Technologies to Mitigate Impact of El Niño on Agriculture

“Huwag magpatalo sa El Niño [Don’t let El Niño defeat us]!”

That was the country’s battle cry in 1997, when the Philippines was hit by the wrath of El Niño.  El Niño refers to the unusual warming of sea surface temperatures along the equatorial Pacific that is usually characterized by below-average rainfall which leads to a dry spell.

Data from the Department of Agriculture revealed that the 1997 El Niño affected almost 74,000 hectares of agricultural lands in 18 provinces.  During the first half of 1998, the country’s palay and corn production went down by 27 percent and 44 percent, respectively. 

After almost 13 years, another El Niño episode is about to hit the country, proof that it is indeed a recurring phenomenon. The challenge remains for the country to beat the negative impact of the forecasted prolonged dry spell.

Considered highly vulnerable to an onslaught of a dry spell caused by El Niño are the provinces of Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Cavite, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Zamboanga City, Sarangani and South Cotabato.

Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Romblon, Sorsogon, Aklan, Antique, Bohol, Samar, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, Bukidnon, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur and Davao City are considered moderately vulnerable to the phenomenon.

One of the lessons learned during the 1998 dry spell was the need to disseminate timely information to local farmers to help them mitigate the adverse impact of El Niño in the country’s food production.

With this, the Department of Agriculture (DA) and other concerned agencies, such as the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources, Research and Development, the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), Philippine Rice Research and Development Institute, and the Philippine Council for Marine Aquatic Research and Development, have identified the following technology interventions:

Small-scale irrigation systems

THE small-scale irrigation systems include Small Water Impoundment (SWIM) and Shallow Tube Wells (STWs).

SWIM taps surface water for agricultural use.  Small water-impounding projects have dam heights of not more than 30 meters and/or a volume of storage not exceeding 50 million cubic meters.

The Small Farm Reservoir (SFR) is the smallest version of SWIM.  Its dam height is normally below 5 meters.  It gets water supply from rainfall and excess runoff coming from small catchments areas with no defined stream.  An SFR is individually owned and managed by farmers for irrigation, especially during dry-season cropping.

STW taps shallow ground water as the source of irrigation for crops.  It is reliable during the dry season, when surface water is limited or not available. According to the DA, in Luzon, the most often observed method of drawing water from the ground is the use of centrifugal pumps primed either by diesel engines or electric motors via the drilled tubes or concrete cased open dug wells. 

In Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan, these are used by farmers to supplement irrigation of nonrice crops such as onion, pepper, corn, cotton, tobacco and tomato during dry season.

Other irrigation methods, structure and tools

TO effectively manage water supply, agricultural researchers identified other irrigation methods that have been studied and warrant further application in appropriate areas.

Drip irrigation is one method whereby small amounts of water are applied at short intervals to the soil surface by single emission point.  Hence, it enables a uniform distribution of water to all plants to the area of the roots.

Diversion dams are structures constructed across a channel or river to raise water level and allow diversion of water by gravity from the ground.

Intermittent irrigation-drainage water-management scheme rationalizes the utilization of limited water supply.  Irrigation is provided at the time when it’s most required without causing damage to crops.

Cloud-seeding

Drought situations may be abated by well-planned rain-stimulation operations such as cloud-seeding. This is a method of inducing rain clouds to produce rainfall. Sodium chloride, or salt, is dispensed to the rain-bearing clouds to coalesce with ice crystals at the right temperature and humidity.  Condensation takes place in the cloud system transforming ice droplets into rain.  The BSWM, in coordination with the Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Atmospheric Services Administration, can undertake periodic cloud-seeding.

Soil-conservation measures

Limited water supply for irrigation reduces moisture content and inhibits growth and productivity.  To conserve soil moisture, mulching or the spreading of rice straws and other agricultural waste materials in the field is a practice among many farmers. Mulching reduces soil erosion and improves moisture retention. It also cuts capillary system, minimizing evaporation from soil and cracking of lowland rice field.

Tillage practices, which refer to zero and minimum tillage, can also reduce soil and water losses. It is a land-preparation activity done prior to crop planting. Observing zero and minimum tillage practice help reduce evaporation, as it minimizes the exposed surface area of soil. 

Another measure is the organic-based balanced fertilization.  Organic fertilizer enhances and improves soil porosity and water-holding capacity. It also improves the physical condition of soils by promoting soil aggregation and preventing surface crusting, thus improving water infiltration, plant root penetration and soil aeration.  

