Happy to know the growing numbers of e-learners )

January 28, 2012  !:15 am
Dear Ms. Hamera,
     My name is Elmor Sudara residing in PPC. I have five hectares of land to be planted with rubber trees at Malinao, Narra. I know that Aborlan is my neighbor. It is good to know that your rubber trees are ready to be tapped. What clone do you have? I sent my brother to Engr. Sampayan a road from Abo-abo going up to Quezon. Ask around from that place they will point you to the biggest and oldest rubber plantation in Palawan ( I think ). He will help you about tapping, latex and processing.  
CHECK THE LINK BELOW.
    That was 3 MONTHS AGO, when my brother visited Engr. Sampayan's rubber tree plantation.     I would like to visit your place to see your rubber trees. Please... 
   There is one plantation at Macarascas too.   They are selling rubber plant materials, I've heard. 

    http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.241736569217472.58940.100001433932418&type=3

I hope that the link will help you as well as Engr. Sampayan. If you need help  anything about rubber, just askI will research for you...
                                                                                        Happy to be your rubber tree neighbor,
                                                                                         Elmor

balita.ph; January 25, 2012 11:09 pm 
SORSOGON CITY, Jan. 25 – The Philippines will be self sufficient in rice as President Benigno Aquino III reaches  the half-way mark of his term, the head of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) said here on Wednesday.
“We are working on it intensively and we are very optimistic that on the third year of the Aquino presidency next year, the NIA would be able to complete its target of irrigating a total of 250,000 hectares of irrigable lands throughout the country. With that, rice production would be enough to meet the requirement, according to NIA Administrator Antonio Nangel.
Nangel met here on Tuesday afternoon with about 200 heads of irrigator’s association from the provinces of Masbate and Sorsogon to lay down the plans and programs of the NIA in the area for this year until next year and hear directly from them the sentiments of the sector.
Before the meeting, Nangel, ushered by NIA regional director for Bicol William Ragodon toured several rice producing villages that are target sites for the agency’s projects, including those that are located in the “guerilla zones” of Sorsogon to find out for himself the needs for irrigation in the area.
“I go around to oversee the readiness of line items and I am pleased by the receptiveness of our local irrigators on the programs of the NIA and by that, we are certain that implementations of our projects this year and onward will be smooth sailing,” according to Ragodon.
Nangel said the Department of Agriculture (DA) through Sec. Proceso Alcala has provided NIA this year with a budget of P24.5 billion for the construction of new irrigation systems that would cover 87,405 hectares (has), restore non-operation structures for 57,199 has. and rehabilitate existing ones to service 79,246 has. for a total of 224,850 has. of service area nationwide.
With that, he said that what would be remaining of the 250,000 has. of the country’s irrigable lands would only be 25,150 has. which certainly will be irrigated next year given the assurance of substantial funds.
Achieving the irrigation target of over 224,000 has. for 2012 would mean rice production of 18.75 million metric tons (mts) as against the national requirement of 20.05 million mts or a deficiency reduced from 2.46 mts in 2011 to only 1.3 million mts., the NIA administrator said.
“Then next year, when we are able to complete the irrigation systems for all those irrigable lands within the target, our rice production would be 20.44 million mts as against the national requirement of the same volume.
That is rice self-sufficiency (RSS) attained during the first half of the Aquino administration, in short,” he stressed.
Irrigated rice lands, Nangel said offer three cropping seasons—two regular planting seasons and one ratooning which the DA is promoting over these areas.
Ratooning which is commonly being practiced on sugar cane, banana and pineapple is also applicable on rice through the modern technology developed by the DA. It requires no more replanting as all it takes is cleaning of the field after harvest and applying fertilizer on the newly harvested old plant, he explained.
This process could produce at least 50 more cavans of palay per hectare without the burden of another tedious land preparation and fixing new seedlings, he added.
In 2013, Nangel said the NIA will not only build dams and irrigation canals but also solar drying pavements over dams and along canals, mini-hydro power facilities using its dams and produce potable water from these irrigation systems.
The solar drying pavements would be an initiative of the DA and NIA while the mini-hydro plants will be tied up with the Department of Energy (DOE) and the potable water system, with the local government units (LGUs) and the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA). “All these are for the benefit of the farmers,” he said. [by: By Danny O. Calleja (PNA) LAP/LQ/DOC/cbd/]
Source: PHL to attain rice sufficiency in 2013 – NIA

Salamat kaayo Richard. More courses are actually lined-up for this year.

