PinoyEcoFarmer

stingless wasp (source: startribune.com)

The Regional Crop Protection Center (RCPC) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Western Visayas has established three village-based trichogramma laboratories in Guimaras Island to promote a natural method of pest control.

Trichogramma, commonly known as stingless wasps, serves as a biological control agent in controlling pests that infest rice, corn and vegetables. “These wasps are eco-friendly and don’t have bad effects on the environment unlike synthetic pesticides,” Ms. Curioso said. She added that trichogramma is a low-cost but effective technology that farming families can employ to minimize the use of synthetic insecticides.

You Want More? Continue Reading……..

Tet Uy (My Quaint Life) who is one of my MavenSecrets classmates under Anton Diaz  (Our Awesome Planet) will be delivering a talk on “embracing innovation and creativity to make the green lifestyle livable, comfortable, viable and inheritable” at the Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street Branch. The event will be on October 23, 2010 (Saturday).

This is indeed an excellent way of creating and spreading the “green” advocacy among the young, students and parents.

Atis (Anona squamosa), a tropical plant that usually grows spontaneously in the Philippines, aside from bearing fruits of white, sweet, soft, juicy and mild agreeable flavored flesh, also yields leaves where government health researchers found extracts for the formulation of an effective anti-mosquito repellant.

As a result of its latest studies on atis, the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) said it has came out with the Atis Lotion Mosquito Repellent that was formulated using the extracts of its leaves mixed with other locally available materials. “This mosquito repellent will surely be a great help to the efforts of the government to address the dengue fever-menace currently spreading terror among residents especially school-age children in various parts of the country,” Tomas Briñas, the regional director for Bicol of the DOST announced.

You Want More? Continue Reading……..

Tree Species with Medicinal Uses presents a list of some forest tree species found to have curative properties based on observations and actual experiences of a number of people, as well as on previous research works of experts such as Quisumbing (1978), de Padua and others (1977; 1978; 1981), the Department of Health (1995) and sources listed in the References. Recently, a local pharmaceutical enterprise, however, has been manufacturing and distributing narra capsules. The company claims that its narra capsules can help improve the immune system. The capsules are also taken to cure rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, problems in the bladder or kidney stone, acne, asthma and certain types of cancer. In addition, the narra capsules are claimed as good fat burner and cleansing substance for the body.

This publication is an attempt to answer to call of the government for agencies concerned to document information and create awareness on the medicinal value/uses of forest tree species. Thus, researchers, students and the public will find the series practical and useful.

The continuing research efforts of various agencies, public and private, would eventually enable ERDB to update the series. That is, when information shall become available.

Reposted from Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB)

Click on Image or Title to download.

Food from the Wilderness is a compilation of known wildfood plants in the Philippines. Specifically, this DENR Recommends series lists 29 species of plants growing in the wilds. These wildfood plants could serve as alternative food source. The compiler indicated valuable information about each species such as its scientific name, family name, common name, description, distribution and propagation. The compiler, more importantly, specified how each species is used as food. Photographs are supplied to facilitate the readers’ identification or recognition of specific wildfood plants.

Readers can enhance their awareness and knowledge of the wildfood plants that could supplement their usual diet and income, and which might readily be available in their localities.

The list of species presented herein is not at all exhaustive. Nonetheless, this particular DENR Recommends can serve as a valuable reference for other researchers to conduct further and more in-depth studies as to the nutritive values of wildfood plants indicated in this series.

Reposted from Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB)

Click on Image or Title to download.

The 2010 second quarter report made by the Region 10 office of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) showed that coconut-based products and fresh fruits remained as the region’s major exports, earning $170.97 million.

Coconut products represented a share of 63 percent of the regional total, followed by fresh fruits with an 11 percent share. Among the major export gainers were fresh fruits (586 percent), iron and steel (500 percent), and coconut-based products (399 percent). Special transactions jumped 1,045 percent from 0.11 to 1.26 million dollars of the second quarter last year.

You Want More? Continue Reading……..

A banana exporting company operating in Southern Mindanao has discovered the benefits of organic farming, and its area devoted to non-chemical agriculture has grown since it adopted the practice.

Dr. Benny Corcolon, vice president for research and information of the Tagum Development Corp. (Tadeco) banana plantation, said the area the firm has devoted to organic farming now makes up 5 percent of their 6,500-hectare plantation. Tadeco mainly grows bananas in Davao del Norte.

You Want More? Continue Reading……..

At the coconut festival which was held recently at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City, we met the lady who pioneered in making coconut sugar in the Philippines.

She is 47-year-old Luisa Molo of Brgy. Linabo, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental. She is just like any other ordinary lady farmer but the difference is that she is receptive to improved technologies in farming. In 2000, she was a participant in a project called Cogent which was undertaken by the Philippine Coconut Administration and an international agency in which they demonstrated various ways of improving the income of coconut farmers.

One of the technologies that were taught was how to make coconut sugar out of the toddy or “tuba” that is derived from the unopened flowers of the coconut. And the first to commercialize coconut sugar, even in a limited way, was Luisa Molo. There are now several others who are making coconut sugar but Luisa is always referred to as the pioneer.

You Want More? Continue Reading……..

There is hope for the local coffee industry.

After decades of decline in the production of coffee in the country, the industry is finally showing signs of an imminent return to growth. With collective help from concerned organizations, individuals and the government, efforts are being undertaken to “rehabilitate and rejuvenate” coffee farms around the country to further boost their production yield to maximize capacity.

“We have rejuvenated some 1,700 hectares [out of 70,000 ha] of coffee farms around the Philippines since we started our operations,” says Pacita Juan, co-chairperson of the Philippine Coffee Board (PCB). Resuscitating spent coffee farms, Juan says, along with planting new coffee trees, is the key to bringing back a healthier production of this precious commodity that has made its reputation by literally waking people up.

You Want More? Continue Reading……..

The high-grade and exportable bananas coming from the Davao Region may end up being processed into vinegar and ketchup because of the recently-imposed Iran ban on 40 imported fresh fruits including the Philippine banana, fruit concentrate and dairy products.

The embargo on Philippine bananas was announced last month, just when Philippine banana exporters were starting to consider the Middle East as an alternative market to the already-saturated Japan market. Apparently, the Japanese market has leveled off and Davao banana growers are looking at the Middle East, China and Korea as new markets for the region’s banana products.

You Want More? Continue Reading……..