SQUASH PRODUCTION GUIDE

Bush sitao can be raised in both lowland and upland areas. It can adapt to any soil type but best to plant in sandy to clay loam soil. It can tolerate acidic soil but it will not produce high yield. It can grow in low and high rainfall but only briefly as it will rot due to water-logging. It can survive only if the dry season is brief and not too long. For long dry spell, scheduled watering is needed to preserve or conserve moisture in the soil while the plants are growing.

In selecting a variety, give emphasis the duration of growth, the yielding capacity, tolerant against pests and diseases and easily adapt in extreme weather condition.

Plow and harrow the land 3 times. Loosen the soil well to be able to have good soil condition. Every time there is emerging weeds, remove them through plowing or harrowing.

Inoculate the seeds with Rhizobium before planting. Plant 1 seed per hill. Spacing is 30 centimeters apart or 75 centimeters between rows.

As fertilization is necessary to keep plants healthy and give higher yield, do the following:

In one hectare land:  30 kilograms urea during planting, 100 kilograms single superphosphate at planting time, 60 kilograms muriate of potash at planting time, 5 bags complete fertilizer (14-14-14), Superphosphate (side-dressing 3-4 weeks after germination).  Organic fertilizer (decomposed dry leaves, straws and animal manure 56 tons per hectare, if available). In acidic soils (4 tons of lime one month before planting to good soil pH)

Water the plant during intense dry season for the plants to give higher yield. Bush sitao can tolerate drought but watering may protect it from dryness in the soil or lacking moisture content that may affect the fruiting of the vegetable. Watering may be done during planting, early seeding or first 15 days, at flowering and pod setting (50 days after planting).

Use furrow irrigation in 10 days interval. Watering induce the plant to grow fast, healthy and high pod setting.

Control pests and diseases are normal farming practices. Without it, the plant has stunted growth, damage leaves and fruits, lower yields.

Most pests that attack bush sitao especially after germination of seeds are pod borers, leaffolders and aphids. Spray the plants with insecticides as soon as the pests started attacking the plants. Spraying with pesticides is the only way to get rid the enemy of the plants.

Bush sitao still has another threat in its growing days. The plants are subject to many diseases like fusarium wilt, cowpea rust and leaf spot. Spray the plants with fungicides to remove the infection. Another way to minimize the effect of the virus is to look for resistant variety.

Include weeding as part of your cultural practices. Remove the weeds every now and then if found to germinate to clean the field from the hazard that later on will affect the health of the plants. Schedule the weeding of the plants 3 times for one season. Additionally, enforce spot weeding every time weeds appear.  Hill-up the plants to loosen the soil 3 weeks after planting.

Harvest the plant 12 days after the flowers open. It may be done if the pods reach the required maximum length and width but not to allow young pods to mature as it can no longer sealable to market. The second and succeeding harvest should be done every 3 days to ensure that pods still young and fresh.

BUSH SITAO PRODUCTION

Bush sitao can be raised in both lowland and upland areas. It can adapt to any soil type but best to plant in sandy to clay loam soil. It can tolerate acidic soil but it will not produce high yield. It can grow in low and high rainfall but only briefly as it will rot due to water-logging. It can survive only if the dry season is brief and not too long. For long dry spell, scheduled watering is needed to preserve or conserve moisture in the soil while the plants are growing.

In selecting a variety, give emphasis the duration of growth, the yielding capacity, tolerant against pests and diseases and easily adapt in extreme weather condition.

Plow and harrow the land 3 times. Loosen the soil well to be able to have good soil condition. Every time there is emerging weeds, remove them through plowing or harrowing.

Inoculate the seeds with Rhizobium before planting. Plant 1 seed per hill. Spacing is 30 centimeters apart or 75 centimeters between rows.

As fertilization is necessary to keep plants healthy and give higher yield, do the following:

In one hectare land:  30 kilograms urea during planting, 100 kilograms single superphosphate at planting time, 60 kilograms muriate of potash at planting time, 5 bags complete fertilizer (14-14-14), Superphosphate (side-dressing 3-4 weeks after germination).  Organic fertilizer (decomposed dry leaves, straws and animal manure 56 tons per hectare, if available). In acidic soils (4 tons of lime one month before planting to good soil pH)

Water the plant during intense dry season for the plants to give higher yield. Bush sitao can tolerate drought but watering may protect it from dryness in the soil or lacking moisture content that may affect the fruiting of the vegetable. Watering may be done during planting, early seeding or first 15 days, at flowering and pod setting (50 days after planting).

Use furrow irrigation in 10 days interval. Watering induce the plant to grow fast, healthy and high pod setting.

Control pests and diseases are normal farming practices. Without it, the plant has stunted growth, damage leaves and fruits, lower yields.

Most pests that attack bush sitao especially after germination of seeds are pod borers, leaffolders and aphids. Spray the plants with insecticides as soon as the pests started attacking the plants. Spraying with pesticides is the only way to get rid the enemy of the plants.

Bush sitao still has another threat in its growing days. The plants are subject to many diseases like fusarium wilt, cowpea rust and leaf spot. Spray the plants with fungicides to remove the infection. Another way to minimize the effect of the virus is to look for resistant variety.

Include weeding as part of your cultural practices. Remove the weeds every now and then if found to germinate to clean the field from the hazard that later on will affect the health of the plants. Schedule the weeding of the plants 3 times for one season. Additionally, enforce spot weeding every time weeds appear.  Hill-up the plants to loosen the soil 3 weeks after planting.

Harvest the plant 12 days after the flowers open. It may be done if the pods reach the required maximum length and width but not to allow young pods to mature as it can no longer sealable to market. The second and succeeding harvest should be done every 3 days to ensure that pods still young and fresh.