Way sapayan Richard og you're always welcome dinhi
And as ATI celebrates its 25th year this 2012, it reiterates too its commitment to the agriculture and fisheries sector of the country.

This is the best e-elearning site I found that caters the needs of the farmers, fishers and technicians..Hope this will last, so that many people will have up-to-date knowledge in Agriculture and Fisheries...God Bless us All....

Have a great Day!!!!!

              Thanks you so much for the effort of ATI...For me,..You done a great job for our country...Ito talaga ang tunay na tugon para sa masang magsasaka tulad namin......ito talaga ang hinihintay ko last year pa.....God bless everyone....

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 10:13 AM on 3rd January 2012

Scientists have genetically engineered silkworms to make artificial spider silk.

It is hoped the breakthrough could lead to the development of stronger fibres for textiles, bandages for burn victims and bullet-proof vests.

The GM silkworms spin tough fibres containing spider silk proteins that are more elastic and extensible, making it more suitable for use in a range of medical applications.



Territorialism and cannibalism among spiders pose challenges to spider farming as a viable means of manufacturing silk.

Dr Donald Jarvis, of the University of Wyoming in the United States, and colleagues created transgenic silkworms expressing spider gene sequences.

Spider silk proteins have been long produced in transgenic bacterial, yeast, plant, insect and mammalian cells.

However, previous attempts to incorporate them into fibres spun by silkworms led to relatively low yields.

But the new technique, reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, led to fibres at least as tough as spider silk and stronger than those spun by silkworms.

So silkworms may be used at factories for manufacturing tough silk fibres containing spider silk proteins, said the researchers.

Dr Jarvis said: 'Spider silks have enormous potential as biomaterials for various applications, but serious obstacles to spider farming preclude the natural manufacturing approach.

'Thus, there is a need to develop an effective biotechnological approach for spider silk fibre production.

In addition to being used as sutures, silk fibres hold great potential as biomaterials for wound dressings, artificial ligaments, tendons, tissue scaffolds, microcapsules, and other applications.

'Silkworms are the current biological source of silk sutures, but spider silk fibres have superior mechanical properties that are ideal for procedures requiring finer sutures, such as ocular, neurological, and cosmetic surgeries.

'These results demonstrate that silkworms can be engineered to manufacture composite silk fibres containing stably integrated spider silk protein sequences, which significantly improve the overall mechanical properties of the parental silkworm silk fibres.

Read more: A fabric 'stronger than steel': Scientists crack how to 'farm' spider's webs by making silkworms do the work

We're proud to announce our 10,000th registered user at the e-elearning site (www.e-extension.gov.ph/elearning), Mr. Edwin Aguinaldo, a farmer from Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya. We're happy to have you here Edwin...

