3.

Characterize the Socio-economic Environment

Actual observation and gathering of info on current
market prices of inputs/outputs.
Interview farmers and their household --- about their
farming system being adopted.
Interview key informants (Kls) such as community leaders,
elders about the community history/culture and political situation.
4. Farm plan is prepared --- components:
▸ a map showing the land allocation for the chosen crop/s.
▸ recommended planting scheme and cropping pattern.
► time table or schedule of activities.
▸ budget scheme for the material/input requirements.
▸ forecasts of possible critical factors --- potential problems in the
implementation.
Bio-physical Features of Land and Crop Adaptation
Crops have acquired their adaptive mechanisms to
specific factors like climate, soil and biotic conditions
through natural evolution and man's intervention.
Therefore, crops with special adaptation should match a
given bio-physical situation.
1. Submerged condition most of the crop's life cycle. The
adaptive species are rice, taro, water chestnut (apulid), and
Sesbania rostrata for green manuring. They are grown on
paddy fields in the flood plains or river catchment areas.
2. Humid condition and where rainfall is
more or less uniformly distributed.
This is suitable to all perennial crops but
more so for mangosteen which grows well in
Mindanao and abaca which
which thrives in
Mindanao,
Eastern Visayas and Bicol
peninsula. Mango produces high quality and
tasty fruits in areas where there is a dry
spell.
3. Cool temperature or mild climate in the highlands of
Mt. Province, Mt. Kanlaon in Negros Island and in
Bukidnon
The suitable vegetable species are white potato,
cabbage, sweet peas, carrots, head lettuce, asparagus, etc.
Heat tolerant varieties of cabbage and white potato can now
be grown commercially in mid-elevation and lowland areas.
The suitable fruit species are litchi, longgan, ponkan,
mandarin orange, strawberry, grape and macadamia nut.
Apples have been grown successfully in the highlands in
Indonesia. Grape has been a highly successful crop in
Thailand. Litchi (also spelled "lychee") grows well in Mt.
Province and some areas have borne fruits in Laguna
province.
4. Coastal areas.
talisay
Coconut, cashew, tamarind and
(Terminalia catappa), a source of dye for clothing
materials, can thrive well since they can tolerate
saline conditions. The limit in elevation for coconut
is 600 m, beyond which the plant may not exhibit
reproductive development. Nipa palm (Nympha
fruticans) the sap of which is used as fermented
beverage or vinegar, thrives well in saline riverine
areas.
5. Partial shade. Ginger, black pepper,
vanilla, lanzones, rambutan, mangosteen,
cacao, coffee, banana, arrowroot, patchouli
and many other crops tolerate or require
shade and can be grown under coconut trees,
ipil-ipil and madre de cacao (Gliricidia
sepium).
6. Low pH (4.3 to 5.0) as in Bukidnon. The
tolerant crop species are rubber, pineapple,
cassava, and sweet potato, a forage legume that
nodulates at pH 4.0 to 4.5. Acid-tolerant
varieties of crops have been developed in a
number of research institutions: corn in CMMYT,
Mexico; Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB), UPLB
and Central Mindanao University; mungbean,
peanut and cowpea in IPB, UPLB; and rice in IRRI,
Philippines and CIAT, Colombia.
7. Light-textured soils. Root crops, asparagus,
legumes and corn are particularly adaptive to this
type of soils.
8. Poor and stony soils. Cashew and forage
legumes can adapt to these soil types. Kaong or
palm sugar (Areca pinnata) which has a commercial
potential, would be good candidate crop.
9. Drought-prone areas. Sorghum, cashew,
pineapple, sweet potato, pigeon pea or kadios,
cowpea, mungean, napier grass as forage crop are
tolerant of such condition.
10. Photoperiod or daylength. Soybeans, winged
beans, kenaf, coffee, pineapple, chrysanthemum
and some rice varieties are photoperiod responsive
and will flower only when daylength has become
shorter than 12 hours. Bulb formation in onions is
hastened by longer days. In yams (ubi), long days
favor vine development, whereas, short days hasten
tuberization.
