Agriculture Business Week

Like most farmers in Barangay Paralaya in Candaba, Pampanga, Rodolfo Gatbonton believes that melon production was one of the things that made their town famous in the past.

“Farmers in Candaba pioneered in melon growing,” he says. “But too many people producing the same crop caused farmgate prices to fall, making melon production unprofitable. The farmers turned to other crops, with many of them even converting their fields into fishponds.”

Gatbonton, who graduated from the Central Luzon State University in Mufioz, Nueva Ecija in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree, major in Agronomy, recalls that he and other farmers in Paralaya used to grow melon in more than 100 hectares. “At harvest time, we used to have buyers from as far as Cavite and Batangas here for our melons,” he says. “We considered ourselves the best melon producers in the country then. You can still see the houses that those of us who made big money from melons built at that time.”

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One of the most upbeat gentleman farmers we met recently is Rene Florencio, a mechanical engineer who used to manage a well known machinery firm based in Makati. After his retirement, he bought a 20-hectare raw land in Tarlac City which he planted to mango and pummelo.

He is particularly excited about his pummelo because they are so fruitful and with the cooperation of Mother Nature (no strong typhoons, please), the pummelos are going to be sure money makers. He is proud of the fact that his variety is one of the best in the market. But the fruits have to be protected from pests, especially the fruitfly. One very practical way of protecting his fruits from fruitfly damage is by bagging them as soon as they are about the size of a chicken egg.

Rene uses cloth material for bagging. Each bag has a draw string so that it is very easy to install as well as to remove when it is necessary, like when he wants to check the condition of the fruit. A thin cloth material that will not retain rain water during rainy days is used. One bag costs P5 but that is a small expense if one considers the value of the fruit that is not damaged by fruitfly. In the Metro Manila market, good quality pummelo fruits usually sell for P140 a kilo.

Bagging the fruits is just one of several ways of ensuring the good eating quality of the fruit. That’s one reason why he invited Dr. Pablito P. Pamplona to take a look-see of his pummelo trees and give some pointers to his workers. We went with him last Monday, July 5.

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Leaf curl disease of tomato, locally known to farmers as kulot or kulot ti bulong has been a major constraint to tomato production in the Philippines since the 1990s. Tomato plants affected by the disease are usually stunted and are unproductive. The symptoms on the leaves include interveinal yellowing, upward and downward curling and crinkling. Leaflets are also smaller than those of healthy plants. Symptom expression, however, may vary depending on the crop stage at the time of infection, variety, and whitefly population. The disease can be observed on tomato seedlings about two to three weeks after transplanting and depending on the pressure of the whitefly population in the field, disease incidence can increase rapidly and infection can go as high as 100%.

In the Philippines, tomato leaf curl is caused by Tomato leaf curl Philippines virus) To1CPV; formerly known as ToLCV-Ph), a whitefly-transmitted Begomovirus of the family Geminiviridae (ICTVdB Management, 2006). ToLCPV is considered as distinct virus species in the genus Begomovirus based on the relatively low nucleotide sequence identity between the genomic DNA of ToLCPV and other Gemini viruses like Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) (Kon et al., 2002). ToLCPV affected tomato plants, however, show similar symptoms as TYLCV-affected plants. Because of this similarity in symptomatology, most people associate leaf curl symptoms to TYLCV, which is considered as the most serious disease of tomato worldwide. TYCLV has been reported to occur in several countries in Asia but not in the Philippines (CABI 2007).

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If durian is the “king of fruits,” then mangosteen is the queen. Mangosteen is the queen. Mangosteen is believed to have “cooling” effects that counteract the “intense heat” emitted by durian. The fact that the fruiting season of these two tropical fruits coincide makes these titles particularly apt.

So much has been written about mangosteen. There is a legend about Queen Victoria offering a reward to anyone who could deliver to her the fabled fruit. In his publication, Hortus Veitchii, James Herbert Veitch reported that he visited Java (Indonesia) in 1892 “to eat the mangosteen. It is necessary to eat the fruit grown within three or four degrees of latitude of the equator to realize at all the attractive and curious properties of this fruit.”