mb.com.ph; January 11, 2012, 4:58pm
MANILA, Philippines —  An ongoing research on forage crops for goats points to a very promising potential of Indigofera as an excellent source of protein for both the dairy and meat type goats.
The study is being undertaken at the Alaminos Goat Farm (AGF) in Alaminos, Laguna, operated by the Almeda family, Rene and his two sons Arthur and Toti. Indigofera is an imported leguminous tree that produces a lot of herbage relished by goats.
In a recent analysis, the Indigofera was found to have a higher protein content than malunggay and mulberry. It was found to contain 27.6 percent protein compared to 27.1 percent of malunggay and 20.4 percent of mulberry. Both malunggay and mulberry are also being tested for their efficacy as animal feed.
Indigofera has also been found to be a fast grower and high-yielder. To determine the potential yield of Indigofera on a per hectare basis, a trial plot of 10 square meters was established where 24 seedlings were planted on May 25, 2011. Five months later, on October 25, the first cutting was made and the 24 trees yielded 12 kilos. Two months later, the second cutting was made. This time the trees yielded 20.3 kilos.
Rene Almeda says that at 20,000 trees per hectare after two cuttings a potential yield of 27,000 kilos can be assumed. With the succeeding cuttings every one or two months, the yield could even increase.
Indigofera is the main forage species that the Almedas are growing in their Alaminos Salad Garden. The 30 long plots that they have planted to different forage plants are where they cut the green feeds that they give to their dairy goats. Each day, they harvest from one plot.
Indigofera is one species that many animal scientists of the government agencies had previously ignored. They had probably assumed that Indigofera was not palatable for small ruminants. It was not included in the book on goat raising published by the PCARRD.
Rene said that he saw the research report from Vietnam which showed that Indigofera has a high protein content. He then included it in their salad garden. It turned out that the goats loved to eat Indigofera, especially if the leafy branches are harvested every month. Today, in their research, shredded Indigofera is mixed with the concentrate ration at the rate of 30 percent.
Their caretaker had observed that every time he gave the dairy goats Indigofera, their milk yield increased. This has led the Almedas to conduct the research in cooperation with Remedios Acacio of the Bureau of Animal Industry.
One clear advantage of Indigofera over other forage species like malunggay is that it is high yielding and it is much easier to establish and maintain. Once established, it can be easily maintained by regular fertilization with goat manure and irrigation during the dry months.
Indigofera can be easily multiplied by seed. During the last Agrilink trade show, the Almedas were able to dispose of 5,000 seedlings they propagated in their farm. The Indigofera produces a lot of seeds which germinate very easily. To produce seeds, the trees must be left to grow without harvesting the leafy branches for feeding to the animals. (By ZAC B. SARIAN)
Source: Forage crop for goats promising

Balita.ph- January 11, 2012 11:35 pm
By Leonardo V. Micua

DAGUPAN CITY, Jan. 11 — A comprehensive development program for shellfish is set to kick off in Dagupan this month under the auspices of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), aiming to modernize the traditional backyard type of raising known by farmers in order to produce commodities in larger commercial scale and for export.

This was disclosed by Dr. Westly Rosario, chief of the National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center (NIFTDC), who submitted the program during a national conference of BFAR in Antipolo City last week.

Rosario said he is also going to submit the same proposal to the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) which may provide grants in the conduct of a more sophisticated research for the project.

Korea is being eyed as a major importer of shellfishes that will be produced in the Philippines.

Stressing that there is big money in oysters, mussels, scallops and other shellfishes but sadly this is not being given due attention in the country, Rosario said NIFTDC will spearhead the research on shellfish this year to find out the proper technology in raising the commodity in the country’s coastline.

However, there is a need for NIFTDC, the leading research facility of BFAR based in Dagupan, to first determine the most feasible areas in the entire coastline all over the country where shellfish farms can be located and where the modern type of culture now in use in other countries would be introduced.

The research said Rosario shall pinpoint areas where there is high concentration of heavy metals, which are a no-no for raising bivalves such as oysters, mussels and scallops.

On oysters, NIFTDC is eyeing to transport to its hatchery here the Talabang Tsinelas being raised in Cagayan and which grows up to the size of a man’s sandal when it matures.

The center will allow the Talabang Tsinelas to lay their eggs in hatchery condition to find out the best method of culture that can be adopted and soon disperse these to some coastal areas, starting in Pangasinan, to replace the present smaller specie in use.

“Through the research, we can help enhance shellfish culture and at the same time increase food for the Filipinos, provide livelihood for them and create new businesses that could also earn additional foreign exchange for the country,” he said.

On the other hand, he said that mussels have high export potential as the dried ones fetch up to P4,000 per kilo in China and Korea, of which this commodity is regarded as medicinal.

Thus there is a need to find the most appropriate technology in growing shellfish. Once it is found, it will be disseminated to the farmers through training programs to be conducted by NIFTDC's Asian Fisheries Academy.
Rosario tagged the towns of Bolinao and Anda as having the highest potential to produce green mussels in commercial quantity, throughout Pangasinan, yet only a few people are taking advantage of this.

These two towns are into aquaculture, producing milkfish, siganid (malaga), sea bass, grouper (lapu-lapu) and other species.

The other important reason the program was proposed, he revealed, is the natural capacity of shellfishes to clean rivers as these feed on plankton or microscopic plants and animals that are sometimes produced through pollution and from household and aquaculture wastes.