11. Problem soils. These include: rice-
growing areas along the sea coasts in which
the soil has become saline; soils that are
deficient in zinc, phosphorus and iron; and
soils that are toxic due to high
concentration of iron, manganese and
aluminum. Specific varieties of rice have
been selected for adaptation to these
conditions.
Crops that Have Become Dominant in Certain Areas
Setting up a new production enterprises in areas where certain crops have
become dominant would be advantageous because of proven adaptation of
the crop and experience of the farmers in the area. Examples are:
► tobacco and garlic in Ilocos Region to La Union and Pangasinan;
► peanut in Quirino Province, Cagayan Valley and Siquijor Island;
sugarcane in Negros, Tarlac-Pampanga and Batangas;
► mango in Guimaras Island, Cebu and Central Luzon;
pili in Albay, Camarines Sur, Bicol;
▸ pineapple in Cavite, Laguna, Bukidnon and General Santos, Cotabato;
► abaca in Bicol, Leyte and Mindanao; massive planting was tried in the late
1880's to early 1990's in Central Luzon but failed;
► export banana in Davao and Bukidnon provinces; and
▸corn in Cagayan Valley and Mindanao.
3. Biological factors
a. Cropping pattern being followed in the area. One cannot deviate
much unless the community, as a whole, changes the pattern. The
risks from pest damage in the field are greater if planting is not
synchronized with that of the community.
> b. Production practices in the area. There must be good reasons for
adopting existing practices in the area. Information on yields of the
best farms in the area must be obtained and used as standard for
upgrading operations.
c. Pest and disease problems in the area. A case in point is the
widespread papaya ringspot virus disease in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas
and adjoining provinces up to Bicol. Large-scale papaya production
should avoid this areas.
4. Socioeconomic factors
a. Labor supply situation and level of skills;
b. Accessibility of farm to transportation facilities;
c. Nearness to population centers and markets; and
d. Local market situation and preferences of the populace.
Supply and demand situations should be known so that
operations can be adjusted for harvesting to coincide with
the slack periods of supply when prices are high.
4. Socioeconomic factors
a. Labor supply situation and level of skills;
b. Accessibility of farm to transportation facilities;
c. Nearness to population centers and markets; and
d. Local market situation and preferences of the populace.
Supply and demand situations should be known so that
operations can be adjusted for harvesting to coincide with
the slack periods of supply when prices are high.
► Biological Considerations
a. Resistance Susceptibility to pest and diseases
b. Cropping patterns in which crop is suited
Socioeconomic/Cultural Considerations
a. Labor requirement --- whole production system
b. Production volume --- demand and distribution
LOCATION/ SITE CHARACTERISTICS
► Climate
Diurnal and Seasonal Fluctuations in Temperature
- Low night temperatures --- best for fruit development
- Low temperature months --- favors planting of cool season crops
▸ Rainfall Pattern and Distribution
- Amount of rainfall in particular months of the year to be matched with crop
requirement (if irrigation is minimized)
► Environmental Concerns
a. Anticipated pesticide use
b. Recyclable and non-recyclable residues/wastes
► Other Special Requirements
Postharvest activities/processing needed
LAND PREPARATION
Lesson 2
PRODUCTION PRACTICES
Land preparation in accordance with the requirements of the crop, whether they grow in dryland
or wetland systems. For instance, lowland rice is grown under submerged condition in which soil
puddling is involved whereas, dryland crops are cultivated on well-aerated soils. The objectives
of land
preparation are:
a. Kill the weeds;
b. Pulverize the soil to increase aeration and water-holding capacity, thereby making planting
easier and
good root development is encouraged;
c. Incorporate or mix plant residue and organic matter; and
d. kill hibernating pests in the soil.
Types of Land Preparation
1. Dryland preparation. This is done for upland crops such as corn, soybean,
peanut, mungbean, sorghum, etc. The following are the steps:
► Cut tall grasses that could be a hindrance in plowing.
