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

Exercise No. 3.34 120
CULTURAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN RELATION
TO MORPHOLOGY AND GROWTH STAGES OF
ORGANICALLY-GROWN ROOT, BULB, AND TUBER
VEGETABLES
BaCKGroUND aND raTIoNalE
Root, bulb, and tuber vegetables are organically-grown for
their swollen underground edible stems or roots. Some of
these vegetables are carrots, potato, radish, and bulb onions.
These vegetables are shallow rooted crops with depth of
rooting ranging from 90 to 100 cm. The attainments of their
maximum vegetative and reproductive development depend
largely on the kind of soil preparation and soil moisture
condition 121 .
172
Field Guide of Discovery-based Exercises for Organic Vegetable Production
Unlike other organic vegetables that are grown for their
leaves, curds, pods, or fruits, such that cultural management practices are largely concentrated on
aboveground parts, root, bulb, and tuber vegetables need more special attention on their underground
parts. Just like any high-valued crops normally grown by organic farmers in commercial scale,
appropriate and location-specific cultural management practices must be employed at different
growth stages of crops for more productive and profitable production.
Innovative cultural management practices that are more adapted to various stages of organicallygrowing
root, bulb, and tuber vegetables had evolved in the Cordilleras through farmers’ years of
experience. 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 organicallygrow
root, bulb, and tuber
vegetables in learning field
or these vegetables are
grown in adjoining fields;
and
ɶ When farmers want to
learn innovative cultural
management practices in
relation to growth stages
of organically-grown root,
bulb, and tuber 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 organically-grown root, bulb, and tuber vegetables in
learning and adjoining fields; and
• Thirty minutes to one hour for brainstorming session in processing area.
120 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. pp161-165.
121 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. pp94-98.