Green house technology for Vegetables

Vegetable forcing for domestic consumption:

During winters in north Indian plains and hills, the temperature and solar radiations are sub-optimal for growing off-season vegetables –tomato, capsicum, brinjal, cucurbits, okra, cowpea, amaranth and chilli. In tomato, low temperature and low radiation cause puffiness and blotchy ripening. Hence, during extreme conditions of winter season (October-February) these vegetables can be well cultivated under polyhouse.

The protected environment could be well adopted in home gardens at slightly high altitude where winter is prolonged. A small-sized polyhouse can be made over uncultivable landscape, even on roof/terrace receiving sunlight for growing chilli, tomato, brinjal, summer squash and okra in pots and other containers. The high-priced vegetables –asparagus, leek, tomato, cucumber and capsicum – are most important crops for production around metropolis and big cities during winter season or off-season.

Raising off-season nurseries:

The cucurbits are warm season crops. They are sown in last week of February or in first week of March when night temperature is around 18-20⁰C. But in polyhouse their seedlings can be raised during December and January in polythene bags protected from cold winds and frost. By planting these seedlings during January-end or first week of February, their yield could be taken in one and one-and a half months in advance than the normal method of direct sowing. This technology fetches the bonus price due to marketing of produce in the off-season.

Similarly, in plains as well as in temperate regions of the country, the seedlings of tomato, Chilli, capsicum and brinjal can be grown under plastic cover protecting them against frost and severe cold. The environmental condition particularly increase in temperature inside polyhouse, may have hastened the germination and early growth of warm season vegetable seedlings for raising early crops in spring-summer.

Asparagus, sweet potato, pointed-gourd and ivy gourd are sensitive to low temperature. The propagating materials of these vegetables can be well-maintained under polyhouse in winter season before planting their cuttings in early spring-summer season for higher profit.

Basic requirements:

Selection of seeds: It is imperative to have better quality seed possessing genetic characters suited to the environment in which it is grown. Good vegetable seed must be true-to name, viable, disease- and pest-free, free from weeds, dirt and other foreign materials.

Selection of cultivars: Cultivars suitable for open field condition are usually suitable for polyhouse cultivation. But relatively rapid-maturing cultivars and high-yielding hybrids are ideal. The selection of cultivars and hybrids depend on plant type and their growth behaviour. Tomato cultivars and hybrids should be indeterminate type. The plants are grown upright as a single stem rather than bush. The cucumber cultivars should be unique. They should have only female flowering habit, with dark green parthenocarpic (seedless) fruits free of bitterness.

Vegetable Seed Production:

Seed production in vegetables is the limiting factor for cultivation of vegetables in India. The vegetables require specific temperature and other climatic conditions for flowering and fruit setting. Some vegetables are grown in one part of the country but their seed production is restricted to another part. To reduce such microclimatic condition a protected environment is essential. Summer squash requires a mild climate for flowering, fruit setting and fruit development, and seed formation. Therefore, its seed production is only restricted to hilly region of north India in summer season. But nowadays seed production of summer squash ‘Australian Green’ and `Pusa Alankar’ is also feasible in north Indian plains in a low-and medium-cost greenhouse. Similarly, seed production of highly remunerative crops –tomato,capsicum and cucumber – is also performed under protected environment. The maintenance of purity of different varieties/lines can be achieved by growing them under greenhouse without giving isolation distance particularly in cross-pollinated vegetables –onion, cauliflower and cabbage. To get proper pollination and fruit set in onion, summer squash, cucumber and bittergourd, the bee-hives are kept inside during flowering.

Vegetable cultivation in low-and medium-cost greenhouse is a technical reality in India. Such production system has not only extended the growing season of vegetables and their availability but also encouraged conservation of different rare vegetables. The seed production of vegetables under protected environment is also a major step to increase vegetable production in India.

How NOT to Motivate Employees: 10 Management Habits to Break Now

Feeling unmotivated? Uninspired? Disengaged? You’re not alone. “There’s a lot of valid reason we’re feeling burned out,” says Holly Green, workplace management expert and best-selling author of the book More Than a Minute: How to Be an Effective Leader and Manager in Today’s Changing World.

“It’s because we are,” she says.

I recently spoke with Green about the amount of stress managers are under today to re-engage their employees in an increasingly stressful work environment. If employees think they’re the only ones who need a break these days, Green says, they should think again.   “Managers are feeling the same way. And when you’re burned out, it’s that much harder to think about engaging someone else.”

So rather than add one more thing to the already-overstretched manager’s to do list, perhaps it would be easier to simply know what NOT to do…Green was kind enough to offer the following advice on how NOT to manage your employees.