▸ Plow the area at least 15 cm deep.
►Harrow after 10 days.
► If a tractor is used to plow the field using a disc plow, harrowing by tractor-
drawn disc harrow should be done at an interval of 7-10 days. One plowing
and 2-3 harrowing will already be enough. It requires at least one month for
land preparation to allow decomposition of weeds and plant residues.
If animal-drawn plow is used, plowing and harrowing at an interval of 7 - 10
days are done 2 - 3 times depending on weed population.
(2-A)
2. Lowland (submerged condition) - Lowland preparation is intended for rice culture. The
following
steps are recommended:
▸ Fix dikes to improve water impounding.
▸
Soak the paddy under water for 2-3 days before plowing. There should be enough water to
soften
the soil.
▸
▸
▸
Plow the field using animal-drawn plow.
Harrow the field after 7-10 days with a tooth-comb harrow (suvod) rolling the soils with roots of
weeds upturn (or on top). Soak the paddy with water.
After 7 - 10 days, harrow the field by leveling the upturn roots of weeds. Soak the paddy in
water.
Harrowing and leveling is done until the weeds are decomposed. This takes about a month
operation.
If a rotavator is used, there is no more plowing if the soil is already softened. If the soil is still
compact, plowing is done and followed by a rotavator. Rotavation is done once or two times
depending on weed population.
The rotavated field is leveled by the use of a tooth-combed harrow (suvod).
> Leveling by using a lumber or log is done after the basal application of fertilizer in the soil
during
the planting day.
2 B- 10/11/22
A well prepared upland field is:
▸ Granular mellow yet compact enough for the seeds
▸ Free from trash, undecomposed plant residues and vegetation
► Field is level → minimum or no depressions
Other benefits derived from land preparation:
Weed control
▶ Increase in porosity and aeration
▸ Mixing of soil - bring up leached deposit
▸ Give soil fine tilth to increase absorption of nutrients
▸ Fertilizers incorporated into the soil
Wetland versus Dryland Preparation: a Comparison
Physical Changes
During land preparation, some physical and chemical changes occur in the soil.
These changes are observed both in the wetland and dryland preparation
Font
Introduction
Paragraph
Lesson 3
PLANTING OF AGRICULTURAL CROPS
Drawing
The term which applies to the setting of the crop on the field or medium
where it would grow until maturity is generally called planting. The term sowing
specifically refers to a method of planting whereby seeds, particularly seeds that
are small in size, are set on the medium where it would grow until transplanting
time or to the period when the plant matures. When the seeds are considerably
large in size like those of corn, beans, avocado or coffee, the term planting is
used. In contrast, when such small sized seeds like rice, cabbage, pechay and
tomato are placed on their media for growth, the term sowing is applied.
Planting as a term also covers setting up of vegetative plant materials on the
growth media such as cuttings, bulbs, suckers and the like. It also includes
seedlings of all other crops.
Crop Establishment/Planting Methods
➤ Planting Time
Annuals
I
Synchronize with climatic patterns to maximize productivity
→ Rainfall pattern
→ Daylength
→ Temperature
Program harvesting time
→ Convenience of harvesting operation
→ Demand for the produce
Evade pest/disease infestation
Others
▸ Examples for Annuals
Corn --- downey mildew and weed problem if planted in May
Rice: → Best to be planted in January and July for high yields in dry and wet
seasons, respectively
→ High yields in DS due to high solar radiation and low pest
infestation
→ Low yields in wet season due to low solar radiation and high risk to
pest infestation
Watermelon --- planted by mid-November in CL to evade hot weather during
fruiting and thrips infestation
Tomato --- planted in cooler months to synchronize fruiting with cool night
temperatures
► Perennials
Planting is done at the onset of rainy season or anytime if irrigation is available
Avoid at the height of rainy season or very dry months
I
▸ If Planting Off-season Crops (Annuals) Consider the Following:
Potential of the area - if such production is feasible
Potential pest and disease infestation
Specific climatic requirement of the crop -- like cool night temperatures for
pollination
Tolerance to drought or waterlogging
Overall production, harvesting and post-harvest requirements
Planting Density/Population
Basis for Selecting Appropriate Planting Density
Competition for Sunlight
Optimum LAI - beyond the optimum LAI, shading (competition for sunlight) occurs.
