We have almost zero mango harvest the past 6 or 7 years because of the continuing pests, "kurikong manga". These are invisible microorganisms that come and attack the fruits from young age (less than nail/kuko size) up to about 2 months old. Once the pests attack, there is almost 90-100% crop failure. The past groups of sprayers all lost money.
Another group of mango sprayers have come, sharing now is 70-30 for the sprayers-mango owners. Gone are the 60-40 sharing because of the huge risks and high costs involved. I took these photos last September 24 when I visited the farm. This out-of-place cogon grew on one dead branch of the mango tree, funny.
The trees are somehow well-rested because they have not produced huge mangos for several years, although they produced lots of flowers and small fruits at the early stage before the kurikong manga wiped out the fruits.
The sprayers have cleared some of the mango trees. They have several workers + grass cutters. This work our farm caretaker Nong Endring cannot do anymore because he's already old but he still goes to the farm daily.
One of the big trees in the farm. This is nearly 100 years old. Some branches are already dead, no leaves but the other branches have the potential to produce more fruits.
Some wild or naturally-regenerating trees near the mango area. Molave, karael, fire tree, etc.
The sprayers are using calcium nitrate for flower induction or inducing mango flowers to come out. The usual chemical for flower induction used by many sprayers is potassium nitrate (KNO3). I don't know the advantages and disadvantages of one from the other. They are in the business of mango spraying, they know better than me.
This brand can be used not only for mangos but also for bananas, corn, eggplants, etc. as seen in the white sack.
The sprayers won't be using pesticides and insecticides when the young fruits come out. They will wrap each fruit at young age (less than nail/kuko size) so that the kurikong manga cannot penetrate the fruits on a large scale. There will still be crop damage for sure, but minimal. Very labor intensive but will also greatly reduce the expenses for spraying pesticides and insecticides.
More updates when I go back to the farm late this month.
Another group of mango sprayers have come, sharing now is 70-30 for the sprayers-mango owners. Gone are the 60-40 sharing because of the huge risks and high costs involved. I took these photos last September 24 when I visited the farm. This out-of-place cogon grew on one dead branch of the mango tree, funny.
The trees are somehow well-rested because they have not produced huge mangos for several years, although they produced lots of flowers and small fruits at the early stage before the kurikong manga wiped out the fruits.
The sprayers have cleared some of the mango trees. They have several workers + grass cutters. This work our farm caretaker Nong Endring cannot do anymore because he's already old but he still goes to the farm daily.
More newly-cleared areas. Not only that fire hazards from dry cogon and other grasses, vines are removed, air can also easily pass through below the tree.
One of the big trees in the farm. This is nearly 100 years old. Some branches are already dead, no leaves but the other branches have the potential to produce more fruits.
Some wild or naturally-regenerating trees near the mango area. Molave, karael, fire tree, etc.
This brand can be used not only for mangos but also for bananas, corn, eggplants, etc. as seen in the white sack.
The sprayers won't be using pesticides and insecticides when the young fruits come out. They will wrap each fruit at young age (less than nail/kuko size) so that the kurikong manga cannot penetrate the fruits on a large scale. There will still be crop damage for sure, but minimal. Very labor intensive but will also greatly reduce the expenses for spraying pesticides and insecticides.
More updates when I go back to the farm late this month.
