwise idle land during a scorching summer.

“When I first planted mungbean in 2006, the farm technician told me that it can help augment the nitrogen content of my farm. Being an organic farming enthusiast, I adopted the technology,” said Henry Patricio, a

able to save on nitrogen fertilizer,” explained Patricio.

Mungbean gives an additional P30,000 to 42,000/ha income to rice farmers. In a year, the town offi-cials estimate a total of P350 million generated income from the 7,500 ha planted to mungbean. This is equiva-lent to a farmer’s earning of P500/day involving approximately 10,000 families. The youth are also encour-aged to farm as mungbean production happens during the summer vacation.

At present, San Mateo’s neighbors such as Cabatuan, Ramon, and Cauayan City have started planting mungbean as relay crop after rice.

“I can say that planting mungbean has made me appreciate more

NITROGEN IN THE ATMOSPHERE

NITROGEN IN ANIMAL PROTEINS

NITROGENIN PLANTPROTEINS

nitrogen in decaying matter and waste

bacteria “fix” nitrogen for use by plants

harvest. Another study in the July 2009 issue of Soil Nature Journal notes mungbean can improve soil fertility not by N fixation but incorporation of biomass to the soil.

Whichever way, farmers attest that mungbean contributes to higher rice yield and income. In 2012, area planted to mungbean after rice reached more than 7,500 ha or 88% of the town’s rice land. Vegetable traders buy the mungbean and sell it in other towns of Isabela, even as far as Metro Manila. In the locality, mungbean is sold daily in the municipal hall’s display area, local public market, and farmers’ cooperative stores. Farmers harvest 750-1,000 kg/ha per season.

A lucrative move

Several factors influence farmers’ decisions to practice diversified farming, per study of R. Espino and C. Atienza of UP Los Baños. One is income stability, another is the increasing demand for vegetables and non-rice crops, or simply profitability per unit area.

“Mungbean is very adaptable to the after-rice planting condition here. It is

multi-cropper from Bgy. Villa Gamiao, also in San Mateo.

To his surprise, mungbean brought him much more than nitrogen.

“I did not expect to earn as much as P35,000 from my 0.8ha farm planted to mungbean. That is on top of my earning from rice farming. I am also

the craft I am into. With that, I will continue to innovate using indigenous resources to regain the natural riches of our farm land,” vowed Patricio.

For Patricio, the black mungbean pod shines like the golden grain of rice that exudes a rainbow through his rice field, and life in general.

the nitrogen cycle

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the benefits of DiVersifying fielD croPs

PAtterns in the fielD:

in areas not previously grown to solanaceous crops will also prevent the build-up of this disease.

The Online Information Service for Non-chemical Pest Management in the Tropics encourages farmers to plant eggplant after rice as it reduces the incidence of bacterial wilt and nematodes. However, farmers are warned not to plant the vegetable after solanaceous crops such as tomato, bell and chilli pepper, or potato.

To manage Meloidogyne graminicola, the rice root-knot nematode, I.R. Soriano and G. Reversat said that one or two consecutive crops of cowpea or seasons of fallow before planting rice will reduce nematode populations and improve rice yield by

as feeding and finding a host to infect.

The Center stressed that some pests and causal organisms of plant diseases are host- specific. They attack related crop species or those belonging to the same family while leaving the other crops unharmed. Thus, varying the crops to plant every season will starve pests as food is not easily available for them.

When planting watermelon after rice, the Technology Information Kit on Low-External Input Rice Production published by the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction states that seeds should be sown 14-25 days before harvesting rice.

The recommendation, being practiced by farmers in Cavite, helps avoid thrips infestation, which usually occurs during the hot, drier months of the year. Planting watermelon earlier than its usual season will also result in higher prices, helping farmers recover from wet season losses.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources R&D recommends that sweet pepper be planted after rice to avoid bacterial wilt. Planting pepper

In the Philippines, 47 dominant cropping patterns enfold the rainfed and upland areas. Literature in agriculture reads that 25 of these patterns are predominantly rice-based. In rainfed areas of Ilocos Norte, sights are refreshed by the diversity of rice-tomato-corn; rice-garlic-mungbean; rice-mungbean-corn; and rice-sweet pepper-corn enveloping the parched, yet productive soil in the province. Farmers also enliven their fields with rice-tobacco; rice-garlic-corn; rice-tomato; rice-pepper; and rice-garlic patterns.