Cropping system management

Direct seeding is generally practiced in dry-land cultivation of rice and corn.  It requires minimal water supply and reduces labor requirements.

Use of 90-day rice varieties and planting of short-duration vegetables and other alternative food crops. Rice varieties such as PSB Rc12 or Caliraya and PSB Rc14 or Rio Grande are among those fit for drought.  For corn, varieties such  as Cn 96-71, CW2, Cn96-72 and CW24 are found dry-tolerant.

Crop diversification is the production of upland crops that generally consume less water.  Among the drought-tolerant crops are sorghum, sweet pepper, ube, togue, alugbati, banana, winged bean, pigeon pea, pole sitao, pineapple, ginger, cassava, cantaloupe, asparagus, black pepper, sweet potato, mung beans, grapefruit, cucumber, cowpea and peanut.

Planting of these crops requires short growth periods thereby reducing moisture requirements. It also allows the cultivation of succeeding crops at the time when rainfall and residual moisture are available.

Proper irrigation scheduling involves determining the appropriate time and frequency, as well as amount of irrigation application needed to obtain optimal growth and yield of crops in conjunction with the use of other inputs or practices production. 

Aquaculture

Water recycling. Water in freshwater x ponds can be transferred to other ponds instead of draining it out when harvesting fish.

Stock high-temperature and high salinity-tolerating fishes. For brackish water ponds, the culture of milkfish, tilapia and other fish species can tolerate water temperature higher than 32 0C and salinities higher than 32 percent should be considered.

Livestock

Planting leguminous fodder trees and shrubs. Leguminous fodder trees and shrubs such as Leucaena, Gliricidia, Sesbania, Calliandra and Erythrina can be planted on farm boundaries, vacant lots, along roadsides, contour hedgerows and even in marginal areas.  Other leguminous fodder shrubs include Desmanthus, Rensonii, Flemingia and Stylo 184.  These leguminous trees and shrubs remain green throughout the year and retain most of their leaves during dry season, making them a good source of feeding materials for livestock.  

Silage production. Silage is a preserved/fermented ruminant feed from grasses, other plants and agricultural leftover which serves as energy source for ruminant animals.  This technology, excess grasses and agri-leftovers during the wet season are preserved for use during the dry periods.

Urea-Molasses-Mineral Block (UMBB) supplementation for ruminants.  UMBB is a feed supplement, which supplies the animals with essential nutrients usually deficient in most forages and crop residues. It is given as a lick to supplement low-quality roughages.

In the onset of prolonged dry spell, preparedness could spell the difference. These technologies could equip our farmers with information and brace for the impact of El Niño and enable them to achieve farm productivity and maintain the country’s food security.

By Business Mirror

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El Nino Negative Growth Effects on Philippine Farming

Philippine Farm Sector May Post Negative Growth Q1 Due To El Nino

Due to the extent of the effect of the El Niño weather phenomenon, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said there is a possibility that farm growth could contract in the first quarter of the year.

Agriculture Sec. Berni Fondevilla said there are unverified reports that damage to the agriculture sector has reached between P7 billion and a little over P11 billion. If these reports are found to be accurate, a negative growth in the sector will be possible in the January-to-March period.

“We’re still verifying reports of the damage due to the El Niño. If this proves accurate, there will be a contraction in the first quarter,” Fondevilla told reporters at the sidelines of the Year-End Economic Briefing at the Dusit Hotel in Makati City.

However, National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Deputy Director General for National Development Margarita Songco said this may not have a big impact on full-year growth, especially if mitigation measures pull through from various departments like the DA.

Songco said if measures to address the effects of the El Niño on energy supply prove positive, there is a possibility that the country’s economic growth will be higher this year.

“If we will be able to address the problem of El Niño, which impacts on the supply of energy, then we can expect higher growth in 2010. The impact of the El Niño was already incorporated to the 2.6-percent to 3.6 percent GDP [gross domestic product] target for the year. The impact is 0.4 percentage point,” Songco said.

Neda National Planning and Policy Staff (NPPS) Assistant Director Myrna Asuncion explained that the measures cited by Santos could increase the low-end of the 2.6-percent to 3.6-percent growth target for 2010.

She said that given that the impact is 0.4 percentage point, the low-end could be increased to 3 percent. This will result in a possible new growth target of 3 percent to 3.6 percent this year.

