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.

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.

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.

PINEAPPLE PRODUCTION GUIDE

Pineapple is a tropical fruit that can be planted to any place most suitable for planting. It can survive even during the period of dry ad wet season. It can grow at sea level. They are suited to be planted in a medium elevation. A sandy loam soil and a soil having a slight acidity will do.

Needing thorough land preparation. Pineapple need a culture period of 15 to 24 months from planting to harvest. Poor land preparation will result in high costs for controlling weeds, and how fruit production due to the weeds. For planting materials, pineapple growers used crowns,slips, and suckers. Slips are the best to use for low plant mortality. Crowns needs curing and chemical treatment to avoid high mortality due to butt rot. It is best to segregate different types of planting materials during the planting.

For farmers planting for local consumption 50,000 plants per hectare is the ideal density.

Due to high population densities and the long culture period, the fertilizer requirements of pineapple per average soil fertility as follows: N-400 to 600 kilograms/hectare, P-120 to 200 kilograms/hectare, K-200 to 300 kilograms/hectare. Soil analysis can enable the planter to accurately determine fertilizers requirement.

Used organic fertilizers such as those that are guano-based or manure-based in combination with organic or chemical fertilizers.Most of elements like irons, zinc, manganese and boron can also be applied in foliar spraying. Dry fertilizer application is practical up to the seventh month of growth of plants. As the pineapple plants grow closer to each other, foliar fertilizer application becomes more practical.

Since pineapple is a shallow-rooted plants, high weed population could take away from its soil nutrients and fertilizer, and consequently greatly reduced production by as much as 50 percent. Chemical weed control is a must if the grower can afford it and if chemicals are available.

Although cheap or in terms of labor cost, hand weeding is actually more expensive and less effective in the early stages of crop growth. When weeds like nutsedge are present in the field, chemical control during the first few months of pineapple growth is the most effective and economical weeding method.

For high fruit tonnage per hectare, pineapple should be induced to flower when the plants are 10 to 12 months, or when they reach an average weight of three kilograms per plant in good cultural management.

Five to five-and-a half months after using flower inducer, pineapple starts ripening. It could enable the grower to attain 80 to 95 percent recovery for the first harvest.

The amount of sunlight received by the crop in a week preceding harvest has a heavy influence or sweetness of the fruit. Pineapple grown under shade and in high elevation are generally of lower brix and higher acidity. Fruits harvested during rainy and cloudy days have higher acidity and lower sugar contents.

Rats are a problem in weedy fields or if the crops is near areas with rats populations. Rats generally damage ripe fruits. To control, use standard rodenticides in bait stations.

Mealy bugs are sucking insects with a life span of 50 to 60 days. They are one of the important pests of pineapple because they are carriers of pineapple wilt, the most damaging disease of pineapple. The insects reside on the base of the leaves, on fruits and at the roots and multiply rapidly during the dry months. To control, treat all planting materials with malathion or diazinon. Spray the crop monthly, or as the population of the mealybugs become apparent.

Grubs and worms are soil insects prevalent in some areas. They attack the roots of the crops. Apply soil insecticides in power or granular form for control.

Fire ants and other ants carry mealybugs. They also attack workers in the fields. These are easily killed by insecticides used for soil insects or mealybugs.

After several years of being planted to pineapple, the field could be nematode-infested. Nematodes are plants parasites that cause stunting and poor growth. For small and medium scale growers, crop rotation is the most practical and cheapest control methods. Nematicides may also be used for controlling the pest.

Butt rot and heart rot are major diseases of pineapple growers take from granted. Most commonly affected plant parts are crowns, if used for planting without proper handling and curing, the presence of standing water during the rainy season also induces butt rot on newly-planted crops. Another factor causing rotting of young pineapple crops in poor land preparation, especially with the presence of undecomposed vegetation in the soil at planting.

