Development of planting calendars based on agro-climatic indices, water availability and avoidance of pest and adverse condition
2005
Alquiza, P. C. | Castro, R. C. | Ganotisi, N. D. | Baysac, F. S.
Ilocos [Philippines] farmers are mostly tenants of small piece of land. To provide a decent income for their big families, the farmers must plant more than two crops a year. Cropping intensification, however, is constrained by the availabilty of moisture in these rainfed farms. Hence, the choice of crops to grow and the corresponding timing of planting are very critical. Improper choices and timing expose the crops to risks such as drought, typhoons, and other adverse weather conditions, as well as insect pests and diseases. PhilRice Batar is currently generating strategies to mitigate these risks through correct advisories to the farmers. Weather forecasts, the determination of return periods of adverse weather conditions, seasonal characteristics of surface and ground water, the epidemiology of pest and diseases, and water requirements of specific crops in the cropping system are being studied and analyzed as inputs for such advisories. These advisories are being incorporated in a calendar to guide the farmers. Hence, planting calendars are continously being developed and updated at the PhilRice Experimental Farm, Batac, Ilocos Norte and in farmers' fields. The development of these planting materials is dynamic and based on agro-climatic indices, water availability, and avoidance of pests. The economic profitability of the different cropping patterns is also being documented and analyzed. In 2004, the optimum planting calendars for five cropping patterns (rice-pepper-corn relay, rice-corn-onion, rice-mungbean + corn-corn, rice-mungbean-mungbean + corn and rice-onion -mungbean + corn) were verified in Currimao, Ilocos Norte and Bacnotan, La Union. In Currimao, the rice-onion-mungbean + corn pattern established from June to October gave the highest net income (P 95,196.37/ha/yr), followed by the rice-corn-onion pattern (P 89,297.88/ha/yr). In Bacnotan, La Union, the rice-corn-onion pattern grown from June 15 to October obtained the highest net income (P 120,233.33/ha/yr). Fourteen to 16 species of insect pests are predominant in the two locations. However, the population of these insect pest did not cause pest and disease pressure to affect the yield of crops. Farmers in Currimao preffered to plant mungbean as second crop to minimize production cost on insecticides and fungicides, while Bacnotan farmers planted mungbean as third crop to avail of its high selling price in June. Three more cropping calendars are being fine-tuned in the station.Among the three cropping pattern, rice-upo + corn-corn was the most profitable (P84,282.08/ha/yr).Bottlegourd (upo) served as cover crop for the corn, which reduced the cost for irrigation.
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