Technologies- El Niño

(Crops Sector)

Okra (Smooth Green)

Description

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) can adapt to a wide range of environmental conditions. The Smooth Green variety has an average yield of 21 t/ha and can be harvested 45-50 days from planting. Its fruits are medium-sized, slender and green with smooth surface and non prickly hairs.

Advantages

• It can be grown in both rainfed and irrigated farms throughout the year.

Limitations

• It is susceptible to root-knot nematode.

Recommendations

• Plow twice at weekly interval.
• Set furrows at 75 cm apart.
• Soak seeds overnight in water before planting.
• Plant 3-4 seeds/hill with 30-cm distance between hills.
• Use 9-10 kg seeds/ha.
• Thin with 1 plant/hill, 15 days after planting (DAP).
• Use 7-10 t compost or fully decomposed farmyard manure per hectare during land preparation.
• Use 10 g complete fertilizer (14-14-14)/hill at planting.
• Use 10 g urea (46-0-0)/hill side-dressed one month after planting.
• Apply urea based on need at one-month interval.
• Irrigate after planting and once every 10-14 days.
• Sanitize to minimize infestation of cotton leafhopper and to prevent spread of Cercospora leaf mold.
• Apply chemical pesticide if insect infestation and disease infection persist.
• Cultivate between rows on the 14^th and 20^th days after seedling emergence to control weeds.
• Hill-up immediately after second cultivation.
• Mulch with rice straw or other materials to control weeds and to prevent soil water evaporation.
• Harvest everyday when fruits are about 10-12 cm long or while still soft and snappy.

• Store at high humidity to prevent wilting.

Possible Areas of Application

• It can be planted any time of the year in areas where there are no distinct wet and dry seasons and rainfall is evenly distributed.
• Okra, mungbean and cassava can also be planted at the start or end of the rainy season in areas with distinct dry season. Thus, these can also be planted during La Niña period.

Dysfunctional Consequences

• no dysfunctional consequences

Source of Technology

Institute of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna

Mungbean

Description

Mungbean (Vigna radiata) can be grown during the dry season (October - November) in any part of the Philippines. Availability of water is critical during the flowering and pod development stages. The plant thrives in any soil type, but yields are better in deep, well-drained, and fertile soils with 5.8-6.5 pH. Acidic soils (pH < 5) have a positive effect on the growth of the root nodule bacteria and the availability of some essential nutrients.

Requirements for Adoption

a. Minimum

• availability of varieties, Pag-asa 7 and Pag-asa 9, with relative adaptability to water stress

b. Support System

• inoculants to hasten nitrogen fixation and increase yield

Advantages

• sturdy plant that grows in a wide range of soil conditions

• good source of protein and other minerals and vitamins

Limitations

•  no known limitations

Recommendations

• Pag-asa 7 variety

- non shattering

- matures in 60-67 days

- yields 0.60 t/ha under limited water condition

- moderately resistant to Cercospora leaf spot

• Pag-asa 9 variety

- matures in 60-62 days

- yields 1.22 t/ha under normal condition

• one plowing and at least one harrowing with four passings, if using tractor-drawn implement
• two plowings and at least two harrowings (four passes each), if using animal-drawn implement

• furrows at 50 cm apart

• minimal or no land preparation, if to be planted after rice harvest (weed-free field)

• inoculation before planting (100 g rhizobium inoculant/6 kg seeds)

• rows at 50-75 cm apart

• 25-30 seeds/linear meter

• 20-25 kg seeds/ha

• side-dressing of 30-30-30 kg/ha NPK (equivalent to 4 bags complete fertilizer) at planting

•  proper planting schedule to ensure enough soil water during flowering and pod-filling stages
•  mulching with rice straw immediately after planting
•  judicious insecticide application
•  removing alternate hosts

•  hand-weeding or off-barring during the first week of crop emergence

•  hilling-up on the 3^rd- 4^th week before plants close in

•  spot weeding occasionally

•  harvesting when 75% of pods are fully dried

•  first harvesting 60-65 days from crop emergence; second harvesting 10-15 days after first priming

Possible Areas of Application

•  Mungbean can be planted any time of the year in areas where there are no distinct wet and dry seasons and rainfall is evenly distributed.

Dysfunctional Consequences

•  no known dysfunctional consequences

Source of Technology

Institute of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna

Pole Sitao

Description

Pole sitao (Vigna unguiculata) can adapt to lowland tropics, but also thrives well in mid-elevated areas. Its growth is optimum at a temperature range of 20^o-35^oC. It is generally more tolerant to acidic soils compared with other legumes such as soybean and mungbean.

Requirements for Adoption

a. Minimum

•   availability of varieties (UPL PS-1, UPL PS-2, PSB PS-3)

b. Support System

•   trellises to support plant growth

Advantage

•   Pole sitao is a short-maturing crop which requires minimal inputs.

Limitation

•   Pole sitao is prone to insect pest infestation and diseases.

