Agriculture Business Week

This article is co-authored by Alvin Cariho, a district agronomist of Pioneer Hi-Bred Philippines based in Nueva Ecija.

The past several seasons was quite challenging for corn farmers. Besides the depressed grain price, which depressed many people’s emotional well-being, our climate has also been unpredictable, leading to crop failure, low yields and plenty of postharvest woes.

As a result, Pioneer agronomists were approached by many concerned growers on so many issues: from drought-related problems, extended storage, to grain price monitoring.

Issues like these that are being brought to our attention are actually a given in the industry, but, the past several years are a bit different. There are more progressive corn growers now, there are more corn areas now, more corn grown in more stressful environments, and more frequent abnormal weather.

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Glutinous corn is special that you and I love to eat. With its smooth and sticky consistency, glutinous corn is really nice to eat. The trouble is that this is not available most of the time. And if it is available, the ears are usually small.

Now there is a new variety that produces much bigger ears than the varieties traditionally planted by our farmers. This interesting variety that we have tasted lately is a bi-color waxy corn (that’s another term for glutinous) called Batik. This has kernels that are a combination of white and purple. The purple kernels emerge as red, turning darker as the ears become more mature.

We tasted the sweet and glutinous kernels of Batik at the demonstration farm of Manila East Lakeview Farms in Morong, Rizal, where one of the first trial plantings was made in collaboration with technicians of Allied Botanical Corporation which is distributing the seeds. It is nice to eat even if it is not cooked. The tender kernels are juicy and sweet. Of course, it is mainly intended for boiling.

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Two months ago when I visited a farmer in Mindanao, he approached me asking if mixing hybrids in his field is helpful in increasing his yield. He explained that some hybrids with poor ear tip filling can benefit from the presence of other hybrids planted next to it.

In theory, mixing hybrids can increase the window of pollen availability and hence, may improve grain filling and consequently, yields. When the farmer tested this concept in his field, he was quite satisfied with the results.

Not only in Mindanao did I encounter such practice. Luzon fainters also have asked that same question to us. Some have actually tried in their own fields apparently with good results. In Pangasinan, I have observed a good number of fields with alternating rows of two different hybrids (on the basis of the appearance of the tassel), but I never bothered to check later if they got good yields or not. I am sure though that it never was a technology that showed very impressive results. Those fields had never been planted anymore with alternating rows of different hybrids.

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A new chemical is being introduced in the market to protect corn seeds and seedlings in the field from the usual pests that attack them.These include ants that could nibble on the seeds, crickets, white grubs, cutworms and seedling maggots.

The crop protection chemical is a liquid that comes by the name of Sheller FS 350. One bottle containing 250 ml is enough to treat 18 kilos of seeds that will plant one hectare. This is applied on the seeds before planting.

Here’s how to do it. Place the seeds in a big basin that can contain 18 kilos of seeds. Then mix 250 ml of Sheller FS 350 with 100 ml (about 10 tablespoons) of foliar fertilizer. The foliar fertilizer will provide the needed nutrients for the seedlings’ good growth. The solution is then poured into the seeds for planting. Mix the seeds and solution thoroughly until all the seeds are moistened. After that, the seeds are dried under the shade (air-dried). Air-drying only takes about 30 minutes, then the seeds are ready for planting.

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Six new high-yielding white maize varieties have been developed.

The varieties were bred by Fabiola Alejandro, Efren Magulama, Milagros Malinao, and Dr. Naomi Tangonan, all of the University of Southern Mindanao production by the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC) under the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Of the new maize cultivars, three are composites (USM var 16, 18 and 28), two are synthetics (USM Var 24 and 26), and one is a hybrid.

The varieties were developed under a project titled “High-yielding white maize varieties resistant to bacterial stalk rot and Fusariumear rot.”

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One strategy of successful farmers is to specialize in a crop that they have mastered to produce and to market. Just like Eleuterio “Totoy” Indic of Brgy. Sta. Elena in Tacloban.

In the last three years he has been planting sweet corn every month of the year, whether it is dry or wet season. Most farmers don’t plant sweet corn during the wet season but Totoy does because he knows how to solve the usual problems occurring during the rainy season.

His favorite variety is the Macho from East-West Seed because he says it is more sturdy than other varieties, especially during, the rainy season. Strong winds may lodge it but the plants will stand up soon after.