Top 10 Things Managers Should NOT Do To Engage Employees:

1. Don’t Practice the Halo Effect. This is when a manager assumes that, because someone has one good quality, the person is great at everything, preventing managers from seeing the opportunities for improvement; similarly, managers should also avoid the opposite of the halo effect – the devil effect.
2. Don’t Humiliate or Demean Employees (especially not in front of others).
3. Don’t Withhold Feedback because you assume your employees already know where they need to improve or will “figure it out” on their own. “If you’re going to be a good manager, it is essential that you get good at giving feedback,” Green says. That means both constructive and negative feedback.
4. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Ongoing One-on-One Conversations to build trusting, more productive relationships with your employees.
5. Don’t Assume Your Team Knows What Winning Looks Like. “A manager’s most important role is to clarify what winning or excellence looks like, and then help people achieve it for themselves and the organization – you can’t over communicate in this regard.”
6. Don’t Assume People Understand Your Reasoning behind decisions. By the same token, don’t blame any decisions on “upper management,” “the HR department” or anyone else. Employees see right through that.
7. Don’t Forget That Praise is About Them, Not You. When recognizing employees, pause and consider what the individuals would want to receive and how they would want to receive it.  “For some people, presenting to the senior executive team could be a big perk and considered a reward for a job well done; for others, this could be the worst possible and most stressful of all scenarios,” Green says. Likewise, don’t give lavish public praise to someone who is very private, a Starbucks card to someone who doesn’t drink coffee or tea, or buy a cake for someone with dietary restrictions.
8. Don’t Speak Negatively About Other Team Members, their peers or senior management and leaders.
9. Don’t Give ‘Sandwich’ Feedback. While many managers were taught to give sandwich feedback (saying something good, sneaking in something negative and then quickly saying something good again), this method only “leaves the receiver wondering what the heck was the point,” Green says.
10. Don’t Ever Stop Recruiting. “Folks need to be re-recruited and re-energized – especially after the past few years.”

Anything you would you add to this list? What “habits” have you broken (or would like to see others break)? DO share in the comments below!

http://thehiringsite.careerbuilder.com/2010/10/27/ways-not-to-manage-employees/

Characteristics of Different Soil Types

Sand, Loamy sand, Sandy loam

These are well drained and aerated and workable for most of the year. They are very light to handle and quick to warm up in spring. Unless they have a very high organic matter content they are prone to drying out too quickly, and additional watering will be needed. This extra watering will also help to wash out the plant foods and lime from the soil, so they are likely to be acid (except for some coastal soils). They are often referred to as hungry soils and need lots of extra feeding. With careful management however, they can be amongst the most productive soil types.

Medium loam, Sandy clay loam, Silt Loam

These are the average soil types. They achieve a good balance between the ability to be very productive and the minimum of attention. The medium loam group is probably the best in this respect.

Clay, Sandy clay, Clay loam, Silty clay loam, Silty clay, Silt

Although these soils are difficult to work and manage, they usually have good supplies of plant foods and lime. The main drawbacks are the high water holding capacity (which means they are late to get going in spring) and the effort required to work them. You will need to catch just the right weather conditions to avoid hard work and damage to the soil structure. The use of heavy machinery (and especially rotavators) should be avoided at all costs, particularly when the soil is wet.

Peat moss or Fen Soils.

Provided they are not too acid and have effective sub drainage, these are probably the best natural soils available. They are rich in plant foods, are easily workable and early. It is possible to convert your existing soil into peat type soil by adding large amounts of organic matter. Some of the keenest exhibition growers do just this. It can be time consuming and costly at first, but once you get there life becomes much easier. You must avoid making your soil too acid though, and careful choice of organic matter is needed.

Chalk soils and Limestone Soils

These are the soils that contain a high proportion of chalk or lime. So much in fact, that it overrides their normal particle size classification. They are often very shallow soils, and severely limit the types of plants that can be grown successfully in them. If you have a soil of this type and are not happy with the range of plants it will allow you to grow, probably the best thing you can do is move to a new area and check the soil out first. If you can't move, the most sensible course of action is to limit yourself to the plants that will grow in chalky soils. Trying to change the soil is usually an uphill struggle and quite expensive.

source: http://pakagri.blogspot.com/2012/11/characteristics-of-different-soil-types.html

Nutrient requirements of different crops

Almond production

Nutrient requirements for a yield goal of 7 ton/ha:

N - 83 kg/ha, p - 40 kg/ha, K - 100 kg/ha, Ca - 70 kg/ha, Mg - 16 kg/ha

Celery production

Nutrient requirements for a yield goal of 80 ton/ha:

N - 185 kg/ha, P - 60 kg/ha, K - 450 kg/ha, Ca - 145 Kg/ha, Mg - 12 kg/ha

Eggplant production

Nutrient requirements for a yield goal of 40 ton/ha:

N - 207 kg/ha, P - 20 kg/ha, K - 330 kg/ha, Ca - 40 kg/ha, Mg - 24 kg/ha

Garlic production

Nutrient requirements for a yield goal of 9.8 ton/ha:

N - 142 kg/ha, P - 24 kg/ha, K - 105 kg/ha, Ca - 57 kg/ha, Mg - 9 kg/ha

Onion production

Nutrient requirements for a yield goal of 40 ton/ha:

N - 155 kg/ha , P - 60 kg/ha, K - 132 kg/ha, Ca - 52 kg/ha, Mg - 20 kg/ha

Orange production

Nutrient requirements for a yield goal of 40 ton/ha:

N - 135 kg/ha, P - 16 kg/ha, K - 110 kg/ha, Ca - 90 kg/ha, Mg - 12 kg/ha

Peas production

Nutrient requirements for a yield goal of 10 ton/ha:

N- 125 kg/ha, P - 20 kg/ha, K - 105 kg/ha, Ca - 45 kg/ha, Mg - 37 kg/ha 

Potato production

Nutrient requirements for a yield goal of 40 ton/ha:

N - 170 kg/ha, P - 22 kg/ha, K - 220 kg/ha, Ca - 30 kg/ha, Mg - 28 kg/ha

Rice production

Nutrient requirements for a yield goal of 9.8 ton/ha:

N- 217 kg/ha, P - 68 kg/ha, K - 256 kg/ha, Ca - 27 kg/ha, Mg - 23 kg/ha 

Tomato production

Greenhouse tomato

Requerimientos nutricionales para un rendimiento esperado de 154 ton/ha:

N - 370 kg/ha, P - 63 kg/ha, K - 560 kg/ha, Ca - 205 kg/ha, Mg - 67 kg/ha

Table tomato - open field

Requerimientos nutricionales para un rendimiento esperado de 60 ton/ha:

N - 136 kg/ha, P - 24 kg/ha, K - 192 kg/ha, Ca - 240 kg/ha, Mg - 22 kg/ha

Hidroponic tomato

N - 245 ppm, P - 39 ppm, K - 400 ppm, Ca - 240 ppm, Mg - 55 ppm

Black Mold Disease of Onions

Black mold occurs in both colored and white onions in the field, during transit, and at storage. The causal fungus attacks many fruits and vegetables through wounds or during ripening.

Symptoms and Damage
Among the symptoms of black mold are black discolorations on the bulb and shallow lesions on the outer scales. Streaks of black mycelia and spores develop beneath the outer dry scales. In the advanced stage of the disease, the entire surface of the bulb turns black.

Cause
Aspergillus niger Tiegh.

Management Practices
Cure the onion bulbs quickly and provide good ventilation. Store in a cool place and not in boxes or bags.
Harvest the bulbs at maturity. Cure the onions quickly.
Storage condition should be cool and dry, with good ventilation.
Do not store bulbs in boxes or bags. Store the bulbs at 1-10oC.
Avoid bruising of bulbs during harvest, storage, and transit.

Source
PhilRice, 2007. Integrated Pest Management in Rice-Vegetable Cropping Systems. Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

Metzerplas

Doesn't this make sense to you?

Pangilinan wants farmers, fishers insured

Senator Francis Pangilinan asked the government to allocate a higher budget in insuring the production of farmers and fisherfolk amid the onslaught of natural calamities.
“There is an urgent need to include in the national budget crop insurance for our farmers, and also insurance for our fisherfolk. Every year we are ravaged by typhoons and the subsequent floods and destruction that go with them,” Pangilinan, chairman of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, said.

Read more......

Farmers turn to sewage to irrigate vegetable crops

By Imran Rana

Published: July 10, 2012

A DIRTY DEAL: 40% is the cost reduction in growing vegetables if they are irrigated with sewage, as compared to standard practices.

FAISALABAD: According to reports, farmers – particularly small landholders – have taken to using sewage water to increase crop productivity. Agricultural experts say that wastewater is fast becoming a cheap alternative to expensive fertilizers.

Agriculturists contend that the use of effluent has increased crop yields by up to 25%. Given such claims, most small farmers prefer wastewater for vegetable fields in place of expensive pesticides and fertilizers.

Farmers, while talking to The Express Tribune, added that tube well irrigation is fast becoming a ‘dream’ for agriculturalists because of the high price of fuel needed to power them. “The government is not giving farmers any incentives, as they do in India,” they complained.

Farmer Arshad Mahmood revealed that market prices of agricultural land with access to a source of effluent are much higher, as compared to without it. He also informed that the use of wastewater lessens the cost of production by a whopping 40%. “After irrigating fields with wastewater, crops do not need pesticides and fertilizers,” he said.

“Vegetables need frequent watering for growth, but there is no electricity to run tube wells. The only source available is to draw water using diesel pumps, which is unaffordable for small farmers,” he claimed.

