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

materials
128
Field Guide of Discovery-based Exercises for Organic Vegetable Production
• Fields planted to potato crops to be harvested two weeks later in learning and adjoining fields;
• Office supplies (e.g., Manila papers, notebooks, ball pens, and marking pens); and
• Other supplies (e.g., calcium carbide, cartoons, newsprint, plastic bags, and ramie sacks).
methodology
• Field walks, hands-on, and brainstorming
steps
1. Divide participants in small groups and ask them to conduct field walks and observe potato
crops two weeks before harvesting in learning and adjoining fields. Observe and choose
relatively healthy potato crops. Take a few representative sample plants and tubers. List down
all observations related to pest and disease incidence, crop stand, etc.
2. Go back to processing area, cut tubers, and assess plant and tuber health. Determine if tubers
can be used as source of seed materials. Brainstorm in small groups and present output to the
big group. Conduct participatory discussion to allow sharing of experiences among participants
and facilitators. Decide on a better procedure of breaking seed tuber dormancy.
3. Synthesize and summarize output of small groups into one big group output. Draw up
conclusions and recommendations from this exercise.
4. Two weeks before harvest, determine if there is scarcity of seed materials for next planting
operations. If seed materials will be scarce, do hands-on at harvest time by improving the
procedure below:
5 Prepare appropriate containers (e.g., cartons, plastic bags, and ramie sacks) and other
materials (e.g., newsprint, and calcium carbide);
5 Select healthy potato seed pieces from farmers’ early harvest or from sample seed tubers
in learning field;
5 Spread plastic bags wide enough to accommodate seed pieces inside carton;
5 Place ramie sacks over plastic bags and keep moist as necessary;
5 Wrap at least 50-g calcium carbide in newsprint and place at the bottom of carton;
5 Place potato seed pieces on top of wrapped calcium carbide until carton is full; and
5 Cover for 14-21 days, keeping ramie sacks moist until potato eyes emerge from seed tubers.