ASPARAGUS PLANTING GUIDE

Sandy loam or clay loam soil is best suited in planting asparagus. Select a field with soil rich in organic matter. It has beneficial effect to the plants when the soil is fertile. Considering that asparagus can occupy the field much longer as long as the field is not soil deficient. Initial steps should be taken to put the soil in uniform shape and better soil type. A good soil cultivation facilitate proper distribution of water to the field and its absorption that makes the soil soft, pliable, preferable and in good tilt.

Avoid using top soil that is lack of deepness with elevated water table that affects the development of roots of the plants with better firm stand.

Cultivate the land thoroughly. A thorough plowing and harrowing in 3 repetitions during the cultivation period will give even distribution of soil in the field. Soil elevation in some portion of the land is corrected. A plain surface has greater advantage in irrigating the land. Equal distribution of water can be attained.

Make the planting area free from unnecessary debris and emerging weeds. See to it that the soil is always in good tilt, smooth and finely cultivated. Remove all the weeds that are nuisance to the plants. The soil should have a pH level between 6 .0 to 7.0. If the soil analysis showed deficiency with pH level less than 6.0 will mean that it is acidic and need to be fertilized thoroughly to restore its fertility. Any deficiency can affect the growth of the plants thereby reducing the opportunity to have higher yield.

Lime is necessary to restore the pH level in normal condition. It should be done openly until the deficiency is corrected. Even if asparagus highly tolerate salt, it is best if the percentage of salt concentration in the soil is much lesser.

Construct drainage canal in between the rows to have the field ready outlet in case of water-logging.

It is best suited in temperate climate. Consistent wet weather condition is not appropriate during planting. It enhances the development of soil-borne disease and favorite haven for harmful insects.

Establish nursery for the seedling for transplanting to the field. Another option is direct seeding but healthy plants can’t be determine and most seeds might not germinate properly those reducing the plant populations in the land.

Using seedling is most appropriate to prepare healthy and robust plants. Fertilize the seedlings in the nursery to keep them in good shape and reduce mortality rate. 

Another method of planting is by using one-year old crowns directly planted to the field only if enough crowns can be procured to support the entire field.

Best planting period is 4^th quarter of the year to first quarter of succeeding year. Weather condition is not too wet and too dry for the seedlings to survive during transporting. If 1 year old crown are used, it should be placed in a furrow with fine soil around it.

A raised bed for the plants is recommended to avoid too much concentration of water in the field. Water will confine in the lower portion of the raised beds. The raised beds should have width measurements of 40 to 72 inches as recommended. 

The in- row spacing in raised beds should be 6 to 12 inches.   Asparagus are broadly adaptable to changes in weather condition. Accommodate population of 50,100 young plants or more in 1 hectare area.

Don’t over-water the plants to prevent soil-borne disease to take over the field. Extra care in irrigating the land should be correctly observed. Procure drains and water pump. Make it ready during the time of rainy days or to be used to remove accumulated concentration of water in the field during irrigation.

During hot and dry weather, water the plants to replace the moisture lost in evaporation. This is also to remove the accumulation of salts in the soil that can affect the growing plants. Frequent irrigation is necessary to maximize the development of fern during hot weather condition especially when the fern is in maximum size.

Stop irrigation during wet season. Moisture level in the soil is enough for its growth. After the first harvest, water the field as the fern growth will increase to be more productive. Avoid cutting back the water distribution abruptly. It causes the reduction of the spear yield and the size of the plants during the next harvest. Soil moisture should be maintained before harvest. After enough harvest is done, water requirements to the field will slowly reduce.

Weeding is necessary to protect the plants during period of growth. Weed prevention is costly if not taken seriously. The plants will be in constant threat. Remove the weeds by cultivating the raised beds. This is to allow the furrows and rows of plants weeds-free. In choosing a field for planting, it is most recommended to look an area that is easy to handle to remove weed concentration. Constant cultivation of the field will ensure that the pre-emergence of weeds are controlled.

Before the schedule planting, irrigate the entire field to allow the weeds to germinate. After its germination, start the final cultivation. Apply post-emergence herbicide to the soil then starts the transplanting. Another weeds control can be done before the start of first harvest. Apply pre-emergence herbicide during the cutting period. The effect of the herbicide is effective by watering the entire field.

Sort out a way to protect the growing spears against the wind. If affects its spear growth as it bends nearer to the ground. Wind barriers made of polyethylene plastic sheets will do. Tie to wood and bamboo poles. Wind can dry-out the cells on the side of the spear thereby losing its marketable appearance.

The use of herbicides and fungicides should be done based on manufacturer’s direction and rate of proper application to be effective. Use insecticides to eradicate army worms, aphids, cutworms and others. Use fungicides to prevent the common disease to harm the plants like fusarium wilt and root rot. Late prevention will cause the reduction of the size of the spear and low-yielding ability.

The effect of the disease to the plants is minimized by selecting good and tolerant variety of asparagus. The seeds planted in the nursery are pure, clean and healthy. That one year crowns were raised in a field free from soil-borne diseases. That good irrigation practice is applied.

An infected soil has damaging effect to young growing plants. It causes stunted growth and easily withered. The plants are unhealthy without any chance to have better yield. Avoid excessive harvesting of matured asparagus in order to prevent weakening the stand of the crown easy for the disease to control.

Most of the diseases in the field are the result of excessive irrigation, repeated heavy rainfall and poor drainage system. Accumulated water in the furrow below the raised beds will harbor many kinds of diseases. Proper and effective control of the soil-borne diseases can be done by good sanitation. 