In Southeast Asia, where it is endemic, mangosteen is highly esteemed. “In other tropical areas, this fruit is known only in botanical gardens and small experimental orchards,” noted Underexploited Tropical Plants with Promising Economic Value, published by the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS). “Curiously, it is unavailable in what could be its major markets: Central America, South America, Australia, and Africa, where it would be readily accepted if it could be economically produced.”

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Tomatoes can be kept field fresh Pr three weeks without using cold storage, according to the researchers from the Laguna-based Philippine. Horticulture Training and Research Center (PHTRC).

One economical alternative is to use the Evaporative Cooling and Modified Atmospheric Packaging (MAP) Technology which prolongs the storage life of fresh tomatoes under ordinary condition using locally available materials.

Developed by the team of Gloria Masilungan, Dr. Edralina Serrano and Kevin Yap, Evaporative Cooling and MAP Technology utilizes coco coir dust and polyethylene (PE) plastic packaging and a suitable crate or container for storing tomatoes.

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More and more farmers in La Trinidad, Benguet, have embarked on the planting of chilled tissue-cultured strawberry (TCS) plant materials which were proven to produce higher and better quality berries compared to those that the farmers used to grow from runners, mother plant splits or crowns.

Chilled TCS plant materials are now being promoted by the Department of Agriculture (DA-CAR) and the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist (OMAG) of La Trinidad after years of joint trials in the laboratory, nursery and in farmers’ fields to determine the viability of the technology, according to Mrs. Joan Bacbac, DA regional focal person for strawberry projects.

Simultaneous with the conduct of the trials was the set-up of a systematic production and distribution of TCS mother plants by the DA, runner production in the nursery by OMAG, and runner multiplication by farmers for planting and field berry production, reports Bacbac.

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Pummelo has a good market potential. That’s because it is not only delicious and nutritious, it is also not perishable, hence it can be transported to distant markets. Local production, however, is insufficient and one big reason is pest infestation.

Good thing there’s a simple way to control infestation of pummelo, and that is bagging. Bagging is actually not new. This is done in other countries but usually for the control of fruit fly, which is not a major pest in the Philippines.

The major pest in the country that infests pummelo is Citrus Rind Borer (CRB). In fact it is considered as the most destructive pest as infestation has reached as high as 60 to 80 percent. Pesticide application is still the common way to control CRB, but this is expenssive and harmful to the health.

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Here’s an easy do-it-yourself guide to managing your own garden of high-value fruits and vegetables.

Chicken manure may be mixed with complete fertilizer and administered 15-15-15 for every hectare. This may be followed with 150 to 200 kilos of ammonium sulfate two to three times every ten to fifteen days. Celery requires regular watering. Hay may also be used to cover soil in between the rows to keep the water from drying up as soil that is much too dry can cause lesser yield. Regular removal of weeds should also be done.

Celery is a vulnerable vegetable and needs utmost care in handling and growing. It is important to ensure that leaves do not get lesions during weeding, watering or applying insecticides. Insecticides should not be sprayed against wind direction to ensure safety.

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Here’s an easy do-it-yourself guide to managing your own garden of high-value fruits and vegetables.

Blackleg may be controlled through crop rotation in three years as these diseases often survive for one to two years in the remains of the crops. Affected crops should be removed from the plant beds and plots. Seed treatment may be used to control black leg. This may be done by soaking the seeds in hot water for thirty minutes. Seeds should then be dried thoroughly before planting.

Black Rot. This disease is caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pathovar campestris. Black rot primarily affects the above ground parts of the plant. Environmental conditions and the age of the plant affect the symptoms.

Black rot is characterized by yellow V-shaped lesions along to tips of the leaves. The point of the V is directed toward a vein. As the lesions grow, wilted tissue expands toward the base of the veins and veins may turn black or brown. Black rot may also spread into the stems. When stems are cut, a black-brown discoloration may be found as well as yellowish slime.