Recommendations

•   UPL PS-1 (Sandigan) variety

- matures in 49-54 DAP

- yields 13-24 t/ha

- moderately resistant to mosaic, rust, and fusarium stem and soft rots

•   UPL PS-2 (CSL 19) variety

- matures in 37 DAP

- yields an average of 7.1 t/ha

- moderately resistant to black bean aphid and bean fly

• PSB PS-3 (CSL 15) variety

- matures in 52-84 days

- yields an average of 12.4 t/ha

- resistant to root-knot nematode

• one to two plowings (14-16 cm deep) and two to three harrowings

• furrows space at 1.5 m between rows

• five bags complete fertilizer/ha

• chicken manure or compost as alternative fertilizer

• 3-4 seeds/hill

• hills 30-40 cm apart

•  rows 0.75-1.5 m apart

• 4.6 kg seeds/ha
• retaining of 1-2 plants/hill ten days after seedling emergence
• trellising with ipil-ipil posts and abaca twine one week after planting
• cultivating by hand or with animal-/tractor-drawn implement two weeks after seedling emergence, before flowering and at fruiting
• mulching with rice straw to control weeds and to reduce water loss
• irrigating weekly
• planting early to reduce bean fly damage
• spraying systemic insecticide against bean fly based on need, one week after planting and a week after
• spraying with soap or green-labeled pesticides to control aphids
• not using red- and yellow-labeled pesticides at pod bearing
• using hot pepper against pod borers, or sapal or sugar to attract ants which control pod borers
• harvesting green, tender pods 7-10 days after flowering and every 2-4 days thereafter
• dipping pods in coconut water for a few seconds to prolong shelf life

Possible Areas of Application

• Pole sitao can grow in areas with either low or high rainfall and can thrive in a wide range of soil types from sandy to clayey soils.

Dysfunctional Consequences

• The crop will not survive if bean fly, pod borer, and aphids are predominant. Likewise, it will not grow in areas where diseases such as bean rust, powdery mildew, and mosaic virus can not be controlled.

Source of Technology

Institute of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna

Cassava

Description

Cassava (Manihot esculenta) grows in a wide range of soil conditions, but is best suited in rich and friable soil for optimal growth and good harvest. It adapts well to acid soil, but is sensitive to alkalinity or salinity. It needs enough irrigation during the first three months of growth.

Requirements for Adoption

a. Minimum

• availability of stem cuttings of the recommended varieties

Advantages

• sturdy plant that grows in a wide range of soil conditions

• ability to thrive in marginal or hilly lands

Limitation

•   Cassava grows poorly in alkaline or saline soils.

Recommendations

• UPL Cv-10 (Lakan 4) variety

- for food, feed, and industrial manufacture of starch

- average yield of 30 t/ha under open condition

- 34.27% dry matter (DM) content

- matures in ten months

- low HCN rating of 4.2 (5-20 ug HCN)

• UPL Cv-8 (Lakan 3) variety

- all-purpose type

- average yield of 32 t/ha under open condition

- matures in ten months

- 34.06% DM content

- low HCN rating of 2.75 (5-20 ug HCN)

• UPL Cv-6 (Lakan 2) variety

- sweet type (edible) primarily recommended for food, but can also be used as feed and for industrial manufacture of starch

- average yield of 28.8 t/ha under open field and 10.3 t/ha under shade (e.g., coconut) conditions

- 32.5% DM content

- matures in ten months

- moderately resistant to thrips, red spider mites, leaf spot, leaf blight, and cassava bacterial blight

• UPL Cv-4 (Vassourinha) variety

- all-purpose type

- average yield of 30 t/ha under open field and 15 t/ha under shade conditions

- 38% DM and 29% starch content (fresh weight basis)

- matures in ten months

- moderately resistant to cassava bacterial blight and spider mites

• UPL Cv-2 (Lakan 1) variety

- all-purpose type

- average yield of 32 t/ha

- 45% (DM) and 33% starch content (fresh weight basis)

- can be harvested ten months after planting

- resistant to cassava bacterial blight and Cercospora leaf spot

• PSB Cv9 variety

- matures in 8-10 months

- yields 30.22 t/ha

- moderately resistant to white peach scale, red spider mites, and cassava bacterial blight

- for manufacture of starch/flour and feeds

- starch content of 21.40%

• PSB Cv10 variety

- industrial type

- yields 35.70 t/ha

- 33.60% DM and 26.50% starch content

- can be harvested in 8-10 months

- moderately resistant to white peach scale, red spider mites and cassava bacterial blight

• PSB Cv13 variety

- all-purpose type

- yields 26.40 t/ha

- matures in 10-12 months

- 22.80% starch content

- highly resistant to white peach scale and resistant to red spider mites and cassava bacterial blight

• PSB Cv14 variety

- matures in 10-12 months

- yields 29.30 t/ha

- 20.30% starch content

- for food and industrial uses

- resistant to white peach scale, red spider mites, and cassava bacterial blight

• PSB Cv16 variety

- yields 33.6 t/ha

- matures in 10-12 months

- resistant to white peach scale and moderately resistant to red spider mites and brown leaf spot

- 20.80% starch content

- suited for starch/flour and feed manufacture

• VC 1 (CM 323-52) variety

- matures in 9-10 months

- yields 40.80 t/ha

- highly resistant to white peach scale, red spider mites, and cassava bacterial blight

- for starch/flour and feed production

• VC 2 (CM-40) variety

- all-purpose type

- yields 40.20 t/ha

- matures in 8-10 months

- highly resistant to white peach scale, red spider mites, and cassava bacterial blight

• VC 3 (CM 350-90) variety

- for starch/flour and feed manufacture

- matures in 10-12 months

- yields 30 t/ha

- highly resistant to white peach scale, red spider mites, and cassava bacterial blight

• one plowing and harrowing if using a tractor; two plowings and harrowings if using an animal-drawn implement
• constructing ridges after the last harrowing
• 25-cm long planting materials from lower portion of seven-month-old stems
• planting horizontally (100 cm x 75 cm distance)
• weeding regularly during the first two months; need-based thereafter
• need-based applying of pesticides
• manual harvesting or by using an animal-/tractor-drawn plow about nine months after planting

Possible Areas of Application

• It can be planted any time of the year in areas where there are no distinct wet and dry seasons and rainfall is evenly distributed.

Dysfunctional Consequences

• no known dysfunctional consequences

Sources of Technology

Bacusmo, J.L. ViSCA, Baybay, Leyte. Mar 2000-(Personal communication)

Institute of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna

Visayas State College of Agriculture (ViSCA), Baybay, Leyte