JanuaryJanuaryJanuary---March 2010, Vol. 1 No. 1March 2010, Vol. 1 No. 1March 2010, Vol. 1 No. 1

Geographic Extent of Mt. Pinatubo Geographic Extent of Mt. Pinatubo Geographic Extent of Mt. Pinatubo VolcanicVolcanicVolcanic---ash Influenced Soils ash Influenced Soils ash Influenced Soils Using Remote Sensing Using Remote Sensing Using Remote Sensing A Time Series Study on Soil Formation and Development

SSSOILSCAPEOILSCAPEOILSCAPE BSWM SOILSCAPE is the official soil and water resources assessment  

quarterly bulletin of the Bureau of Soils and Water Management 

2

Director’s Message

Geographic Extent of Mt. Pinatubo Volcanic-ash

Influenced Soils Using Remote Sensing: A Time

Series Study on Soil Formation and

Development

Erosion and Water Resources Assessment in

the Upper Inabanga Watershed in Bohol

Comparative Analysis of

Antioxidant Properties and Fruit Quality

Attributes of Organically and Conventionally

Grown Melons (Cucumis melo L.)

WRMD Chronicles:

Looking back at the division’s successful

irrigation projects

News briefs

contents

3 4 10 12 14 18

3

director’s message

Our editorial staff decided to forego with a quarterly newsletter but instead come up with a technical bulletin in view of the dearth of scientific materials on soil and water, specifically those pertaining to soil and water resources assessment. Although this publication would have a more specific target audience, the impact would be more lasting as the value of the data becomes higher with time. As this technical bulletin is focused on soil and water resources assessment, this should encourage the publication of other soil and water related materials, especially those pertaining to BSWM activities that dealt on other sub-disciplines of soils science, specifically those relating to soil chemistry, soil physics and mineralogy, soil biology, soil fertility and plant nutrition, soil

SILVINO Q. TEJADA, CESO III Director

and water conservat ion and management. With the moves of the national government towards results-based management, we cannot just be reporting on activities. Our clientele demands outputs. As you are all aware, much of our soil resources inventory reports are for sale. This technical bulletin aims to give our readers and researchers a glimpse of the wealth of our generated data and an update of our completed projects and activities. We affirm our commitment to make these data available to the general public.

4

A Time Series Study on Soil Formation and Development

Geographic Extent of Mt. Pinatubo Volcanic-ash Influenced Soils Using Remote Sensing

Before its eruption, Mt. Pi-natubo, located at the intersection of the borders of the provinces of Zambales, Tarlac, and Pampanga in the Philippines, was an inconspicuous volcano with a summit reaching 1,745 m above mean sea level. Indigenous people, the Aetas, lived on the slopes of the volcano and in surrounding areas. It was the source of several important river systems, some of which are Bucao, Santo Tomas, Maloma, Tanguay, and Kileng on the western flank of the volcano; and on the eastern flank, some are Bangat, Ma-rimla, O-Donnell-Tarlac, Sacobia-Bamban, Abacan, Pasig-Potrero, and Porac. It was a stratovolcano made of andesite and dacite. The cataclysmic 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo drastically changed the geomorphology of the area. In the June 15 explosion, the volcano ejected more than five cubic kilometers of materials with ash clouds rising to 35 kilometers blanketing the countryside with volcanic ash and pumice (USGS, 1997). The eruption removed so much magma and rock from below the volcano that the summit collapsed to form a large caldera 2.5 kilometers across. The highest point of the caldera is now placed at 1,485 m above sea level, some 260 m lower than the pre-eruption summit. There were weaker but nevertheless, still spectacular eruptions through September, 1991. Even after more than five years, the hazardous effects of the vol-canic eruptions continue with valley-filling pyroclastic flow deposits remobi-lized by the monsoon and typhoon rains to form giant mudflows of lahars, bury-ing numerous towns and villages, rice paddies and sugarcane fields. Each rainy season brought further lahars. The major river ecosystems were clogged

with sediments and the valleys have seen frequent lahars. Primary pyroclas-tic deposits filled the east-flank valleys to depths of as much as 140 m (R. S. Punongbayan, 1992, oral communica-tion to Kevin M. Scott, USGS). Agri-culture suffered in the region with sev-eral hundreds of square kilometers of formerly arable lands being rendered infertile, destroying the livelihoods of thousands of farmers. Although volcanic eruptions are destructive, it represents soil renewal or Time Zero in soil formation and de-velopment. The continuing weathering of volcanic ash releases nutrients needed by the plants and improves the physical properties of the soil for suitable crop environment. Dr.Shoji Sadao has done significant studies on soil formation and development of volcanic ash (Sadao et.al, 2002). He clarified that volcanic ash soils begin to form with rapid resto-ration of vegetation soon after ash depo-sition and create actually a productive and comfortable environment for crops when they cool, stabilize, and weather into soil. Despite its initial sterile and hot characteristics, volcanic ash have important agro-ecological functions such as accumulation of large amounts of organic carbon and nitrogen, plentiful storage of water, water quality improve-ment, and preservation of the paleo-environment and archaeological arti-facts. Volcanic ash soils are in fact, the most productive soils in the world and extensively utilized for a variety of agro-nomic and horticultural crops. It is therefore the objective of this paper to look into the process of Mt. Pinatubo lahar weathering as well as soil formation and development with the passing of time using satellite imageries to determine the agricultural recovery of the area. This paper will also review the work of other soil scientists to consoli-date our knowledge and understanding of the soil genesis, specifically of the Mt. Pinatubo affected lahar areas.

Theoretical framework on soil forma-tion and development of Mt. Pinatubo volcanic ash-influenced soils Carating (1992) developed a model of soil formation and develop-ment based on the USDA Soil Taxon-omy for Mt. Pinatubo-influenced vol-canic ash soils. The eruption and its con-sequent catastrophic deposition of ash and the related phenomenon of lahar brings us back to Time Zero of soil de-velopment in the affected areas.

When a volcano goes through a major eruption covering certain prov-inces with volcanic ash materials of varying depths and extent, not all areas affected will eventually develop into volcanic ash soils. Some areas are thinly covered that the weathering proc-ess would completely alter traces of vol-canic ash with time. Other areas with thick deposition are in steep physi-ographic position and the volcanic de-posits would be consequently eroded when the rains come. In still other areas where deposits found a physiographic niche, the volcanic materials will weather into a transitional stage, mainly allophane clay minerals, which could either persist for a long period of time or the weathering could proceed until only traces of volcanic ash origin of the soil becomes discernable.

In the USDA Soil Taxonomy

scheme of soil classification, 50 centi-meters is the minimum depth of volcanic ash before a top soil is considered bur-ied. Irrespective of volcanic ash deposi-tion depth, there are five external factors of soil formation: parent material which in this paper is Mt. Pinatubo volcanic

Rodelio B. Carating, Juliet Manguerra, and Irvin Samalca

5

ash; physiography which dictates the extent and volume of deposition, climate where rainfall frequency and volume are most critical, biological factors which include vegetation and soil organisms involved in nutrient cycling, and the last factor is time which is the concern of this study by conducting a time series analysis of the satellite imagery of Mt. Pinatubo-influenced volcanic ash soils.

Formation of non-crystalline

materials (active Al and Fe compounds) and accumulation of organic matter are the dominant pedogenic processing oc-curring in most soils formed in volcanic materials (Shoji, et.al. 1993). This process is termed as “andosolization” (Duchaufour, 1977). Ugolini et.al (1988) showed there is no significant translocation of Al, Fe, and dissolved organic matter.

The formation of non-

crystalline material is directly related to the properties of the volcanic ejecta as a parent material. The particle size, the glassy nature of the particles, and the high porosity permeability enhance chemical weathering rates. Climate also plays an important role as crystallization is promoted as the soil climate becomes warmer and dryer.

And thus, as the volcanic ash

deposits weather to soil, the dominance of allophane clay minerals characterize young volcanic ash soils. This is a long-term transitory phase in temperate coun-tries that could last thousands of years. Saigusa (1978) reported that in Japan, it required about 10,000 years before the volcanic ash soils could proceed to the next stage of soil development. In New Zealand, Kirkman (1975) reported 15,000 years while Nagasawa (1978) claimed 30,000 years in Central Japan. Recognizing this stablility in the USDA Soil Classification scheme, an eleventh soil order, Andisols, was established in the 1990 Keys to Soil Taxonomy. Carat-ing et.al. (2006) showed in his studies of Taal volcanic ash soils that in the ab-sence of soil rejuvenation through inter-mittent ash fall deposition, allophane in the Taal-influenced volcanic ash soils is unstable because of the tropical environ-ment which promotes high intensity chemical weathering thereby promoting the further alteration of clay minerals from allophane to halloysite.

And thus volcanic ash soils can

be divided into two groups based on their mineralogical composition: (1) allophanic volcanic ash soils dominated by allophane and imogolite; and (2) the

non-allophanic volcanic ash soils domi-nated by Al-humus complexes and 2:1 layer silicates especially for those in humid weathering environments.

Continuing with the Carating

1992 paper, halloysite dominate the ex-change complex for those of Taal-influenced soils without intermittent ash falls as soil formation and development proceeds with time. This soil formation pathway is especially true in areas with distinct dry season or in buried soil lay-ers with imperfect drainage. Will vol-canic ash deposits of Mt. Pinatubo fol-low the Taal volcanic ash soils in the soil development pathway? Wada (1974) reported that the allophane and allo-phane-like constitutents would transform to halloysite or gibbsite depending on whether the environment favors silica-tion or desilication. There are indica-tions that the formation of halloysite is favored by thick depositional overbur-den as a silica source for resilication of allophane and by stagnant moisture re-gime. The classification of Tagaytay soils into Mollisols in the USDA Soil Taxonomy system of classification cor-relate with the findings of Shoji, et.al. (1990) who concluded that two of his pedons in Abashiri, Hokkaido showed Andisol transition to Mollisol and asso-ciated such to transformation of non-crystalline minerals to halloysite.

