Sustainable Development

Monday, May 11, 2015

Charcoal Economics, Part 2

Updating this blog post from the original version last November 28, 2014. Revenues from charcoal help in paying the salary of our caretakers Nong Endring Paragas and his son, Danny. The DENR and locals do not complain of "illegal cutting" as the fallen trees, big branches are from our planted trees, not from the public forest land.

Below, some of the trunks ready for charcoal making. They are big, right, but crooked, not good for lumber production.

New wood prepared. Standing is Mama Pitong, assisted by his son. Photos taken May 9, 2015. Wood, then covered by rice straw, then covered by soil, supported by coconut leaves so that the soil does not erode.

I didn't know that camote (sweet potato) thrives in a previous charcoal pit, like this one.

Pruning and cutting trees that are too close to each other is necessary, otherwise no or very few trees can hope to become big and appropriate for lumber production someday. We have too many of these small, medium-size trees; generally they just grew on their own. Using them for charcoal making is the wise thing to do.

See also:
Denuded mountains, March 31, 2009
New Upland Dwellers and the DENR, August 21, 2013
From Forestland to Grassland, September 21, 2012
Charcoal Economics, February 23, 2014
On Grass Fire, April 17, 2014

Terraces Beside Narra Trees

Old and existing terraces are further stabilized and raised with new layers of organic matter, soil and stones added on them. On one side of the farm, here are a series of photos as of August 2014, mid-March 2015, and May 9, 2015, respectively.

Another angle. Photos as of mid-March 2015.

Cleaning up litter falls that will simply be washed out by flash flood. Before and after.

Behind the big stones are these organic matter and soil. Photos as of April 04 and May 9, 2015. .

The new top soil were organic matter and eroded topsoil that were trapped by this structure. Imagine the amount of top soil that has been preserved, and flash flood that has been temporarily impounded, for a few hours. How thick or how high is the new soil that has been trapped at the base? Here is one measurement, about 6-8 inches high, or about 3/4 of the shovel base, at around 1.5 meters distance from the big stones.

How it looked before the new topsoil was formed -- hard soil with lots of small stones on the surface.

A small group of blocking stones, as of April 04 and May 9, 2015, respectively.

The big stones were transferred in building the 2nd layer of terraces. Front view of big stones, as of April 04 and May 9, 2015, respectively.

-------------

See also:

Terraces, Part 10, August 30, 2014

Terraces, Part 11, October 22, 2014

Terraces at Mahogany Area, March 10, 2015

Terraces, Part 13, March 13, 2015

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Israeli Agriculture, Modern and High Tech

Two weeks ago, I attended an agricultre seminar given by the Israel embassy here in Manila, to interested Filipino farmers and farm owners/managers. A friend and co-parent at TSAA, Noel Sandicon informed me about the seminar. Presentations were made by Eitan Neubauer, Counselor for Intl. Development Corp. (MASHAV), Science and Agriculture, Israeli Embassy in Beijing.

Some data in their dairy farming productivity.

I was amazed by their high tech farming, very high farm productivity.

Water for irrigation is a big problem, rainy season is only 3 months a year. The main solution is using effluent, used water by households and companies, transported several kilometers away for treatment, and use the treated water for irrigation. The share of effluent water is rising.

Since 60 percent of its land area is desert, plus the need for residential, commercial, industrial zones on the remaining 40 percent, agricultural land is very small. Thus, soil less farming via hydroponics is common. Private sector dynamism and innovation is very clear.

One application of biotech, genetic engineering and producing a GMO, long shelf-life tomatoes. Fantastic.

Fertigation means fertilizers + irrigation. So the water that passes through the tubes that nourish the roots contain exact amount of fertilizers that the crops need, depending on their age (in days). One advantage of hydroponics and soil-less farming, is that the crops are automatic organic. Bacteria, fungi, etc. normally live and multiply in the soil. Since there is no soil involved, no bacteria or fungi enters the crops. Zero pesticides, zero insecticides, zero fungicides.

Fantastic how they drastically controlled (but not totally eradicate of course), a big pest that can cause huge crop damage, the Mediterranean fruit fly.

One big problem in PH mangos, big headache actually, is cecid fly or "kurikong manga". When they attack, you can expect up to total crop failure. We have zero mango harvest in our farm the past 3 or 4 years already because of this pest, which is invisible to the naked eye.

Cantaloupe via genetic engineering again, a new GMO. Nice and safe to eat.