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There are a number of good reasons why more of us should eat white corn as a rice substitute. For one, it will help minimize the importation of millions of tons of rice every year from countries like Thailand and Vietnam. It could help save precious dollars for the country.

For another, it could mean better health for the white corn eaters. UP Los Baños researchers like Dr. Artemio Salazar, Dr. Wilma Hurtada and Felicito Rodriguez say that the so-called Quality Protein Maize (QPM) makes for better nutrition and health. They say that white corn of the QPM type contains more protein, more lysine and tryptophan than rice. It also contains more antioxidants, more dietary fiber and minerals. (They hasten to add, however, that the ordinary white corn lacks the essential amino acids, lysine and tryptophan. Fortunately, though, there are QPM white corn varieties that are now available to farmers for planting.)

The Los Baños experts also point out that white corn is one food that has low glycemic index (GI). That’s because white corn is harder to gelatinize and slower to digest. Being so, white corn can lessen the risk of diabetes. That’s because the carbohydrates in corn break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, according to the researchers.

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When I was going around the corn areas in Southern Mindanao, I was again amazed at how our corn growers value time. They make sure that their fields have something planted on it as soon as harvesting is over for the previous crop.  One field I saw the day before had some, people still picking the ears and the dried stalks were still standing. When I went back the following morning, I was surprised to see more than 10 people planting corn seeds on that same field which was probably plowed early in the day. This is remarkable for an agronomist who for many years, have been working with growers that practice crop rotation and appreciate the value of resting the soil for some time before replanting another crop. But of course, the growing environment of Mindanao is very different from that of Central Luzon and this difference dictates the kind of farming system our growers need to adopt.

Several months ago, I wrote an article about the best management practices for corn-after-corn production. A part of it was about the benefit of crop rotation in relation to stress. In relation to this, there is a so-called rotation effect which is an unexplained benefit of crop rotation that results in better yields in comparison with continuous cropping, even if the limiting factors are addresses. In a low-yielding environment, yield reductions become even greater for corn-after-corn versus rotated corn. I enumerated several possible explanations for the rotation effect but it was clear that this concept gave Central Luzon and Ilocos growers an edge over the others in the country. No wonder, they have the best quality grains and highest yields on a per hectare basis.

WHAT IS CROP ROTATION?
This is a broad topic but to simply put it, crop rotation is the practice of growing different plants in succession. The basic rule is that a crop should never follow itself. Crop rotation is a farming system practiced even in ancient times and is often determined by a-region’s topography, climate types, culture, market trends and demand, among others.
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One simple technique that could add more weight to our corn harvest is to air-dry the husked ears rather than drying the kernels in the sun.

This is what Virginia de Guzman has found in her own experiment. De Guzman is the provincial agriculturist of Salvador town in Lanao del Norte. At the recent agri-fair in conjunction with the 50th anniversary celebration of Lanao del Norte, she showcased her technology.

In her experiment, she has found that grains of air-dried husked corn ears are heavier by three percent than the kernels dried in the sun to about 14 percent moisture content. Besides being heavier, she said that the air-dried corn grains have a longer storage life.

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HIGHER YIELD
It is the higher yield of Bioseed 9909 that attracts farmers to plant it. For instance, from the same one-fourth hectare that Eddie Castilliero planted to Bioseed 9909 this year, he got only 26 cavans from another hybrid variety last year. He sold his harvest for only P14,000.

The variety that he had been planting for the last three years was easily affected by drought. “If it was not irrigated in 15 days, the plants already started to wilt. On the other hand, Bioseed 9909 is resistant to drought,” he said.

With Bioseed 9909, he got 2,287.5 kilograms of newly shelled grains, which he sold at P8 a kilo. Even with this low price, lie still obtained a net income of no less than P10,000 from one-fourth hectare. This means that his income was equivalent to P40,000 per hectare.

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Even as their farming techniques vary from each other; three farmers in Pangasinan say the same thing about the latest corn hybrid they planted- their yields from it was much higher than from the other varieties they used before.