Sewage contains certain essential nutrients like nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, which are essential to grow crops.

Meanwhile, medical experts have warned that increasing use of sewage for irrigation purposes poses significant health risks for the human beings who consume produce from such farms.

Dr Shafqat Ali – an MBBS doctor – said that ‘food poisoning’ complaints arise when humans consume food from land irrigated by polluted water, which he says contains bacteria, parasites, viruses, toxins and carcinogens; along with the nutrients that attract farmers to their use.

He added that the incidence of such diseases increases when vegetable crops are fed wastewater and pesticides; however, merely the overuse of fertilizer also carries significant health risks.

“Farmers using wastewater fail to follow minimum standards for safety requirements for foods meant for human consumption. To irrigate agricultural land with municipal or industrial sewage causes serious diseases and harms the health of human beings,” said Punjab Agriculture Department District Officer Chaudhry Hameed, while concurring with Dr Ali.

He added that such practices are usually employed by vegetable farmers. “The easy availability of wastewater allows farmers to economically grow crops. Effluent provides both moisture and nutrients to vegetables, resulting in good yields and a lower cost of production,” Hameed informed.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2012.

More than a million people are getting ‘Fooducated’-8-Jul-2012

More than a million people are getting ‘Fooducated’-8-Jul-2012

FAO World Water Day - reuse and recycling of water

 

Drip Irrigation to Solve Famine in the Sahel?

 

 

Posted by Tasha Eichenseher of National Geographic in Water Currents on September 1, 2010

Local vegetable markets in Niger, Benin, Burkina Faso, and Senegal, could be flush with produce, despite drought conditions, thanks to a new agricultural system that combines efficient irrigation with new varieties of plants, according to scientists speaking today at the African Green Revolution Forum in Accra, Ghana. (News via press release.)

Photograph of boys harvesting lettuce in the village of Yelou in Niger by Dov Pasternak.

Drought has plagued Africa’s Sahel region for decades, threatening nearly half of Niger’s population, estimated at seven million, with starvation this year. The majority of food grown in the Sahel is from subsistence farms that rely on rain.

Several agricultural nonprofits announced today they will work with locals to implement the new system, called the African Market Garden, on more than 7,000 small farms in 100 locations in the Sahel.

The effort comes after more than eight years of research and the successful management of African Market Gardens on 3,000 farms, according to scientists from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), and the World Vegetable Center (AVRDC).

Dov Pasternak, with the Niger branch of ICRISAT explains that farmers and local markets aren’t able to keep pace with rapid population growth and urbanization, in part because of inefficient water use.

In traditional small-scale agriculture in the Sahel, irrigation can take up to eight hours a day as water is hauled from local sources, such as the Niger, Senegal, and Chari Rivers. The new system replaces manual irrigation with a solar-powered pump that delivers water to drip irrigation systems from the rivers.

Funding comes from various international NGOs and foundations, as well as through the development of farm cooperatives in the region.

Photograph of women harvesting leafy greens in Kalale-Benin by Dov Pasternak.

Tasha Eichenseher is the Environment Producer and Editor for National Geographic Digital Media. She has covered water issues for a wide range of media outlets, including E,The Environmental Magazine, Environmental Science & Technology online news, Greenwire, Green Guide, and National Geographic News.

Drip Irrigation Expanding Worldwide

Drip Irrigation Expanding Worldwide

nishu's garden: Seed Germination Process

nishu's garden: Seed Germination Process:        M ost of the people prefer buying pre-matured saplings from outside.   But, enjoying the yield starting from a seed to fruit/veget...

Irrigation Water Use Efficiency

Observant offers a simple and cost-effective system that provides the information and control you need for more efficient water use when managing crops and pasture.

Purpose built for Australian agriculture, the Observant system helps you to monitor water usage and minimize loss, better manage irrigation schedules and help improve river health.

Run it all from your computer — turn pumps on and off, access accurate metering and soil moisture data, and quickly identify equipment breakdowns. You can keep an eye on your entire irrigation system from wherever you are.

A single system approach to water management

Observant integrates with your irrigation equipment, such as pumps, flow meters, soil moisture probes and weather stations. You’ll find AquaSpy®, MACE™, NOV Mono®, Sentek, Vaisala, Yanmar™ and many more on our expanding list of supported equipment. Observant is a single system that provides an easy alternative to multiple, independent telemetry products.

Easy to install, and easy to manage

Equipment is designed for simple self-installation, or your reseller can provide a full service. The easy to use software makes it simple to view recorded data and set up your alerts. If you need help, the Observant Customer Service team is just a phone call away.

Real-time access to vital information

You’ll have access to precise, current information on the road or at home to help you make informed decisions about the way you manage your water. It’s easy to securely share the relevant data with your partners.

