Month: October 2009

Helping Solve the Energy Crisis with Waste By-products

Helping Solve the Energy Crisis with Waste By-products

 

An intrepid agriculturist and inventor plans to start a national incentive program to build at least 5000 family-type digester all over the country.

 

By Didi Guanzon-Lucindo

 

When Gerry Baron returned to the Philippines for good after 17 years in North America, our country was not in dire straits, nor was anyone able to predict that the price of crude oil would exceed 60 dollars a barrel.

            Baron, an agriculturist at heart decided to move his family straight from the province of Tarlac where his parents and siblings have various agro ventures. Since their business of layer farms is running well, the La Salle-trained engineer- who had worked on GE locomotives while in Canada- decided to get into other agricultural ventures.

            Although he was not sure which one, Baron wanted to work on something that would not involve importing raw materials that would be environmentally sustainable and would be a foreign currency earner. He also felt that the venture should somehow address the plight of most Filipino households that subsist on so little a day.

 

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GMO Cabbage

GMO Cabbage:

One Component of Sustainable Pest Control

 

Bacillus thurengiensis (BT) is a natural bacterium that is widely used as a safe and effective pesticide.

 

Current approaches used by farmers to control pests in cabbage crops are failing. More pests are emerging, pesticide abuse is rampant, and pesticide residues are often detected on cabbage at the market. In response, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) called a meeting to discuss innovative and sustainable approaches to cabbage pest control. Representatives from environmental, regulatory, research and consumer communities in India attended.

            Dr. O.P. Dubey of ICAR presented the background to the issues faced. He reported that the number of pests attacking cabbage in India has increased from 10 to 38 since 1920. This is despite the use of pesticides, pheromone traps, trap crops, pest-resistant varieties, and other pest management strategies. Although the volume of pesticides used in India has declined from 75,000 MT in 1990-91 to 43,600 MT in 2001-01, pesticide abuse is rampant and pesticide residues persist as a major problem (12% of vegetables at the market have unacceptable levels of residues).

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Large Scale Tomato Production

Large Scale Tomato Production

 

There’s a demand for tomatoes all-year round and planting the crop is not really complicated.

           

Large scale tomato production could be one of the wisest decisions an agriprenuer could make. Planting tomatoes is not complicated and a sure market awaits this product, considering the year-round demand and its many uses. This vegetable is used in preparing salads, pickles, catsup, candies, sauce, juice, soups, fruit preserves, paste, vinegar and wine. It is served raw, baked, stewed or fried and can even be used as dog food. Its skin and seeds serve as animal feed, tomato flakes and medicine.

            You can choose from among the following varieties: Canbal, Ambal or Mati-kina, Pearl Harbor, Pritch and Rutgers, Homestead, Earlieana, Ace or Marglobe and Improved Harbor, a variety developed by the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) to withstand the rainy season.

            Tomatoes can grow on different soil types, from silt to clay loam or sandy loam. It needs warm weather and ample amount of sunshine to produce profitable yields.

 

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