At the last stage of soil devel-

opment is the senility stage. Halloysites no longer dominates the exchange com-plex but rather the kaolinite clay miner-als. Here, the soils are already red in color. The development of the red color

is associated with old soils in view of the persistence of resistant minerals like aluminum and iron oxides and the leach-ing out of the other minerals. The soils are usually classified as Ultisols or Ox-isols. Soils at senility stage are depleted of inherent nutrients and are dependent on internal nutrient cycling to support plant life. Ameliorative strategies such as fertilization or perhaps another vol-canic eruption can resuscitate volcanic ash soils in the senility stage and im-prove its fertility status for agricultural use.

Buol (1980) estimated that the

rate of formation of Mollisols to be 12 years per centimeter, Oxisols to be about 750 years per centimeter. Mohr and van Baren (1954) assessed soil development from volcanic ash to be 1.3 centimeter per year. It certainly takes centuries to millennia to form sizeable thickness of soil cover appropriate for plant growth. It is for this reason that environmental-ists and soil conservationists argue that soils should be considered to follow the economic laws for non-renewable re-sources. In each of these stages, the soils exhibit distinct characteristics which are relevant for soil classification based on the USDA Soil Taxonomy, as well as relevant for crop production suitability assessment. Based on the studies of Ugolini (2002), the soil development pathway for Mt. Pinatubo’s volcanic ash deposits under a tropical climatic regime, and

(Continued on page 6)

The extent of Mt. Pinatubo eruptions  through  the 1990  (pre‐eruption), 1992, 1993,   and 2007 satellite  imageries are compared to assess soil formation and de‐velopment for the rehabilitation of the  lahar‐affected areas for agricultural devel‐opment.  Catastrophes such as volcanic eruptions mark Time Zero in soil formation and development.  Although initially destructive, and the volcanic deposits are ste‐rile and hot, volcanic ash deposition on a landscape refreshes the soil, improves the physical and chemical properties, and  renews soil productivity.   Volcanic ash soils are important components of soil organic matter that are main sources of nitrogen for plants, and various nutrients and energy for soil organisms, and also as impor‐tant contributor to carbon sequestration and global stability from climate change. Mt. Pinatubo ash contains 1.7 g P2O5 kg

‐1 mostly occurring as apatite enhancing the plant‐available phosphorus.    It should be noted, however  that  the pre‐1991 erup‐tion study shows that the soil development pathway is characterized by dominance of  allophane;  and  hence, we  should  expect  high  phosphate  retention  and  non‐availability to plants despite its abundance.  Time series study on the development of Pinatubo  volcanic‐influenced ash‐soils  shows  that  the weathering process pro‐ceeds  rapidly  for many of  the affected areas.   However,  the major  lahar deposi‐tional areas have remained as lahar despite the passing of the years.  The time se‐ries  satellite  imageries  provide  interesting  study  on  soil  development  of Mt.  Pi‐natubo volcanic ash soils:   the old  lahar deposits are  just overlain by the new and quite large areas of lahar deposits no longer appear as lahar in the satellite images.  The characteristics of these volcanic ash soils for agricultural use and the appropri‐ate soil management recommendations are provided. 

6

based on the USDA Soil Taxonomy system of soil classification can be summed up as follows:

Tropical Climatic Regime Warm dry/moist: Entisols Mollisols Entisols Andisols Mollisols Warm/dry Entisols Vertisols Warm/moist Entisols Andisols Inceptisols Alfisols Ultisols Entisols Andisols Inceptisols Oxisols          Studies on satellite imageries. There were two sets of satellite imageries stud-ied for this project: The first was a set of LandSat TM images from the Na-tional Space Development Agency of Japan taken from 1990 to 1996 made available through Dr. Toshiaki Ohkura then JICA Expert assigned to the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM). The second satellite imagery is SPOT taken in 2007 and made avail-able to BSWM in 2008 through Diversi-fied Farm Income Market Development Program (DFIMDP) for Biofuels.

1. Image retrieval and geometric correc-tion. The images were retrieved from CD using ERDAS Imagine 8.3.1. The digital boundary was overlayed to deter-mine the extent of the study area. Geo-metric corrections were then made. An unsupervised classification was con-ducted to estimate the number of classes.

2. Subsetting and supervised classifica-tion. The image was subset to limit cov-erage only to the study of interest: the extent of lahars. Supervised classifica-tion could then proceed. In remote sens-ing, classification is the process of sort-ing pixels into a finite number of classes based on their data file values. If a pixel satisfies a certain set of criteria, then the pixel is assigned to the class that corre-spond to the criteria. Unlike the unsu-pervised classification done earlier which was computer automated, and done to uncover statistical patterns in the data, the analyst has more control in identifying the patterns in the imagery. In ERDAS Imagine, the supervised clas-sification is done in three operations: defining signatures, evaluating signa-tures, and performing supervised classi-fication.

(Continued from page 5) Pre-1991 Eruption of Mt. Pinatubo as model for mature volcanic ash soils and its characteristics for agricultural use

Figure 2 presents the satellite

imagery of Mt. Pinatubo taken in 1990 and before its last eruption in 1991. The remnants of the old (pre-1991) lahar deposits on the various river systems draining from Mt. Pinatubo are still visi-ble despite assessment that its previous eruption took place about 450 years ago. We will consider the soils data from these area taken before its eruption as our model for mature-senile soils.

It is interesting to note that the

pre-1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo-influenced volcanic ash soils, unlike the Taal-influenced volcanic ash soils which has two development pathways depend-ing on availability of fresh volcanic ash deposits, reveal soil development along the Andisol soil classification concept as X-ray diffraction studies show domi-nance of allophane and imogolite in the exchange complex (Otsuka, 1988). This suggests relative stability of an allo-phane transitory phase of soil develop-ment for Mt.Pinatubo-influenced vol-canic ash soils. In Taal-influenced vol-canic ash soils, allophane persists only in areas when there are fresh volcanic ash renewal; otherwise, the allophane weathers to halloysite.

Wada and Harward (1974) re-

ported that nearly all varieties of vol-canic ash (basaltic, andesitic, deictic, or rhyolitic) produce allophane and allo-phane-like constituents, though they maybe different in nature, stability, and amount. Imogolite, though different in amount, is also associated with allo-phane in the weathering of these vol-canic ash. Wada also stated that the presence of allophane constitutes the most important feature of soils derived from volcanic ash.

The characteristics of soils rich

in allophane and formed from volcanic ash are as follows, Wright (1964): (a) Generally with thick profiles, friable in upper part and ordinarily with distinct stratification; (b) Presence of dark humic compounds in top soils relatively resis-tant to microbial decomposition; (c) Prominent yellowish brown subsoil col-ors with marked “smeary” or “greasy” feel when squeezed between the fingers; (d) Very low bulk density; (e) High wa-ter holding capacity; (f) Weak structural aggregates; (g) Almost complete lack of stickiness or plasticity when moist; (h) High cation exchange capacity; (i) High

phosphate retention. The implications for agriculture

of these soil properties dominated by allophane are significant. The accumu-lation of large amounts of carbon and nitrogen as important components of soil organic matter is considered very impor-tant in the mitigation of climate change through the concept of carbon sequestra-tion. It is estimated that the carbon held in the soil organic matter is approxi-mately twice that occurring in the at-mosphere as CO2 and is three times more than that in all vegetation as or-ganic compounds (IPCC, 2001). Very low bulk density relate to lack of im-pedence for root germination. High water holding capacity has implications on drought resistance. Weak structural aggregates and lack of stickiness reflect on high erosion susceptibility. No-tillage has important conservation ad-vantage and highly recommended for upland farming for these soils. In no-tillage practice, the soil is left undis-turbed and only furrows for planting and fertilization are prepared. The high value of cation exchange capacity would cor-relate to good fertility. High phosphate retention means limiting availability to crops despite possibly adequate levels in the soil. To improve this problem, ini-tial application of a large amount of phosphorus fertilizer by broadcasting and then yearly application by banding are commonly practiced. It should also be noted that allophanic surface horizons contain small exchangeable calcium and liming might be needed in some areas.

Figure  2  presents  the  satellite  imagery  of Mt.  Pinatubo  taken  in  1990  and  before  its last eruption in 1991. 

7

The 1991 eruptions of Mt. Pinatubo and the watershed areas affected by its volcanic debris; the characteristics of Mt. Pinatubo volcanic ash

Figure 3A is the satellite im-agery of Mt. Pinatubo vicinities taken in 1992 showing the extent of lahar dam-ages and the affected vicinities courtesy of the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). Figure 3B is the results of the analysis of the satel-lite imagery. The total area covered by lahar is about 106,778 hectares. The accumulation of lahar on the footslopes of Mt. Pinatubo is a threat for many years to come.

Figure 3C is the satellite im-

agery of the same area taken in 1993. Some areas have recovered from lahar devastation while certain areas have expanded lahar deposition showing the continuing unstable condition of the affected areas. Figure 3D is the results of the analysis. The satellite imagery shows that the lahar on the footslopes of Mt. Pinatubo has decreased significantly but the area covered has expanded from about 106,778 in 1992 hectares to about 121,358 hectares by 1993.

Figure 3E is the satellite im-

agery taken in 1995. The lahar source has significantly decreased at Mt. Pi-natubo footslopes but the threat of bury-ing more towns remain. Some areas have recovered from lahar deposition while in some areas, the lahar deposition has expanded. Figure 3F which is the results of the analysis of the satellite imagery shows a totally different pic-ture. The lahar deposits at the volcano footslopes have significantly decreased, the area coverage of lahar has likewise decreased to about 50,888 hectares. Not only has the threat of more devastating lahar flows decreased somehow, but significant lahar devastated areas show soil development and agricultural reha-bilitation. The results of the image analysis evidently shows that contrary to initial perceptions that it may take long for the areas to recover from lahar de-posits, soil formation and development from the initial lahar parent material proceeds rather fast.

