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

Exercise No. 3.31 114
CULTURAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN RELATION
TO MORPHOLOGY AND GROWTH STAGES OF
ORGANICALLY-GROWN HEAD- AND CURD-FORMING
VEGETABLES
BaCKGroUND aND raTIoNalE
Head- and curd-forming vegetables are organically-grown
for their terminal buds or flowers technically known as heads
or curds, respectively. Some of these vegetables are Chinese
cabbage, head cabbage, head lettuce, cauliflower, and broccoli.
Actually, an edible part of a cabbage is an exaggerated terminal
bud termed as head. This is also true of heading type of lettuce
called head lettuce. Some vegetable crops that are organicallygrown
for their curds are cauliflower and broccoli. The curds
are floral initials and not fully developed flowers, which are
fibrous and tougher 115 .
160
Field Guide of Discovery-based Exercises for Organic Vegetable Production
Unlike leafy vegetables that are usually organically-grown in home gardens, head- and curdforming
vegetables are high-valued crops normally grown by farmers in commercial scale. Just like
any commercially grown organic vegetables, appropriate and location-specific cultural management
practices employed at different growth stages of crops are necessary for more productive and
profitable undertaking.
Innovative cultural management practices that are more adapted to various stages of organically
growing head- and curd-forming vegetables in their localities had evolved in the Cordilleras through
farmers’ years of experiences. These unique experiences can be regularly shared among farmers
in FFSs to further improve current practices. The foregoing exercise was designed to achieve this
particular objective.
How long will this exercise take?
when is this exercise most
appropriate?
ɶ In FFS, TOT, and VST
sessions, when participants
decided to organically grow
head- and curd-forming
vegetables in learning
field or these vegetables
are organically-grown in
adjoining fields; and
ɶ When farmers want to
learn innovative cultural
management practices in
relation to growth stages
of head- and curd-forming
organic vegetables from
other farmers.
• Thirty minutes to one hour for field walks and observations of appropriate cultural management
practices in relation to growth stages of head- and curd-forming organic vegetables in learning
and adjoining fields; and
• Thirty minutes to one hour for brainstorming session in processing area.
114 Adapted from Callo, Jr., D.P., L.B. Teofilo, and H.A. Tauli (eds). 2002. Field Guide of Discovery-based Exercises for Vegetable IPM, Volume II. SEAMEO
Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. pp146-150.
115 Bautista, O.K. (ed). 1994. Introduction to Tropical Horticulture. 2 nd Edition. SEAMEO Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture
and University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna, Philippines. pp90-94.