Day: September 30, 2008

Philippine ricefields: assessing its ecological impacts

Philippine ricefields: assessing its ecological impacts
by Rita T. dela Cruz

January-March 2000 Volume 2, No.1

BAR Digest

Due to the urgency to expand our scientists’ understanding of the ecological values of ricefields in the Philippines, a workshop was conducted last 22 March 2000 at the main conference room of the PCARRD headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna. The one-day event gathered some of our scientists from different concerned areas. Sponsoring this event were the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), University of the Philippines Los Baños-School of Environmental Science and Management (SESAM-UPLB), and Asia Rice Foundation (ARF).

According to Huke’s study, as cited by the report of Dr. Ben S. Malayang, dean of SESAM, a universal feature of the Philippine landscape are ricefields that cover 12% of our total land, second to the highest among our neighboring ASEAN countries (second to Vietnam). Moreover, our rice areas can be classified into four, namely: upland, deepwater, irrigated, and rainfed. The irrigated is further classified into wet and dry, while the rainfed are either shallow or intermediate.

Many studies have explored the economic impacts of ricefields as well as the effect of rice-land use in the performance of national economies. When it comes to social and cultural systems, much is also known about its impact on rice production. What is barely understood according to Dr. Malayang, is how the presence and expansion of our rice areas affect their ecological dynamics. Though some studies have already provided insights regarding this aspect of rice production, still they have proved to be limited in scope and replication.

With this problem in mind, a pool of experts was convened to expand the understanding of the larger ecological implications of committing more areas of our landscape to rice production. Also stressed was the need to understand the systemic contributions of our ricefields to the biophysical and socio-cultural interactions of our national life.

The ecological value of ricefields in the Philippines was discussed in terms of the direction and degree of their impacts on biodiversity, landscape change, hydrologic and chemical cycles, and energy flow across the larger tropical environment of the country.

At the end of the workshop, participants were able to identify some of the ecological interactions occurring in the Philippine ricefields, determine how these interactions could be better understood, and enumerate key questions for future research on Philippine ricefields that affect the wider ecological dynamics in the Philippines.

The workshop was highlighted by four paper presentations on Biodiversity of Microflora in Wetland Rice Fields; Biodiversity of the Macro Flora in the Rice Field: Weeds; The Biodiversity of Macro Fauna: Vertebrates in Rice Fields; and Biodiversity of Macro Fauna: Invertebrates in Philippine Rice Fields. Presenters included Dr. Ireneo J. Manguiat of the Department of Soil Science, Dr. Juliana S. Manuel of the Department of Agronomy, Dr. Pablo P. Ocampo of the Institute of Biological Sciences, and Dr. Alberto T. Barrion of the Entomology and Plant Pathology Division, IRRI.

On a separate discussion about the impact of landscape change, two papers were presented: its effect on Soil Physical, Chemical and Morphological Properties of Rice Fields, and its effect on the Hydrology and Microclimate of Rice Fields.

With these papers presented during the workshop, participants were able to engage in laying the basis for forging a new agenda on rice R&D in the Philippines.

Fortified rice

New rices may improve human health
Jo Anne Pamplona

December 1999, BAR Digest

Iron- and Zinc- Enriched Rice Undergoing Trial in Convent;Vitamin A-Enhanced and Iron-Enriched Rice Varieties to Be Tested

Nuns at a convent in the Philippines are eating iron-enriched, experimental rice as part of their daily diet in the hopes of improving the health of some 3.7 billion iron-deficient people around the world. The postulants and novitiates at the convent, who eat the same amount of food every day, are providing scientists with a unique opportunity to test whether the minerals that have been bred into new rice varieties will be absorbed by the human body.

“Rice is a staple food in many poor countries, particularly in Asia,” said Ronald Cantrell, director general of the Manila-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). “While rice fills the stomach, it is missing critical nutrients for human health such as iron and zinc.” An estimated 2 billion people worldwide–nearly one-third of the world’s population–suffer ill health due to iron-deficiency anemia, the most widespread nutrient deficiency in the world. Between 40 and 50 percent of children under the age of five in developing countries are iron deficient. The disorder hits pregnant women especially hard, accounting for up to 20 percent of all maternal deaths. It also impairs immunity and reduces the physical and mental capacities of people of all ages. The prevalence of zinc deficiency is unknown, but it is a likely problem wherever malnutrition occurs. “Fortification programs have proven too expensive and relatively ineffective in reaching the billions of malnourished people who need them,” said Cantrell. “For a country such as India, it would cost $93 million each year for an iron supplement program.”

