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‘Laguna State Polytechnic University for

improved quality of life and sustainable

development’

Highlights of the university’s major programs

and projects under the College of Agriculture

prepared by Lolita L. Beato, Ph.D. and Cornelio R Molon

PROJECT TITLE: “Piloting of Innovative Coconut Planting System Using

Improved Genetic Materials in Siniloan, Laguna”

[A collaborative undertaking between PCA and LSPU]

OBJECTIVE:

To contribute in improving farm productivity and farmers’ income in the coconut-

growing areas in the province of Laguna.

Specifically to:

demonstrate good farming practices such as proper nursery management, crop

nutrition and integrated pest management (IPM) program;

demonstrate the viability of high density planting following the ‘group of 3 palms

per hill’ (G3PH) planting system using PCA-recommended coconut hybrids and

cultivar ; and

provide a source of improved genetic materials for the replanting of senile palms

and in the establishment of new coconut farms;

POTENTIAL PROJECT IMPACT

With a higher number of coconut palms planted in every hectare [i.e. 200

palms/ha under the G3PH system of planting], using the PCA-developed coconut

hybrids [with a potential yield of more than 100 nuts/palm annually] and the adoption

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of good farming practices [proper nursery management, crop nutrition and IPM] a

substantial increase in coconut farm productivity and farmers’ income can be achieved.

The coconut nursery in the LSPU Land Grant

The PCA-recommended polybag coconut nursery technique will be adopted in this project.

Proven benefits of the technology, viz.

Transplanting shock is greatly minimized, thereby promoting early establishment of transplanted seedlings.

Seedlings can be retained longer in the nursery when conditions for field planting are not favorable.

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PROGRAM TITLE: STRAW Technology: A strategy enhancing food security, poverty alleviation and disaster-resiliency within the

community. [STRAW stands for System of Total Rehabilitation of Agricultural Wastes]

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the program is to enhance food security, poverty alleviation and

disaster resiliency within the community.

Specifically:

To provide practical, innovative and environment-friendly and sustainable

livelihood opportunities through mushroom production, processing of community-

based mushroom value-added products like mushroom tempura, shanghai,

siomai, sausage, siopao, kropeck, patties, sisig, pickled mushroom, powdered

mushroom and mushroom pasta and canton; and community based-mushroom

processing while utilizing indigenous resources;

To promote healthier environment by encouraging farmers to utilize their

agricultural wastes such as rice straw, banana leaves among others for

mushroom production instead of burning them;

Utilization of mushroom “spent” as feed for vermiworms to produce biofertizer

known as vermicasts and/or vermicompost; and

To assist in achieving independence and empowerment among women, to gain

dignity, and provide a better life for the family and community.

PROJECT IMPACT:

SOCIAL

Establishment of mushroom demo-producing units in selected barangays in different communities;

At least 20 t0 25% of the trainees have put up sustainable mushroom

entrepreneurial project; 2% yearly increase of partners/stakeholders;

Dissipate fear of the community in eating mushrooms

ECONOMIC 20% increase of income and number of job created;

25% increase in volume of mushroom production;

Improved sustainable mushroom production in the locality; Reduce price of mushrooms and make it affordable to ordinary citizens;

Enhance marketability of mushrooms, etc.

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ENVIRONMENTAL Utilize other agricultural by-products and wastes as possible substrates for

mushroom production before composting;

Utilization of mushroom spent as substrates for vermiculture and/or vermicomposting;

Increase production of vermicompost (biofertilizers)

Trainings on mushroom cultivation for farmers, mothers, NGOs and

LGUs provided by Dr. Lolita D. Viyar, Program Leader (STRAW)

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PROJECT TITLE: “Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP)- DOST Academe Technology-Based Enterprise Development

(DATBED) Program” (Implementing agencies: Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI)- Department of Science and Technology – Region IV-A and Laguna State Polytechnic

University (LSPU –Siniloan Campus)

OBJECTIVE:

To promote the transfer and commercialization of technologies and encourage

the establishment of technology-based enterprises.