Reyes and Neue (1991) found

lahar to be acidic, with pH of 4.3 and consists mainly of sand (79%)and only 3% clay. Various vegetables grown to lahar germinated from 50% to 90% but the corn, cowpea and mungbean showed chlorosis after two weeks while sweet potato and kangkong showed vigorous

(Continued on page 8)

Figures 3A and 3B. (A) The 1992 satellite imagery of Mt. Pinatubo showing de-bris accumulation on the footslopes; (B) results of image analysis

Figures 3C and 3D. (C) The 1993 satellite imagery of Mt. Pinatubo and (D) the results of the image analysis

Figures 3E and 3F. (E) The 1995 satellite imagery of Mt. Pinatubo and (E) the results of the image analysis

8

growth. Studies by Mazaredo, Coronel, and Vergara (1991) conducted studies on the growing of rice cultivars on lahar with pH 4.3. Only those cultivars adapted to acidic condition showed vig-orous growth. The authors concluded that for rice to grow, an extensive new system of nutrient and cultural manage-ment may have to be introduced to sus-tain productivity. The authors actually discount the fact that rapid restoration of vegetation and soil environment takes place on volcanic ash deposits soon after the ash deposition event (Shoji, et.al. 2002). Lahar deposits will not remain as lahar but would weather to soil with time.

A series of reconnaissance type

of surveys were conducted in June 1991 to evaluate the extent of damage to agri-cultural areas and assess the depth of volcanic ash fall (Micosa, et.al. 1994). Random auger borings were conducted and samples were collected for physico-chemical and mineralogical characteri-zation.

Table 1 presents some of the

physical properties of volcanic ashes. It should be noted that samples with higher amount of silt and clay could retain higher amount of moisture.

Table 2 shows the agro-

chemical characteristics of each layer. Layer II which is silty texture is strongly acid, abundant in sulfates and extract-able cations. Layers III and IV which are fine sand and coarse sand in texture, respectively, are low in sulfates as well as low in extractable cations. Layer V is silty in texture and moderately acid is abundant in sulfates and moderate in cations. Layer VI is loamy sand in tex-ture, acidic, abundant in sulfates but low in cations.

These laboratory results have

implications on the deposits’ capability to support agricultural crops. The trace nitrogen and minimal available phos-phorus and potassium reflect on heavy fertilization requirements to meet crop nutrient needs. The low moisture reten-tion capacity and low nutrient holding capacity indicate the need for split fertil-izer applications. The formation of po-tentially toxic FeS in acid submerged soils is a threat not only in brackish wa-ter but also in rice fields, injuring the roots of rice plants. The fresh volcanic deposits, assuming they have cooled down, would find it difficult to support plant life.

(Continued from page 7)

The ashes of Mt. Pinatubo be-long to andesitic ash mainly composed of feldspars (mainly plagioclase), quartz, mica (mainly biotite), hornblende, mag-netite, and amorphous materials (pumice, volcanic glass, etc.) Pyroxene, apatite, and pyrophilite also exist in some ash deposits. It is satisfactory to consider Mt. Pinatubo’s ashes as a horn-blende-andesite volcanic ash based on its mineralogical composition. The sig-nificance of this mineralogical study could be related on the capability of the soils that would eventually weather from these deposits to supply nutrients to the crops. Feldspars contribute to the for-mation of secondary minerals and source of calcium, sodium, and potassium. Plagioclase mainly supplies sodium and potassium. Orthoclase mainly supplies potassium. Quartz is most resistant from weathering. Mica, specially biotite, sup-plies potassium and magnesium and contributes to the formation of 2:1 layer clay minerals depending on surrounding conditions. Hornblende supplies cal-cium, magnesium, and iron. Pyroxene supplies the same elements as horn-blende. Magnetite is fairly resistant to weathering and gradually supplies iron. Apatite is a source of phosphorus. Amorphous materials, especially fine volcanic glass is fairly weatherable and contributes to allophane formation.

This portion of the study shows

that despite the fresh deposits’ limita-tions to support plant life, it has a vast reservoir of locked-up minerals, that given enough time for the deposits to weather, Mt Pinatubo volcanic ash soils will be productive and the deposits actu-ally rejuvenated the vast agricultural areas it initially devastated.

The Mt. Pinatubo volcanic ash depos-its in 2008. A look at the state of soil weathering 17 years after eruption Climate, together with the in-fluence of vegetation and time of expo-sure, are the primary factors regulating soil development pathways in volcanic materials. Andisols generally form quite fast in humid climates and alter to other soil orders as the soil age and the degree of weathering increases. However, areas with intermittent deposition of volcanic ash rejuvenates soil development proc-esses and Andisol could be maintained as stable soil conditions. On the other hand, warm/dry conditions promote formation of crystal-line layer silicates rather than non-crystalline materials and leaching is lim-ited leading to high base saturation. This often leads to alteration of Andisols to Inceptisols.

Soil survey as part of the vali-dation of the soil map for Region III is conducted in February, 2008. We re-turned to some of the 1991 sampled ar-eas to assess the state of soil weathering some seventeen years after eruption. The field survey work is completed mid-April, 2008. The Soil Map of Region III is up to soil series level at map scale of 1:250,000 (Figure 7). It is the very first updated regional soil map fast-tracked to be completed in time for this Southeast Asian Geography Conference. Prior to this, we have provincial soil maps at varying scales completed from before the war up to the late 60’s. The scale of these old soil maps actually depends on the size of the province, and hence, they vary. Since the soil maps are at various map scales, we could not put them to-

9

Sample No./ Equiv. Layer (Fig. 5)

Location Depth (cm)

Particle size distribution (%) Moisture retention capacity (%)

Total sand 0.05-2mm

Silt 0.002-0.05 mm

Clay <0.002 mm

Maximum Water Hold-ing Capacity

Field Capac-ity 1/3 bar

Permanent Wilting Point 15 bars

Available Moisture

1 (VI) Botolan 0-5 64.0 28.2 7.8 34.0 8.2 2.7 5.5

2 (VI) Sn. Marcelino 0-3 86.0 8.2 5.8 31.1 7.4 1.4 6.0

3 (V) Makati 0-0.3* 42.0 45.2 12.8 45.4 37.9 3.0 34.9

gether as we integrate one provincial soil map with another provincial soil map.

Although the soil map would hardly change with time because the soil classification criteria are based on per-manent soil features, but there are cur-rent developments we need to recognize that compel us to come up with updated Soil Map of the Philippines. For one, the demand for soil data as input to ra-tional resource allocation and rural de-velopment planning has shifted in focus from political units to more holistic de-velopment planning framework with emphasis on the watershed as the unit of planning. Watersheds do not recognize political boundaries but topographic divides. Secondly, the eruptions of Mt. Pinatubo totally altered the landscape of Region III. From the pre and post Mt. Pi-natubo eruption satellite imageries, it is very clear that Mt. Pinatubo’s current volcanic ash deposits just overlay the old. This is very interesting from the soil mappers’ point of view because we claim that the eruptions altered the land-scape of Region III. Indeed the land-scape was changed, there are many land features not there prior to Mt. Pinatubo’s eruptions. However, from the soil scien-tists’ point of view, and based on the satellite imageries, the new deposits are just overlain on the old deposits. There-fore, to predict the properties and agri-cultural value of the new deposits hun-dreds of years from now, all we have to do is go back to pre-eruption soils data. If ever Mt. Pinatubo will erupt again, new deposits will again overlay on the old, and thus the soil weathering cycle

Table 1. The physical properties of the volcanic ashes

*Volcanic ash deposits taken from house veranda, Legazpi Village, June 15, 1991 and equivalent to Layer V as presented in Figure 5.

begins anew. The soil map shows that at this point in time, seventeen years after the eruptions of Mt. Pinatubo, the lahar de-posits have not yet developed into soil. However, the surrounding areas charac-terized by thin deposition of volcanic ash have weathered to soils. By provid-ing a source of nutrients from readily weatherable materials, the eruptions of Mt. Pinatubo rejuvenated the surround-ing agricultural areas. Volcanic soils are among the most productive soils for agriculture and forestry. The addition of fresh materials not only counteracted soil erosion but also provided new sub-strates to rejuvenate soil processes and sustain the productivity of the agricul-tural areas. We intend, however to fur-ther update this 2008 Soil Map of Re-gion III by integrating more recent and current satellite imageries. Hastening soil development of lahar-affected areas

We have shown in the study

that although fresh volcanic ash deposits of Mt. Pinatubo would have little value for agricultural use; however, locked up in the volcanic ash is a vast reservoir of nutrients of importance to crops. So once it cools, the volcanic ash is suitable as a medium for plant growth. Rejuve-nation of the soil environment can be accomplished by restoration of vegeta-tion. Nitrogen supply to the pioneer plants is the key to the intense revegeta-tion of areas affected by volcanic ash. Nitrogen can be supplied through the mineral nitrogen in the rainwater, soil organic nitrogen mixed in the volcanic ash, organic nitrogen of the buried soil,

and the microbiologically fixed nitrogen. Revegetation can also be estab-

lished by co-existence of gramineous and leguminous plants. Saito et.al. (2002) hypothesized the process with gramineous plants such as Saccharum sponteneum starting to grow from air-borne seeds. Probably diazotrophic endophytic bacteria contribute to the growth of the seedlings by nitrogen fixa-tion. Secondly, the airborne or flood-dispersed spores of arbuscular mycorhi-zal fungi colonize the gramineous plants and fungal density increase in the host plants. Thirdly, leguminous seeds such as Centrosema pubescens are also dis-persed and start to grow along with the gramineous plants. Once the gramine-ous and leguminous plant community with symbiotic microorganisms is estab-lished, the soil environment is rapidly restored. The soil under the gramineous and leguminous plant community accu-mulated more than twice as much or-ganic carbon and nitrogen compared to the soil under gramineous plant commu-nity only.