With the richness of the patterns, one might get confused in choosing the better crop after rice. The key might be in understanding the relationship of rice with other crops.

Pest busters and soil boosters

Minimizing pest occurrence and improving soil fertility are major reasons for planting other crops after rice.

The Center for Environment Farming Systems based in North California, USA found that creating a field pattern disrupts pest activities such

•chArisMA loVe b. gADo

Then the Lord commanded the earth to bear plants and the plants to spring seeds. The plants soon died but their seeds made them live again. A pattern was created; a scenic

vegetation covered the earth’s brown carpet.


30-80%. Their conclusion is based on their 2003 study Management of M. graminicola and yield of upland rice in South Luzon.

Soil fertility of rice fields is also sustained by planting legumes. Literature on sustainable agriculture shows that when “cereal crops like rice are grown, they use up a lot of nitrogenous salts from the soil. If another cereal crop is planted in the same soil, the soil becomes nitrogen-deficient.” Legumes are grown after rice as they have the “ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen to form compounds through the help of certain bacteria present in their roots”.

While legumes improve the soil, corn planted after rice may not be a

good practice, according to Dr. Bob Thompson, soil fertility expert and a fellow of the American Society of Agronomy. He explained that phosphorous, an essential nutrient needed by corn and rice, usually becomes “unavailable after the soil dries down”.

But growing corn after rice can reduce pest populations, particularly brown plant hoppers, as shown by the study of Dr. Somchai Boonpradub of Thailand.

yield uppers

Agronomists discourage the continuous planting of rice. The 1987 study, Profitable cropping patterns for irrigated and rainfed lowland rice environments by A.N. Calendacion and S.K. De Datta, showed that three successive rice cropping in an area promote persistence of insect pests and disease pathogens, resulting in low grain yields in later harvests.

But when rice is followed by other crops, reduced pest population, restored soil fertility, and increased income are all achieved. Annual

gross margin from rice-rice-tomato was Php32,082/ha or 1.7 times higher than rice-rice-rice pattern.

The study also showed that stringbean-rice pattern can give high annual profits in spite of a long fallow period, having a gross margin of Php65,282/ha. Its production employed 996 man days/ha.

More benefits

Rotating rice with other crops, especially in unirrigated areas, may be more rewarding than continuously planting the country’s staple food. Its other benefits include weed control and improved organic matter content.

In their book, A handbook for weed control in rice, K. A. Nyarko and S. K. De Datta said that “rotating lowland rice with an upland crop reduces infestation by water-tolerant weeds in the rice, and by upland weeds in the upland crop.”

Meanwhile, a 1998 issue of the Agronomy Journal reported that the use of rotational organic farming practices over an 8-year period increased soil organic carbon, soluble phosphorous, exchangeable potassium, and soil pH (acidity measurements).

Patterns, even in agriculture, are not abstracts mapped out to create beautiful subtle symmetries. Each pattern or combination produces the good that will always remind us of the kindness of the Great Farmer.

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In April, we exported 24 metric tons (MT) of corn feed silage for cattle to Busan, South Korea.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala says we intend to produce 8.4 million MT of corn this year to achieve 101% corn sufficiency. Malaysia and the United States are possible markets for our yellow corn exports.

According to a 2007 article by Julie Mae Pasuquin titled The Expansion of rice-maize systems in Asia: Anticipated impact on fertilizer demand corn demand in Asia is expected to rise in the next 2 decades driven mainly by the expansion of the livestock and poultry feed industry as regional income and meat demand among Asians increase. But another increasing competing demand is coming from the biofuel sector. The high cost of fossil fuel leads to a greater demand for alternative energy sources like biofuel, which influences the global demand and supply of corn and pushing its prices to a historic high.