Maintenance respiration to photosynthesis ratio increases
Function of leaf orientation and tillering --- in annuals
► Competition for CO₂
► Theoretically, this occurs under close canopy condition and where wind movement is minimal
► Competition for Soil Factors
Movement of water/nutrients by diffusion/mass flow rapidly depletes water/nutrients (mobile
nutrients) in the root zone may cause a temporary stress in high density planted crops (often
observed in annuals)
▸ Execution of Cultural Practices
Weeding
Hilling-up and off-barring
Harvesting
Others
► Other Purposes
Thinned out hills --- for animal consumption
Competition in mono- and multicropping system
Yield is reduced in monocrop or both species in multicrop (mutual inhibition)
Yield is increased in monocrop or both species in multicrop (mutual cooperation)
Yield is retained in monocrop or yield of one species is increased while the other decreased in
multicrop
(compensation)
Planting Methods in Annuals
▸ Direct Seeding in the Field
Broadcast
▸
Drilled in rows
► Hill method in rows
▸
Dibbling on unplowed land
► Transplanting
▸ Seeds sown in seedbeds or seedboxes then transplanted within 2-4 weeks
▸ Advantages
▸
▸ → allow more cropping
→ more controlled growth during seedling growth but with initial transplanting shock in the field
→ lesser wastage on valuable seeds
▸ Planting Methods for Lowland Rice
► Transplanting
►Wetbed Method
► → pre-germinated seeds sown in seedbeds
► Seedling/→ 50 kg per 400m² - for 1 ha
> → transplanted in the field at 25 - 30 days after sowing
▸ Dapog Method
> → seeds sown in concrete pavements
►→ 50-60 kg seeds per 40m² for 1 ha
▸ → transplanted in the field at 10-14 days after sowing
▸ Drybed Method
▸ → commonly practiced in rainfed areas
▸ → seeds sown in dry seedbed (1.5m wide)
►→ 50 kg per 500m² --- for 1 ha
▸ → transplanted in the field 20 - 30 days after sowing
▸ Transplanting Distances (Wetbed, Dapog, Drybed)
Square method - 18-25 cm2 at 1-3 seedlings/hill (wetbed and drybed) and 4-6 seedlings/hill
(dapog)
Wide row and closer spacing --- 40 cm x 5 cm at 1 seedling/hill or 30 cm x 15 cm at 2
seedlings/hill
Double row method --- alternate 20 cm and 40 cm row spacing with hills 10 cm apart at 2
seedlings/hill
2. Direct Seeding on Puddled Soil (for lowland rice)
I
Broadcasting
→ pre-germinated seeds sown in puddled soil
→ 50 - 100 kg seeds per ha
→ usually done during dry season
Dibbling
→ Pre-germinated seeds dibbled in straight rows
→ hill spacing at 15-25 cm x 15-25 cm at 5-8 seeds/hill
→ 50 - 100 kg seeds per ha
→ usually done during dry season
3. Dry seeding (submerged after seedling stage
Planting Methods for Upland Crops (upland rice, corn, legumes)
Drill Method (spacing, seeding rate and seed requirement reflected in Table 1)
Hill Method (spacing, seeding rate and seed requirement reflected in Table 1)
Planting Methods for Vegetables
Onion, leek, lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, mustard, pechay, Chinese cabbage,
tomato, eggplant, sweet pepper, celery, etc.
► 1. Raising of Seedlings
Seedbed Method
►
seedbed is sterilized (burning, fumigation, chemical drip)
▸ row spacing ---5-7 cm
► 2-3 seeds per 5-7 cm row length