Saturday, April 25, 2009

MUNGBEAN PRODUCTION GUIDE

It can be grown during wet and dry seasons except in areas with heavy rainfall. The plants can thrive well in any soil type but yields are better from deep, well-drained and fertile soils. Acidic soils affect the growth of the plants due to lacking of essential nutrients.

Practice complete land preparation in an upland condition. Plow it twice and harrow twice with four passings in one harrowing after plowing. Make furrows 60 and 70 centimeters apart for the dry and wet season.

In the lowland areas, you can plant the mungbeans after the harvest of rice. No need for land preparation in order to conserve the needed moisture before the planting. See to it that the areas for planting is not weedy enough.

Plant in rows to make weeding easier. Space the plant in rows about 55 to 70 centimeters. Fertilization will depend on the kind of soil and the presence of required nutrients. It is recommended to apply fertilizer based on 30-30-30 kilograms of NPK per hectare.

It does not require any irrigation if planted during wet season. Removed all weeds from the field for at least 1-1/2 weeks during emergence of seedlings. You can do handweeding during the first week when the seedling emerged. Do the hilling-up in the third to fourth week. Spot weeding is necessary to remove fast growing weeds. Maybe 2-3 weedings is needed to get a good yield.

They were proned to beanfly damaged and aphids and other pests as the plant matures. Assess the damaged and do the necessary measures by the application of insecticides. If diseases hit the plants then remove the infected plants. Apply fungicides to control disease occurrence.

Harvest mungbean by hand as soon as 80% of the pods are fully dried. Harvest it 60 days from crop emergence. Harvest 2nd time 15 days after the first priming.

Dry pods in the sun then thresh by beating the pods inside a sack with a wooden stick. Dry the seeds further for 3 days until it can reach a moisture level of 12 percent to facilitate longer storage.

BLACK PEPPER PRODUCTION GUIDE

Black pepper can be grown on almost all types of soil but best in loose, well-drained loamy soil. It grows best in warm humid climate and in elevation above sea level. It can be propagated either by seeds or by stem cuttings but the most widely used system is by means of stem cutting.

Plow the land once and harrow twice. Use stake support posts at a distance of 3 meters x 3 meters apart. Plant seedlings at the distance of 35 cm from the post with two seedlings opposite each other. A one hectare land can accomodate 3,150 seedlings. Open spaces between rows maybe utilized for other kind of cash crops as additional income for the planter. It should be planted in one row one meter away from the black pepper rows.

Cultivate whenever necessary. The compactness of the soil, the exposure of the principal roots and the existence of weeds are the requisites for proper cultivation. You have to remove the growing weeds near the base of the plant. You can apply ring weeding. When the seedling reached the height of 2 feet high, nip off the tips of the growing vines to induce branching. Continue until the vines have reached the top of the post. You can prune unnecessary branches to give way to more lateral branches to grow. Pruning is also use for unproductive branches.

Black pepper does not require extensive application of fertilizer, but it is a must to let the plants have fast growth and development especially thus areas with poor soil. Apply 100 grams of complete fertilizer six months after planting. Apply 220 grams of 14-14-14 after one year. After two years, apply 600 grams of complete fertilizer.

Spraying insecticides is one way of controlling the presence of pests to the plants. Apply pesticides at the rate of 1 tablespoon for every gallon of water. Any presence of diseases should be attended carefully. In case of infection, collect and burn infected leaves to avoid contamination.

During harvesting, see if the peppercorns in a spike begin to mature in about 5 months. Pick when it become cherry red or when the color turn from dark green to shiny yellowish green. It can be done by twirling the spike with one hand while the other is holding the peducle. Place the harvested spikes in an open basket. You can harvest once a week during sunny days. Avoid breaking the lateral branches.

After the harvest, removed the ripe berries from the spikes and spread it to the mat for drying. Continue turning the berries during the drying time. When the color turned black, the spikes can be threshed and stored in well dry areas.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

AMPALAYA PRODUCTION GUIDE

Seeds are soaked in tap water overnight and kept in moist cloth up to 4 days. Seeds should be washed everyday to prevent fungal growth on moist seeds. Seeds are ready for planting in 4 days.

The field should be well prepared. The soil should be well pulverized and leveled. If the soil pH is lower than 5.8, apply lime one month before sowing at the rate of 1,000 to 3,000 kg. per hectare, depending on soil acidity.

Use plastic mulch to cover the beds. Planting holes are bored into the plastic sheet based on the planting distance. The plastic mulch offers a number of advantages: It can control growth of weeds, it prevent seepage of too much water into the plants during rainy season which result in their death. It preserves soil moisture especially during dry season. It reflects light serving as repellant to insects which hide under the leaves. It prevents soil erosion.

To use plastic mulch, stretch it over the planting with the edges held down by thin bamboo slats, stapled well into the soil every 20 cm. Punch 10-cm diameter holes at 50 cm between plants in the row and 3 meters between rows.

In punching holes on plastic mulch with the use of tin can do the following: Remove top cover of tin can then punch a few small holes at the bottom end of the can. Create handle by tying a wire around the can. Place burning charcoal inside it. Then punch holes on plastic mulch by placing the bottoms of can to the area where the holes should be bored. These holes will serve as the planting holes where the seeds or seedling will grow.