Cropping systems are transforming in various parts of Asia. Reports from the International Rice Research Institute and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center show that where conditions are favorable, farmers shift or signify interest to shift from rice monoculture to more profitable rice-maize systems.

“ecornomics”

Corn is the second most important staple crop in the country. Some 15% of our total population or about 14 million Filipinos prefer white corn as their daily staple. Around 1.5 million farmers produce corn, 70% of which is yellow corn used for feed. White corn is also produced into high-value products such as corn oil, starch, syrup, gluten, and snack foods.

big•shereen P. rAZon

corn:the next

thing



In 2012, an average yellow corn farmer’s gross income was Php62,500/ha. Subtract from it Php35,182 worth of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, labor, sacks, and land rental, and the farmer pockets a decent Php27,318 at Php12.50 a kilo. In contrast, rice production costs in 2010 averaged Php39,300/ha. Gross income was Php53,859 and net was Php24,379 at Php14.87 a kilo, according to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics.

Good news for corn farmers: the DA Agri-Pinoy Corn Program is finding ways to improve corn income by at least Php8,000 to Php10,000/ha starting this year. Limited rice and corn exports are being made to several countries in Asia and North America. If sustained, Alcala says corn silage exports may increase farmers’ income by an average of 20%. Now that the Philippines is already the second largest corn producer in the ASEAN region and with the US’ corn export capacities gravely crippled by drought, prospects could be even more promising for the local corn industry.

finding room for corn

Corn is among the cash crops being planted in suitable rice-based ecosystems. Since farmers’ choices are more driven by economic returns, corn is a feasible option. Corn

requires much less water compared with rice. It’s a C4 grass that survives even in mountains. It uses about 40% less nitrogen to achieve 50% higher yield. It thrives well in marginal areas making it a viable source of livelihood for resource-poor smallholder farmers.

But is rice-corn profitable? Pasuquin in 2007 compared three rice-based cropping systems in Bangladesh. Rice-corn turned in the highest production potential of about 25 t/ha/yr followed by rice-rice at 20 and rice-wheat at 14 t/ha/yr.

Fertilizer input for corn, however, is higher than for rice. But Sourideth, Ouanesamone, and Newby’s (2012) study titled Factors influencing the adoption of corn in irrigated rice-based farming systems in Lao PDR proved that the fertilizer rate’s marked effect on corn yields and quality eventually overcame the upfront cash constraints. A rate of 135 kg N/ha increased overall yield and grade achieved, improving net returns. The carryover of nutrients from the corn crop to the following wet-season rice crop is also an added benefit.

A winning tandem

The average Filipino consumes 3-4 cups of cooked rice daily. On

the health side, we might want to consider eating more corn.

A study conducted by UP Los Baños showed that mixing white rice and corn grits has acceptable taste similar to white rice alone. UPLB’s Felicito Rodriguez and Dr. Artemio M. Salazar say eating rice mixed with corn is great for the health. Corn has low glycemic index and helps reduce the risks of diabetes, delay hunger pangs, and promote weight loss. In a cooking demonstration held at PhilRice in April, they suggested two rice to corn grits ratios (70:30 and 50:50).

White corn in the Visayas is also cheaper than rice by at least Php2 a kilo. A 50:50, 70:30, or 100 % corn grits ratio is still less expensive than rice. The problem, however, is that corn grits are not available in public markets. UPLB is coordinating with DA to expand the corn area this year to satisfy the growing demand for corn grits.

Shifting the limelight, strategically and appropriately, on corn may prove beneficial both for the farming sector and consumers. IRRI and its partners are developing C4 Rice drawing inspiration from—guess what—corn! The rice-corn tandem is on the radar of the government as it pursues food staples sufficiency.

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Corn grits is a good alternative staple to rice.

3 AnD counting•MAry grAce g. niDoy

More than 3 years after the completion of the Technical Cooperation Project 4 (TCP 4) or Rice-Based Farming Systems Training and Support Program for the Autonomous Region

in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the graduate farmers have been reaping the fruits – and vegetables – of their labor.

