Locals engaged in trichoderma hands-on training 1
04 LOCALS underwent hands-on-training on trichoderma utilization and production organized by the Institute of Social Research (ISRD) and the Northern Philippine Root Crops Research Training Center (NPRCRTC) of Benguet State University (BSU) together with the Bureau of Plant Industry – Department of Agriculture (BPI-DA) on July 9 and July 26, 2017 in Palina Kibungan and Asipulo in Ifugao, respectively.
These trainings are part of an on-going extension project of ISRD dubbed as ‘Education, propagation and conservation of traditional food crops as embodiment of Indigenous Knowledge Systems’ that aims at contributing to the delivery of BSU developed technologies to these communities as well as complementing community efforts in saving sweetpotato or camote as source of livelihood. This ‘extension’ phase has actually emanated from an earlier research project in 2015-2016 that documented the worldview and traditional foodcrops, where local informants in the study sites, expressed the need for saving this important crop.
Fusarium wilt, a fungal disease infecting rootcrops, specifically sweetpotatoes, is known to spread either through infected planting materials and infected soil and it can also thrive in poorly maintained soil/area. In response, the NPRCRTC, the leading rootcrops center of NL has developed a package of technology (PoT) using trichoderma as soil amendment, a condition necessary in combatting soil borne fusarium wilt, and the propagation of clean planting materials, another condition for the production of this crop. Through the continuous field trials of BSU, trichoderma has scientifically been proven as an effective combatant of the said disease, the fact that it can serve as a soil conditioner, bioremediator, biopesticide and compost activator. Trichoderma is a biocontrol agent known and developed in the science and technology community initially to boost soil condition.
NPRCRTC, already documented and tested in 2014 fusarium wilt infestation of sweetpotatoes that has become widespread from Nueva Vizacaya to several parts of the Cordillera. For a time, this has spelled a big threat to the continuing cultivation of sweetpotatoes, a very important item not only for subsistence communities but also as a source of cash for many communities. In a report made by the Ifugao Peasant Movement, leading camote growing areas in Asipulo include Namal, Camandag, Amduntog and Numpaling still grow the crop, but in a more difficult condition.
Dennis Gumangan, Councilor of Asipulo, Ifugao, also reported that one effect of the demise of this crop is the outmigration of its settlers, mostly moving to the vegetable growing communities in Benguet to work as oblantes, that is as farm workers.
In a continuing mapping research activity of the ISRD, it has documented drastic reduction in areas devoted to camote. Gumangan of Asipulo said that before the disease hit their area they have sweetpotato plantation. This goes well with the 2013 data of DA-CAR pointing to Ifugao as the province having the biggest production of sweetpotato with 7,327.75 M.T. compared to Benguet registering 5,453.87 metric tons. In two sampling sites traversing the Asipulo-Lamut road (located along Haliap and Antipolo), initial GPS data show that from an area of more than 600 sq. meters devoted for camote, it is now being prepared for vegetable production, attesting to the fact that camote areas are now being converted to vegetable gardening areas.
In Buguias, as of the recent data collected the remaining sweetpotato area is 1,733.42 sq.m. or 18.11% as compared to 9,570.42 sq.m. planted before. In Kayapa they have 1,612 sq.m. or 6.16% of remaining sweet potato area as compared to 26, 175 sq.m. planted before. In Kibungan although this is not yet final the remaining sweet potato area is 663 sq.m. as compared to 1,949.8 sq.m. planted before.
With these trainings, it is hoped to complement development efforts of other BSU R&D institutes in trying to save and propagate camote, also known in history as ‘buffer crop’ even as ‘calamity crop’ in an age where climate hazards have become common.
For the Kibungan training, Ms Rhoda Oloan, a plant pathologist and a researcher of BPI-DA Cordillera region, served as the resource person, while Ms. Teresita Masangcay, another plant pathologist and an extensionist of the NPRCRTC served as another important resource person for the Asipulo training.
By ISRD-BSU