Tech that can help PH farmers amid extreme weather changes

The Philippines has sustained at least P9 billion worth of agricultural damage due to El Niño and with  La Niña expected to begin between September and November, farmers have yet to face another challenge.

Here are some technologies presented at the Technology to People Media Conference titled “MATATAG-ULAN: Smart Agri Solutions during La Niña and Rainy Season” that can help farmers amid extreme weather changes.

Tower Garden Technology

The Tower Garden Technology uses a hydroponics technique and introduces a vertical approach to leafy vegetable production.

According to the US National Agricultural Library, hydroponics is a gardening method using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil.

Created by the Central Luzon State University, the Tower Garden Technology would require less space than conventional farming of leafy vegetables and reduce time and labor since it uses an automated timer to irrigate crops.

In an interview with GMA News Online, project leader Dr. Marvin Cinense said these leafy vegetables include pechay, mustasa, lettuce, and kangkong.

“Sinusubukan na rin naming siyang sa sibuyas, sili, talong, at kamatis pero ‘di tataniman yung buong butas niya,” Cincense said.

“Pwede siyang taniman ng ibang gulay basta ‘di siya mag overlap kasi tumataas yung gulay [kaya] mag aalternate ka,” he added.

(We’re also trying onions, chilis, eggplants and tomatoes but not all holes are fully occupied. You can plant other vegetables as long these won’t overlap since the vegetables will grow, so you need to alternate them.)

In a video presentation of Cinense, the Tower Garden Technology can produce 5.70 kilograms of leafy vegetables per square meter. This is more than conventional farming, which produces 0.54 kg per sqm.

The vertical planting towers are made of prefabricated 6-inch diameter, 6-foot tall PVC pipes. Each tower has 48 planting holes filled with coco-peal growing media.

Its elevated design also prevents waterlogging during rain.

It costs P230,000 for 48 solar-powered towers.

Among the areas that Tower Garden Technology was put up were schools in Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Tarlac.

Hybrid Solar-Powered Dehydrator Machine

Funded by the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development, the Hybrid Solar-Powered Dehydrator Machine is an energy-efficient technology that automates temperature control and ensures consistent quality dried products. 

Created by the Iloilo Science and Technology University, this device aims to assist the food processing industry, especially during the rainy season, by ensuring consistent quality dried products.

In a video presentation of project leader Dr. Renerio Mucas, the Hybrid Solar Powered Dehydrator Machine can attain temperatures as high as 70 Celsius while reducing air humidity.

It also has a backup heating system that guarantees consistent temperature and humidity control regardless of weather conditions.

Initially developed for herbal tea dehydration, the device can also dehydrate agricultural products such as ginger, turmeric, banana, and “Lamayo” fish.

Mucas said the Hybrid Solar Powered Dehydrator Machine costs P350,000 per unit and around 25 of its units have been sold.

Among the communities and businesses that use the Hybrid Solar Powered Dehydrator Machine are the San Dionisio Fish Vendor Association, San Dionisio Fish Vendors Associations, Ephrathah Farms for processing herbal teas, Aldi Foods Incorporated for drying ginger and turmeric pulp and the Dabong Women’s Volunteer Group for banana flour processing.

CL-SEAMS and Dissemination of Crop Advisories

Funded by the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development, the Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture as an Industry in the Philippines (SARAI) is an action program that aims to lower climate risks by providing the agricultural sector with site-specific crop.

One of its projects is the Community-Level SARAI-Enhanced Agricultural Monitoring System (CL-SEAMS), a free informative system that uses a satellite to monitor the actual area of the crop planted and its conditional near-real time basis.

The system presents site-specific information on crop status, harvest, and pests and diseases as it identifies the crops planted on the field such as rice and corn.

It also shows flood and drought-prone areas and an early warning system for flood and drought disaster risk reduction and management tools.

With the CL-SEAMS, the local government units and the Department of Agriculture regional offices can have timely crop monitoring since it can estimate crop yields.

The device can also allocate resources after the onslaught of extreme weather conditions such as flooding and droughts.

In his presentation, project leader Prof. Moises Dorado said CL-SEAMS can deliver information in three to five days and does not require expensive hardware as it can run a five-year-old computer.

“In the absence of these weather stations, na nangyayari sa malalayong agricultural areas, magandang supplement to the weather data,” Dorado said.

(In the absence of these weather stations, which are applicable in remote agricultural areas, this is a good supplement to the weather data.)

Some of the local government units utilizing the CL-SEAMS are Dumangas, Iloilo;  Lupao, NUeva Ecija; and Calintaan, Occidental Mindoro.

SPIDTECH

Also initiated by SARAI, the Smarter Pest Identification Technology (SPIDTECH) is an Android application that points out insect pests and diseases of rice, corn, coffee, cacao, banana, coconut, sugarcane, soybean, and tomato.

It also has a library where users can check the signs, life stages, and management practices to address pests and diseases of agricultural plants.

SPIDTECH aims to educate users about common pests and diseases in the Philippines.

To identify a pest or disease, the user will have to take or upload a photo of the specimen from the app and answer some answers. —RF, GMA Integrated News