Evelyn Javier of PhilRice’s Agronomy, Soils, and Plant Physiology Division (ASPPD) explained that the cropping pattern is also market-driven since the fruit and other parts of squash, like the flowers, can also be sold.

PhilRice’s Crop Protection Division Head Gertrudo S. Arida recounted his experiences with the farmers saying that when it comes to cropping pattern, pest management is the least of their concerns. “Profit is first and foremost,” he said.

“With a Php40 capital, we are earning Php10,000 from bottle gourd in a season. Squash brings almost Php5,000,” said Maton.

Because of vegetables, Maton’s family has bought an owner-type jeep and basic necessities. Her husband Bla Jokolano said, “Before we only had a carabao but now we also own a jeep”.

banana vs soil erosion

The danger of soil erosion has always hounded farmers. That’s why they are sometimes hesitant to plant the hillsides. But in Abdulkarim Eman’s case, he has found the solution.

“When TCP 4 staff came to visit my area, they told me to plant bananas on the slope of a hill to protect my plants from erosion,” he said.

Visit Eman’s farm in Pigcalagan, Sultan Kudarat and there you’ll find the mutual relationship of bananas and vegetables planted along the hillside. What is it about bananas that make them more effective than other crops in preventing soil erosion?

Dr. Edwin Hondrade of the University of Southern Mindanao explained that bananas produce a number of suckers and they have high water requirements.

The Rainforests Alliance’s Better Banana Project cited that banana plant compost prevents soil erosion from the heavy tropical rains and keeps the soil moist in the dry season.

In a report by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural

The project was a collaboration among the Japan International Cooperation Agency, PhilRice, and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries-ARMM. It had five components: establishment of Palayamanan model sites, and of Farmers’ Field Schools; training of agricultural technologists; information and campaign advocacy; and seedling nurseries.

How have the farmers sustained the project? How is ecological farming practiced (or not) in the area? In this story, we feature what’s happening in Maguindanao.

inseparable pair

Norma Maton, a farmer and graduate of TCP 4, has established a cropping pattern in her area. “During the wet season, we always plant bottle gourd (upo) and squash (kalabasa) together because they are of the same kind.”

rice and vegetable farming in the ArMM:



Research (CGIAR), planting banana helps mitigate climate change. In Uganda’s hilly landscape, for example, the permanent canopy, root systems, and mulch of the banana prevent soil erosion.

Alternative source of income

While waiting for harvest time, farmers like Manong Kasan in Pigcalagan turn to gathering and selling firewood as an alternative source of income.

Hondrade says some farmers plant Ipil-ipil and Gmelina in areas that cannot be cultivated. This can supplement their inadequate income from their small farms, or bring them cash during the pre -harvest period.

He added that in areas like Pigcalagan, Gmelinas are abundant. “Gmelinas have been here for over 30 years. We don’t even have to plant them. Their seeds grow quite easily when they fall to the ground,” Kasan said.

Aside from abundance, Dr. Vic Casimero of PhilRice Midsayap said that one obvious reason why Ipil-Ipil and Gmelina are being used as firewood is the good quality of fire they produce.

reviewing and sustaining the learning

A Maguindanao agricultural officer visits the sites from time to time to check the vegetables of TCP 4

graduates. He also updates them on the new technologies that they can use for vegetable production.

Indeed, learning doesn’t stop after graduation. “We still keep the books and fliers that were given to us during the training,” said Eman.

The information materials, translated in Maguindanaoan, help him in reviewing the farming techniques especially in times

when agricultural technologists and development officers are not available.

Bla Jokolano’s family learned farming techniques through the sharing of information. The benefits of the training pushed him to convince his other relatives to join and try vegetable production. Since then, the information cascaded from the first TCP 4 graduate of the family down to the nth degree of relatives.

Almost 4 years after the TCP4, the information continues to cascade; hopes remain to ripple and lessons stay to transform the lives of the farmers.

