SOLAR-POWERED TOWER GARDENS HELP SUSTAIN VEGETABLE FARMING DURING RAINY SEASON
Sarah Hazel Maranan-Balbieran, DOST-PCAARRD S&T Media Services 25 September 2024
Flooding during the rainy season can devastate crops. A way to address this challenge is by setting up solar-powered drip-irrigated tower gardens. This vertical farming system offers a sustainable and resilient solution, even during the rainy season.
The vertical farming system involves growing vegetables using solar-powered pump drip irrigation and tower garden technologies. This system can withstand rains and floods and enables communities to continue producing vegetables despite heavy rains, unlike in traditional land-based farming.
Tower gardens use hydroponics and introduce the vertical way of growing vegetables. It requires less space compared with conventional farming as leafy vegetables are planted in high vertical pots. It also uses an automated timer to irrigate the crops, thereby reducing time and labor.
Solar-powered drip-irrigated tower gardens have been successfully established in six areas across Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Tarlac through the project implemented by the Central Luzon State University (CLSU).
The established community gardens in these areas not only addressed immediate food needs during emergencies but also allowed multiple cropping cycles per year, particularly for fast-growing leafy vegetables.
CLSU project leader Marvin M. Cinense said that this technology can boost crop yield by up to 50% or more per unit area. By raising the plants above potential floodwaters, the tower garden can ensure that crops stay protected and continue to flourish even when the ground is submerged. Also, plants can be safe against soil-borne insect pests and diseases.
CLSU implemented this project in cooperation with the Bulacan Agricultural State College, Pampanga State Agricultural University, and Tarlac Agricultural University. The project was funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD), and was monitored by DOST-PCAARRD’s Agricultural Resources Management Research Division.
As urban areas continue to expand and climate change increases the frequency of extreme weather events, such as heavy rains and flooding, innovative solutions like tower gardens will be essential for ensuring food security. This project highlights the potential of technology-driven farming methods to sustain urban communities even in the most challenging weather conditions.
-30-
TISSUE CULTURED AND MACROPROPAGATED DISEASE-FREE SABA PLANTLETS TO BOOST PRODUCTION AND EMPOWER FARMERS IN CAGAYAN VALLEY
Reinier Josef D. Abagat, DOST-PCAARRD S&T Media Services 04 October 2024
Disease-free ‘Saba’ plantlets were produced through tissue culture and macropropagation technologies from existing facilities at the Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU), Quirino State University (QSU), and Cagayan Valley Research Center (CVRC).
The NVSU-led project, “Tissue Culture and Macropropagation of Saba: Cagayan Valley’s Planting Material Support System for Banana,” aims to address the spread of disease infection resulting from the use of infected field-grown suckers and inability of farmers to remove diseased plants immediately.
Led by Dr. Elbert A. Sana of NVSU, the project upscaled Saba plantlet production through tissue culture and whole-corm macropropagation method. These plantlets provided farmers an access to quality planting materials, which is one of the major constraints in smallhold banana production.
Disease-free Saba plantlet production
To commence the project, NVSU conducted disease indexing for the banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) and banana bract mosaic virus (BBrMV) as a critical quality control measure. This step ensured the production of disease-free planting materials before implementing macro-propagation techniques.
The three collaborating institutions employed Saba tissue culture, adhering to the standardized protocols and growth media for culture establishment, subculture, rooting, and meriplant production. Additionally, NVSU has capacitated QSU and CVRC staff on the whole corm technique and use of the Saba macropropagation in nurseries.
The project produced a total of 52,685 Saba plantlets through tissue culture (43,605 plantlets) and macropropagation (9,080 plantlets).
Farmers empowered, farms established
In collaboration with the Municipal Agriculture Offices (MAGRO) of the respective local government units, farmer cooperators were strategically selected to participate in techno-showcase and farm establishment activities. It aspires to improve cultural practices and management of Saba through demonstration farms.
The agencies established nine Saba techno-showcase farms—three from each agency located in Bayombong and Villaverde in Nueva Vizcaya; Diffun and Aglipay in Quirino; and Gamu, Mallig, and Ilagan in Isabela. Techno-showcase farms selected were given at least 100 Saba plantlets and were monitored in terms of their harvest.
A cost and return analysis conducted for a hectare of Saba plantation in Gamu, Isabela involving two production cycles (1 cycle and 1 ratoon) in 2.5 years showed a net income of P98,795 or 45.70% return on investment (ROI).
In NVSU, one of the most significant developments in these techno-showcase farms was the half-hectare expansion of a farmer cooperator’s area with 200 Saba planted.