(PNA)LAP/LAM/Lvm/lvmicua/rma

Source: National research on shellfish to formally kick off in Dagupan

Hi Marj!

My father-in-law owned 3-ha rubber in Aborlan, Palawan and about to harvest this year. Our problem is that we are not yet trained on proper tapping of rubber and processing of its latex. Please help us on where we can avail the training on rubber tapping and processing in Palawan. Thank you and god bless.

Ms. Hamera

balita.ph; January 4, 2012 12:32 pm

DAGUPAN CITY, Jan. 4 — The Dagupan-based National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center (NIFTDC) will focus on the study of shellfishes this year in a bid to discover the appropriate technology in raising this commodity.

This will also ensure more food in the Filipino dining table and make this another export product of the country.
Dr. Westly Rosario, NIFTDC chief, revealed that shellfishes have a big potential to become one of the export commodities in the Philippines because these are regarded in some countries as medicinal.

But sadly, the Philippines is still using the crude method in raising the commodity yet.

Thus, he said, the need to find the proper technology in growing oysters, mussels, clams and scallops as farmers, who are raising the commodity only as a backyard industry, sadly lack the proper know-how in growing shellfishes in commercial scale.

Rosario said he submitted to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in late 2011 a proposal for the conduct of a comprehensive study on shellfishes focusing on the development of these species in order to develop a culture method patterned from those in other countries now exporting the commodity.

“Hopefully with this study, we can develop a high-impact project that could be introduced to the farmers throughout the country, to make it easier for them to raise seashells in bigger quantities for export abroad,” Rosario added.

Noting that shellfish culture in the country is undertaken by mostly marginal farmers, Rosario expressed optimism that the country has a potential to become a top exporter of this commodity considering its long coastline where oysters, mussels, clams and scallops are now growing but only on limited scale.

He said NIFTDC will first conduct profiling of all areas where shellfishes are growing abundantly and with the help of its laboratory, will also pinpoint areas where there is big concentration of heavy metals where fish farmers should avoid.

Rosario said this is necessary to ensure that shellfishes would be grown only in areas where there is cleaner water so that the product can pass the strict standard imposed by importing countries.

Philippines does not export any shellfish yet, owing to the fact that the data on this product demanded by exporters are incomplete and still scattered, he said. Rosario added in this project, they want to put all things in their proper order.

At the same time, he admitted that Dagupan is being eyed as one of the areas where shellfishes may be grown in commercial scale.

It is for this reason it is included among the places to be profiled to ensure that the shellfishes that it will produce will really pass the standard of importing countries.

A national project, this research will first start in Luzon before it will expand to the Visayas and Mindanao.

Stressing the importance of the project, Rosario hinted the possibility that NIFTDC may seek a foreign grant to finance the comprehensive research on shellfishes to enlist the cooperation of fishery experts and scientists from other countries.

Seashells, he said, are more expensive than cucumber, another specie put on study by NIFTDC since two years ago. When completed, this could make it easier for fish farmers to raise this crop in the coastal areas.

As to the problem of red tide which is seasonally prevalent in some areas of the Philippines, Rosario is not a bit worried because its effect can be avoided by not harvesting when the marine phenomenon is in full bloom. [By Leonardo V. Micua (PNA) LDV/LVM/rma]

Source: Nationwide shellfish study underway

Wishing you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a NEW YEAR full of e-Learning!

God bless us all!

Merry Christmas! May the abundant blessings of our creator increase the yields of the earth and waters to feed all his created living things! and may his merciful heart bestowed upon the troubled minds and body of those suffering afflictions!! MALIGAYANG PASKO AT MANIGONG BAGONG TAON PO SA ATING LAHAT!

Sa panahon nitong pagsasaya, pagbibigayan at pasasalamat, naway makamtan din natin ang kapayapaang dala ng pagsilang ng Dakilang Tagapagligtas. Kapayapaan po ng Pasko sa ating lahat!...Merry Christmas to all our 9000 plus users and e-learners...

balita.ph; December 21, 2011 12:28 am

DAGUPAN CITY, Dec. 20 –The exotic aquarium fish called Red Pacu (Collusom bidens) can now be introduced sporadically in fresh water streams and lakes teeming with water hyacinths or water lilies through a method of culture called surgical stocking.