Save time while you safeguard your assets

Because you can monitor your irrigation assets from your computer, you won’t spend as much time making trips to check equipment. If there’s a problem you’ll be alerted, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so you can take care of it before it results in a costly repair bill or water wastage.

Designed in Australia, for Australian agriculture

Observant understands the challenges that make Australian agriculture unique, and has designed this robust equipment to handle the toughest conditions. The results have been consistently proven in the field.

Act now to start saving time, water and money

Many customers have already achieved significant savings, and taken advantage of government schemes. Observant products are of the highest quality, easy to use and are supported by local irrigation experts. Please ask your local reseller for a quote.

Israeli miracle in the Colombian desert

They said it couldn't be done, but a group of Israeli agricultural experts have succeeded in helping local Colombian farmers grow potatoes in a harsh desert environment.

"From this desert you might receive stones, but not potatoes," that's what local farmers in Colombia's northern La Guajira desert said when presented with an Israeli proposal to grow potatoes in the region.

A year later, Israeli know-how and technology has won the day, and produced nothing short of a miracle as local farmers have harvested 11 tons of potatoes from the desert.

La Guajira is a coal-producing region, and the company that processes most of that coal financed the potato project as a world-first experiment to get the tubers to grow in a desert climate. Typically, potatoes only grow in cooler climates where the soil has sufficient moisture. The success in La Guajira is considered a world-first for potato farming in dry, hot climates.

The project was the brain-child of Isaac Gilinski, a Colombian Jewish businessman who is currently serving as Colombia's ambassador to Israel. 

The son of Israeli immigrants, Gilinski knew well of Israel's agricultural prowess and, with the help of Israeli agricultural expert Avi Nachmias, determined to bring that expertise to his country. Nachmias and others trained local Colombian farmers and helped install an Israeli irrigation system.

Officials from the Israeli Embassy in Bogota who visited the new La Guajira potato farms said, "The locals were in shock over this miracle. The farmers here are very conservative by nature, so it was not easy for them to break old habits and try something new. But from their point of view, this was a tremendous success, since a local potato harvest will create a lot of new income."

Colombian officials are reportedly eager to repeat what they call the successful Israeli project in other parts of the country.

About drip Irrigation and installing drip irrigation system

---

What is drip irrigation

A Brief History of micro irrigation
Drip irrigation, sometimes referred to as micro irrigation or trickle irrigation, has its roots in agriculture. In many parts of the world with limited water supplies drip irrigation was one of the few options available for irrigation. Its development depended on advancements in polyethylene tubing, and its growth was most rapid in arid and drought-plagued regions. Beginning in the late 1960's farmers discovered that by using drip irrigation they could increase yields while lowering water use. The 80's saw drip irrigation making the transition into commercial landscape, with mixed success; in today's market, however, drip irrigation is well trusted and used extensively in agriculture, and is actively utilized in commercial landscape and residential garden sites, providing a possible solution to some of our water management problems.

What is Drip Irrigation?
Drip irrigation is the slow, precise application of water and nutrients directly to the plants' root zones in a predetermined pattern using a point source. A drip irrigation, micro irrigation or trickle irrigation design can be customized to meet specific needs while maintaining an optimum moisture level within the root zones, efficiently conserving water that might otherwise be lost to non-growth areas, runoff, sun or wind, and providing the proper balance of water and air needed for successful plant growth. These benefits can be useful for any residential, commercial or agricultural installation, and may be critical for cities and municipalities that face water restrictions while aspiring to maintain or expand their green areas.

At the present time and as long as water is inexpensive, irrigation inefficiency and over-watering may be overlooked. Once water supply is low due to a drought and water restrictions are applied, the inefficiencies of a poorly designed and installed irrigation system quickly become apparent. For an irrigation system to be successful, it must include proper design, correct installation, the right component selection, the proper layout, and equally important, appropriate maintenance. One of the main advantages of drip irrigation systems over conventional irrigation systems is the flexibility to adapt to any layout above or below grade, in any location. This feature allows users and installers to customize an irrigation system to meet a specific need for a wide range of irrigation requirements.

Unlike drippers or drip emitters, "micro sprinklers" throw the water over a wide area, and are designed to be used in areas where drip emitters are not practical, such as large areas of groundcover and flowerbeds. Micro sprinklers offer many of the same benefits as drip emitters. Using low volume irrigation offers key advantages and benefits to both contractors and homeowners.

Conventional irrigation systems using sprinklers or bubblers are rated in gallons per minute (GPM). Drip irrigation, micro irrigation or trickle irrigationflow rates are in gallons per hour (GPH), such as 1 GPH or 2 GPH drip emitters. For example a popup sprinkler used on a lawn may be rated at 1 to 3 GPM (gallons per minute), or 60 to 180 GPH (gallons per hour) while drip emitters are rated at 1-4 GPH (gallon per hour) and micro sprinklers may be rated from 5 to 45 GPH (gallons per hour).