TCP4 farmer talking about his farming practices.

there’s A right croPfor your soil

UMINGAN It is located in Pangasinan and also can be found in areas with pronounced wet and dry seasons;

It can be seen in lowland areas;

It has a reddish-brown color;

It has a loamy skeletal texture with gravels and pebbles

Diversified crops:

Corn, onion, peanut, sorghum, tobacco, watermelon, coconut, mango, kamote and cassava

rice:

Irrigated Lowland Rice and Rainfed Lowland Rice

BIGAA It is located in Luzon and Visayas areas;

Its topographic position is in dissected alluvial terraces and depressed areas;

It has a very fine texture, which is also very sticky when wet and compacted when dry;

It has a gray color with or without mottles

Diversified crops:

Corn, pineapple, sorghum, tobacco, kamote, and potato

rice:

Irrigated Lowland Rice, Upland Rice and Rainfed Lowland Rice

QINGUA It is located all over the country and can be found in areas with pronounced wet and dry seasons;

Its topographic position is in level to slightly undulating;

It is also associated with river systems;

It has a light brown color

Diversified crops:

Avocado, beans, cabbage, corn, mungbean, onion, peanut, sorghum, sugarcane, tobacco, watermelon, wheat, banana, mango, kamote and potato

rice:

Rainfed Lowland Rice and Upland Rice

MALIGAYA It is located in Luzon areas;

Its topographic position is in level to slightly undulating areas;

It has a fine texture and very sticky with high amounts of clay that cause deep wide cracks resulting in rapid drying of the soil;

It has a gray color

Diversified crops:

Corn, sorghum, sugarcane, banana, mango and kamote

rice:

Irrigated Lowland Rice, Rainfed Lowland Rice and Upland Rice

•AnnA Dorothy o. rAMos

Identifying the soil is very important in rice farming. It decreases the risk of incompatible management recommendations and decisions. Once the soil is recognized, suitable crops can be selected and crop productivity ratings, soil properties that limit production, and soil management recommendations can be determined.

There are four basic guidelines on how to identify the soil: location, topographic position, color, and texture. Here are some of the some top soil series that can be suitable for different crops.


SAN MANUEL It is located all over the country in areas with pronounced wet and dry seasons;

It is associated by river systems and inherent fertility is high;

Its topography is in a flat to gently sloping;

Has a brown color

Diversified crops:

Cabbage, corn, onion, peanut, sorghum, sugarcane, tobacco, watermelon, banana, cotton, mango, kamote and cassava

rice:

Irrigated Lowland Rice and Upland Rice

STA. RITA It is located all over the country;

Its topography is in level to slightly rolling;

It has a fine texture, when wet it becomes hard upon drying;

Has a black or dark brown color

Diversified crops:

Corn, mungbean, sorghum, banana, and potato

rice:

Irrigated Lowland Rice and Rainfed Lowland Rice

BAGO It is located in Luzon and also can be found in areas with well-distributed rainfall;

Its topographic position is in flat to rolling areas;

It has fine texture and developed from older alluvial deposits;

It has a dark brown color

Diversified crops:

Coffee Robusta, mango and cassava

rice:

Irrigated Lowland Rice, Rainfed Lowland Rice and Upland Rice

ISABELA It is located all over the country and found in areas with humid climate that have well-distributed rainfall;

Soils formed from alluvial deposits and are well-traversed by big rivers;

It has a fine texture and saturated with water for repeated periods of time;

It has a brown color

Diversified crops:

Corn, pineapple, sorghum, sugarcane, tomato, watermelon, banana, and kamote

rice:

Rainfed Lowland Rice and Upland Rice

CAUAYAN It is located in Luzon areas;

Its topographic position is in undulating to rolling areas;

It has a very fine texture and has poor internal drainage;

It has a reddish-brown color

Diversified crops:

Beans, corn, mungbean, sorghum, tobacco, banana, and potato

rice:

Irrigated Lowland Rice, Rain fed Lowland Rice

BANTOG It is located in Luzon areas;

Its topographic position is in alluvial terraces; nearly level to gently sloping areas;

Has a very fine texture which is very sticky when wet and compacted when dry;