Director Westly Rosario, chief of the Dagupan-based National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center (NIFTDC), said not all fresh water streams and lakes would be stocked with Red Pacu yet as environmentalists are still cautious of the possible effect of the fish to other plants, like rice.

It was learned that in a national fish symposium in Manila, a few regional directors of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) still issued some reservations about Red Pacu, fearing that if stocked in all fresh water fish farms, it would run berserk there and become uncontrollable.

But Dr. Rosario assured that Red Pacu would not follow the ways of the Giant Snails, which were introduced in 1990s, to boost the protein food of the Filipinos.

The reason for this is the fish sexually matures only after two to three years and when it does, it had already grown into one kilo and might have been entrapped by fish farmers and thrown over burning charcoal and eaten.

Red Pacu, a cousin of the deadly piranha, is herbivorous unlike the latter which is carnivorous. Pacu feeds only on plants, especially water hyacinths, and grows up to 0.6 meter when fully matured.

NIFTDC started conducting research on Red Pacu 10 years ago through some fingerlings turned over by a hobbyist.

These fingerlings grew into adults and with the use of hormones injected in the male and female species, the center was able to produce some offspring.

It was only during the Fish Conservation Week in October this year that NIFTDC finally introduced Red Pacu both as a food fish and cleaning agent in fresh water ponds.

Rosario admitted they have now actually started disseminating Red Pacu fingerlings in some fresh water bodies of Pangasinan to control the growth of unwanted weeds in their fish farms.

He said some people from Bayambang town came to the center and took some fingerlings to be seeded into their fresh water ponds which they wanted to be rid of water lilies.

At the same time, the fish can be introduced in some fresh water in Mindanao long been pestered by water hyacinths that often block the flow of water and cause floods.

As a cleaning agent, the fish can eat water lilies that impede the flow of water. At the same time, it can be caught by any means, including hook and line, with plant leaves as mere baits.

Water lilies, which are sometimes being dried, to become raw materials for handwoven items, are a bane to the growth of fish since they allow only little sunlight in the water, said Rosario.

As to the fear of environmentalists that the Red Pacu can later pose danger to all plants in the water, Rosario said that unless injected with hormones, the fish can sexually mature in two to three years.

That means that when it finds mate, the fish has grown to more than one kilo in weight and could have already been caught by farmers and already ended up as delicious fish stew or fried fish.

As shown during the Fish Conservation Week at the center, the fish can be cooked into several culinary delights, including "kare-kare", fillet and fish "shanghai".

Serving an aquarium fish when it is still young, the Red Pacu turns blackish and ugly during adulthood. [By Leonardo V. Micua (PNA) lvm/lvmicua/1840/rm]

Source: Red Pacu fish can now be propagated through surgical stocking

A FREE seminar on Backyard Fishpond and Community Aquaculture to be held on December 29, 2011 (2:00PM) at BFAR Provincial Office, Sorsogon City.Organized by Roselyn Huarde (09089783426), Registered Mobile Stockist of Victory Global Unlimited Systems, Incorporated - Bulan, Sorsogon.

For interested individuals, organizations, cooperatives and other parties who wish to attend said FREE SEMINAR, please contact me at 09995342374.

Balita.ph, December 13, 2011 12:06 am

ILOILO CITY, Dec. 12 – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has allotted some P21 million for the promotion and implementation of projects related to organic farming.

Agriculture regional technical director for operations Engr. Emelyn Recoter said the fund support for the program was only made available this year after the enactment of the Organic Act in 2010.

She said the fund will be used for the advocacy, organization of local technical working groups in various local government units (LGUs), fund support for organic programs, techno demo, among others.

“We would like to tap LGUs to organize their local technical committee up to the provincial level to come up with plan related to organic farming,” she said. “We are still at the organizational stage.”

Meanwhile, Recoter said the DA-Regional Field Unit 6 (DA-RFU 6) also provided shredder machines and night crawlers to farmers organization for them to come up with their own organic fertilizer.

Their production, however, is just enough for the organization and not sufficient yet to embark for commercial purposes. {(PNA)LDV/PGLena/vlo}

Source: DA allots P21M for organic farming program in W. Visayas

Sent in you message box too John.