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Not many have noticed that there was a decrease in mango harvests from Central Luzon this summer. Mango growers from Bulacan and Nueva Ecija, however, felt the difference with this season’s harvests ailing behind the expected yield. The culprit is the pest called cecid fly or gall midge. These flies caused infestation in mango arms across the country and are also known by many names such as “saksak walis” or “kurikong” in Luzon, and “buti,” armalite,” “Gloria-gloria,” or “Nora-nora” a the Visayas and Mindanao.

The adult mango cecid fly resembles a mosquito and commonly lays its eggs on young mango leaves. The larvae, which develop from eggs, mine the leaves producing dark green circular galls or swelling of tissues along the leaf blade. When he adults emerged from these galls, the paves produced circular spots of holes, which are sometimes mistaken as fungal infection. Under heavy infestations, the leaves wrinkle and become yellow.

The infestation, however, affects the fruits more. When hit early, young mango fruits fall off from the tree. Fruits that remain produce circular brown scablike spots, which are randomly distributed on the fruit’s surface. Infested fruits retain these scabby lesions till they are up for harvest, thus affecting their quality and commanding a lower market price.

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The Philippines will soon have its own locally-bred strawberries as plant breeders at the Benguet State University (BSU) in La Trinidad, Benguet, are developing two new varieties whose yields and eating qualities are comparable to or even better than that of commercial varieties currently planted by farmers.

Professor Danilo Padua, head of the BSU Strawberry Varietal Improvement Project said that the two new varieties, which they call “Agsaba” and “BSU Piere,” can yield as much as 22 tons per hectare which is much higher than the 15.8 tons per hectare yield of the existing commercial varieties.

However, these two new strawberry varieties are not yet entered for approval by the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC) as these are still undergoing further evaluation needed for commercialization.

“Hopefully, they will be approved by NSIC for commercial planting next year,” Padua said.

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One piece of good news is that the banana that looks like a dwarf version of our Saba banana is now being tissue-cultured for commercial planting.

Now christened Mama Sita banana, it was introduced from Thailand a few years back through the initiative of the Mama Sita Foundation. The imported plants were planted in a demo farm consisting of several hundred hills in the property of Dr. Benito Vergara who is most active in a research and development project on fruit crops supported by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD).

When we visited the plantation earlier this year, the plants were fruiting very well and the fruits were about ready for harvest. After the fruits were harvested, a panel of tasters evaluated the ripe fruits. The mature ones that were not yet ripe were processed into chips. Now, Dr. Vergara is convinced that Mama Sita banana has a good commercial potential. He says that it could be cooked like Saba, best as fried. It can be eaten raw like a latundan. It is also excellent for making banana chips. During the last garden show in Los Banos, the banana chips were the bestseller in commercial booth of Dr. Vergara. All sold out, according to him.

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Total defoliation of custard apple, a member of the atis family, really works wonders. The defoliated tree bears fruit much ahead of the normal bearing season. This is one of the practical farming techniques that was observed by participants of the AANI Farm Tour when they visited the Teresa Orchard & Nursery in Teresa, Rizal, last Sunday.

All the leaves of the four-year-old custard apple tree that originally came from Taiwan were removed with the use of a pair of scissors by our lady farm worker on December 10. The tree was full of leaves then.

Way before the defoliation, we saw to it that the tree was adequately fertilized with organic as well as complete inorganic fertilizer. It was also watered every day if it did not rain. Fortunately, we have abundant water in our farm.
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Citrus originates in tropical and subtropical southeast regions of the world. The fruits are notable for their fragrance, partly due to flavanoids and limonoids contained in the rind, and most are juice-laden. The juice contains a high quantity of citric acid, giving them their characteristic sharp flavor. They are also good sources of vitamin C.

Lemons and limes are also used as garnishes or in cooked dishes. Their juice is used as an ingredient in a variety of dishes; it is commonly found in salad dressings and squeezed over cooked meat or vegetables.

The fruit pulp can vary from sweet and tart to extremely sour. Marmalade, a condiment derived from cooked orange and lemon, can be especially bitter but is usually sweetened to cut the bitterness and to produce a jam-like result. Lemon or lime is commonly used as a garnish for water, soft drinks, or cocktails. Citrus juices, rinds, or slices are used in a variety of mixed drinks.

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