Remove all infected plants from the field and destroy or burn them. There should be wide row spacing easy for mobility and cultivation. There should be a good irrigation system that can remove excess water in the field. One good remedy is to construct small internal drainage canals in between the rows of plant as an outlet for water-logging.

Once the planting field of asparagus is established, a yearly application of phosphorus and potassium is recommended. Based on soil analysis, effective application of right fertilizer can be done better. Application of fertilizer will depend on soil condition and the physical growth of the plants. If the plants are unhealthy, application of fertilizer is mostly needed.

Broadcast foliar fertilizer to the plants based on the established rate of application. Application of complete fertilizer (14-14-14) NPK has wider benefits to have robust and healthy plants. Whatever deficiency the soil has should be restored by the application of proper fertilization activity during the early growing period of asparagus. Any visible sign of soil deficiency should be attended to. 

The yield and size of the spear will show how fertile is the soil. Consult an expert agriculturist in your area that can give additional knowledge to restore soil deficiency accordingly and effectively.

Chop matured ferns in the field and placed in the bed in bunches for transport to designated shade or storage area. Cut the spears in an angle near the surface of the soil. Do the cutting early in the morning to avoid stress of the cut spears especially in hot weather. Cut the spears 10 inches long. This will subject to another cut of 9 inches when packed.

Use cutting knife intended for asparagus harvesting. Cutting is done manually. Harvest the spears early in the season every 3 days. Cutting during warm weather will do (not hot) and done daily after the initial cutting. Any deformed spears in unmarketable size should be removed to allow regrowth for marketable grade.

Don’t harvest the spears in the bed for too long. It should be done fast to avoid feathering. It will reduce carbohydrates contents in the crown.

Sort out all the hauled spears in the shade.  Conduct   grading, trimming, cooling and then packing ready for transport to market. Cool the harvested spears immediately after the initial and succeeding harvest to avoid toughening. Any delay will result to soft rot on the tip of the spear and started to decay.

Avoid placing the spears in high temperature area in order to preserve its natural sugar, freshness, flavor and stored vitamins. Extra care should be observed during harvesting to avoid error in cutting or unintentional trampling of plants.

GOAT MILK PRODUCTION GUIDE

Goat milk are rich of many nutrients needed by the human body. As temporary substitute, it can be given to a new baby for few weeks before it can be permanently replaced by breast-feeding. This dairy animal became one of the source of milk for our milk requirement. Goat is not so expensive to raise, for as long as there is enough grass around the farm. It can easily multiply without too much management. It eats almost anything that caught their fancy even flowers in the garden are included.

Goat milk is easily digested in the body compared to other dairy animals. To have a goat production project only need a small starting capital and it can multiply faster. The breeder should weigh 45 kilos or about 10 months. Early breeding will stunt the animal. There should be a complete development of its fetus.

Check any sign of heat. Once a doe is in the stage of estrus, she is willing to receive the buck. It may last for 3 days. It is best to breed the doe in the second day of heat to ensure conception. Gestation period may last 150 days from start of conception to kidding.

There are many instances in the failure of breeding. If the doe will not become pregnant even in three successive heat period, then there is something you have to consider:

-it may have abnormal egg
-it may have disease
-due to hormonal problem
-infertile sperm from the buck
-over fatness of the doe

Avoid malnutrition for your doe. She should be given enough proteins and minerals, vitamins to have a normal reproduction ability. If the doe insist to reproduce, then you have to find another one, a valuable breeding female as your new breeder.

There are many forms of breeding goats. You can select any of them that you think best for certain circumstances after evaluating consideration of its effectiveness to produce. The most commonly type of breeding goat is by cross-breeding. The mating of 2 different breeds. It will increase the size of the offspring, especially if the 2 inbreeds were cross-breeds. It gives an increase vigor to the would-be offspring.

A doe become fretful and emits a low bleat, restless, paw bedding around, a slight mucus discharge appears several days before kidding as a sign of forthcoming birth. After birth, place the doe in a well-lighted, spacious, comfortable pen. Put clean dry straw as her bedding mattress. In an abnormal presentation where a doe cannot deliver a kid without assistance especially if it is in an abnormal position, your help is needed. You have to pull-out it free in a proper position to easily take out the kid.

Feeding the kid especially at birth should be allowed to suck his mother's breast for 2 months in order to obtain high nutrients and antibodies in resisting diseases and act as laxative to clean the digestive system of the newborn kid. The kid should be given salt and water.

Then start weaning the kid. Use concentrate feed by directly rubbing the feed to his mouth in feeding for 2 months. Allow the kid to nibble grass around one month.

How to do the milking?

-Wash your hands with soap. You need plenty of water. Wash the udders with clean warm water. Dry them with a clean cloth. Dry your hands also.

-Close your thumb and first finger around the teat so that milk will not go back to the udder. Close the second finger to squirt the milk out. The first squirt must be discarded as it is not clean.

-Close the 3rd finger. Put a steady pressure. Do not jerk the teat down. Close the little finger and squeeze the entire hand until the milk comes out.

-Release the pressure of your hand on the teat and open your fingers so that the teat can fill up again. Repeat the process. Continue doing alternately with the other hand on the other teat until only a very few little milk comes out.

In feeding the doe, it should be allowed to access in good pasture. Give roughage and concentrate.

In feeding the buck, maintains a good pastures. Include concentrate to his food. Give shelled corn, green feeds from the pasture. Give a little amount of copra meal for protein. Give table salt, water and oyster shell powder and grains.

In the production of milk, you should select a numbers of good breeders (buck and doe) for your continues supply of milk. Any inability for a doe to produce enough milk should be replace with another that can produce more milk that has good composition and in best milk-type class.

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.

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.