Soil management recommendations

A variety of agricultural crops can be grown on Mt. Pinatubo influ-enced volcanic ash soils. It can be used for growing high value horticultural crops. For example, high quality yams would require excellent soil tilth for smooth elongation of the roots and ease of harvesting, which volcanic ash soils can provide. Soil management provides an important key to improving soil pro-ductivity:

Nitrogen. Although volcanic

ash soils have small readily mineraliz-able organic N, the soils accumu-late high concentrations of or-ganic matter and can supply large amounts of mineral nitrogen to crops. Organic N in volcanic ash soils, however, is seemingly highly resistant to microbial de-composition. A second note is that recovery of N from urea or ammonium sulfate by plants is not high. To resolve these prob-

(Continued on page 17)

Table 2. Some agro-chemical properties of the volcanic ash layers (mean) Layer (based on Fig. 5)

No. of samples analyzed

Thickness (cm)

pH (water)

Available P (ppm)

NH4OAcExtractable, ppm

Ca Mg Na K SO4

II 1 12.0 4.7 6.5 186 2 32 11 319

III 8 7.7 7.1 0.5 38 Trace 1 4 33

IV 11 9.0 6.9 9.2 48 1 2 6 62

V 4 3.0 6.4 8.8 149 2 6 10 213

VI 2 4.0 5.9 2.3 25 4 7 11 252

10

Application of WEPP and GIS Tools

Erosion and Water Resources Assessment in the Upper Inabanga Watershed in Bohol1

Imelida Torrefranca

The Inabanga Watershed Project The ACIAR Watershed Project2 in

Bohol Island was established to address agricul-tural opportunities and natural resources problems in the island. The major task was to inventory resources and to develop strategies for protecting the environmentally and economically sensitive soil and water resources of the Inabanga River Watershed while maintaining agricultural produc-tivity within the watershed. The study The study is an initial step into understanding erosion processes within the Upper Inabanga Watershed. The study aims to describe the impact of land use management practices in terms of soil loss, runoff and sediment yield at the runoff plots and at a watershed level. The study also uses the Geo-WEPP erosion model to predict and simulate soil loss, runoff and sediment from agricultural hillslope incorporating soil conservation measures, and to predict the effect of land cover change in selected catchment in terms of runoff and sediment yield. Watershed measurements by the project

Watershed measurements were carried

out in the Upper Inabanga Watershed. Erosion plots were set up under five common land uses in the watershed. Automatic water samplers were placed across two creeks to monitor discharge and sediment transport. A 98-week data set from the experimental plots was used to analyze runoff and

soil loss linked to weekly rainfall data from local-ized rain gauges. Discharge rate data from water samplers and rain-intensity data from weather stations was used to characterize the subwater-sheds in terms of runoff and sediment yield. Rainfall, runoff and soil loss

The highest values for runoff and soil

loss were recorded from the cassava/corn plot, while the lowest values of these parameters were

recorded from the forest plot. The total rainfall measured from the three localized rain gauges differed, ranging from 3850 to 5044 mm. The highest rainfall was measured in the oil palm area. The runoff per unit rainfall (1 unit rainfall = 1 mm) from cassava/corn, grassland, agroforest, oil palm and forest plots is in the order of 29%, 20.8%, 18%, 5.2% and 0.3%, respectively. In terms of soil loss per mm of runoff, the cassava/corn plot

generated 0.0609 t·ha-1·mm-1 followed by forest (0.0284 t·ha-1·mm-1), oil palm (0.0186 t·ha-1·mm-

1), grassland (0.0127 t·ha-1·mm-1) and agroforest (0.0062 t·ha-1·mm-1). The high soil loss per unit runoff in cassava/corn plot is suggested to be linked to cultivation and cropping activities during the data collection. Additionally, at different periods during the data collection period, soil was bare and exposed to the detaching impact of rain-fall. The agroforest plot has the lowest amount of sediment per unit runoff. The low concentration of sediment in the agroforest plot was most likely due to flat terraces allowing sediments to settle down after transit within the plot.

During the

98 weeks or 1.9 years of data collection, the highest soil loss rate was 43.1 t·ha-1·yr-1 (computed as 81.9. t·ha-1 divided by 1.9 years) from cassava/corn plot. The rest of the plots showed erosion rates below the limit of 10 t·ha-1·yr-1: the erosion rates were 6.4 t·ha-1·yr-1, 2.6 t·ha-1·yr-1, 2.3 t·ha-1·yr-1, and 0.2 t·ha-1·yr-1 for grassland, oil palm, agroforest and forest, respectively. The cassava/corn plot gener-ated more than 6 times the erosion of the next higher land cover type, which was grassland. The cassava/corn plot was the only plot that was culti-vated during the data collection. Cultivation is hypothesized to be the main reason why the ero-sion rate was relatively high in the cassava/corn plot compared to other plots.

Erosion assessment using

WEPP model at the farm level The hillslope topography was altered to

effect terracing. There were two sub-scenarios assessed. One scenario was when a 1-m terrace was located at the bottom of the hillslope while the other scenario was when there were two 1-m ter-races, one at the bottom and the other at the middle of the hillslope. The terrace was set at 1% slope and was cropped with corn. The hillslope condi-tion is illustrated. The scenarios evaluated were: a) conventional tillage – without any conservation measure, b) application of terraces, and c) use of grass strips. Results of the simulation are as follows:

- Soil loss increased as the slope increased while the runoff depth decreased with increasing slope. The trends on runoff agreed with the field experi-ments reported by Presbitero (2003) for hedged runoff plots planted with corn on 50%, 60% and 70% slopes. Additionally, the trend for soil loss showed a similar pattern to that measured for soil loss from bare plots in the above noted field ex-periments of Presbitero (2003).

- Soil loss and sediment yield were reduced with a terrace compared with soil loss and sediment yield on hillslopes without a terrace. The single 1 m width terrace reduced soil loss by 26%, 15%, 14% and 12% on 10%, 50%, 60% and 70% slopes, respectively relative to a no-terrace profile. Sedi-ment yield was reduced by 23%, 24% and 26 % from 50%, 60% and 70% slopes, respectively. Runoff depth on the other hand, increased slightly with terracing.

- When an additional 1 m terrace wide was placed at the middle of the slope, further decrease in soil loss and sediment yield was observed relative to a no-terrace condition. At 10% slope, the addition of terraces had no effect on soil loss, sediment yield

Total rainfall, runoff and soil loss accumulated during the 98‐week  on‐site monitoring.    The  values were  computed  from weekly data. 

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Run

off a

nd r

ainf

all (

mm

)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Soi

l los

s (t

ha-1

)

Rainfall 3850 4515 3850 4515 5044

Runoff 694 1311 13 952 265

Soil loss 4.3 79.9 0.4 12.1 4.9

Agro-forest Cassava/Corn Forest Grassland Oil Palm

Modification of hillslop(b) one terrace at th

a b

1. Dr. John Bavor - Academic Supervisor 2. LWR/2001/003 Integrated Watershed Management for Sustainable Soil and Water Resources Management of the Inabanga Watershed, Bohol Island, Philippines

11

and runoff. However for slopes at 50%, 60% and 70%, reshaping the landscape to add one more terrace conserved 18-26% of soil loss and 26-30% of sediment leaving the hillslope profile, relative to no-terrace conditions.

- Under conditions in which terraces were replaced with grass strips, simulations results showed that grass strips were effective at reducing the amount of sediment leaving the hillslope. For instance, at 10% slope, when the bottom terrace was planted with grass, sediment yield was halved: from 26 %

with terrace to 55% with grass strips relative to a no conservation measure practice. On the same slope, soil loss was decreased by a further 4% percent with grass strips compared to cropping with corn.

- The impact of the 1 m grass strip at the bottom of the hillslope, on slopes 50-70%, was very signifi-cant. There was a reduction of 65-66% in sedi-ment yield compared to only 23-25% if the 1 m terrace was cropped with corn.

Erosion hazard assessment in the Bugsok Subwatershed

There were six scenarios simulated, namely: A - Existing land cover (March 2002); B - Slope >18% - all forested, while remaining areas

are the same as Scenario A; C - Slope 0 – 18% cropped with corn, remaining areas are the same as Scenario A; D - Combination of B and C; E - All cropped with corn; and F – All forest

Results of the WEPP/GeoWEPP water-

shed application are presented as on-site effects and off-site effects. The on-site effects are classi-fied in terms of what were considered as tolerable and non-tolerable soil loss rates while the off-site effects were indicated by sediment yield and dis-charge volume at the watershed outlet. A tolerable soil loss value of 10 t·ha-1·yr-1 was used as the threshold level for evaluating the on-site effects. The threshold value is within the soil loss “tolerable” value of 2 - 11.2 t·ha-1·yr-1 which has been used by previous researchers (e.g. Renard et al., 1996; Morgan, 1995; Lal, 1994). Areas having soil loss rates exceeding the tolerable soil loss rates were considered critical. An erosion map showing the spatial distribution and location of erosion-critical areas is also shown. Application to land use planning

Under the existing land cover condi-

tions, only 13.4% of the Bugsok Subwatershed area is utilized for agriculture, while based on the current policy regarding the slope limitation, there is a further 59.1% that can be cultivated for agri-culture use. However, even under present condi-tions, 21.2% of the study area is already experienc-ing high erosion rates. Two-thirds of these highly erosive areas are on slopes ≤ 18% dominated by agriculture.