With conventional watering systems, water may be lost through runoff, low system uniformity and high rate of evaporation, blown away by wind or wasted on non-growth areas. Using drip irrigation water is absorbed slowly into the soil and directly into the root zone. No water is wasted on non-growth areas. By placing the drip emitters just at the plant root zone you can water using much less water and with better efficiency. This irrigation method allows the water to move deeper into the soil, encouraging deeper root growth.  In addition, the low flow of drip system enables watering of large areas using a single water source.

Another advantage of using a low flow drip irrigation system is that high pressure is not required to supply water to the drippers and micro sprinklers. Most drip systems operate at about 15 to 30 PSI (pounds per square inch), while the average home has water pressures of anywhere from 40 PSI to 80 PSI. Consequently, with a drip system, you will not notice a drop in pressure when the system is operating. 

Also, operating under low pressure allows drip irrigation systems to use drip tubing, drip emitters, drip fittings and other components that do not require glue, clamps or hard-to-connect components. In fact, most components of a drip system can be moved or reused. This is explained in more depth in other sections.

Advantages and Benefits of Drip Irrigation System

• Water Efficiency:
  By applying water only where and when it is needed, with less runoff and less evaporation from leaves and soil, the uniform application of water from drip irrigation systems can achieve high water savings.

• Ease of Installation:
  The system can be installed without special tools or glue, and with limited knowledge, making the installation a very simple process.

• Reduced Pest Problems and Weed Growth:
  Watering only the roots of your plants with drip irrigation cuts down on water-borne pests and fungal diseases that spread by water movement, as well as the germination of weeds in the area between your plants.

• Versatility:
  Low volume irrigation systems are designed for placement in both new and existing landscape areas, and are ideal for installation on difficult terrain such as on slopes, in oddly shaped areas, and on windy sites.

• Root Zone:
  One benefit of a drip irrigation system is the creation of a totally new and more favorable root zone environment because of the maintenance of a relatively constant soil moisture level. This has important implications for plant water requirements, tolerance and control of disease.

• Economy:
  Investing in a low volume irrigation system can save you money and significantly lower your water use.

Disadvantages of Drip Irrigation

No serious introduction to drip irrigation would be complete without a look at the disadvantages associated with its use:

• The drip tubing can be susceptible to damage from rodents, and household pets.
• A filter is required to guard against potential clogging of the small water passages of the drip emitters and micro sprinklers.
• You cannot see a drip system working as you can see a conventional sprinkler system.
• Each drip emitter creates a wetted area around each plant, so watering is more critical in replacing the water used by the plant to avoid stress.

There are other details about drip irrigation that make it the sensible way to water your landscape area. Here we have provided only a broad overview. To see all the details scroll back up to our main help menu and check out the other sections.

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Strawberry fields and onions

By Stella A. Estremera

Sunday, March 11, 2012

UP IN Barangay Baganihan in Marilog District in the uplands of Davao City, a group of farmers are being introduced to new varieties of strawberries as the City Agriculturist’s Office (CAO) envisions the development of high-value crops producing area in the city’s biggest administrative district that can equal if not be better than the farmlands of Benguet.

For so long, the cool farmlands of Marilog have been producing strawberries, but the planting materials were of varieties that produce very sour fruits. Thus, the strawberries of Marilog never made it into the mainstream market.

The Baganihan Agri-Ventures Cooperative Inc. made up of farmers in the area have agreed to try out the project with the help of CAO and the high-value crops division of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

“We are targeting that around October of this year, Marilog will already be producing strawberries that can satisfy the local demand so that supermarkets here need no longer get their supplies from Benguet,” CAO officer-in-charge Leonardo R. Avila III said in a media tour of the experimental farm.

The varieties – Festival and Sweet Charlie – that BAVC is planting these days are those from Benguet, the red luscious strawberries that are sold in supermarkets here.

The farm is being manned by Criselda Iroy, who said, no one among the members have taken up interest on the experiment and that she has been farming anyway and so she took on the task.

Farther up the mountain highway in barangay Buda, another group of farmers are venturing into onion bulbs.

“We can produce these onions here, but we are importing most of these from China,” Avila said.

Jimmy Bangonan, 42, is the first to test the Rushmore and Red Pinoy varieties in a ¼ hectare farm lot.

With an initial capital of P9,000 covering seeds and land preparation, he said, he was able to net P42,000 in his first harvest of Rushmore onions. Seeds, he said, cost P320 per 100 grams and one needs around 1.4 kilos of seeds for ¼ hectare, Bangonan said.

“There are many buyers, they are the ones who come over and bought my harvest,” he said.