Meanwhile, Fondevilla said the DA is also open to revising its growth forecasts for the year to include the effects of the dry spell on the entire agriculture sector.

Based on the Feb. 22 report of the DA Central Action Center, damage to crops due to the dry spell has reached some P7 billion.

However, reports recently showed that damage could have already breached the forecast of P9 billion under a mild El Niño episode. As of March 1, unverified reports showed P11 billion in damage to palay, corn and high-value commercial crops.

Fondevilla said the DA expects P11 billion in damage under a moderate El Niño and said a severe episode would destroy as much as P20 billion worth of crops until May.

A severe dry spell could lead to losses of 816,372 metric tons (MT) of rice worth P12.24 billion; 440,429 MT of corn worth P5.2 billion; 42,362 MT of marine catch worth P2.54 billion; and 3.08 million MT of high-value crops worth P443 million.

However, Fondevilla was quick to note that a severe El Niño, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), is far from turning into reality in the country.

Fondevilla said Pagasa even expects the rains to come early, around May. “El Niño, according to Pagasa, is still in the moderate effect. Pagasa is not expecting that it could go severe. In fact, just yesterday, Pagasa said rains might start to come in May, which is good news for us,” Fondevilla said.

Earlier, economists said the government still has to deal with a bigger problem brought by El Niño, which is increasing poverty. With all the developments that happened in the past two years and the El Niño this year, Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture director Dr. Arsenio Balisacan believes millions could fall into poverty this year.

Balisacan said even if the 2009 poverty statistics will not include the effects of the Niño, poverty will likely increase by around 2 percentage points to 35 percent from 2006’s 33 percent. But, when the effects of El Niño are included, poverty could increase by 3 to 5 percentage points or up to 38 percent this year.

Balisacan said El Niño may cause agriculture growth to contract by as much as 5 percent this year. However, this may not have a big impact on growth since, he said, agriculture only accounts for around 17 percent of GDP.

He said that even as early as February, there are indications that El Niño will continue to have worse effects, especially since it is expected to last until May 2010. This will not bode well for agriculture growth in the first half. Balisacan expects delayed planting to possibly extend until the second half.

By Business Mirror

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DA-8 to Put Up 18 Greenhouses

Growing Organically in Greenhouses

Tacloban City — The Department of Agriculture in Eastern Visayas is soon to construct and adopt a technology next month that will temper the effects of global warming and enables a stable plant production all-year-round, an agriculture official said.

According to Dr. Veronica Berenguer, high value vegetable crops coordinator, some farming areas throughout the region will be converted to greenhouse buildings with deep irrigations to adopt the so called protective cultivation with a fund of more than P5 million pesos coming from the government.

“This is to stabilize the production of some high valued crops and to minimize production losses in agricultural output during typhoon season,” Berenguer told Leyte Samar Daily Express in an interview.

Berenguer disclosed that the last year’s agricultural scenario with outputs that posted decline in terms of production brought the department to devise this plan to recover the losses of the region’s overall production.

“This construction of 18 greenhouse buildings that will be distributed in every province and selected cities and municipalities in the region will enable the farming sector to regain the agricultural losses and to cope up with the changing environment,” Berenguer stressed.

The agriculture official said that with this project, farmers would be able to apply the technology of protective cultivation that other farming regions in the country apply.

Under a protective cultivation, the natural environment such as temperature, humidity, light and carbon dioxide are modified for optimum plant growth.

Berenguer elaborated that the technology is a cropping technique wherein the micro climate surrounding of the plant body is controlled partially as per the requirement of the plant species grown during their period of growth.

“Quality of vegetables produced in our region are not on a competitive level, and imported high quality vegetables are starting to flood the market. So, with this, there is a great scope to improve the agricultural situation and to make the farming system a profitable venture for the farmers in Eastern Visayas,” Berenguer disclosed.

In the region, Berenguer informed that their department had earlier constructed two units of greenhouse buildings on 2007 at the Paranas, Samar and in Ormoc City. However, the former stopped its operations due to poor management while the unit granted to Ormoc City is still operational but is just used for seedling distributions.

This time, Berenguer said that the units would be fully operational throughout a year with members of the LGU’s vegetable organizations as the ones who will manage the building.

She added that the crops that will be cultivated under the greenhouse buildings will all be hybrid and high-yielding vegetables for market consumption.

By Leyte Samar Daily Express

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PhilRice Self Sufficiency Rice Plan

PhilRice develops plan for the country’s rice self-sufficiency program.

