AGRICULTURE – Page 40 – Philippine Tambayan

Rice Straw Ash as Good Substitute for Soap

Barrio folks in Northern Luzon, particularly residents of Kapangan, Benguet use rice straw ash

as substitute for soap for working clothes and dishes.

Procedure:

1. Burn rice staw and collect the ashes.

2. Soak ash in water.

3. The dye produced in the collection is the one used for working clothes. Soak dirty clothes here as you do with ordinary soap.

4. Rinse as usual after washing.

Other Uses of Rice Straw Ash

Rice straw ash is also a good remedy for dandruff. Mix the ash with water and use it as shampoo.

Source:

Greenfields

Dec. 1980

Uses of Banana (from Belgium)

In the Philippines where banana is grown abundantly, there are places, like Manila, where

because of prohibitive price, bananas get rotten and thrown into waste. In the provinces,

where there is oversupply, bananas are fed to the hogs.

There are various uses for rope or twine about the house or farm but one can hardly find one

when needed. In Nigeria, rope is made from banana or plantation trees. The twine produced

can be used for tying bundles together or tying plants to stakes. For example, Nigerians used

this cord to secure your plants against stakes and to attack yarns to vertical poles for storage.

The central stem of the banana tree is surrounded by leaf sheaths or sections. Once the fruit

has been harvested from the tree the stem can be made into rope.

Researchers from Japan’s National Chemical Laboratory for Industries discovered how to

make paper using sugarcane bagasse and banana stalk.

No poisonous chemical is used unlike the commonly used sodium suphide, sodium hydroxide

and chloride. Such method is expensive and pollutes the environment.

In the newly discovered method, no bleaching is needed. The chemicals used can be reused.

Because of very minimal capital, this could be a good small industry.

Source:

Tech Monitor

May-June 1980