It has a brownish color

Diversified crops:

Corn, mungbean, onion, peanut sorghum, supreme, watermelon, banana, mango, kamote, and potato

rice:

Irrigated Lowland Rice, Upland Rice and Rainfed Lowland Rice


•inihAnDA ni coxielA l. cAbrerA

Magiging kumpleto kaya ang kusina natin kung wala ang sibuyas? Ang sibuyas ay isa sa mga itinatanim matapos ang palay na nagbibigay ng mataas na kita sa mga magsasaka, kapag walang malas. Ang gulay na ito ay maraming gamit at laging rekado sa ating mga lutuin. Sagana rin ito sa calcium, phosphorus, ascorbic acid o bitamina C. Ginagamit din ito panlunas sa ating mga karamdaman katulad ng sipon, diyabetis, laryngitis,atherosclerosis, sakit sa puso, at hika.

Ngayon ay pag-usapan natin ang ilan sa mga pamamaraan ng pangangalaga sa sibuyas.

Paggamit ng VAM

Ang Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizae o VAM ay isang uri ng amag na kumakapit sa ugat ng halaman na siyang tumutulong sa pagsipsip ng tubig at sustansiya sa lupa.

Nakatutulong din ang VAM sa pag-iwas o pagsugpo ng mga sakit na dulot ng organismong galing sa lupa.

Benepisyong dulot ng VAM

• Matangkad at mapuno ang mga punlang sibuyas.

• Mas malaki ang laman ng sibuyas.

• Mas nakakakuha ng sustansiya sa lupa tulad ng phosphorus ang halamang sibuyas.

• Mas may resistensiya sa sakit tulad ng bukol at damping-off.

• Pinapanatiling buhaghag ang lupa at mas episyente sa paglalagay ng pataba sa bukid.

• Nakatitipid ng hanggang 80% sa pataba.

Paggamit ng Trichoderma sp.

Ang Trichoderma sp. ay isang uri ng benepisyal o kaibigang amag (fungus). Ito ay isa sa mga sikat na organismo na ginagamit sa bayolohikong pamamahala ng

mga sakit ng halaman dulot ng masasamang amag. Nakatutulong ito upang maiwasan ang mga sakit ng mga halamang gulay tulad ng tomato stem rot, onion bulb rot, at paltak.

Benepisyong dulot ng Trichoderma • Nakasusugpo o nakababawas ng

sakit sa halaman gaya ng tomato stem rot, onion bulb rot, at paltak.

• Hindi nakapagbibigay ng kontaminasyon sa mga hayop o sa kapaligiran.

• Ligtas sa kalusugan dahil walang halong pestisidyo.

• Nagpapababa ng gastos sa kemikal o fungicides

• Kamatis na tinamaan ng stem rot o bulok na huwaho o tangkay


Isa ako sa halos 7,000 magsasaka ng San Jose City, Nueva Ecija. Mahigit 10 taon nang nagsasaka at natutong gumamit ng mga iba’t-ibang pamamaraan upang matugunan ang pangangailangan ng aking sakahan.

Limang ektarya ang lupa ko, puro palay ang itinatanim tuwing tag-ulan. Mahigit isang ektarya nito ang tinatamnan ko ng sibuyas, kamatis, at mais pag tag-araw. Kinagisnan ko na ang pagtatanim ng gulay pagdating ng Disyembre hanggang Abril o Mayo.

Napapagod din kasi ang lupa sa patuloy na pagtatanim ko ng palay. Napapansin kong humihina ang ani. Marahil ay nauubusan ang lupa ng mga pangunahing sustansya na kailangan ng palay, kaya naman tinatamnan ko ng gulay para makapagpahinga mula sa paggamit ng syntetikong pataba.

Pagsapit ng tag-ulan, naobserbahan ko na mas mabilis lumaki ang palay sa parte na tinamnan ko ng gulay noong tag-araw. Nadaragdagan ang sustansiya sa lupa at ito ay marahil sa mga natirang pataba mula sa mga gulay, pati na rin sa mga nabulok nitong parte.