PhilRice, Nueva Ecija is advocating the Rice Science for Sustainable Human Development (S4D) battle cry, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has crafted its corporate plan for 2010-2013 and 2014-2020 to help farmers achieve holistic development.

“More than helping the country become rice-sufficient, PhilRice pursues a more aggressive development work for our farmers, addressing not just their yields, but all other equally important facets of their lives,” said Ronilo Beronio, PhilRice executive director.

Contextualized within the country’s national development goals, PhilRice will pursue the following in five to 10 years: attain and sustain rice self-sufficiency; reduce poverty and malnutrition; and achieve competitiveness in agricultural science and technology.

Beronio said that “it has come to pass that research and development (R&D) are combined as one where research is our main focus. Now, we have expanded the meaning of development to human development.”

To achieve the goal of helping attain and sustain rice self-sufficiency, PhilRice is set to accomplish the following, among others: develop next-generation inbred rice varieties with dry season yield potential of 12 tons per hectare (t/ha) and 14 t/ha, respectively; generate varieties that address climate change; commercially manufacture production and postproduction machines such as mechanical transplanter, precision seeder and reversible airflow dryer; and produce recommendations on nutrient management appropriate for drought, submergence and saline-prone environments.

Moreover, PhilRice aims to reduce poverty and malnutrition by 50 percent in location-specific technology development project sites. It also aims to alleviate the annual per-capita poverty threshold in rural areas. Specifically, PhilRice will generate hybrid and inbred varieties with pro-vitamin A, high in zinc and iron, and nutraceutical. Furthermore, rice-farming households will be trained to be entrepreneurs.

In realizing competitiveness in agricultural science and technology (S&T), the institute will create more dynamic staff development plans and will modernize its R&D facilities. Rice S&T education will also be promoted among the youth in the country.

By Business Mirror

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Better Food Crop Seeds Needed for Philippine Farmers

BPI challenged to develop ‘better-engineered’ food crops to help farmers vs climate change.

The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) was challenged to develop “better-engineered” food crops, including genetically modified ones, that could withstand the devastating effects of climate change.

BPI, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA), has what Agriculture Sec. Arthur Yap calls a “critical” job of developing seeds that can withstand harsh weather patterns.

“Your job at BPI is critical. You have to move our farms to better-quality crops and that begins with seeds,” said Yap in a statement.

Yap called on the BPI to take advantage of the attention that the government and the world have given agriculture by spearheading programs that would open opportunities for small farmers to earn more and produce more food.

He cited the BPI’s achievements, which include working for the registration of 122 crop varieties with the National Seed Industry Council and substantially contributing to efforts aimed at making the Philippines one of the world’s leading sources of fruits and vegetables, including mangoes, bananas and asparagus via the establishment of, among others, a mango gene bank that contains 100 accessions of mango varieties and carabao strains for future breeding works.

The DA chief also cited the BPI’s initiatives in developing cheap, practical, and environmentally safe technologies to control the bugtok bacterial hard-puff disease affecting bananas and the crafting of genetically modified (GM) crop regulations and the biosafety regulatory framework on GM crops that is regarded as a model system in Asia.

The Philippines is already feeling the effects of climate change with the onslaught of a mild El Niño which threatens to destroy crucial food crops like palay and corn.

Under a mild El Niño, the DA estimates losses of 264,940 metric tons (MT) of rice worth close to P4 billion and 174,224 MT of corn valued at P2.26 billion.  The fisheries subsector could lose 21,181 MT of catch worth P1.27 billion, while losses in the high-value commercial crops (HVCCs) sector could reach 3.17 million MT valued at P583 million.

A severe dry spell could lead to losses of 816,372 MT of rice worth P12.24 billion; 440,429 MT of corn worth P5.2 billion; 42,362 MT of marine catch worth P2.54 billion; and 3.08 million MT of HVCCs worth 443 million.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration had reported that this year’s El Niño would likely be moderate, the DA noted.

As early as December last year, the DA had already created a task force to carry out its five-point program to raise crop production along with farmers’ incomes in the face of a looming El Niño attack that is expected to last till early this year.

The task force, which will implement the DA’s El Niño Mitigation Program, will focus on 23 “highly vulnerable” areas and 24 “moderately vulnerable” areas in the country.

The areas considered highly vulnerable to El Niño are Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Cavite, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Zamboanga City, Sarangani and South Cotabato.

By Business Mirror

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