Alangelico O. San Pascual, Lucille Elna P. de Guzman, Maurice B. Gravidez, and Elijah V. Estante Katuray (Sesbania grandiflora), whose flowers are consumed as steamed vegetables, is an important green manure crop in the Philippines. Understanding different processes leading to seed maturity can aid in determining S. grandiflora’s seed quality, preventing premature harvesting for seed increase, ensuring efficient propagation and production of seedlings, and breeding new varieties of this crop. Multiple flowers were tagged, and three to five pods were collected five days after anthesis (DAA) and at a five-day interval thereafter until 100% germination was achieved. Seed size, moisture content (MC), dry weight, germination percentage, and embryo development were observed and recorded. Seed length was highest at 55 DAA and decreased thereafter. Moisture content had an increasing trend from 15 to 50 DAA then decreased afterwards. The increase in seed size can be attributed to the increas...

Jay-al P. Reyes and Julieta A. Delos Reyes This study analyzed the food and nutrition security of selected urban and rural households in Pili, Camarines Sur, Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. It determined the prevalence of food insecurity among the selected urban and rural households, analyzed the determinants of food insecurity in these households, determined the prevalence of malnutrition, and assessed the relationship between the households’ food security and nutrition security. Primary data from a survey of 185 urban and rural households and secondary data from the Electronic Operation Timbang Plus (e-OPT) Tool were used to determine the prevalence of food insecurity using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and nutrition insecurity between urban and rural households, respectively. Results revealed that, during the pandemic, there were more (89.1%) food-insecure households most of which were from urban areas (88.3%)...

Rosalinda L. Abad, Michael N. Duldulao, and Arthur L. Fajardo In agricultural production, significant cost consumption from tillage due to high energy input and low work performance may be reduced by improving the design of hand tractor components, specifically tractive devices. This study aimed to compare the field performance of conventional and modified cage wheels for hand tractors in terms of field efficiency (FE), wheel slip, and fuel consumption (FC). Using the Philippine standard methods of testing for walking-type tractors and a two-tailed t-test to analyze the data, results showed that the modified cage wheel had an FE of 90.09%, wheel slip of 7.78%, FC of 0.22 L/h, and FC per area of 0.71 L/ha while the conventional cage wheel had an FE of 86.90%, wheel slip of 13.37%, FC of 0.40 L/h, and FC per area of 1.11 L/ha. The reduced wheel slip and FC values prove that utilization of the modified cage wheel in wetland conditions is more suitable in improving field performance tha...

Serap Kayisoglu In this study, both untreated and pre-treated green pea grain samples dried at different microwave output powers (90, 180, and 360 W) were rehydrated at three different temperatures (30ºC, 50ºC, and 70ºC). The rehydration kinetics of dried peas were analyzed using both the Peleg and the first-order kinetic models. Observations revealed that the Peleg model exhibited better agreement with the experimental data. As both microwave power and rehydration temperature increased, the rehydration capacity also increased in both pre-treated and untreated peas. The highest moisture content was observed after rehydration in pre-treated peas dried at 360 W microwave power (2.80 g water/g dry matter and 213.40% mass gain), while the lowest moisture content was recorded in pre-treated samples dried at 90 W microwave power (1.66 g water/g dry matter and 119.30% mass gain). However, the samples were unable to reach the moisture level (3.10 g water/g dry matter) before drying at all r...

Darwin C. Gomez, Grechelle N. Socias, Rosemarie B. Galanza, Ma. Florlyn C. Gayas, Fe T. Piedad, and Brian John Sarno Population control of golden apple snails (GAS, Pomacea canaliculata) is beneficial in rice farming; however, the associated control measures can be expensive and time-consuming. Currently, farmers use synthetic molluscicides such as niclosamide to control GAS infestation, but this has some drawbacks. For example, niclosamide has broad toxicity to non-target organisms and negatively affects the growth of rice seedlings. Plant extracts with potent bioactivity and low toxicity to non-target organisms are attractive alternatives to synthetic molluscicides. In this study, the bioactivity of the crude fruit extract of tagpo (Ardisia tomentosa) was assessed against GAS and tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fries. The potential molluscicidal synergism between tagpo extract and niclosamide was also assessed by dose-response modeling. To generate data, snails and fish fries were...