A concerted effort at IRRI has yielded an approach that is far cheaper — packing rice with minerals through traditional plant breeding. After extensive analysis and breeding over a four-year period, scientists have developed a rice variety that has an extremely high iron and zinc content, as well as good yield flavor, texture, and cooking qualities, explained Cantrell.

Now scientists are poised to discover whether the nutrients are still present in the rice following the milling process and whether they are “bioavailable” for humans after they are digested. Experiments in rats and in human colon cell cultures at Cornell University have verified that the extra iron is available. But these initial results need to be duplicated in human trials.

With the Institute of Human Nutrition of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, IRRI is conducting a feeding trial in the convent in the Philippines. The postulants and novitiates are all young women of about the same age. The trial has been in progress since April and will continue for several more months. A large-scale feeding trial is planned to confirm the results from this initial trial.

In a related advance, Swiss researchers recently announced a breakthrough in genetically modifying rice grains to contain more iron and vitamin A. Vitamin A deficiency causes more than 1 million childhood deaths each year and is the single most important cause of blindness among children in developing countries. Researchers from The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology’s Institute for Plant Sciences inserted genes from a daffodil and a bacterium into rice plants. The resulting rice plant produces a grain with sufficient beta-carotene — converted to vitamin A in humans — to meet total vitamin A requirements in a typical Asian diet. To double the iron content in rice, the research team added a gene from a French bean.

The Swiss research was conducted with funding from governments and not-for-profit organizations, including The Rockefeller Foundation, and will be freely available to national and international agricultural research centers. Researchers at IRRI will also carry out further research. They will adapt and develop rice varieties and test them to determine their effect on human health and the environment.

“After acceptance by national biosafety authorities, these novel varieties of rice will be distributed free of charge to farmers who will have unrestricted rights to them,” said Gurdev Khush, principal plant breeder at IRRI.

For more information, contact: Duncan Macintosh at the International Rice Research Institute at D.MacIntosh@Cgiar.Org or on the Web: http://www.cgiar.org/irri
22 November 1999 © 1999 Future Harvest

Seaweeds Farming: Eucheuma Farming

Technotrends: Eucheuma farming:

 A better altenative

By: Thea Kristina Pabuayon

October 1999- Special issue , BAR Digest

The seaweed resource is one of the most important marine resources. Production of seaweed through culture is one of the most productive form of livelihood benefiting thousands of coastal inhabitants in the country today (Trono, Jr., 1997).

The country’s seaweed industry is presently the third ranking fishery industry. In 1996 alone, seaweed and seaweed products worth US$94 million were exported by the Philippines (Trono Jr., 1997). Local and international markets that include the United States, Japan, Latin America, Canada, and the neighboring Asian countries have and continually increased. However, the Philippines should put in mind that the need to further advance and exploit such valuable industry through research is still inevitable since most of our neighbors are catching up. In 1971, Eucheuma farming was instituted in the (Kappaphycus alvarezii/Eucheuma cottonii) are ‘carageenan ‘-bearing seaweed abundant in Philippine waters. Numerous food and industrial products such as binders, thickeners, and emulsifiers require ‘carageenan’ as a main ingredient.

Because of positive reports and outcomes, researches and Eucheuma culture spread to other farming systems and eventually, to the Mindanao areas where conditions are favorable for its farming.

One such research”, the study on “Eucheuma Farming in Selected Areas of Palawan”. The long coastline characteristic of Palawan made it ideal for seaweed farming. Researchers of the Inland Sea Ranching Station, a research Department of Agriculture based in Puerto Princesa City conceived and implemented the project in support to the Seaweed Development Program of the Local Government Unit of Palawan. Through this project, Palawan is envisioned to be a competent and world-class seaweed producer.

Potential areas of Palawan that can be utilized for Eucheuma farming were determined through multi-location testing. Through this, the transfer of Eucheuma to the different fishing communities of Palawan was made easy. Local Government Units, DA, and seaweed processors, provided seminars, training, technical assistance, and market links to the fisherfolk.

The study yielded several conclusions and findings that has proven Eucheuma technology beneficial to the fisherfolk of Palawan.

It was estimated that 50,000 families benefited from the technology. Palawan has also established itself as a prime seaweed producer, providing 142,000 Mt. Annually which amounts to 23% of the country’s total seaweed production.