Sow the pre-germinated seeds 2 cm deep at the spacing of 50 cm between plants and 3 meters between rows at one seed per hill. To ensure a full stand of the crop some seeds can be sown in plastic bags simultaneously with the crop in the field. Seedlings grown in the bags can be transplanted into missing hills at the first true leaf stage. Grow the seedlings in bags in full sun with adequate protection from heavy rains. Reduce irrigation 3 days before transplanting. Transplant the seedlings with minimal disturbance of the roots for optimal recovery.

For transplanting, sow pre-germinated seeds in plastic bags which are 4 inches in height and 2 to 2.5 inches in diameter. Put soil mixture (1:1 garden soil and sand). After 15 days, the seedlings are ready for transplanting.

Ampalaya responds well to the use of organic fertilizer. If possible, apply old manure or compost to the fields at the rate of up to 10 tons per hectare. Apply the organic fertilizer in the hills or along the planting rows and mix it well with the soil.

Five to 10 days after emergence, apply 10 bags of 14-14-14 per hectare or about 20 grams per hill. Place the fertilizer at about 10 cm from the base of the plant and cover it with soil. Sidedress three weeks after basal fertilization using two bags of urea (46-0-0) per hectare or about 20 grams per hill. Repeat sidedressing every three weeks.

Start putting up the trellis when the plants are about 15 cm high. Do not postpone trellising because vines climb very fast. A kakawate or ipil-ipil are dug into the soil for around 1.5 to 2 feet. The post are interconnected with GI wire and the side support is used to prevent collapse. Side trellis using fish nets as well as overhead trellis/fishnet or grids of blue strings are put up before vines become too long.

Avoid water logging as well as lack of water. It is recommended to grow ampalaya on raised beds to allow for furrow irrigation during dry season. This will also allow drainage of excess water during the wet season. Irrigate every 5 days.

Harvesting starts 45 to 50 days after seeding. Harvesting can be done twice a week. Harvest early in the morning and protect harvested fruits against the rain, sun and mechanical damage.

The fruitfly lays its eggs on the young fruits. The eggs later hatch into small worms that start eating inside the fruits. Symptoms are deformed fruits, fruits with holes that turn orange or yellow prematurely. To control fruitflies, remove first, all damaged fruits from the field and bury them. Spray only after the removal of the damaged fruits with an insecticide. Wrapping young fruits with newspaper or plastic bags prevent the fruitflies from laying their eggs on the fruits. Wrapping reduces the use of chemical pesticides.

These are very small crawling insects on the lower side of the leaves. Consult your dealer what chemical to use. Spraying at night early 8:00 PM is recommended. This was found to be the most effective time to spray. The insects hide during the daytime and cannot be killed by contact insecticides during the day. If the attack is severe, spray three consecutive nights each time with different chemicals. Neighboring ampalaya plantation should be sprayed at the same time.

These are worms eating shoot tips and leaves. Consult your dealer on what chemical to spray. Several kinds of diseases can attack the plants and cause reduced yields. One of the most common is Downy mildew. Its symptoms are usually small and bigger spots on green and yellowing leaves. Most often, the old leaves are affected. Spraying with fungicide is a preventive measure. Consult your local dealer on what fungicide to use and how often to spray.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

LONGKONG PRODUCTION GUIDE

This kind of fruit can be grown in flat ground or rolling portion of the land. It is better if the soil is loamy or sandy. It should have a depth of 20 cm. It must be planted in an ideal distance of 6 x 6 meters. In a one hectare land it can be planted to about 280 trees.

When planting, the holes should have a depth enough to support the potted plant. During the planting, the upper level of the ball of soil containing the plant should be about 1-1/2 inch above the level of the soil surface. The soil at the base of the plant should be in the form of mound to prevent the accumulation of water at the base of the tree. Every tree should have an irrigation water supply. It is necessary during the dry season.

Use complete fertilizer 15-15-15 during his early stages of 4 years. Apply at the rate of 500 grams per tree during the first year; 1 kilo during the second year; 1.5 kilos in the 3rd year and 2 kilos in the fourth year. Divide the fertilizer into four split application and bury around the plants every three months. Supplement it with chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer for greater result. you can split it 3 to 5 application.

In the fifth year when the trees are expected to bear fruit, you must apply fertilizer at the rate of in kilogram equivalent to the age of the tree. Twice a year, apply each tree with animal manure or chicken dung about 20 to 40 kilos.

Start pruning when the plants reach the height of 120-140 cm. Cut the terminal shoot to a height of 80-100 cm. The purpose is to induce the formation of four or more secondary stems within one meter from the ground. Bend the newly formed stems outward to ensure uniform spreading of the stem.

Maintain the height of the plants to 12 to 15 feet by top pruning. When the plants mature, prune it every after harvest to remove all the diseased portion and weak branches and shoots that grows almost parallel to the secondary stem. You have to top-pruned and maintain the height to 15 feet.

In flowering, thinning it should be done to maintain the quality of the fruits, particularly in its uniform size to prevent the development of diseases caused by overcrowded fruits. When the tree undergoes 20 or more days of water stress, if irrigated a lot of flowers will emerge at the main stem and at 2nd and 3rd branches. Flowers should be controlled. Not all should be allowed to develop into fruits.

The fruits are harvested when the fruits in the cluster almost mature from dull green to dull brown. Harvesting is done by carefully cutting the basal end of the stem of the cluster without damaging the stem or the branch.