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.

MUDFISH BREEDING GUIDE

A mudfish (Channa striata) can be found in swamps, mangrove, rivers, rice fields and lakes. It spawns throughout the year growing from 10 to 37 cm in length. The fish matures sexually when it reaches 24 centimeters. It is a native fish used for food. It has a supra-pharyngeal organs capable for air-breathing.

It can be breed locally. A concrete tank with the measurement of 4x2x2 meters is the ideal size of the tank. The breeding fish should at least 30 centimeters weighing 400 grams or greater (both male and female). A female has a wide girth. Prior to spawning, feed it with small fish or earthworms for the period of 2 weeks before spawning period at the water depth of .03 meters. During spawning it should be increase into .06 meters.

Most often the fish spawn in the early morning. She will spawn at the side or near the surface of the tank. The male and female fish will slowly swim around its other where the male coils around the female for the release of eggs which are to be fertilized. A male breeder can release more or less 5,500 eggs immediately. If the male breeder is large enough then he can make more at one single release of eggs.

The eggs has oil globules in order to float the eggs to the surface of the water. Hatching be done within 3 days. The fry can swim within 5 days. The fry can be feed on zooplankton, rotifiers and copepods, earthworms, maggots or other live feeds. the recommended market size of fingerlings is up to 250 grams. Continues feeding be done by using fine rice bran and ground trash.

Mudfish should be given enough feeds daily to avoid become a predator by feeding on its own kind. To avoid cannibalistic attitude, sorting should be done by sizes regularly. Those with smaller size, should be segregated and put in a separate tank. Same sizes should be grown together.

The disease of mudfish is caused by fungal infection. It can be controlled by maintaining good water quality in the tank. Any diseased fingerlings should be taken out from them.

After reaching the recommended market size,it will be sold live to wet market. Mudfish can survive without water for the maximum of one day. It only need their body to keep moist. Others put the fish in an aquarium big enough to accommodate them to keep them fresh and alive for buyers.

This fish can be cook, roasted, dried and salted. It is a delicacy if cooked with coconut.