Corn technology demonstration project in Region 10 [Northern Mindanao, Philippines]

Corn Techno Demo was implemented in the four province of Region 10 (Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental) [Philippines] since the second cropping of 1995 until the second cropping of 1998. The demo served as a show window of the current technological breakthroughs in corn production and it also provided an opportunity for the researchers and extension workers to further assess the authentic needs of the farmers. The major activities undertaken were: project implementors briefing, regular monthly meetings, mid-season and post-season review and evaluation, field monitoring and evaluation and the conduct of field days. The component technologies demonstrated were the use of high yielding corn varieties (hybrid yellow and white), appropriate fertilizer application (inorganic + organic fertilizer), IPM technology (Trichogramma for the control of corn borer) and conservation tillage technology. Results showed that in Bukidnon the use of yellow hybrid corn with other component technologies have the potential of increasing corn yield from 3.6 t/ha to more than 5 t/ha cropping season. The conservation tillage thru minimum tillage system has an economic advantage over the existing farmers practices due to cost reduction during land preparation and weeding operations. In the provinces of Camiguin, Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental, planting white corn hybrid coupled with other component technologies showed potential in increasing the existing white corn yield in the region which encouraged the participation/adoption of the technologies by more farmers. The results further suggest that the component technologies demonstrated has the potential of attaining the GAP-corn target yield of 5 t/ha/cropping season in Region 10 provided that climatic condition and other environmental factors are provided