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grown with commercial chemically formulated fertilizers. The only way to lower production costs is for farmers to learn to process their own organic fertilizers. An organic farmer admitted that the change from traditional to non-chemical farming was totally difficult as what was once his 15 kilos of okra has been significantly reduced to 7 kilos each scheduled harvest. Not to mention the invasion of insects that begun to swarm in his farm when he stopped the use of pesticides. According to the website EcoPhilippines, going organic will totally involve a considerable amount of investment and time. First, the soil must first be analyzed for rehabilitation to determine the exact nutrients needed and other recommendations for the soil. Second, land preparation should eliminate the use of herbicides and instead using the grass cutter or manual pruning to plow and pulverize the soil and prevent grass from growing. Third, is reconditioning the soil by using vermicasts or composts using earthworms to let the garden “rest” for at least a month from the chemicals. After the “rest” period, the garden is ready to be planted and the introduction of seedlings should be totally free of synthetic inputs. Likewise, organic farmers should ensure that their seeds and other inputs are totally free from chemicals and these should be checked by certifying bodies.
Consumer awareness Private think tank La Liga Policy Institute recommends that for people to totally go into organic, it should raise consumer awareness which is marketing. La Liga says there is much to be gained in enhancing the labeling, standards and certification of organic products and byproducts to sustain ecological agriculture. La Liga managing director Roland Cabigas said that a concrete labeling system with clear government check mechanism for the
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Crops
Organic farmers should ensure that their seeds and other inputs are totally free from chemicals and these should be checked by certifying bodies
validity of labels, the promotion of organic products and byproducts would boost trading system that would benefit more consumers and producers. This means developing labels and standards that range from organic, semiorganic, organically grown, naturally farmed, pesticide free or less chemicals. Cabigas also said the appropriate labels will provide the consumers the appropriate food information and proper guidance. Likewise, certification processes should be attuned to the interest of the small farmers to make it more economical to go into organic farming. If these measures are immediately done, Cabigas said organic supply would surely increase and these would drive down prices that would encourage people to buy. It also would be reasonable to expect consumers to wean themselves from “steroid-
laced” meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. While organic farms are sprouting like mushrooms in the country, experts cautions that the farms should be entirely free from chemicals and that farmers should be educated and knowledgeable enough to operate an organic farm. Organic farming, they say, is easier said than done and although organic agriculture seems to be the trend in the next five years, its goal of addressing the food security and health benefits should be taken into consideration foremost. With the booming population and increasing health perils, organic farming may seem to be one of the keys in addressing the poverty of third world countries such as the Philippines. n Gemma Delmo
Arysta LifeScience Japan introduces new product for IPM ARYSTA LIFESCIENCE HAS introduced BotaniGard® WP (Beauveria bassiana strain GHA), a product of Laverlam International, Corp., for integrated pest management (IPM) in Japan. The microbial insecticide BotaniGard® ES (Emulsifiable Suspension) has been promoted in the Japanese market by Arysta LifeScience to control thrips, whiteflies and Lepidoptera along with beneficial insects and mites (so called, “natural enemies”). Although
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effective against the target pests, some side effects were found to act against predatory mites such as Amblyseius swirskii. In response, Arysta LifeScience developed a new formulation of Beauveria bassiana. As a wettable powder, BotaniGard WP is much less harmful to predatory mites and is compatible with IPM programs in greenhouse vegetables such as strawberries, sweet peppers, eggplants and cucumbers. In another major development, Arysta
LifeScience Vietnam has begun operation of a new suspension concentrate (SC) formulation plant in Song Than II Industrial Zone, Binh Duong province, Vietnam, for production of KASAI-S® 92SC, a fungicide to be launched later this year. KASAI-S is a mixture of kasugamycin and tricyclazole that has proven effective for control of rice blast disease. It will be the first “blasticide” in SC formulation available to growers in Vietnam.
FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue Three 2012