Following the project’s completion, Cagayan Valley experienced a notable increase in banana production with 85 new farmer beneficiaries establishing new banana farms across a total area of 36 hectares.
As part of the project, farmers also received a comprehensive techno-guide detailing best practices for banana management. Farmers were advised to use planting distances of 2 meters (m) x 2 m x 3 m double row planting for ‘Lakatan’ and ‘Cavendish,’ and 4 m x 4 m row planting for ‘Cardaba’ and Saba to improve production and management.
Plant maintenance including deleafing, debudding, fertilizer application, insect pest and disease management, fruit bagging, irrigation and drainage, were also recommended to farmers to boost banana production.
The said NVSU-led project is an entry for the Best Development Paper and was presented during the National Symposium on Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (NSAARRD) held on October 2, 2024. Winners of the award will be conferred during the DOST-PCAARRD’s 2024 S&T Awards and Recognition ceremony in November 2024.
NSAARRD, annually spearheaded by DOST-PCAARRD, recognizes outstanding R&D contributions in the agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources sector in the country.
-30-
USM STUDY IDENTIFIES SUSTAINABLE BIOCONTROL AGENT AGAINST LEAF DISEASES OF RUBBER
Ginia Felice C. Garcia, DOST-PCAARRD S&T Media Services 04 October 2024
A study conducted at the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) found 18 endophytic fungi that were highly antagonistic against several leaf pathogens of rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.). The identified endophytes are potential biocontrol agents, which are sustainable and environment-friendly alternatives to chemical control of leaf diseases. Endophytes are either a fungus or bacteria that inhabit plants.
The study, “Endophytes as Biocontrol Agents Against Major and Emerging Leaf Diseases of Rubber,” led by Dr. Tamie C. Solpot was funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD).
Rubber production in the Philippines
Rubber is considered as one of the Philippines’ priority commodities, providing promising income for farmers. Despite its relatively small proportion in terms of natural rubber production, the global rubber industry recognizes the country’s potential in rubber production, with SOCCSKSARGEN being the top producing region in the country.
However, in recent years, a decline in rubber production was observed due to emergence and re-emergence of leaf diseases. The decline poses a threat to the growth of rubber trees, which can lead to reduced latex yield, increased production costs, and losses in plantation areas. To address these challenges, traditional approaches such as, chemical, genetic, and cultural practices have been resorted to or utilized to control these diseases.
With North Cotabato as one of the major rubber producing provinces in the country, five representative municipalities were selected for the conduct of the study. The 18 identified endophytic fungi were evaluated to be potential biocontrol agents against foliar pathogens such as Colletotrichum sp., Corynespora cassiicola, Phytophthora palmivora, and Pestalotiopsis sp.
Endophytes as biocontrol agents
The effectiveness of the potential biocontrol agents were shown through eradicative and protective applications among target diseases caused by Colletotrichum gloesporioides, Phytophthora palmivora, and Corynespora cassiicola with 20 days of pathogen inoculation.
Results showed a reduction in infections of major rubber diseases, with significant lowest disease severity of 1.62% observed on the protective application of endophytes against Colletotrichum sp.. The other 17 endophytes with means ranging from 2.20%-5.56%, were found to be comparable to the effectiveness of Trichoderma (biological control) and Difenoconazole (chemical control), with means of 4.08% and 3.69%, respectively.
Protective application of endophytes also showed similar results with the said biological and chemical controls when applied against C. cassiicola with one endophyte showing lowest disease severity of 3.08%.
On the other hand, the eradicative application of eight endophytes against Colletotrichum sp. was rated effective against the said pathogens with the lowest disease severity of 4.42%. Moreover, with the same type of application, the control on leaf fall of rubber was successful by 11.38% up to 65.38%.
Further, the study also identified seven major and emerging foliar diseases among farms in North Cotabato, namely Colletotrichum leaf spot, Corynespora leaf fall/spot, Phytophthora leaf fall/blight, powdery mildew, bird’s eye-spot disease, Pestalotiopsis leaf fall, and algal spot disease. The study also documented the first report of Colletotrichum tropicale in the country.
As a way forward, the project calls for the need to formulate and implement management strategies to target specific leaf diseases. These can further be attained through the formulation and initial testing of the identified biocontrol agents within the field or plantation.
The said project is an entry for Best Research Paper, which was presented during the National Symposium on Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (NSAARRD) on October 2, 2024. Winners of the award will be conferred during the DOST-PCAARRD’s 2024 S&T Awards and Recognition ceremony in November 2024.
NSAARRD, annually spearheaded by DOST-PCAARRD, recognizes outstanding R&D contributions in the agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources sector in the country.