Though forest use had been identified

as the most preferred land use, in terms of soil and water conservation (DENR, 2000), there are still conditions under this land cover that may result in non-tolerable erosion rates, as shown in Figure F. In this case, specific conditions leading to high

erosion rates would need to be identified in order to design conservation measures for the forest areas. In similar fashion, there are agriculture areas as shown in Figure E where erosion rates were predicted under tolerable rates. Conditions in these areas would need to be investigated in order to identify the prevailing specific conditions which resulted to low erosion rates. Such specific identi-fication was beyond the scope of the current inves-tigation but should be addressed in future studies. Conclusion

The current practice of cassava/corn

farming generated high erosion rates compared to other land cover types. The high erosion rates were suggested to be due to tillage operations and exposure of the soil surface to erosive rain. Since agriculture, particularly growing cassava and corn is the common economic activity in the Upper Inabanga Watershed in particular and in the island in general, local authorities should enforce the adoption of conservation measures as a strategy in addressing soil and water resources sustainability.

The application of the WEPP erosion

model and the use of GIS tools demonstrated their usefulness in the planning and managing of re-sources in the Upper Inabanga Watershed. The ability to simulate and predict the extent of erosion under a wide range of scenarios and to identify specific location of erosion prone areas was deemed valuable for decision-making purposes and for designing conservation strategies. The methodology that was initially developed in the study can be used in the local planning and man-agement of soil and water resources.

Erosion maps  of  the  Bugsok  Subwatershed with  six  land  use  scenarios showing  the  on‐site  effects  as  predicted  using  GeoWEPP. White  areas within  the  subwatershed  are  the  channels  identified  by  GeoWEPP  but were excluded in erosion simulation with the flowpath method. 

Erosion rates Scenarios

A B C D E F

Deposition (t·ha-1·yr-1) 10.7 10.7 13.2 13.8 6.8 3.5

> 10 6.2 5.8 10.6 10.4 6.6 0.4

<= 10 4.5 4.9 2.6 3.4 0.2 3.0

Tolerable soil loss (≤ 10 t·ha-1·yr-1) 68.1 71.5 33.1 35.5 7.9 92.5

0 – 2.5 40.1 44.4 10.9 13.5 0.7 74.6

2.5 – 5.0 21.4 21.0 14.9 14.8 3.1 14.1

5.0 – 7.5 4.4 4.1 5.1 5.1 3.0 2.5

7.5 – 10 2.2 2.0 2.1 2.1 1.0 1.3

Non-tolerable soil loss (>10 t·ha-1·yr-1) 21.2 17.8 53.7 50.7 85.3 4.0

10 – 20 4.1 3.5 4.6 4.0 2.6 2.2

20 – 30 2.0 1.6 2.2 1.9 1.8 0.7

30 – 40 1.2 1.0 1.5 1.4 1.3 0.5

>40 13.9 11.7 45.4 43.4 79.6 0.6

Total 100 100 100 100 100 100

e topography to effect terracing: (a) no terrace  he bottom of hillslope, and (c) two terraces 

b  c 

> 10 (Deposition)

<= 10 (Deposition)

< 2.5

2.5 - 5.0

5.0 - 7.5

7.5 -10.0

10 - 20

20 - 30

30 - 40

> 40

Legend: Soil loss values (t·ha-1·yr

-1)

A B

C D

E F

On‐site effects of land use change predicted by WEPP‐GeoWEPP and presented  as percentage distribution of soil loss under different land cover scenarios  

12

Comparative Analysis of Antioxidant Properties and Fruit Quality Attributes of Organically and Conventionally Grown Melons (Cucumis melo L.)

Antioxidant properties and quality attributes were evaluated for 10 melon (Cucumis melo L.) cultivars grown under conventional and certified organic conditions in a 2-year field study at the Horticulture Field Research Center, Colo-rado State University, Colorado U.S.A. Differ-ences among cultivars, produced either by conven-tional or organic methods, contributed the largest sources of variation in antioxidant properties. A 2.1- to 2.2-fold difference was seen between groups of cultivars with the highest and lowest levels of ascorbic acid when produced by organic and conventional methods, respectively. Choice of cultivar using conventional and organic produc-tion, respectively, enabled a 1.7- and 1.6-fold gain in total phenolics, a 2.6- and 4.2-fold gain in radi-cal scavenging capacity determined by 2, 2#-azinobis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), and a 1.8- and 2.4-fold gain determined by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay. Based on an antioxidant index, cultivars with the highest anti-oxidant properties were Savor, Sweetie #6, Early Queen, Edonis, and Rayan. Organic melons had significantly higher ascorbic acid over both years, whereas total phenolics content was higher only in the first year. Percent dry matter and soluble solids content also varied widely among cultivars but were unaffected by production system. Choice of cultivar provides a viable option for growers inter-ested in producing melons with high antioxidant properties. Cultivars with high antioxidant levels may provide a competitive marketing and supply niche for producers, but the full extent of diversity for antioxidant attributes requires further evalua-tion of cultivars and germplasm. This study had four primary objectives.

To evaluate antioxidant properties including ascorbic acid (AA), total phenolics (TP), free radical scavenging activity (ABTS/TEAC, DPPH/TEAC), and quality attributes (i.e. soluble solids content, dry matter) among 10 C. melo cultivars;

To examine 10 cultivars that may benefit small and medium-scale growers seeking niche markets for melons with high antioxi-dant properties;

To examine if organic production results in higher or lower antioxidant levels using research parameters that minimize experi-mental variables;

To examine to the extent possible, variation among antioxidant and quality attributes imparted by environmental conditions in two consecutive years.

Materials and Methods Temperature and solar radiation. Data on tem-perature and solar radiation for two cropping sea-sons (2005–2006) were obtained from a Northern ColoradoWater Conservancy District weather station located within 100 meters of the research plots. To examine possible effects of temperature, daily growing degreeday heat accumulation units were computed by subtracting the base tempera-ture (10 _C) for warm season crops from the aver-age temperature as daily GDD = [(Tmax + Tmin)/2] – base temperature in which Tmax and Tmin are maximum and minimum daily air tem-peratures. Each daily GDD was summed over the growing season. Solar radiation data were recorded with an ‘‘Epply’’ pyranometer and expressed as Langleys (1-calories/cm2). Melon production and handling. The study was carried out with field plot trials in 2005 and 2006 at the Horticulture Field Research Center, Colo-rado State University, Fort Collins, CO. The re-search plots were certified organic by the Colorado Department of Agriculture in accordance with the National Organic Program standards. Conven-tional production plots were located within 50 m on identical soil texture (Nunn clay, pH 7.8) and were managed with inorganic fertilizers and insec-ticides. This study is part of a larger project from USDA/CSREES/NRI entitled ‘‘Differentiating Small Farm Produce Offerings through Nutritionally Superior Cultivars, Marketing, and Extension Programs,’’ in which six crops, including melons, were planted on conventional and certified organic fields. The experimental units were laid out in a split plot with the whole plots arranged as a com-pletely randomized design. Production systems were assigned to whole plots and cultivars were designated as subplots. Three blocks in each pro-duction system served as replications. Each 163-m2 organic or conventional production system was planted to 450 plants in the three replicate blocks that included 10 cultivars described in Table 1. Cultivars were randomized within each replicate block. Transplants were grown from seed (Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Inc., Winslow, ME) in the CSU Plant Environmental Research Center Greenhouses. Sunshine Organic Basic planting media (Sun Gro Horticulture, Bellevue, WA) was used to grow melon transplants in 7.6-cm round Jiffy peat pots for 21 d before transplanting in the field. The transplants were grown on a bottom-heated greenhouse floor maintained at 18 _C. Rootshield_ (Trichoderma harzianum, Rifai, Strain T-22 #9462; Bioworks, Victor, NY), approved for use in organic crops, was drenched into the soil immediately after sowing for all plants. Melons were transplanted into black plastic mulched beds at 61-cm spacing between plants and 183 cm be-tween beds. The field plots measured 44.5 m long and 11.0 m wide.

Sample preparation, extraction, and analysis. Melons were washed twice in tap water to remove surface contamination and cut transversely in the middle of each fruit. Forty grams of 4.0 to 6.0 mm thick radial melon slices without the skin were individually weighed for calculation of dry matter content, lyophilized in a Virtis freeze dryer (SP Industries, Warminster, PA), and stored desiccated in air-tight vials at –20 _C before analysis. Sam-ples were freeze-dried for 5 d until vacuum levels remained stable at 200 to 300 millitorr removing all freezable water. Freeze-dried melon samples were ground and passed through a 100-mesh screen to achieve a uniform particle size in prepa-ration for extraction. Freeze-dried samples of 500 mg were extracted in 10 mL of 80% acetone by vortexing and rotating for 1 h in the dark at 4 _C with a rotator (Barnstead/Hemolyne, Dubuque, IA) before centrifugation at 6000 rpm for 15 min at 4 _C. Onemilliliter aliquots of clear supernatant were removed and concentrated to dryness in a Vacufuge_ [Eppendorf North America (Westbury, NY), VWR, CO] for 2 h at 45 _C. The concen-trated extracts were reconstituted and analyzed for TP, ABTS, and DPPH. Because the Vacufuge_ concentration step was shown in preliminary trials and in previous research (Esparaza-Rivera et al., 2006) to degrade essentially all vitamin C, data for TP, ABTS, and DPPH antioxidant capacity are considered not to reflect a contribution from vita-min C as an antioxidant.

Results and Discussions Differences among cultivars, produced either by conventional or organic methods contributed the largest sources of variation in antioxidant proper-ties. A 2.1-2.2 fold difference was seen between groups of cultivars with the highest and lowest levels of ascorbic acid when produced by organic and con-ventional methods, respectively. Choice of cultivar using conventional and organic production, respec-tively, enabled a 1.7 and 1.6 fold gain in total phenolics, a 2.6 and 4.2 fold gain in radical scav-enging capacity determined by 2, 2’-azinobis (3- ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and a 1.8 and 2.4 fold gain determined by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Based on an antioxidant index, cultivars with the highest antioxidant properties were Savor, Sweetie #6, Early Queen, Edonis and Rayan. Production system also influenced the antioxidant properties of melon cultivars. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that compares antioxidant content and activity of organic and conventionally grown melon cultivars. The results, based on two years data, suggest that melon culti-vars grown in organic plots have slightly higher ascorbic acid than those grown in conventional

Karen Salandanan (Principal Author), Marisa Bunning, Frank Stonaker, Oktay Külen, Patricia Kendall and Cecil Stushnoff. Comparative Analysis of Antioxidant Properties and Fruit Quality Attributes of Organically and Conventionally Grown Melons (Cucumis melo L.). 2009. HortScience 44 (7):1825-1832.