After the utilization of seaweed farming, it was calculated that the income of fisherfolk largely increased by P31-33,000 per annum. This helped alleviate poverty and further establish seaweed farming as a beneficial and rewarding form of livelihood.

The possibility of generating high income from this technology has made it attractive as an alternative livelihood for fisherfolk. It has economic viability which means high income returns can be expected in spite of low capital input. As a result, the further degeneration and destruction of overexploited fishing grounds can now be prevented.

Seaweed farming can also be regarded as a solution to the persistent problem of un/underemployment and basically eliminates idle labor by providing opportunities for entrepreneurship and self-managed businesses. Because it will require a sizeable number of manpower, the whole family can participate and earn at the same time.

However, several problems have also been anticipated following the utilization of this technology. First, unregulated seaweed farming may affect the natural ecosystem when overcrowding occurs. Second, the proliferation of seaweed farms may also pose resource-users conflict (Abrera et al, 1998). Open fishing areas would be limited and could mean inadequate catch for fishermen. Nonetheless, these problems could be prevented if strict implementation of existing laws on regulation of seaweed farming will be followed.

The potential of eucheuma farming to improve the general status of countryside livelihood in the Philippines is clearly evident. It is therefore vital that more researches and studies be conducted to further develop and expand the utilization of this technology.

Eyebuds as planting materials

Eyebuds as planting materials
Thea Kristina Pabuayon 

October 1999 Special Issue, BAR Digest

Abaca is traditionally planted using suckers or corms. The use of seeds, although appropriate in breeding activities, is not practiced by farmers because abaca grown from seeds takes longer time to mature and to attain harvestable size. Furthermore, resulting plants may not possess the desired characteristics of the parents or are not “true to type” because abaca is highly cross-pollinated. There is also difficulty in germinating the seeds as well as taking care of the seedlings in the field.

This was revealed in a Terminal Report of FIDA Region VIII entitled “Germination and Growth of Eyebuds as Affected by Size and Depth of Planting,” which was authored by Porfirio B. Tafalla, Victor A. Romero and Agapito E. Cagabhion.

Tissue culture can mass-produce disease-free planting materials from a single parent material but requires much capital, sophisticated equipment and expertise. This method cannot be practiced by ordinary farmers in their respective localities.

The use of corms and suckers is simple and results in high germination and survival but these materials are bulky and costly in terms of labor and transport especially if the source is far from the planting site. Dividing the corms into seedpieces with two eyebuds each multiplies available planting materials from a single corm three or four times. Further dividing the corms into individual eyebuds was studied by Tafalla, et al. in 1992. It was found out that eyebuds are equally appropriate planting materials as seedpieces. They have similar germination and survival rate as seedpieces and have the advantage of being less bulky thereby reducing hauling and freight costs. More planting materials can be derived from each corm since eyebud is a planting material. Unlike in tissue culture, eyebud preparation is simple and can be easily adopted by farmers in their respective farms.

Steps in Eyebud Preparation and Field Planting:

  • Select harvestable stalks that are easy to tumble down. Before tumbling down, remove the leaves with the use of a topping knife to avoid or minimize damage to nearby plants.
  • Tumble down plants by pulling the stalks from side to side to loosen the roots. Plants with deeply embedded corms and roots are sources of eyebuds.
  • Separate the corms from the stalks with the use of a sharp bolo. Pile the corms in a convenient place. Pile the stalks separately for tuxying later.
  • Divide the corms into pieces measuring 5 cm x 5 cm to 7 cm x 7 cm. Each piece should have one prominent eye bud.
  • Pile prepared eyebud in a shady place to avoid desiccation. Observe care in hauling and transporting eyebuds to avoid damage to the growing points.
  • Prepare the land in the same way when corms or suckers are used. It should be done before the eyebuds are prepared. Plant theeyebuds within 1 week after preparation ensure high germination.
  • Planting should be timed at the onset of the rainy season to ensure high germination and survival. Planting distance is 1m x 1m for nurseries and from 2m x 2m to 3m x 3m for planation depending on the size of the variety to be planted. Depth of planting is 2-6 cm and the eyebuds positioned with the growing tips pointing upward.
  • All other activities like provision of shade trees, underbrushing, ringweeding, fertilizer application, etc are the same as in plants derived from corms, suckers, or seedpieces. Upon maturity, first harvest and succeeding harvests are the same as those planted using corms and seedpieces.