Field Guide of Discovery-based Exercises for - Aseanipm ...

Section 3 • Living Soil, Integrated Soil Nutrient and Crop Managements
learning objectives
• To make participants aware of and understand the contribution of soil biodiversity in improving
productivity in organic vegetable growing; and
• To learn from other farmers some innovative cultural management practices that will enhance
soil biodiversity to further sustain productivity in growing organic vegetables.
materials
• Adjoining fields of learning field where different soil ecosystem can be observed;
• Field supplies (e.g., meter stick, pegs, nylon twine, plastic bags, weighing scale, magnifying
lens, bolo, and spade); and
• Office supplies (e.g., Manila papers, notebooks, ball pens, and marking pens).
methodology
• Field walks and brainstorming
steps
1. Divide participants in small groups and ask them to conduct field walks and observe different
soil ecosystem in adjoining fields of learning field as follows:
5 Group I to observe forest soil (e.g., undisturbed forest trees are grown)
5 Group II to observe brush land (e.g., plants grow as tall as 1-2 meters)
5 Group III to observe grassland (e.g., plants grow less than 1 meter tall)
5 Group IV to observe crop land (e.g., organic vegetable crops are grown)
5 Group V to observe barren land (e.g., no crop or other plant is grown)
2. Each group marks a one-sqm quadrant of soil surface with the use of pegs and nylon twine to
secure corners of quadrant and perform the activities below:
5 Pull out and ‘de-soil’ (e.g., ipagpag or shake to retain soil in roots) weeds inside the
quadrant.
5 Collect soil litters and organisms (e.g., rove beetles, ants, millipede, earthworms, etc.)
found in soil surface and place separately in plastic bags.
5 Scrape soil within two inches depth of quadrant and place in separate plastic bag.
5 List down all pertinent observations.
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