13

Savor

Sweetie

#6

Early

Quee

n

Edonis

Rayan

Burpee

Hyb

rid

Honey O

range

Swan L

ake

Haogen

Arava

0

1 0

2 0

3 0

4 0

5 0

6 0

7 0

8 0

9 0

1 0 0

1 1 0

1 2 0

2 0 0 5 2 0 0 6

Antioxi

dan

t in

dex

(

SEM

)

Antioxidant index [(ΣVit C+TP +Antioxidant capacity)/3] for ten melon cultivars (± SEM, n=6) based on 3 replicate plots from both organic and conventional pro-duction.

Source Ascorbic acid

Total phenolics

ABTS DPPH

Dry matter Soluble solids

Year (Y) <0.01 <0.01

<0.001 <0.01

<0.01

<0.01

Cultivar (C) <0.0001 <0.0001

<0.0001 <0.0001 <0.0001 <0.0001

Y x C <0.0001

<0.001 <0.0001 <0.01 <0.0001 <0.001

Production system (PS)

<0.05

<0.01 NS <0.05 NS NS

Y x PS NS

<0.01 NS NS NS NS

C x PS <0.05 NS <0.0001 NS NS NS

Y x C x PS <0.01

<0.001 <0.0001 NS NS <0.01

Analysis of variance of the effects of year, cultivar and production system and their interactions expressed as P values for statistical significance, NS = not sig-nificant or significant at P<0.05, 0.01, 0.001.

plots. In organic production nitrogen is slowly released, vegetative growth is not extended giving way to appropriate time to begin the reproductive stage. According to Benbrook et al. (2008), plants trigger activity of the ascorbic acid biosynthetic pathway when the reproductive cycle of the plant has started. In conventional production with peri-odic excess nitrogen, a prolonged vegetative cycle may deter ascorbic acid production in the fruit. Organic melons also had higher TP than conven-tional melons but only in the first year. Percent dry matter and soluble solids content also varied widely among cultivars, but were not affected by production system. Some cultivars had higher antioxidant properties regardless of production method. The antioxidant index presented in Figure 2 compares the antioxidant potential of the melon cultivars evaluated by combining AA and TP with the aver-age of TEAC values obtained from DPPH and ABTS assays to incorporate free radical scaveng-ing capacity. Examination of rank based on the index over both years reveals that cultivars with the highest and lowest rank generally occupied similar positions among the 10 examined. This suggests that the index provided a reasonably consistent estimate of antioxidant properties for the 10 cultivars. The top index ranks of cultivars Savor, Sweetie #6, and Early Queen parallel their averaged TEAC ranks. All three cultivars have orange-colored flesh from high concentrations of carotenoids (Lester and Eischen, 1996; Robinson and Decker-Walters, 1999; Saftner et al., 2006), which likely contributed to their high TEAC val-ues. The lowest ranked cultivars, Swan Lake, Haogen, and Arava, have greenish white flesh. Melons grown in organic and conventional plots did not display significant differences in dry mat-ter. Magkos et al. (2003) suggested significant differences in dry matter could not be expected between organic and conventional produce be-cause fruits have low ability to absorb and assimi-late nitrogen. SSC also was not significantly influ-enced by different production systems, but the interactive effects (year · cultivar) were observed to have a significant effect on dry matter and solu-ble solids. Not surprisingly, high dry matter mel-ons also had the highest soluble solids. The highest dry matter cultivars also had the highest antioxi-dant properties, AA, and TP content. Studies that evaluate attributes of produce grown under organic and conventional practices (Asami et al., 2003; Lombardi-Boccia et al., 2004) have encountered skepticism, often for valid but unavoidable reasons related to difficulties in making unambiguous comparisons. Accordingly, after examination of

our data and recent literature (Lester, 2006; Mag-kos et al., 2003; Zhao et al., 2006), the following may provide some guidelines to help avoid pitfalls and improve interpretation. To the extent possible, research targeted at comparing organic production to conventional management should strive to meet the following conditions: 1) locate research plots on soils with similar texture, fertility status, drain-age, and exposure, as close to each other as practi-cal while meeting organic certification require-ments for the organic plots; 2) include comparison of known identical cultivars within a genotype and crop to minimize complications of genetic traits from unknown cultivars as a variable; 3) repeat the experiment at least 2 years or growing seasons; 4) apply similar production practices, including plant-ing time, planting methods, plot design, spacing, row orientation, irrigation source, application method, and scheduling with care to avoid water stress conditions; 5) to the extent possible, apply similar quantities of major nutritional elements (organic matter will of necessity differ, as in all likelihood will those minor elements associated with organic sources); 6) use similar postproduc-tion harvest methods, including physiological maturity, fruit size, harvest time of day, fruit loca-tion on plants, storage conditions, and handling for samples collected for analytical purposes; 7) mini-

mize potential losses by: a) rapid cooling and freezing, b) holding tissue at –20 _C or lower, c) preparing liquid nitrogen powders or freeze drying of tissues in a temperature controlled freezer drier after initial freezing to at least –40 _C, and d) analyzing material within 6 to 12 months from harvest; and 8) use at least three standard analyti-cal methods to assess antioxidant properties with sufficient biological replication and laboratory precision to facilitate statistical analysis. Drawing appropriate conclusions on the effect of production system on antioxidant proper-ties and fruit quality attributes relies on good ex-perimental design and sampling; nevertheless, year to year environmental effects complicate interpre-tation of data. The results of this study indicate that in general, production system had less effect than cultivar and year differences. Choice of culti-var, unlike weather, can largely be controlled by the producer and is the simplest decision with a large potential impact to optimize nutritional at-tributes of melon production. Local organic and/or conventional producers who wish to take advan-tage of markets for more nutritious produce can benefit by selecting appropriate cultivars, provided unbiased research data on adapted cultivars is available through university extension programs. While producers are often in a good position to assess local adaptability, assessment of unbiased nutritional properties requires analytical data that is likely best provided by research laboratories.

Acknowledgment: This research study was supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, NRI grant num-ber 2005-55618-15634, and Colorado State Agri-cultural Experiment Station Project number 0691. We gratefully acknowledge The Fulbright-Philippine Agriculture Scholarship Program for graduate studies support of Karen Salandanan. We thank James zumBrunnen for statistical advice, and Heather Troxell and Jeannette Stushnoff for technical assistance. * HortScience is one of the three journals of the American Society for Horticultural Science. It publishes horticultural information of interest to a broad array of horticulturists. Its goals are to apprise horticultural scientists and others inter-ested in horticulture of scientific and industry developments and of significant research, educa-tion, or extension findings or methods.

14

Feature:

Small-Scale Irrigation Systems

The BSWM through the Wa-ter Resources Management Division (WRMD), is tasked with the develop-ment of water resources in the coun-try for Small-Scale Irrigation Projects (SSIPs). These SSIPs refer to Small Water Impounding Projects (SWIP), Small Diversion Dam (SDD), Shallow Tube Wells (STW) and Small Farm Reservoir (SFR). From 2001 up to present, the BSWM in collaboration with other concerned agencies suc-cessfully constructed 114 units of SWIP and SDDs, and distributed 426 units of STWs. These SSIPs were able to provide supplemental irrigation to about 8,100 hectares of rainfed rice-based area that benefited more than 5,500 farmers.

The positive impacts of the

SSIPs, particularly SWIP, are: it pro-vides supplemental irrigation; serves other incidental functions such as flood control structures; and caters other eco-nomic uses such as for fishery and live-stock production. As such, huge number of requests from several interest groups such as Local Government Units (LGUs), non-governmental organiza-tions (NGOs), Farmers’ Associations and even individual farmers are demand-ing to have these small water impound-ing facilities. Moreover, these SSIPs are being recognized by the DA and other national agencies e.g. DAR, DENR, as one of the appropriate measures to uplift the living conditions of marginal upland farmers. Currently, SWIPs and other SSIPs are considered one of the adapta-tion measures to cope up with the ad-verse impact of extreme climate events such as floods or droughts.

For better appreciation of the

beneficial contributions of these SSIPs, WRMD looked back at its four represen-tative projects.

WRMD chronicles

Looking back at the division’s successful irrigation projects

Looc Diversion Dams, Looc, Romblon

Under the “Hunger Mitigation

Program” of the Department of Agricul-ture in 2008, the Municipality of Looc requested for the construction and im-provement of irrigation systems in their seven barangays. During that time, the condition of their existing irrigation structures in these barangays, particu-larly canals, are not efficient and some are not being utilized by the farmers due to siltation and damages. Similarly, there is a need for the construction of a small diversion dam to hold and store the flow from the upstream to irrigate the adjacent sloping rain fed rice farms. This is the only source of water that they thought could be tapped for their supple-mental irrigation needs.

The request of the Looc mu-nicipality was granted due to the poten-tial benefits the poor rain fed farmers would get from it. Hence, the construc-tion of these irrigation facilities was undertaken immediately through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Municipal Government, Department of Agriculture-Region 4B and BSWM. This is one of the projects of BSWM that is worth mentioning for its timely and proper implementation. The sincerity and commitment of the LGU in pursuing this irrigation project paved the way for the realization of im-proving the socio-economic condition of

Diversion dam structure 

Marcelo Dayo

15

the farmers. Currently, these irrigation fa-

cilities irrigate about 80 hectares of rice field, and benefiting more than 100 farmer-households. With the improve-ment of irrigation structures, two (2) croppings of rice a year with sustained irrigation water supply is assured.

