Long- term Evaluation on the Effects of Different Sources of Organic Fertilizers in Lowland Rice Production System (by Ms. Grace Maglasang)
Rice is the staple food of the Filipinos and the primary source of livelihood of the majority of the rural population. Yet for years, locally produced rice has not been enough for every Filipino. Until the present time, rice self-sufficiency has been elusive. This is because of the numerous problems affecting rice production in the country. These problems include deteriorating soil quality caused by continuous cultivation of the same piece of land over long periods, declining organic matter due to continuous crop removal, improper soil management, high incidence of pest and diseases, and the hazardous effects of chemical pesticides.
Hence, due to the ill-effects of the chemical-based agriculture, organic farming is rapidly growing and successfully done in many parts of the world (FAO, 2002). The increasing demand for organic food in the 21st century has led to the development of organic production systems. Organic agriculture is defined as the holistic production management system, which enhances agro-ecosystem health by using both traditional and scientific knowledge (IFOAM, 2005). In the Philippines, Executive Order No. 481 was issued by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for the development and promotion of organic agriculture in the Philippines.
With the above as premise, there is an urgent need to evaluate the efficacy of different sources of organic fertilizer materials on lowland rice so that appropriate technologies for organic lowland rice production will be employed.
Composting Using the Bio-Mechanical Goat
In rapid composting, maintaining a high temperature , right humidity and aeration is made possible by turning the pile, however this process is laborious and time consuming especially if the amount of materials being decomposed is large. To hasten and simplify the process, a rotary drum composter may be used. A rotary composter was designed and fabricated at Foundation University. The composter has three main features which makes composting faster and easier. The substrates to be composted is placed inside an enclosed container. Two recycled 55 gallon tanks are used as containers for the trash to be composted. The plastic material of the tank insulates the compost making it easy to maintain a high temperature during the composting period. It is held by an iron stand has a lift cover on its side to enable easy loading and covering of the drums. This feature also prevents animals (dogs, cats and rodents) from scavenging through the compost.
The second feature is the handle for rotating the drum every day to promote aeration. This copies the turning of the compost pile during composting. The slow rotation of the drum mixes the substrates inside it and controls the temperature from rising higher than it is needed to. The rotating motion is a more efficient way of the turning the pile as experienced during the testing of the machine.
A third feature allows the compost to breathe. Holes were drilled along the sides of the drum to allow breathing during the composting process. Breathing or aeration not only controls temperature but also controls the odor especially when food waste is used in the compost. Furthermore, it allows the draining of excess water in the compost which can also be collected as compost tea.
All procedures and important factors mentioned under rapid composting is done or followed in composting using the Bio-mechanical Goat (BMG). Click BMG_report for the complete primer of the project.
Development of a Suspended Pot, Non-Circulating Hydroponic Method
Mark A. Espedilla and Brian Ozoa
Rationale
Crop Production through hydroponics system has been gaining popularity in the tropics. The increasing demand of vegetables and other agricultural crops especially in cities has encouraged horticulturists to use hydroponics culture – a soilless system of planting.
Hydroponics plant cultivation has so much advantage compared to the conventional soil culture. Higher yield, higher plant-land intensity, low labor inputs, shorter cropping days and very low pesticide application are among the advantages that the system has.
The main disadvantages of the system are the high initial capital cost, some diseases which can spread rapidly through the system, and the encountering of complex nutritional problems. Most of these disadvantages can be overcome. Capital cost and complexity of operating the system can be reduced by use of new simplified hydroponics methods.
A new passive hydroponic system was developed at the University of the Philippine Los Baños. The system is referred to as the Simple Nutrient Addition Program (SNAP). Preliminary work at the College of Agriculture of Foundation University found that short season lettuce crops performed well in a passive hydroponic system. The working principles of this system are that a portion of the plant roots must be suspended in air with high humidity or in aggregate containing air allowing the absorption of oxygen by the plant. The rest of the roots are in water, absorbing nutrients and water.
Arnon and Hoagland (2000) grew tomatoes in a passive hydroponic system where the aeration was achieved by maintaining a 50 mm air space above the nutrient solution. However, yields were about 25% less than those obtained when the solution was mechanically aerated. In another study, tomato yields from a non-circulating hydroponic system were similar to yields obtained from conventional soil beds in another trial (Kratky et al.,1988). These yields were however only half of those obtained in hydroponic greenhouse trials in Florida (Hochmuth et al,. 1993).
It is then proposed that a study to determine the feasibility of producing a long-term crop like greenhouse tomatoes in a passive hydroponic system using several leading local varieties be conducted under local conditions. This proposed study would include the designing of the system and the determination of the root space needed for optimum crop growth.