Another serious disease that could infect pineapple is pineapple wilt. Infected planting materials and the presence of mealybugs that are the carriers of the disease are its main causes. The symptoms of the disease could be mistaken for poor nutrients intake, such as lack of phosphorus, bud hardly noticed by the untrained farmer. Starting with only a few plants, it seriously infects 30 to 70 percent of the crops if not controlled in its early stages. A virus causes the damages. The only effective control method is to rogue out and burn plants as they show signs of the disease.

After spending in planting and in caring for the crop for up to 20 months, the pinerapple grower needs to properly survey the market in order to contact reliable wholesale buyers. Proper fruit handling from harvest field to market is also important to maintain good quality and avoid bruising and damaging fruits.

GUAPPLE PRODUCTION GUIDE

Guava has a shorter gestation period than most fruit trees. The guava tree starts flowering as early as eight months from planting the seedlings in the fields. With proper care, each tree may yield about 15 kilos of fruits during the first year. By the second year, the tree could yield 45 kilos and in succeeding years, it could produce 60 kilos or more.

Good quality fruits demands high price. The small fruits or those with scars which resulted from fruition caused by the wind during the fruits' formative stages are cheaper. There are usually made into guapple pie or into jam.

One can start with a few mother trees from which subsequent planting materials are propagated. Guavas can be propagated by seed or through marcotting and grafting.

The guava can be made fruitful throughout the year as long as it is irrigated during the summer months. The fruits responds to pruning. When the terminal buds is pinched, new branches are initiated and flowers will follow. With enough nourishment, the flowers will follow. With enough nourishment, the flowers will develop into full-sized fruits.

During the first year, the young plants are fertilized soon after planting with one half kilo of 14-14-14 per tree. A month later, 15 grams of urea is applied per tree.

Eight months after planting, when the trees start to flower, 300 grams of fertilizers is applied. This is a mixture of 16-20-0 and 0-0-60, applied usually in the early part of the rainy season and then before the end of the rainy season.

In the second year, the same kind of mixture is applied, and two times yearly. This time, the dose is one kilo per tree. In succeeding year, the dose is proportionately increased.

The trees should be sprayed monthly with insecticide and fungicide, especially when they are fruiting.

To protect the fruits from fruit fly, the developing fruits are wrapped with plastic bags when they are about the size of an eggs. The fruits are sprayed before they are wrapped.

To produce big fruits, some of the young fruits should be removed from the tree. To produce fruits that will weigh about a kilo each, allow only fruits to develop in a year-old tree.

While very big fruits look impressive, many growers prefer to produce fruits that weigh 300 to 350 grams each This size seems to be the most salable in the market.

DRAGON FRUIT PRODUCTION GUIDE

The variety from Vietnam have white flesh and is self compatible. There are also varieties with red flesh and yellow-fruited ones. The flowers open at night and can be used as an ornamental. The fruits are attractive bright red or pink with greenish scales or wings. The flesh is sweet, white and creamy dotted uniformly with small black seeds that has distinct flavor.

Dragon fruit grow best in rich, well-drained soil. It can tolerate drought and marginal soil condition but not water logging.

It is best to start with rooted cuttings. Obtain healthy, strong and thick cutting 1/2-1 meter long. Cure in partial shade for one week then plant in 8 x 12 inch-sized plastic bags filled with a soil mixture of equal amounts of soil, fully-decomposed manure or compost and rice hull charcoal. The cuttings are ready for transplanting after two to three months. Before transplanting, expose the cuttings under full sun for at least 2 weeks. Cutting can also be planted directly to the field but are more prone to ant damage.

Prepare mounds in raised beds 3 meters apart. Incorporate liberal amounts of compost and/or manure. Put up sturdy post 20-30 centimeters in diameter. For commercial plantation, tubular concrete posts would be best. The ideal height of the post is 1-1/2-2 meters to facilitate maintenance. On top of the post, provide a square frame about 50 centimeters wide to support the growing vines. Transplanting can be done anytime of the year. Plant 3-5 rooted cuttings around each post. Tie the cuttings on the post.

