Crop and livestock production may decline if dry spell continues
S&T interventions help beat dry spell

Crop and farm animal production may decline if dry spell in the northern parts of Luzon persists. Droughts in the past had seriously affected local agricultural productivity.

Looking back
The 1982-83, 1991-92 and 1997-98 drought episodes reduced rice and corn production. Rice went down to 648,480 tons in 1982-83, to 669,000 tons in 1991-92, and 622,000 tons in 1997-98. Losses from these two major crops alone amounted to more than P12 billion in 1997-98 based on a 1999 PCARRD study of 30 rice producing barangays in nine regions of the country.

During the 1997-1998 drought, heat stroke and avian pest slashed poultry population in the barangays by 67%, excluding commercial farms. The drought decreased swine population by 79%, and the goat population by 45% in the study sites.

Farmers sold their animals not only to offset losses from crop production but also because water and pasture areas were lacking. Cattles, undernourished, were sold at lower market prices.

According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), the 1997-1998 drought affected almost 74,000 ha of agricultural lands in 18 provinces. Rice, corn, sugarcane, coconut and banana farms were most affected. During the first half of 1998, palay and corn production went down by 27% and 44% respectively.

In Negros Occidental, the livestock sector took a beating from heat stroke, pneumonia, stress, and dehydration. The province’s 7, 628 ha of sugarcane lands were declared unfit for production. Crop losses in the province stood at P99.7 million while livestock losses totaled P425,700.

Based on reports, the drought killed more than 74 people and starved almost half million families, including tribal communities in Northern Mindanao. Manufacturing and agricultural export in Southern Mindanao were dismal, retrenching many of the workers.

Drought-induced diseases and pests plagued Davao del Sur, North Cotabato and Davao City outskirts. Rats spoiled rice, corn, banana, cacao, mango, sweet potato, and cassava farms. The Malaysian black bug damaged rice fields in Saranggani, South Cotabato, Davao City, and Davao del Sur. Forest fires were reported in some portions of Mt. Apo, Mt. Matumtum, and in some forested areas of Maragusan.

Preparing for drought
Our history of defeat from droughts need not repeat itself. PCARRD suggests several S&T interventions:

• Early and efficient warning system and extensive information dissemination on changes in weather conditions. Agricultural technicians should advise farmers on appropriate cropping patterns, timing of planting, and other mitigating measures.
• Use of dry seeds instead of transplanted seedlings in rainfed upland and lowland rice areas can save time and use rainwater more efficiently.
• Pre-germinated seeds may also be used in rainfed lowland rice areas.
• Coconut husk-based materials can help condition the soil.
• Crops that can withstand long periods of dryness can be planted. Some suitable crops are okra, mungbean, pole sitao, and cassava.

While the country has an average rainfall of 2,000 mm/year, a few rainless months can hamper agricultural activities. To take advantage of existing rainfall and runoff, water conservation measures should be installed:

• A small farm reservoir (SFR), which is an earth dam structure, can be used to store rainfall and runoff during heavy rains for use during lean months.
• Temporary dikes and micro catchments could be used to delay runoff in upland farms and increase rain infiltration.

Available soil moisture can also be conserved through:

• Mulching or the spreading of plant residues or synthetic materials over the soil. This will decrease the soil moisture evaporation rate.
• Compost fertilizer application. This will improve soil structure and increase its water-holding capacity (WHC).

Available irrigation water could be conserved through:

• The use of windbreaks or shelterbelts like trees, shrubs, and vines planted around farm boundaries. A combination of large and small windbreaks arranged systematically can significantly reduce water loss caused by evapo-transpiration
• Pipe irrigation systems could reduce evaporation, percolation, and seepage to almost zero and irrigate more areas with the same amount of available water.

For the livestock sector:

• Artificial insemination can be used for breeding animals, as their natural reproductive performance tends to decrease during hot and humid months.
• Non-conventional energy sources for animals and locally available energy feedstuff such as arrowroot, banana, camote, and cassava can be used to replace corn.
• During the wet season, it is good to prepare silage, a fermented ruminant feed for use during dry periods.
• To prevent heat stress, animal pens and shelters should be properly ventilated.
• Storing water before the drought can ensure cool and clear water for the animals.

For the forestry sector:

• The best way to mitigate the effects of extreme drought is to restore the forest cover. This would raise the WHC of a watershed and minimize the silting of reservoirs. Drought resistant tree species (e.g. akleng parang, alibangbang, binayuyu, ipil-ipil, kamachile and katurai), bamboos and other forest and fruit trees can be planted.

Details on each of these measures are discussed in ENSO Mitigating Measures, a book published by PCARRD and DA. For inquires, contact PCARRD at tel. no. (049) 536-0014 or e-mail pcarrd@pcarrd.dost.gov.ph. (Ofelia F. Domingo, S&T Media Service)