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

Exercise No. 6.02 220
324
Field Guide of Discovery-based Exercises for Organic Vegetable Production
HILLING-UP AS AN INSECT PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY IN ORGANIC
VEGETABLE PRODUCTION
BaCKGroUND aND raTIoNalE
Most organic vegetable farmers, particularly in the Cordilleras, practice hilling-up. Hilling-up is
a cultural management practice where soil is cultivated and raised at base of plant primarily to
enhance better root development, improve anchorage, and suppress growth of weeds. For most
vegetable crops, this operation is usually conducted a month after transplanting or immediately after
second application of organic fertilizers, thereby ensuring its proper soil incorporation and its more
efficient use by plants. For tuber crops, hilling-up is done to suppress growth of aerial tubers and
prevent infestation of potato tuber moth and other pests 221 .
Hilling-up also disturbs development of other soil-borne pests and exposes to sunlight many soilborne
plant pathogens that thrive near base of plants. Hence, this practice contributes largely to
better pest and disease management. Hilling-up is useful only as a pest and disease management
strategy if done at proper time. In FFSs, best practices in hilling-up can be shared among farmers by
conducting field walks, hands-on, simulation exercises, and participatory discussion. This exercise
was designed to address this particular concern.
220 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. pp 264-268.
221 Balaki, E.T. 1998. As cited in: 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. 366p.