Sa pagtatanim ng mais at sibuyas, pinipili ko ang lupa na tinatawag naming “areb-eb” o lupang madaling matuyo upang mabilis ang paglaki at maging maganda ang kalidad ng mais/sibuyas. Iniiwasan kong magtanim sa “kabanasan” (matubig na lupa) sapagkat may mga pagkakataong hindi ko makontrol ang patubig nito na nagdudulot ng mabilis na pagkabulok ng mga gulay. Kaya nakareserba lamang ito para sa palay.

sibuyas

Tuwing Disyembre, sibuyas ang una kong itinatanim. Walang kalahating ektarya ang tinatamnan ko dahil sa malaki ang kinakailangang kapital nito. Umaabot sa 90,000 pesos ang kailangang puhunan na akin namang hinihiram sa bangko.

Sa araw-araw kong pagbabantay ng sibuyas, linilinis ko ang mga damo sa mga paligid nito at pinapatuyo ang mga ito. Paminsan-minsan, pinapausok ko ang paligid gamit ang mga tuyong damo para hindi maunahan ng mga peste ang sibuyas. Madalas kasing umaatake ang mga uod at thrips dahil sa tuyo ito at gusto din ng mga peste ang amoy ng sibuyas.

Sa kabilang dako, hinahabol ko din ang halos tatlong buwan upang makaani kaya madalas akong gumagamit ng pataba kasama na ang dumi ng manok at ang mga abo. Dahil dito gumaganda ang kalidad nito at madaling ibenta lalo na kapag maganda ang presyo sa pamilihan na umaabot sa 15 pesos pataas per kilo. Noong nakaraang taon, kumita ako ng halos P100,000 sa pagbenta ko ng sibuyas sa siyam na lata ng semilyang itinanim ko. Hindi ito madalas dahil pabagu-bago ang presyo nito taun-taon.

Bukod sa sibuyas, nagtatanim din ako ng kamatis, na isinusunod na itanim sa Disyembre o Enero. Ngunit sa ganitong panahon, madalas “magundong” o natutuyo ang mga dahon ng kamatis at namamatay din ito pagkalipas lamang ng tatlong araw. Depende din kasi sa barayti, kung

makayanan nito ang temperatura sa panahon ng paglaki. Kaya naman minsan hinahayaan ko na ang kamatis kapag talagang natuyo na ang dahon.

Mais

Mais naman ang gusto kong itinatanim sa ngayon dahil sa mas maliit na puhunan ang kinakailangan at madali din itong alagaan. Kumikita ako ng netong P20,000 mula sa P15,000 kong puhunan.

Hindi ito madalas inaatake ng peste maliban sa daga kaya naman nakatitipid ako sa pestisidyo pati na rin sa patubig. Minsan lang ako gumagamit ng pestisidyo sa mga ugat ng mais upang hindi mabulok ito at kainin ng peste. Kinakailangan ko din linisin ang mga paligid nito para hindi madaling bahayan ng mga daga. Posible kasing akyatin ng mga daga kapag namunga na ito. Nakatutulong din ang mga alaga kong pusa dahil gustung-gusto nilang pumupunta sa ilalim ng mais kapag ito ay malinis at walang damo. Kaya naman natatakot na ang mga daga at minsan pa’y may nakikita na lang akong patay na daga sa ilalim ng mais.

Mas nagiging kapaki-pakinabang sa akin ang pagtatanim ng mga gulay. Malaki ang natitipid ko sa gastusin sa pataba at pestisidyo sa pamamagitan ng pag-iiba-iba ng pananim. Bukod pa diyan, gumanda ang kalidad ng aking mga pananim, at naging kasunod nga nito ang pagganda ng aking kita na siya namang aking pinaghuhugutan ng puhunan para sa susunod na pagtatanim.

KURU SAKA

PAgPAPAlit-PAlit Ay sulitKwento ni Benjamin Galinato, 38, ng San Jose City, Nueva Ecija Inilahad kay Jayson C. Berto

Benjamin Galinato


philrice magazine 2013 3q

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