Category: AGRICULTURE

Guyabano production -Part 1

Guyabano or soursop production

By:Onofre Q. Ballesteros

Greenfields March 1993

The increasing preference of health-conscious consumer for non-carbonated drinks has brought more attention to drinks made from tropical fruits like guyabano or soursop. Soursop pulp or meat contains about 80% water; one percent protein; 18 % carbohydrates and small quantities o vitamin B1, B2 and C. Ripe guyabano fruits can be eaten fresh or processed into pureeand dehydrated products. Fruits for processing into puree must be fully mature, ripe and free of bruises. Good quality flesh is white, cottony in texture, and juicy.

Soursop or guyabano is scientifically known as Anona muricata. It belongs to the Anonaceae family and is believed to have originated from tropical America. Other fruit trees belonging to this family are the sugar apple or atis (Anonas squamosa), anonas or custard apple (Anona reticulata), cherimoya (Anona cherimolia) and hybrid between cherimoya and atis known as atemoya.

Guyabano is generally grown as a backyard crop. The area devoted to it averaed 3,0816.6 hectares from 1980 to 1985. Western Visayas had the biggest hectare (740) , followed by Central Luzon (518). The average Philippine production during the same period was 3.31 tons per hectare. Average total production per year was 10,200 tons worth about 8.6 million pesos

Adaptation

Guyabano thrives in a wide range of soil types with a pH ranging from 4.3 to 8.0  Well-drained soil with high organic matter content is highly desirable.

Acidic soil (pH 4.3 to 5.5) is not conducive to good growth because of the toxic effects of acid producing  elements  like aluminum, iron and manganese.

Soil acidity can be corrected by the application of lime. Agricultural lime can be used but it takes more quantity and a longer time to effect change, unlike hydrated lime or quick lime.

Frequency of lime application depends on the acidity of the soil, soil texture, and extent of crop removal of calcium and magnesium.

Guyabano needs a warm, dry climate during its flowering period. Such a climate favors good fruit set formation as it is generally as cross-pollinated tree. Adequate soil moisture, however, is required for good fruit development. It takes about four months from flowering until fruit maturity.

Guyabano  cultivars

Based on fruit taste, there are two strains – sweet and sour . They  are botanically similar. Both grow up to seven meters tall. The leaves are alternative oval, pointed at both ends smooth and shiny, seven to 20 centimeters long, and with very short petioles. The flowers are large, heart-shaped, and yellowish or greenish yellow.

Propagation

Guyabano is generally propagated by seeds selected from fully mature fruits. A good-sized fruit mature fruits. A good-sized fruits weighs at least 750 grams and consists of94 percent pulp or meat; 11 percent peel; two percent core and three percent seeds. Seeds from 14 selected fruits are needed to plant one hectare wit a plant population of 625 trees.

Guyabano may also be propagate asexually, but it’s not common practice because trees grown from seed – sexual propagation – start flowering three years after planting.

In Guimaras, we had seedlings that started bearing 18 months after outplanting. When transplanted, the seedlings were six months old.

Asexually propagated trees, therefore, have no distinct advantage over sexually grown seedlings. The seeds should be sown in seedboxes or seedbeds. Seedlins that grow at least four leaves should be transferred to plastic bags. The soil medium for the bags should consist of sterilized loam soil and organic matter. Water the seedlings at least once a day during hot days.

Two to three weeks after you transfer the seedlings, apply a fertilizer solution every four days to accelerate plant growth and root development. Dissolve 100 grams of 14-14-14 per 17 liters of water and use this solution to water the seedlings. It is best to apply the solution at the base of the seedlings to avoid injuring young leaves. Two weeks before outplanting, reduce watering and expose the seedlings to sunlight to harden them.

Land preparation

Clear the field bu underbrushng and plowing. Allow the weeds to decompose before harrowing. Two or more harrowings are needed to thoroughly prepare  the land. Provide drainage canals or make contours if the field is slightly rolling to avert soil erosion. Dig holes measuring 2 x 2 x 2  feet and refill with surface soil and organic matter.

Spacing and outplanting

A 4 x 4 meter spacing scheme – or 625 trees per hectare – is suggested for light-texture soils. Wider spacing is recommended for clayey soil. Outplant at the start of the rainy season to give the seedlings time to develop good root systems before the dry months. Remove the plastic bags before setting the seedlings in the holes.

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.