Specific:

To develop and produce entrepreneurs among the student-beneficiaries by

providing financial assistance in a form of loan fund;

To promote the widespread use of yield-enhancing technologies in rice

production; and

To encourage the younger generation to engage in agriculture more particularly

in rice farming.

ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE PROJECT:

Through the experiential learning technique, the student-beneficiaries enabled to

improve their competencies as entrepreneurs as well as developed their technical

skills in rice production;

A total of 30 students from the different curricular programs of the College of

Agriculture have benefitted from this project;

The rice production area of the university utilized in this project was able to

showcase the various practices in rice production which complemented the

learning-by-doing approach employed in most of our curricular offerings;

The loan fund given to LSPU was eventually converted into a grant; and

More student-beneficiaries are reaping benefits from this project.

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Enhancing the system of sharing the various yield-enhancing

technologies to program beneficiaries could help them increase

productivity and achieve the ‘more output per unit of input’ pattern.

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PROJECT TITLE: “Collection, Propagation and Ex-Situ Conservation of Native

Fruit Trees”

OBJECTIVES:

To collect, characterize, document, conserve and disseminate the importance of native

fruit trees in the CALABARZON Region.

PROJECT IMPACT:

The project shall contribute in the conservation of the genetic diversity of the vanishing

native fruit tree and give benefits to the rural communities through nutritional and food

security, poverty reduction, resource conservation and protection and climate change

mitigation and adaption.

Ready-for-outplanting materials of these

varied species of native fruit trees [e.g.,

Rollinia mucosa, Dillenia philippinensis,

Cynometra cauliflora, Eugenia jambos,

Glycosmis pentaphylla Antidesma bunius,

etc.] are given GRATIS to DepEd schools,

foundation, NGOs and other advocacy groups.

The strategy guarantees an effective means of

gaining stakeholders’ support for the project.

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DepEd officials, teachers and pupils from Siniloan Elementary School

enthusiastically take part in the outplanting of the native fruit trees

provided by LSPU through the project “Collection Propagation and Ex-

situ Conservation of Native Fruit Trees in Laguna”.

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PROJECT TITLE: “Participatory Varietal Selection (PVS) of Stress-Tolerant Rice

Varieties [Submerged and Drought]

(Department of Agriculture Regional Field Unit IV-A and LSPU)

OBJECTIVES:

To determine which among the newly developed stress-tolerant varieties will

perform best on-station and on-farm conditions;

To obtain feedbacks from the potential end users of the newly developed

varieties, our farmers; and

To identify the varieties that most men and women farmers prefer, including the

reasons for their preference and constraints to adoption.

ACCOMPLISHMENT of the PROJECT:

Through the different PVS conducted in less favorable rice ecosystems for the

selection and testing of stress-tolerant varieties, high-yielding, adaptable and

acceptable cultivars through farmers’ participation were identified;

PVS facilitates the development and dissemination of varieties suitable for

submergence and drought-prone conditions and farmers’ preferences and

interests.

LESSONS LEARNED:

Farmer-cooperators to be selected in the conduct of PVS should have completed

Farmers Field School (FFS) on rice and other related trainings;

In the conduct of PVS, suitable infrastructures must be made to reduce the

impacts of extreme conditions [i.e., prolonged typhoon- and rainfall-induced

floods (lasting for more than a month) or extended drought (caused by El Nino

exacerbated by poor irrigation system)] in order to protect the reliability of the

study.

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Preference Analysis are conducted to increase awareness and to

further examine farmers' criteria in evaluating new varieties.

The Laguna State Polytechnic University, Department of Agriculture

Regional Field Unit IV-A, LGUs and farmer associations are working

together to enhance the adoption of stress-tolerant varieties.

Farmers, faculty, students, and researchers participate in the sensory evaluation of

cooked rice of the leading preferred varieties to determine their overall

acceptability based on appearance, texture, flavour and other attributes.