I assume that it's all private companies developing these scientific progress. The Israeli government is busy with security matters so the private sector should be busy with innovation and enterprise competition at the global scale.

I am not aware if similar high-tech dairy farms are existing in the PH. Almost all of our powdered milk are imported, the bottled or boxed liquid milk may be locally produced but they are not exactly cheap.

To harvest 600-1,500 kgs of fish on a small, 1,000 sq. m. (1/10 of an hectare) pool is too high. One can feed hundreds of people with just one hectare of land area, continuously, all year round. Fantastic.

I admire the Israeli private sector for these and other scientific breakthrough in agriculture and food production. Food supply will never be a problem in the planet as the trend is rising food output per hectare of land area. "More food for less resources" is the default mode of modern agriculture.

-----------

Kurikong Mangga or Cecid Fly, Huge Crop Losses

I wrote this last March 04, 2015:

Two weeks ago, we were hopeful that we can finally harvest mangos in the farm, after about 3 or 4 years of zero harvest due to massive attacks by "kurikong mangga" or cecid fly. See here, some of the young mangos in the farm, photo taken last February 14 or just two weeks ago.

I went back to the farm last weekend, our caretaker told me that many young fruits have been infected already, many have fallen to the ground already.

See the dark and black spots. The damage penetrates inside, under the skin. Horrible pests.

The other side of these three young fruits. The pests are too small, they seem to be not visible to the naked eye.

Every year, a different group of mango sprayers come to the farm. Sharing of harvest, assuming there is one, is 70 percent to the sprayer and 30 percent to the farm owner/s. This year's sprayer is supposed to have discovered new treatment or pesticides vs kurikong mangga. It showed initially because the fruits have reached more 1 to 1 1/2 inch in height already.

But it seems the pests were simply decimated partially. Those that were able to escape and survive came back, with a vengeance.

These packages of pesticides I found in the farm. The sprayers have left them there. I took some photos last February 14. I am not familiar how effective these chemicals are.

Labels at the back.

While we will experience another loss this year in the form of zero share, zero harvest, bigger loss is to be borne by the sprayers. I expect that their loss should be near six digits, cost of chemicals + labor + food + transportation. Their workers/sprayers go to the farm every five days on average.

Among the travails and uncertainties of agri-business.
-----------

Last Saturday, March 14, I visited the farm again. Damage to the fruits has been rather extensive. Instead of several hundreds kaing of mangos, we should be lucky if we can get 10 kaing. Or zero, again, for the 4th or 5th straight year. Here are some of the fruits which have fallen to the ground, and they are about 1 1/2 months away from harvest period. They have huge or wide cracks up in the tree, or lots of black spots in the skin, before they fall down.

Poor us. But more unlucky are the mango sprayers who spent tens of thousands of pesos in our farm alone, plus probably the same amount of money in a neighboring farm.
-------------

See also:
Upland mangos sweeter than lowland mangos?, June 12, 2007
Cecid Fly or "Kurikong Manga", March 19, 2012
Hoping for a Mango Harvest This Year, February 17, 2015

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Terraces at Mahogany Area

These photos were taken November 23, 2014. We expanded the terrace here. Below, before and after.

Another view, before and after.

We cleared many grasses, vines and small mahogany trees that are too close to each other and hence, have no chance of growing big. Organic matter as filling materials. Through time, natural soil erosion from higher ground will fill up and flatten, even exceed, this area. Then there will be a need to raise the terrace's height, or build a second, higher row of terrace.

Another view. Lower photo, from left: Marlon (extra worker for that day only), Nong Endring Paragas, and his son Danny.

And these photos below taken last weekend. From two layers raised to four layers of stones. Lots of organic matter, soil and small stones were added at the back of these bigger stones.

Stones re-arranged and a 4th layer of stones were added.

Thanks for viewing.
-----------

See also:

Stone Terraces, Part 7, March 30, 2014

Presentation at WASWAC Seminar at BSWM, DA, May 13, 2014

Stone Terraces, Part 8, June 03, 2014

Terraces, Part 9, July 07, 2014

Terraces, Part 10, August 30, 2014

Terraces, Part 11, October 22, 2014

Monday, March 02, 2015

Natural Pool to Cool Down

Photos below I took last February 14, 2015 at the farm. The hot months of March to May have started. It's good to have even a small pool to cool down for a few minutes. I cleared this area of decaying leaves and branches at the bottom. After about two hours, it's clear. somehow.