Anselmo Dionio, 55, of Caaringayan, Laoac town said his recent yield from 3 hectares planted to Bioseed 9909 was as much as 10 tons of shelled corn per hectare. Last year, he harvested an average of 11 tons of shelled corn per hectare using the same variety. This year he also planted 1.8 hectares in Sta. Barbara in partnership with a large-scale poultry raiser, Engr. Manuel Soriano, and estimated that the yield would be also about 10 tons per hectare even as the corn ears were still being dried before shelling.

On the other hand, Edwin dc Asis, 47, of Dumayat, Binalonan planted Bioseed 9909 in 6,000 square meters. He harvested 5,026 kilograms or 8,376 kilos per hectare.

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If harvesting is delayed and the physiological maturity has been exceeded, the corn ear will tend to droop. This drooping helps prevent intrusion of water into the ear. Early maturing variety or hybrid can be harvested in 90-100 days from planting, while full season hybrid may be harvested in 105-120 days, depending on the hybrid, field condition and elevation, and climatic condition. In certain cases, early harvesting is recommended to

1. reduce risks of delay in harvesting due to rainy weather;
2. avoid excessive loss of grains in the field due to mechanical handling;
3. prevent kernel germination due to water-soaking caused by excessive rains;
4. prevent further development of ear rot fungi;
5. reduce pest damage such as insects and rodents;
6. prevent dropped ears and lodged plants.

Preshelling drying
A good practice we’ve noted in Central Luzon is the drying of ears prior to shelling. This is something that can maintain grain quality as well as minimize losses due to damaged or injured kernels caused by shellers. The following are some recommended preshelling operations for growers:

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This article was co-authored by Nelson Paraguison, one of Pioneer Hi-Bred’s district agronomists based in Northern Luzon. In this issue, we discuss the right way of harvesting and storing grains. This will help farmers in reducing postharvest losses to maximize their returns, from corn production.

By the time this article comes out, farmers may have already harvested their corn particularly in Luzon. But in some areas in Mindanao, harvesting may start in a few weeks from now. It has been observed that planting is staggered in this region due to the weather and the farmers’ access to better farming technologies. Production technologies have steadily improved in the past 10 years, thanks to the benefits of modern biotechnologies and the breeding and agronomy efforts of seed companies. With increased yields, farmers are happy and happier when they are able to sell their harvest at a good price.

Good storage helps
The problem on the fluctuating grain prices has been around for as long as I can remember in my several years in the corn seed industry. Certainly, there were years that farmers were able to sell at a very satisfactory price but these were mostly confined in the “off-harvest” months-a good reason for some to plant also in the off-season.

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CORN EARWORM (Helicoverpaarmigera Hubner)
Description and life cycle. The corn-earworm (CEW) feeds on over 100 different plants with corn being the preferred host. Corn earworm moths deposit eggs singly on .the leaf whorl of young plants, under-surface of corn leaves, leaf sheaths, husks, and silks depending on the developmental stages of the plant. Eggs are sub-spherical or broadly oval with longitudinal ridges. Eggs are cream-colored when newly laid and turns dark when about to hatch. Incubation period is 2-3 days. The newly hatched larva is pale yellowish-white with black head. Mature larvae may vary in color between pale green, pinkish, yellowish, and dark brown with alternating light and dark stripes running lengthwise on the body. The body is covered with numerous transparent setae or hairs. Larva molts 6 times in 17-24 days. The larval stage of the corn earworm is the destructive stage of this insect pest. Pupa is yellowish-green when newly pupated and turns reddish to dark brown and becomes stout and shiny as it matures. Pupation takes place in the soil for a period of 12-24 days. Adults have light to dull brown marks at the edge of membranous hindwings. Males have darker brown spots on the forewings. The female may lay 200-2,000 eggs.

Total development period from egg to adult is 34-40 days.

Damage symptoms. Plant growth affected is from early whorl to hard dough stage. When corn plant is attacked at whorl stage, typical signs are rows of shot holes on unfolding leaves. Larvae feed on corn silks, they clipped these off prior to feeding on the corn ears. The ears are the preferred sites for corn earworm attack. Ear damage is characterized by extensive excrement at the ear tip. They remain feeding in the tip areas until they leave to pupate in the soil. Ear tip feeding can be extensive and provides an avenue for disease organisms to enter the ear. Larvae feed for 2-4 weeks. Because of its cannibalistic nature, there is normally one larva attacking per ear.

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