Md. Rafiqul Islam, Jamil Hossain, Md. Shamsul Huda, Mohammad Golam Azam, Md. Faruk Hossain, Md. Aktar-Uz-Zaman, Md. Safiqul Moula, Nasir Uddin Ahmed, Md. Jamal Hossain, Ayman EL Sabagh, and Mohammad Sohidul Islam Mung bean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] cultivation is challenging under the changing climate as less precipitation during the summer season, which is becoming increasingly common, results in soil moisture deficiency and affects production especially at the early growth stages. Hence, this study was conducted to assess the phenology, growth, and protein yield traits of mung bean related to drought tolerance. Eight mung bean genotypes were grown in pots inside a rain-out shelter under well-watered (WW) and water-deficit (WD) conditions. These genotypes included four water stress-tolerant genotypes: G-1 (BARI Mung-8), G-2 (BMX-010015), G-3 (BMX-08010-2), and G-4 (BMX-08009-7), as well as four sensitive genotypes: G-5 (BARI Mung-1), G-6 (BARI Mung-3), G-7 (BU Mung-4), and G-8 (...

Annalissa L. Aquino, Sancho G. Bon, Angelica P. Guanlao, Ann Mylalulex A. Magnaye, Filomena C. Sta Cruz, and Pompe C. Sta Cruz Growth and yield of many economically important vegetables like tomatoes are heavily influenced by crop management practices, particularly fertilizer application, irrigation scheme, and pest management. To attain maximum tomato yields and increase farmers’ profits, these crop production components must be optimized in local farm levels. Before optimization measures can be conducted, baseline information on prevailing practices needs to be evaluated. To assess the nutrient management and other crop production practices of tomato farmers in the Ilocos provinces, Philippines, on-farm surveys were conducted in 16 and 18 barangays planting fresh-type and processing-type tomatoes, respectively. The study involved a total of 88 tomato farmers who underwent key informant interviews regarding their seed and crop establishment practices, nutrient management, pest occu...

Vanica L. Apostol, Edna A. Aguilar, Lilia M. Fernando, Ma. Lourdes S. Edaño, Tonette P. Laude, and Eureka Teresa M. Ocampo Root plasticity, the capacity of a corn root system to modify its growth and development in response to varying environmental conditions, is a crucial adaptability trait for optimizing water and nutrient uptake, especially in challenging environments. Understanding root plasticity provides insights into the pattern basis of crop adaptation, contributing to the development of improved corn varieties and agricultural practices that optimize the production of both ear shoots and forage. This study assessed root traits and other morphological-physiological responses of three corn varieties (NK8840, IPB Var 6, and Pearl Sweet) grown for food (ear shoots) and forage (baby corn fodder) to FertiGroe®-N and urea fertilizers. The experiment used a two-factor randomized block design with three replications, conducted from August 2021 to February 2022 in Tiaong, Quezon, Phi...

Joy B. Banayo, Kathlyn Louise V. Manese, Kaito O. Furusho, Madeline S. Kingan, Justine P. Ayomen, Marcelino G. Saliw-an, Karina Marie G. Nicholas, Kayvin Joel S. Petipit, Dorothy P. Pagbilao, Vea Roven E. Arellano, Rene C. Santiago, Flomella A. Caguicla, Arnolfo M. Monleon, Giselle M. Perlas, Rhea Palma A. Ortego, Sharon B. Singzon, Agapita J. Salces, and Takahiro Yamagata Profit maximization is not the only production objective in farming. For smallholder farms worldwide, family sustenance often takes priority, with production being viewed more as savings-oriented than market-oriented. Furthermore, market pressures can lead to the mismanagement of indigenous livestock resources, increasing their risk of genetic erosion. To ensure the long-term conservation of the Philippine native pig, this study aimed to determine the various types of native pig farmers and define the intervention strategies for each type. A total of 432 native pig farmers representing seven provinces in the Phili...

Asuncion K. Raymundo, Franco G. Teves, Edmerson B. Geronimo, and Windell L. Rivera In 2014, only 8.7% or 202 out of 2313 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines were reported to offer a BS Biology degree. An analysis of the microbiology programs of 37 HEIs-respondents in 2016 using questionnaire, augmented by data from websites, and personal interviews revealed that only eight HEIs offer a BS Biology program with a major in microbiology. Only one HEI offers BS Microbiology in the whole country. Together with five others, it produces graduates that are automatically qualified to take the certification examination conducted by the Philippine Academy for Microbiology (PAM). In one HEI, its graduates were deemed unqualified to take the PAM examination as they lack Microbial Ecology, a required course. Two other HEIs can produce graduates that can qualify to take the PAM examination by designing a program that will allow students to take all the required courses from a li...