“Demand for onion bulbs will always be there,” Bangonan said in the vernacular. “Even the poor come over here in Buda to buy onions.”

His first harvest, he said, was that of Rushmore, and he finds this very profitable. From the seedbed, which has to be tended for one month, these are planted in the regular plots and made to grow for 75 days. After that, he said, he just keeps on harvesting every week.

He already planted a small plot with the Red Pinoy variety and found potential in this too, although the Red Pinoy takes longer to grow to harvestable age – three months or 90 days.

“But the bulbs are firmer and can be stored longer. You can also harvest more per plot,” he added. Four hundred grams of Red Pinoy seeds cost P1,400.

He appreciates the help CAO has extended in terms of access to seeds and technical support saying that before CAO came in, he was farming on his own without much access to better varieties that he could have earned more from.

To further help the farmers establish a market hold, the CAO is building a display center along the highway in Baganihan. The center will not only be a place where buyers can congregate but will also display the crafts of lumads in the area – mostly Matigsalugs.

Avila said the main problem of the farmers in the uplands is really access to planting materials and the market, this is what the CAO is opening to them. With such support, he foresees a huge potential for the city’s farm sector.

“The land is rich, the climate is suited for agriculture, there is vast potential in this area,” Avila said.

Strawberry fields and onions | Sun.Star

Strawberry fields and onions | Sun.Star

Risk-free water disinfection-8-May-2012

Risk-free water disinfection-8-May-2012

Average amount of NPK for some manure, Good organic fertilizer for our plants and veggies

How Bio Fertilizer Work

• Fixation of atmospheric nitrogen

• Decomposition of organic wastes and residues

• Suppression of soil-borne pathogens

• Recycling and increased availability of plant nutrients

• Degradation of toxic ants including pesticides

• Production of antibiotics and other bio active compounds

• Production of simple organic molecules for plant uptake

• Complexion of heavy metals to limit plant uptake

• Solubilization of insoluble nutrient sources (es Phosphate,potash)

• Production of polysaccharides to improve soil aggregation

• Increase Soil Water Holding Capacity

• Increase seed germination

• Decrease Fungal Activity

• Normalize Soil Ph

How to Make a Simple Aeroponics System

How to Make a Simple Aeroponics System

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http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph/growyourbusiness/article/8-tips-for-a-winning-sales-presentation

http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph/growyourbusiness/article/8-tips-for-a-winning-sales-presentation

Microenterprise dev’t bill filed | BusinessWorld Online Edition

Microenterprise dev’t bill filed | BusinessWorld Online Edition

Onion Bulb Production

Varieties

Red Creole
Red Pinoy
Yellow Granex (Hybrid)

Seed Establishment and Seed Sowing (Nursery)
Seedbed should be located in a well-drained, friable soil with good water holding capacity and high organic matter content. If soil pH is lower than 5.8 lime application is necessary at the rate of 3 tons/ha applied one month before transplanting.
Land should be prepared by thorough plowings and harrowing. Level and pulverize the soil to facilitate formation of beds (1 meter wide and 20 m long.) Prior to seed sowing, sterilize the beds by burning rice straw on top or by pouring boiling water to prevent pest and disease infestation.
Broadcast chicken manure or compost at the rate of 10t/ha combined with 10 bags 14-14-14. Space 10-15 cm between rows and sow seeds evenly in a row at 5-6 seeds/inch with seeding depth of 1/2 inch. Approximately 25 grams of seeds is needed per square meter. Irrigation should be applied adequately in the field right after seed sowing. Seeds will germinate at about 7-10 days after sowing and are ready for transplanting 45 days after sowing.

Land Preparation and Formation of Beds
Prepare the field by 2 plowings and 2 harrowing. Level and pulverize the soil to a fine texture to facilitate formation beds.
Raised beds are constructed at 0.5 meter wide by 20 m long (maximum) by 15 cm high. Double row beds will be prepared with a distance of 20-25 cm between hills and with a hole depth of at least 3.5 cm.

Basal Fertilization and Transplanting
Basal application of chicken dung or compost at the rate of 10t/ha combined with 10 bags 14-14-14 will be applied in the prepared hole and then cover thinly with fine soil.
Transplant one seedling in each hole by pressing downward the base of the seedlings so that the roots will have a good contact with the soil. Irrigate after transplanting.
Seedlings are ready for transplanting 45 days after sowing or when the seedlings are about pencil-size in ten diameter, has 5 visible leaves and a height of at least 15 cm.

Side-dressing
First side-dressing will be done ten days after transplanting with 3 bags/ha of Urea mixed with 2 bags/ha of Muriate of Potash or approximately 15 grams Urea and 10 grams Muriate of Potash per square meter.