SWEET CORN PRODUCTION GUIDE

Sweet corn has demand in the market. Planters sell it directly as green corn or cooked in boiling water. The sweetness of the corn is the reason for the increase in demand in short supply as it is not suitable for large-scale production. Sweet corn can adapt many types of soil condition. It is best planted in fertile or sandy loam soil.

Prepare the land 24 days before planting. Plow and harrow the land thoroughly repeated alternately 2 to 3 times to have the soil in good tilt.

Make the first plowing, after one week harrow the land. Broadcast animal manure or organic fertilizer to the harrowed land. Irrigate the land after harrowing to let the weeds to germinate. After 12 days, start plowing to remove the emerging weeds and follow the second harrowing. Then after 8 days do the 3^rd and final plowing and harrowing thoroughly done to kill the remaining weeds that will emerge.

If the soil is lacking the nutrients for the plants to grow fast, apply fertilizer. If the field is one hectare lot, if animal manure is available in poultry farm, procure and apply directly to the harrowed field before planting the seeds. Use ammonium sulfate 250 kilos with 300 kilos of calcium superphosphate and 50 kilos of potassium chloride.

Start making furrows the next day in preparation for the planting. The distance of the hill between furrows should be 95 centimeters. Apply the furrows with basal fertilizer and 400 kilos of 16-20-0 (8 bags) in a hectare. Cover the fertilizer with soil lightly and properly. Then the furrows are ready for planting.

Prepare the seeds for planting, treating it first with fungicide and insecticide to assure high rate of germination.

Sow only 2 seeds per hill with the distance of 25 centimeters. Cover it properly and lightly. Start watering the seeds in the furrows. This is to induce easy germination of seeds. Water the plants as often as necessary.

Early sign of pest habitation shall be controlled.

-After 6 days from germination, replace and replant seeds again to those missing hills. After two weeks, thin out the hill leaving only 1 plant per hill. Side-dress the plants with ammonium sulfate for fast growth, to have vigor in appearance and firm stand.

The placement of fertilizer should be between hills, 3 inches from the base of the plant not near to the hill to avoid sudden stress to the plants due to potency of the fertilizer.

After 2 weeks and a half from planting, start spraying the plant with insecticides to ensure that pest will not destroy the leaves of the corn. After 10 days, start hilling up to loosen the soil and have the plants a little breathing space during its growth. Follow irrigation to the plant to maintain its moisture level while growing especially during dry period. Additionally, apply granular insecticides to the whorl of the plants to protect it from many damaging insects.

After 36 days, spray again the plants with insecticides to protect against ear worm and corn borer that lay their eggs in the tassel. It should be completely eradicated to protect the ear of corn during the fruiting stage. Repeat the process every week 2 times until the threat disappear.

Once the age of the corn reaches 55 days, stop spraying with insecticides not to contaminate in the ear of corn while waiting for the schedule harvesting. If there is isolated case of worm habitation, remove it manually.

Harvest the plant more or less 75 days when the corn are full and tender, if the silk started to dry and colored brown, or the kernel are full and has milky liquid if pressed by the finger.

BULLFROG RAISING GUIDE

Bullfrog meat already gained popularity in people’s taste. Cooking bullfrog with complete ingredients will result to a delicious menu on the table.

Without experience knowledge in raising bullfrog it may be difficult to raise them. But anyone wanted to develop interest and try raising bullfrog for meat has to learn his first lesson.

Construct a concrete tank in a place shaded with trees. It should be constructed in rectangular shape. The walls should be 4 feet high from the ground level of the tank. This is where the last phase of raising is placed.

Take note that there are many stages in raising bullfrog.

First, there is a breeding cage for the eggs where the couple bullfrog has to mate. It should be 2-1/2 feet high and 15 meters long. There is no water in it except carabao grass to place the couple bullfrogs for mating. Bullfrog mating commonly occurred early in the morning and evening. The copulation period will last about 2 days. The breeder should not be disturb that will delay the laying of eggs.

There is hatching tank where the eggs are transferred to hatch. Slowly scoop the eggs in the breeding cages and transfer to the tank. The eggs will float in the water tank. Plant is with aquatic water lily or water hyacinth to cover the eggs that are laid in the tank. It has outlet for water to go out through a small gate valve to control the flow of water outside. Periodic replacement of water is necessary to ensure that the tank is clean and has fresh water.

There is tadpole pond used for metamorphosis when the tadpole loses its tails and grow limbs. It has 30 centimeters deep to help the tadpole swim up to the surface and breathe air. It can accommodate thousands in per square meter size. It is then segregated to prevent the bigger one to cannibalize the smaller tadpole.

There is froglet pond where the metamorphosed bullfrogs are stocks. The ponds contain floaters, water lily and feeding boxes. This is the stage that the feeding habit of the frogs has to be modified from vegetables to life feeding consist of small insects that moves. The pond is much larger than the hatching tank. The bottom has clay loam or mud soil that can hold and retain water.

There is grower cage where the bigger froglets are transferred. Those smaller froglets where later on are stocks to this cage. The cage has earthlike platform in the dug-out canal. It has inlet pipes to regulate water supply and drainage. Any fecal matter and dirt should be removed. They can swims in shallow water. The feeds are simply drop through the cage opening. They are feed twice daily one in the morning and one in the afternoon. You can use water hyacinth as feeds mixed with fish to have a fishy odor to invite froglets to eat. Using squirming maggots with vegetables and dead fish or cultured earthworms are best as it can induce movements among the froglets.  Other foods they can eat are tilapia fingerlings, kangkong leaves, dead shrimps, golden snail and other moving pond pests.

To sell to the wet market, the bullfrog were skinned without inner parts leaving only the upper chest without head and lower portion of the body especially the thigh.