The project also gave opportu-

nity for the farmers to capacitate them-selves through trainings conducted by BSWM, DA-RFU and LGU on the new available rice production technologies as well as on soil and water conservation. Application and adoption of these new knowledge and skills enabled them to increase their farm productivity and in-come without wasting water in the field. More important, through the basic lead-ership skills training they attended, their cohesiveness as one entity was strength-ened, and hence conflict on the use of common water resource was prevented.

The farmers also learn to ap-preciate and value the importance of good watershed cover, and judicious use of scarce soil and water resources. The projects provided chain of benefits not only for the farmers but to the commu-nity as well. Through intensified crop-ping, farm job opportunity was created, rice and other food became more avail-able for each household, and urban mi-gration was minimized.

With the continued supervision

and support from BSWM and commit-ment from the LGU, these projects will definitely provide a sustained producti- vity and success for the farmer benefi-ciaries and to the community as a whole.

San Jose SWIP San Jose, Mabini, Bohol

Barangay San Jose in Mabini,

Bohol is the place where 29 school chil-dren died because of cassava poisoning in 2005. It was also once known as ha-

ven for NPA rebels. In other words, the area is really economically disadvan-taged, associated with death risk due to unsafe and very poor living condition.

As far as agriculture is concern,

the area is known for its low productiv-ity considering its rain fed condition as well as relatively poor soils due to ero-sion. According to the present Barangay Captain, their barangay have been re-questing for the construction SWIP since 1980’s. Now, that they have realized their long-time wish, they can’t help but wear a smile and reminisce how they struggle to have this project. This is now considered as one of the legacies of the old folks in the area.

The SWIP was constructed

under the 2008 GMA Rice and Corn Program. The implementation was done by private contractor through competi-tive bidding. The construction started in June 2009 and to be completed after eight months. However, due to some valid reasons such as unfavorable weather condition, the completion pe-riod was delayed up to this month (March 2010). Even with the delay of the construction, this project can be con-sidered as one of the best SWIPs ever built.

With the construction of the

project, people in this barangay became very enthusiastic as they look forward to improve their living condition. They stressed that they have been waiting for so long for this opportunity. Accord-ingly, they have been deprived of any development efforts from the govern-ment for quite some time. At present, the main dam and reservoir of the SWIP is already operational. In fact, the reservoir already harvested and stored rainfall up to maximum level when rainfall oc-curred in January this year.

The project, except for the con-struction of a concrete flume, is now ready to serve 50 hectares of rain fed rice field for 2 crops in a year. More than 100 farmers will directly benefit from irrigation. Among the economic and environmental benefits that the pro-ject may provide are: Increased farm labor employment, more intensive crop-ping system (2-3 croppings a year), in-creased farm area, increased yield, fish culture production (fingerlings and growing), recreation, revitalized/Improved hydro-ecology and vegetation of the watershed, and limited and con-trolled effect of flooding.

Bongdo SD, Bongdo, San Benito, Surigao del Norte

San Benito is a small town in a

remote island of Siargao, Surigao del Norte, where local people are merely dependent on copra production and fish-ing activities. Though they have small area for rice and vegetable production, they do not have irrigation facilities to sustain the production of these two im-portant crops. They also do not have financial capabilities and knowledge to

(Continued on page 16)

Concrete irrigation canal 

Dam embankment and pond area of San Jose  SWIP 

WRMD  staff  inspect  the  STW  at  Bongdo  in Surigao del Norte.  

16

WRMD staff poses before the elevated water tank together the beneficiaries of Brgy. Bongdo.  

raise these crops with available limited resources.

Cognizant of their deficiencies

with regard to water supply, the LGU requested the BSWM for technical and financial assistance on the establishment of a water resource development project that would harness and store the water from the spring for irrigation of palay and vegetables. After careful assess-ment of the needs of the barangay, the BSWM granted the development of their spring through the GMA Rice Program of the DA. In 2008, a concrete elevated water tank equipped with water pump and pipe distribution lines were installed to irrigate about 20 hectares of rice and vegetable production area. From a usual single cropping of rice a year, the farm-ers were able to have two croppings of rice plus vegetables in a year. These benefits are in the form of an average of about 3.5 tons of harvested palay per season plus the production of vegetables that are sufficient for household con-sumption and surplus to be put on the market. The additional income was used for the school expenses of their children.

Similar to other projects, this

also provided a chain of benefits starting from the farmer-households who are the direct beneficiaries of the project ex-tending to the community and neighbor-ing barangays through creation of farm jobs and other employment, increased supply of rice and vegetables at a lower price and reduced migration to urban areas. It also strengthened the coopera-tion and unit of the people as they need to communally manage the project.

Through the project, the

Bongdo Farmers Association was organ-ized for the effective and sustained op-eration and maintenance of the project’s facility. Several trainings are in line that will capacitate the farmers and the com-munity.

Andarayan SWIP, Rizal, Kalinga

From mere idle grassland and a

food-starving community, Barangay Andarayan became a fish and a suffi-cient rice-producing community. This is how the construction of Andarayan SWIP changed the land use and the lives of the native villagers in one of the re-mote places in the Municipality of Rizal,

WRMD Chronicles (Continued from page 15)

Kalinga. Prior to construction of Anda-

rayan SWIP in 2001, the area was idle grass land with limited area for corn and vegetable production. This type of farm-ing provides meager source of income and food for the community. With the project, about 100 hectares of this idle land became irrigated rice land with assured two (2) cropping per year. Par-allel with the project establishment was the introduction of rice and other crops’ production technologies. Through the adoption of these high yielding tech-nologies, four tons of palay per hectare on each cropping was achieved in the area. Further, this project has enabled the community to produce fish particu-larly tilapia in the huge pond area of the SWIP. This fish production provided the

households in the community a protein-rich food that is readily available.

Farmers from neighboring

barangays became interested to have similar project with Andaraya as they witnessed the transformation of Anda-raya villagers; living from shanty huts to a semi-concrete houses. “Kung nuon daw ang taga Andaraya, low quality corn grits lang ang kinakain, ngayon good quality rice na with matching tila-pia pa.” Also, they were able to acquire farm tractor, thresher and ‘kuliglig’ from other DA agencies to further improve their farming practices.

The WRMD can proudly say that

through our SWIP, we were able to make a difference in the lives of our upland marginalized farmers.

Pond area on top and service area below 

17

lems, controlled release of fertilizer is recommended.

Phosphorus. The supply of

phosphorus on volcanic ash soils is often very low. Phosphorus is strongly ab-sorbed by non-crystalline aluminum and iron materials, making its sparingly available for plant uptake. Liming prior to phosphorus application is recom-mended. When applying phosphorus, band placement instead of broadcast is recommended.

Potassium. Potassium is pre-

sent in considerable amounts in fresh volcanic ashes. However, available forms of potassium are often insufficient for continuous cropping. Since we pre-dict Mt. Pinatubo’s deposits to proceed to allophanic pathway of soil formation, allophanic clays do not show preferen-tial retention of K. So the amount of K tends to decrease with the advance of soil weathering.

Other soil properties relating

to productivity. Like other volcanic ash soils, Mt. Pinatubo-influenced volcanic ash soils would have excellent physical properties such as high water holding capacity, favorable tilth, and strong re-sistance to water erosion. Cultivation of volcanic ash soils with low bulk density and friable consistency requires less

Mt. Pinatubo (Continued from page 9)

energy and can easily produce favorable seed and root beds. The soil aggregates are generally highly stable. The soils are also characterized by rapid infiltra-tion and they are highly permeable. Microaggregates in volcanic ash soils show strong resistance to dispersion.

Sustaining volcanic ash soils.

Crop rotation, soil improvement, and precision agriculture with programmed fertilization using controlled fertilizers are encouraged. No-tillage is consid-ered to have an important conservation advantage and can be easily introduced to upland farming of Mt. Pinatubo af-fected soils. In no-tillage, the soil is left undisturbed and only furrows for plant-ing and fertilization are prepared.

Environmental Implications

Important role in global carbon

cycle. Soils formed from volcanic ejecta contain the largest accumulation of or-ganic carbon from among the Soil Order classification under Soil Taxonomy (Eswaran, et.al., 1993). This natural phenomenon provides an effective sink for carbon dioxide through carbonic acid weathering. The organic matter preser-vation results from burial of soils by repeated additions of volcanic ash, chemical interactions with noncrystal-line inorganic materials (e.g., allophane, imogolite, ferrihydrite) and physical protection from the microaggregation

that these materials impart to the soil structure.

Attenuation of pollutants. The mineralogy of volcanic ash soils is char-acterized by the dominance of non-crystalline materials distinguished by high surface areas and highly reactive; as well as by variable charge surfaces that contribute both cation and anion exchange capacity. Because of these colloidal properties, volcanic soils can mitigate adverse effects of anthropo-genic pollution. Non-crystalline materi-als together with high organic matter can chelate heavy metals, trace elements and organic compounds thereby preventing pollutants to leach through ground wa-ters.

Current Activities

This study is not yet finished. We are still awaiting completion of the laboratory analyses of the soil samples for confirmation of the soil taxonomic classification and the delivery of 2007 SPOT image of Mt. Pinatubo vicinities for analysis of current status of lahar deposits. Beginning July 2008, Land-Sat7 images can also be accessed freely in the internet, and we can further con-tinue monitoring the soil development and formation of the lahar deposits. Thus the 2008 edition of the Soil Map of Region III is still subject to further vali-dation despite completion of field activi-ties.