Irrigation
Irrigation should be applied after transplanting. Weekly irrigation is done or whenever necessary. More frequent watering when the bulbs are developing. Do not irrigate 3-45 days before harvesting or when 20-30% of the plant tops fall over naturally.

Cultivation and Weeding
Cultivation and hand weeding should be done 10 days after transplanting to be followed two to three times more to make sure that the weeds are checked and the plants do not become waterlogged.
Hilling-up is done 3 weeks before the harvest to avoid greening of onions.

Insect Pests and Disease Control

Thrips. Abundant during dry season. Adults and nymphs rasp the leaf surface and suck juice from the leaf. The leaves appear slippery with sunken areas that later dry up resulting to weakened plant, reduced growth and lower yields.
Examine closely some plants from 14 m perimeter of the field by pulling the leaves apart at the base. It attack is severe, employ chemical control.
Armyworms. The larvae bore into the onion leaves and fed leaving the exterior almost intact. Damage is worse in weedy fields. Thorough land preparation is done to destroy the egg laying sites and feeding source. Chemical control is recommended.
Cutworms. Larvae feed at night and hide near their feeding site during the day. They roll when disturbed.
Purple Bloch. Fungal disease that occurs on leaves, bulbs, flowers, and survives in crop residues. Lesions start at small sunken area with dark purple center. Infection of the bulb occurs as the plant approaches maturity. A combined approach involving cultural and chemical control is necessary.
Sooty Mold. Occurs generally after the bulbs have been harvested. This is favored by high temperature and humidity. Curing the Onions quickly with good ventilation is necessary.
Bacterial Soft Rot. Bulbs that have mechanical injuries/bruises are susceptible. Make sure that plants are mature before harvest. Provide proper ventilation during the curing, packing and transport.
Fungal spraying is done o prevent fungal diseases. Spraying starts 12 days from sowing and weekly thereafter.

Harvesting and Curing
Harvest the crop as soon as the necks of the plants tends to fall down or when 75% of the stems are fallen over. Harvesting is done manually by pulling the matured bulbs.
Harvesting bulbs are placed in the field for 2-3 days before bringing them to the curing house. However, if rain occurs, the bulbs should be brought immediately to the curing house.
The curing house should be well ventilated and relative dry. Harvested bulbs are air-dried or cured 3-4 weeks until the neck is soft and dry (closed).
Remove or cut tops with shears 1.5 -2.5 cm. from stem end of the bulbs. Do not remove outer scales. Place the bulbs on racks made of tiers of bamboo, wood or netted wire. Put the racks in a well-ventilated shed.

Trimming/Sorting
Trim the onion roots and leaves right after harvest or one day after filling them under the sun. Use sharp knife or scythe and cut 4-6 cm from the bulb.
Cleaning/Sorting
Clean the bulbs by peeling-off the outer peelings. Arrange in crates and store in well-ventilated place free from high moisture and expose to the sun.

Source: www.da.gov.ph, photo from pas.byu.edu

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The Future of Manufacturing

LayFlat tubing for drip irrigation: not just PVC .... now also in Polyethylene

Posted by Alberto Quattrini

Accessories for drip irrigation are always subject to changes or updates in order to improve performance and reduce costs ... the LayFlat tubing is no exception!

For LayFlat tubing, literally "flat" piping, ducts "robot intentono" that are used for transporting liquids as an alternative to other, rigid, metal or polyethylene.
In 1970 the layflat tubing is used as a main line or, more often, as the starting catcher for all dripping (tape or all read).
In the latter case using layflat tubing is particularly appreciated thanks to the possibility of being trampled, when "deflated", without any impact damage.
Lends itself to installations in warhead or half field ensuring maximum freedom of maneuver to tractors and machines for spraying.

Over the past two years some companies have refined the techniques of production of polyethylene flat and today are on the market products reliable and appropriate for use in or and, in particular, in drip irrigation

Generally soft polyethylene pipelines have features similar to PVC models and accessories are similar in all respects.

The images that follow refer to insert mode of fittings of departure and, as you see, the sequence of operations is the same.

Flat tubes made of polyethylene, or PE Flat, have some advantages over PVC: cousins

• are non-toxic: can also be used for the carriage of liquids
• are recyclable: as easily recyclable polyethylene are for the benefit of the environment and eco-green spirit necessary to the defense of our planet

From the perspective of transport and storage of other advantages of PE Flat:

• are light: the weight of a 100 m roll of equal diameter weighs on average 40% over the equivalent in PVC
• less cumbersome: the storage space required is considerably less than the benefit of the best use of space for the transport or storage

Even in daily use can be found advantages in favor of PE Flat:

• are less sensitive to temperature: can be used even with temperatures very rigid and, above all, stretching far less at high temperatures

In addition, non-negligible element, have a lower cost by about 15-20%

Closing the gap between men and women in agriculture