At planting, apply 1/2-1 sack of well-decomposed manure per hill. A mixture of manure and compost applied around the mound up to one meter in diameter 2-3 times a year is highly recommended.

It requires regular irrigation for better plant growth although it can tolerate drought conditions. Furrow application is recommended.

Train the main stem on the post. Prune the lateral branches, allowing only the main stems to climb. Let the elongating main stems hang on the square frame on top of the post to encourage flowering and fruiting. Maintain about 50 branches per hill. Each main branch can be allowed 1-2 secondary branches. The others should be pruned.

Weed regularly but clean culture is not essential. Only the base of the plant should be free from weeds. There are no severe insect pests and diseases although red ants could be a problem especially during the initial establishment.

Flowering starts in the second or 3rd year of crop establishment. Buds are borne near the end of the main branches with blunt ends. This takes place from June to September.

Flowers open at night until the following morning after which they wither. From flower opening to fruit maturity, it takes 45-50 days. The green fruits turn bright red or mauve with green wings contrasting beautifully from the green triangular stem. At harvest, twist the fruit lightly to detach from the stem. Fruit weight range from 300-600 grams per piece.

Initial yield can be as low as 10-12 tons per hectare depending on management. Yields of 30 tons per hectare are being obtained in established plantation.

Dragon fruit has long shelf-life. It can remain fresh for at least one week under ambient conditions. The skin tends to wrinkle and become thin with prolonged storage. Under refrigerated conditions of 15-20'C and 85-95% relative humidity, it can last for a least one month.

SINTA PAPAYA PRODUCTION GUIDE

Papaya can produce medium size fruits with less than 2 kilos each with yellow flesh .They are sweet and firm.

Prepare the land thoroughly by repeated plowing and harrowing. Improve the drainage system to control water logging.

Soak seeds in water for 3-5 days, changing the water daily. Sow only one seed per container with coconut coir dust and garden soil as medium. Water daily, transplant seedlings after 4 weeks or when seedlings are about 20cm high.

Harden the seedlings by exposing them to full sunlight for 2 to 3 days. Slit the bottom of the plastic bag and transplant each seedling carefully. Transplant one seedling per hill at the distance of 2 meters within rows and 3 to 3 meters between rows.

The general recommendation for fertilizing papaya are the following: During planting, apply 50 grams ammonium sulfate; after 1 month apply again 50 grams ammonium sulfate per plant. After 5 months, apply 100 grams, complete fertilizer; 4 months after planting, apply 100 grams complete . Apply 100 grams complete and every two months thereafter.

Water the plants at least twice a week during the dry season to sustain flowering and fruiting. Newly transplanted seedlings need more frequent watering. During the rainy season, hill-up to improve drainage.

Control weeds, particularly around the plant. Mulch to control weeds and to conserve soil moisture.

Mites and white flies are two most common insect pests of papaya. Control it by using insecticides and remove infested leaves. Apply insecticides to control white fly infestation only when necessary.

The most destructive disease is papaya ring spot virus. The disease has no chemical control. It can be minimized by planting resistant varieties. Other disease include damping-off, bacterial crown rot and root rot. Prevent or control these diseases by planting disease-free plants, removing and destroying infected petioles and plants. Plant seeds in sterilized seedbeds and avoiding damage to trunks during cultivation.

Allow only one fruit to develop at every leaf axil. Remove all misshapen and cat-faced fruits.

Promptly harvest fruits with a tinge of yellow near the apex to avoid fruitfly problems which occurs when fruits are allowed to ripen on the plant. To harvest, twist the fruit until the stalk snaps or cut the stalk with a sharp knife.

Some reminders: Remove all infected papayas and other plants showing virus-like symptoms as source of inoculum. Do not grow plants that serve as alternative hosts. Practivce appropriate management such as weeding, fertilization and irrigation so that it will grow vigorously. Transplant papaya during dry season as there are less vectors during this period. Replant using healthy seedlings after harvesting the first cycle of fruits.