Category: AGRICULTURE

Cultivating the aromatic garlic

Cultivating the aromatic garlic

Garlic (Allium sativum) has long been used as a culinary spice and medicinal herb. It is believed to have originated in Central Asia for over 5,000 years ago. Its fine aroma and distinct taste make garlic an export winner crop. There are about 300 varieties of garlic all over the world. Garlic is classified based on its origin and morphological features. Several types of garlic include: true garlic (predominantly from China), hard neck varieties (Asiatic type) and soft neck varieties. In the Philippines the varieties of garlic being planted fall under the soft neck varieties that are often cultivated in the provinces of Ilocos , Batanes, Mindoro and Batangas. Aside from its versatility as a culinary bulb, garlic production and economic opportunities for the Filipino farmers.

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Trichantera: Cheaper Feed Substitute to Soybean Oil Meal

Trichantera: Cheaper Feed Substitute to Soybean Oil Meal

One problem among local hog raiser is the high cost of feed production. Costly commercial-mixed feeds such as the soybean oil meal (SBOM) contribute substantially to the high cost of feed ingredients as they have to be imported int he country as part of the protein requirement in pig ration. The necessity therefore to find cheaper substitutes to lower the production cost of both feeds and finisher pigs to attain higher returns has been imperative.
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Scientists Find Twinning Technology in Dairy Cattle Succesful

Scientists Find Twinning Technology in Dairy Cattle Succesful

The cow (Bos Taurus for European breeds and Bos indicus for indian Breeds), belonging to the family Bovidae, is characterized as a uniparous large ruminant- an animal capable of producing only a single offspring per birth.
The low prolificacy of cattle coupled with the small population used in breeding have contributed to the dwindling cattle production in the country. This problem may just have found solution in the first successful induced twinning in dairy cattle spearheaded by Dr. Antonio A. Rayos, veterinarian and assistant professor at the Dairy Training and Research Institute (DTRI) UP los Banos.
In a series of laboratory tests, two healthy calves (male and female) each weighing 18kg were successfully conceived after 254 days of gestation with the female co-twin having a normal reproductive tract on examination.
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MMSU recommends off season tomato

MMSU recommends off season tomato

Three new tomato hybrids developed by researchers from the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) offer excellent opportunities to Ilocos farmers to venture into profitable tomato production during the off-season.
The developed hybrids are high yielding early maturing and tolerant to the very humid conditions during wet seasons in the Ilocos region. The fruits are juicy, sour, and have round and deep oblate shapes, qualities that are preferred by locals consumers.

The three MMSU hybrids (hybrids 1, 2, and 3) were developedin a five year study by MMSU researchers – Marylis Nalundasn, Rolando C. Ruguian and Victor V. Alpuerto of Monsanto Philippines, inc.
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