New Hybrid Vegetables, New Money-Makers
Plant breeders are continually working on improving existing varieties, looking how older varieties could be improved further. Many hybrid vegetables, for instance, may need improvement for one reason or another:
Just like the Banate variety of eggplant which is preferred by consumers, farmers and sellers in Mindanao. This is an old variety which produces lighter Purple fruits than the many varieties usually grown in Luzon. Its fruits are longer and slimmer than the recommended varieties in other places, including the hybrids. The problem with the ordinary Banate is that its yield is very low. One reason given why growers in Mindanao love Banate is that when roasted, the fruit does not shrink and its flesh remains firm.
BANATE KING, NEW DARLING
Since the Mindanao growers and consumers, like those in Davao, prefer the Banate type, plant breeders of East-West Seed Company went to work. They produced the new Banate King which is now becoming a new darling of eggplant growers in Davao and other parts of Southern Mindanao. One of the excited Banate King growers is Rogelio P. Arellano, a 57-year-old vegetable farmer from Digos, Davao del Sur.
Last April 19, Rogelio planted 985 seedlings of Banate King in a portion of a 1.5 hectare land that he rented. By May 30, he already harvested the first few fruits. He picked the fruits every three days and his harvest grew and grew. By June 22, he had already harvested a total of 800 kilos which he sold at an average of P12 per kilo. The production is virtually double the yield of the old Banate variety, says Rogelio. His Banate King plants are very robust and resistant to pests and diseases. He expects to harvest from his crop for months to come. The good thing about eggplant is that if given the right nutrition and care, it could be ratooned and made productive for even two years.
IMPROVED MAJESTY SWEET PEPPER
Sweet pepper is another high-value crop with good money-making potential. There are many varieties available. Some have big fruits while others are smaller. One of the smaller varieties is Majesty. This has been in the market for a number of years. It is a high-yielding variety but it has its own shortcoming. It has thin skin so that it is easily bruised during postharvest handling such as during transport to the market.
Now comes the Improved Majesty which is as prolific as the old hybrid and as resistant to pests and diseases as the old one. The big improvement is that it has a thicker skin and flesh. Thus, it has a bet shipping quality. It is not easily bruised during harvesting and handling. It also has a longer shelf life than its original counterpart.
RED HOT CHILI PEPPER
There is a new outstanding chili pepper that was introduced recently. This goes by the name of Red Hot and is also distributed by East-West Seed. It is a vigorous and sturdy variety that produces a lot of fruits. Growing to an average height of 70 to 80 centimeters, it develops a lot of branches which account for its high yield.
The first fruits are harvestable in 70 to 80 days from sowing and harvesting can continue for a long time. In fact, if given the right care and management, it can remain productive even after two years. Old plants can be rejuvenated by detopping.
The fruits are pointed upwards, hence it is easy to harvest them. The fruits are of uniform sizes, with smooth skin texture, and have a long shelf life. The fruits have many uses as condiment and can be sold fresh, dried or in powder form. Red Hot can be used in many local dishes, including Bicol Express, Sisig, Kilawin and many more.
Hot pepper prices vary greatly. At present Rogelio Arellano of Digos, Davao del Sur, is selling his Red Hot chili at P20 per kilo. In other places, such as in Bulacan, the price could reach as high as r300 per kilo, according to Desiree Duran of San Ildefonso. That’s when the supply is scarce. About 600 fruits make a kilo.
BIG C CUCUMBER
Growing cucumber has its own advantages. People who have discovered this crop as a money-maker love to grow it for a number of good reasons. Even if it is grown in a small scale, it can produce a big income. And fast, for it takes only 35 days from planting for the plant to produce its first harvestable fruits. And harvesting is usually done every two days. While harvesting can last for only over a month, the yield is high because the fruits are heavy. The preferred size in Mindanao where many small scale-farmers are growing this crop is 250 grams per fruit.
One small-scale cucumber grower is Wendel Comaingking of Bansalan, Davao del Sur. Sometimes, he just plants about 870 hills in a few hundred square meters, spending about P4,000 before the first harvest. Sometimes he could gross about P17,000 in less than three months of culture. He grows his crops in succession in different spots so as to avoid disease build up. He usually makes five to six crops in one year.
Wendel likes the new Big C cucumber, the latest variety released by East-West Seed. It is a prolific and robust plant. Consumers like its crisp texture. It also has few small seeds so that even overgrown fruits are suitable for consumption.
MACHO SWEET CORN
Oh yes, sweet corn is considered a vegetable, and something new is the Macho hybrid. It is claimed to have an excellent plant vigor and with good resistance to pests and disease. It produces big ears that are fully filled with kernels up to the tip, each ear having 16 to 18 kernel rows. It has full and tight husk so that it is less susceptible to damaging worms.
The plant easily recovers from strong winds. We have our own planting of over a thousand plants. When typhoon Frank passed through our place, the plants that were more than a month old were rendered flat to the ground. In a few days, however, they fully recovered eventually producing a bountiful crop.
Well, why not try planting some of the above crops? You will be happy you did.
