The Off-Season Crop : Understanding the Risks
It is said that planting during off season is like committing suicide. For any crop or corn for that matter, not following the regular planting calendar spells a variety of should-be problems. The list includes insect pests, drought, diseases, and rodents. On top of these, drying and storage are potential problems that can be brought about by rains and poor weather. Palay and corn need thorough drying and if one does not have drying equipment, significant losses from poor grain quality can be incurred.
On the other hand, many corn farmers in Luzon and Mindanao find off-season cropping more of an opportunity. Prices of grains during the off season are normally higher than the rest of the year since harvest does not synchronize with the majority of standing crops. Some say they do not want their farms idle so they plant another crop just before the regular rice season (in Central Luzon) and earn additional income. Yield may be lower in some instances but most of the time, the grain price in the off-season can compensate for the reduced output. But getting additional cash from a two-cropping-a-year farm venture is what attracts them the most.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE OFF SEASON?
It is very important that one understands the different risks associated with the off-season crop. As local experience would tell seasoned farmers, it’s a tougher season but probably more rewarding if one manages the risks. Let’s try to briefly describe some of these risks.
Incidence of diseases. The risk of greater disease incidence increases with a corn-to-corn cropping without fallow (crop-free) period. The experience of Mindanao growers can attest to this fact. Diseases such as the northern leaf blight, diplodia and gray leaf spots are oftentimes more severe and damaging in this system than in areas with a break or fallow period. The prevalence of ear rots gibberella, diplodia and fusarium increases as well given the continuous build-up of inoculum. In this case, the selection of hybrids with resistance to these diseases becomes very important. When practical, plow under all crop residues to lower disease inoculum for the next crop.
Insect risks. It is expected that insect pests such as corn borer and armyworm pose a graver threat to the off-season cornfield than in the regular crop. Another generation of these insects in greater population levels is expected and should be seriously addressed. In this case, the best option is to use trait hybrids with the Bt gene. In the past, corn farmers in Central Luzon hesitate to plant corn during the late months of February to April because of the likelihood of severe corn borer damage. Even with insecticides to combat borers, experience would tell them that these chemicals have limitations and that significant yield losses are still felt at harvest time. Other insect pest that normally attacks during the off-season is the leaf hopper that causes wallaby ear. Hybrids such as Pioneer 30Y80/ 30T80 and 30T35 are resistant to corn borer and wallaby ear.
Risk of poor stand. A variety of factors could lead to poor stand establishment in the off-season. Dry soil condition in the summer months (and erratic rains in some areas) is often the culprit of low stand and early seedling vigor. Other factors that can induce poor stand are the high levels of surface crop residue which can interfere with land preparation and manual planting. Under these, conditions, germination and vigor will be uneven. Prolonged exposure of seeds to heat and pests will increase the risks of having a lower than desired plant population and could result in a greater number of weak plants that may not tolerate stresses in the later period. To mitigate this, some farmers are obliged to irrigate prior to planting or immediately after but this results in additional production cost.
Harvest season issues. One concern often overlooked during the off-season is stalk breakage caused by opportunistic diseases such as fusarium and charcoal stalk rots. In the local setting, this may not be important as some normally harvest earlier than the known maturity of hybrids. But it is important to understand that manual harvesting becomes more expensive and cumbersome with ears to be picked up from the ground. It can also be subjected to rat damage and ear rots. The second concern is when off-season plantings reach the rainy season at harvest. Drying can be a problem especially when an ordinary farmer relies solely on solar dryers. To mitigate this, choose an early maturing hybrid with good tolerance to diseases and drought. The use of hybrids with glyphosate-ready traits may save farmers several days of land preparation and plowing if this can be integrated in a no-till or minimum tillage system. Another alternative is to find a buyer that’s willing to buy on cobs or wet grains.
Higher production costs. It is safe to assume that it is costlier to plant in the off-season compared to the regular cropping season. Additional expenses can be expected on seeds (preference for trait hybrids), irrigation (more frequent, fuel), insecticides (on non-Bt hybrids), and harvest/ postharvest operations (poor weather). To offset the additional costs, farmers will need to raise their yield targets which is quite possible. And if grain prices remain stable and attractive at more than P10 per kilogram (just like what’s happening as of this writing), off-season planting is very profitable.
DECIDING FOR THE OFF-SEASON
The decision to plant during off-season depends basically on the farmer. While there are plenty of challenges, there are also plenty of opportunities. Grain prices nowadays have never been this good. Demand for corn has been steadily increasing. Newer and better hybrids are now available to ensure additional protection from pests and diseases. Technology traits such as glyphosate-ready corn (30G80/30G48) and Bt-corn (30Y80) or the combination of both (30T80/30T35) have already made significant impact on farmers’ harvests whether during the regular or off-season. Yes, our farmers need to balance everything. At the end of the regular season, local experience and proper understanding of the off-season environment will make a very productive tool.