18

news briefs

A team of Korean experts commissioned by the Korean Interna-tional Cooperation Agency (KOICA) visited the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) on Jan. 25 – Feb. 11, 2010 in connection with the proposed project entitled “Mitigating Climate Change Impact through Sus-tainable Upland Watershed Manage-ment and Installation of Small Water Impounding Facilities”. The project was proposed for funding under KOICA’s East Asia Climate Partner-ship Project. The six-man team from Korea’s DONGHO Company were led by Mr. Park Sang Hyun, its tech-nical director. Representatives from KOICA Philippines, Mr. Francis Afable, Program Officer and Ms. Kim Bomin, Deputy Resident Representa-tive, were also visible in the Bureau during technical discussions. The purpose of the visit is to review and evaluate the technical feasi-bility of the proposal, conduct consulta-tions and discussions with various stake holders and gather baseline information relevant to the proposed project. The team also conducted actual field visita-tion of the sites assisted by the technical staff of the Bureau. During the field visit, the team coordinated with the De-partment of Agriculture Regional Of-fices and Local Government Units who will be directly involve during the pro-ject’s implementation stage. The pro-posed project sites visited are: Villa Cayaban SWIP-San Manuel, Passa SRIP- Ilagan, Calamagui SWIP-Sta. Maria,

KOICA Team Evaluates BSWM Proposal

Isabela and Tubungan SWIP-Tubungan, Cagayan all in Region 2. The other sites are in Region 10 namely; Paradise SWIP, Cabanglasan and Managok SWIP all in Bukidnon.

The proposed project is very

timely as the country reels on the pro-longed dry spell brought about by El Nino phenomenon severely affecting domestic agricultural production. The approval of the proposed project will mitigate climate change impact thru the provision of irrigation, water supply for domestic and livestock, rehabilitation of the watershed thru agro-forestry, capaci-tate and empower the farmers in the

upland areas, devel-opment of inland fishery production paving the way to increased economic activities in the com-munity . The proposal is also envisioned to be a land mark undertak-ings between the Philippines and Ko-rea that will further strengthen the al-ready established and tested friendship of the two neighbouring coun-

tries. In the future, with the anticipated socio-economic benefits derive from the project, the Philippines can supply qual-ity agricultural product in Korea when needed.

Engr. Diosdado M.Manalus

Jun Abellar

Engineer Reynaldo Peregrino discusses the Passa Small River Irrigation Project to Dr. Sang Hyun Park during the site visit to Passa, Ilagan in Isabela. 

The  KOICA  delegation with  the  BSWM  family  led  by  Director Tejada together with DA Project Development Service staff. 

The Mission paid a courtesy call to BSWM Director Silvino Q. Te-jada upon arrival which was followed by a welcome program and orientation at the Convention Hall. Staff of the Bureau presented the Climate Change scenario in the country and the adaptation and mitigation measures by the Department of Agriculture. A video presentation from the Training and Information Dis-semination Services on SWIP was well-acknowledged by the KOICA Mission providing them with a clearer perspec-tive on it. The project proposal technical review was presented by experts from the Water Resources Management Divi-sion. In the afternoon of the same day, the KOICA Mission also paid a courtesy call to Under Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat relaying their purpose and intention to the country and to the DA. From there, the Mission proceeded to the tour of the facilities of the BSWM. Cocktails and a brief socials was later tendered by the Office of the Director to the visiting guests.

19

ALMED Launches More Projects in

2010 The Agricultural Land Management and Evaluation Divi-sion (ALMED) launched the “Land Use Assessment for Poten-tial Agri-Environmental Develop-ment and Investment Project in the Province of Occidental Min-doro” last February 12, 2010 in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro par-ticipated by Assistant Director Wilfredo E. Cabezon, Mr. Joven Espineli with some of the Bureau’s technical staff and the Mayors of Occidental Mindoro led by Gover-nor Josephine R. Sato. Another project, the “Soil/Land Resources Evaluation & Suit-ability Assessment for Looc, Occi-dental Mindoro,” was turned-over to the Vice-Mayor of Looc, Mr. Apoli-nar S. Tria. The on-going activities of the Division include the “Soil/ Land Resources Evaluation Study & SAFDZ-CLUP Integration Projects” in Candon City, Ilocos Sur and Ger-ona, Tarlac. The field works for these two projects has just been fin-ished and is now on the report writ-ing stage. Ms. Feriola Serrano leads the Candon City team while Mr. Bernardo Pascua leads the Gerona team. Projects of ALMED that are awaiting implementation include Provincial Land Use Assessment for Oriental Mindoro and Palawan and the SAFDZ-CLUP Integration Pro-ject for Lopez, Quezon and Bauang, La Union.

Genevieve D. Piencenaves

SSNM Technology Survives El Niño in Isabela

A 30-hectare demonstration site in Jones, Isabela surpassed the challenge of the current El Niño Phenomenon in the county. The said techno-demo site for the project “Up-scaling of Site Spe-cific Nutrient Management Technology in Jones, Isabela” was planted with corn and due for harvest between the third week of March to April 2010. A Technical Working Group and Farmer Co-operators’ Meeting was conducted immediately after the field vali-dation last February 24, 2010. Among the SSNM treatments, the addition of organic fertilizer and Bio-N showed promising result for the study. Further improvement on the said treatment is to incorporate the use of Zinc and Boron in mi-cro-nutrient deficient corn areas, which was proposed by the BSWM. A study on the “Validation Trials of Zinc and Boron Application in Corn” was presented by Dr. Gina P. Nilo, the SSNM-TWG Chairper-son. This two-year research study aims to develop a database on micro-nutrient status (Zn, B, Cu, Fe, Mn) of soils in key corn-growing areas; to determine and validate the response of maize from Zinc and Boron application (alone and combination) in Zinc and Boron deficient areas; and to determine yield increase in corn with Zinc and Boron fertiliza-tion. More importantly, this treatment is seen to improve nutrient and water efficiency uptake, root distribution and enhance grain quality. The said activity will be undertaken by the Bureau in collaboration with DA-GMA Corn Program, DA-RFUs (RIARCs), DA-BAR and UPLB. As part of the 2010 project work plan, a field day was conducted on March 17, 2010 to properly disseminate the information among local farmers. The event was attended by Assistant Director Wilfredo E. Ca-bezon for the BSWM. Despite of the country’s current experience of El Nino phenome-

non particularly in Re-gion 2, the project is looking forward to sig-nificant and valuable results of SSNM tech-nology not only in terms of yield increase but also to mitigate the negative impacts of drought.

Jenny Anne Perlado

ERRATUM The article, “Salandanan, SWRRD Conduct Echo Seminar on Organic Farming” from the last issue of the BSWM Update, October-December 2009, was written by Ms. Jenny Anne Perlado and not by Ms. Karen Salandanan. Dr. Gina Nilo in one of the SSNM site in Jones, Isabela. 

20

“More challenges are in store for us this year, so let’s be ready, be prepared and walang atrasan. After the El Niño in June, La Niña is on its way. We have to be prepared. We need serious government service, we need to be dead-serious on lead-ership, not only me but also all of you,” thus was the directions and statements made by Director Silvino Q. Tejada dur-ing the Budget and Planning Workshop held last February 15 and 16, 2010. In addition to the Directors’ direc-tions, he emphasized that our Banner Pro-gram should focus on the FIELDS Program – as the Administration’s centerpiece, food security program will go high gear this year

as part of the sustained government efforts to prepare the Philippine structure for the twin challenges of climate change and the de-mands of global free trade. For the Fertilizer component – we will continue to advocate balanced fertiliza-tion and will strongly encourage farmers to practice sustainable agriculture by providing them the capacity to produce their organic fertilizers. For the Irrigation component – through funds from the Department, we will lead in the implementation of Small Scale Irrigation Projects (SWIP, STW, PISO, Dams, SFR and Rampumps) in the upland areas including those farms that are not reached by the NIA systems. Cloudseeding – to produce artificial rainfall as one major intervention in mitigating the effects of El Nino that will persist even up to June this year. Of course we also have to prepare other adaptation measures relevant to climate change. For the Education and Extension component – we are asked to reach out to farmers in rice production areas with yields below 3.8 mt/has. This can be done through our R&D Program in soils and water man-agement. Empowering our Research Sta-tions/Centers – it is my dream that our sta-tions can stand on their own feet, act as cata-lyst and agent of change and economically sufficient. I encourage you to work harder and not rest on your laurels. Expand your horizons and connections and do some lob-bying for support from other local, national as well as international funding. You exist as

an advocate and leader of agribusiness entre-preneurs. Prepare your agribusiness develop-ment plans that will sustain your operations on top of what you get from your regular allocations annually. I would like to see that “once I enter your stations, I could see the future of agriculture.” For the Seeds component – “we can start producing our own seeds that are for sale, for R&D, for distribution to farmers. I challenge the stations on this effort to en-sure access of farmers to quality seeds by empowering them to produce their own seeds. We will continue to provide technical guidance to LGUs and other groups on soil and fertility mapping as support to CLUP. Through the ISMS, we will lead in the updat-ing of SAFDZ-CLUP together with ITCAF from the allotted budget for GIS/Remote Sensing (RS) Project which will be handled by Assistant Director Wilfredo E. Cabezon.” Part of the two day workshop in-cludes the 2009 Accomplishment Report of the technical Divisions’ of the Bureau and the on-going international collaborative pro-jects. Division Chiefs & Project Leaders reported their major highlight and other ac-complishments followed by discussions and open forum in order to thresh out roadblocks and focus on the challenges ahead. Assistant Director Cabezon ended the two day event with his Closing Remarks emphasizing opti-mism that all these challenges will be met as we all continue to move towards addressing the needs of our target clientele. (PEG/TIDS)

Directions for 2010 Headlines Planning & Budget Workshop

Director Silvino Q. Tejada addresses the par‐ticipants  on  the  Bureau’s  targets  for  2010 during the workshop. 

SOILSCAPE Editor-in-Chief: Aurora M. Manalang Associate Editor: Lyndon John L. Alcantara Advisers: Rodelio B. Carating Asst. Dir. Wilfredo E. Cabezon Director Silvino Q. Tejada

BUREAU OF SOILS AND WATER MANAGEMENT Soils Research Development Center Elliptical Road corner Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City

January-March 2010, Vol. 1 No. 1