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

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350<br />

<strong>Field</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Discovery</strong>-<strong>based</strong> <strong>Exercises</strong> <strong>for</strong> Organic Vegetable Production<br />

plants to go through their full flowering cycle creates habitats, as they provide shelter, food, and<br />

stability, <strong>for</strong> beneficial insects. The system creates also more ecological niches resulting to increased<br />

species diversity, pollination rate, and crop yield. Furthermore, it changes nature <strong>of</strong> soil organic<br />

matter, since mature tissues <strong>of</strong> seed-bearing crops contain more lignin and fix more carbon <strong>for</strong> soil<br />

food than nitrogen-rich vegetative crops or green manure alone 241 . Some basic differences between<br />

these systems are:<br />

• Isolation distance is observed in crops intended <strong>for</strong> seed production to maintain genetic purity<br />

by preventing unwanted pollination;<br />

• Pollinators are absolutely necessary in a seed production area, especially where natural<br />

pollination is insufficient;<br />

• Regular field inspection and rouging is done in the entire life cycle <strong>of</strong> vegetable crop to remove<br />

from seed production area other crops or cultivars, noxious weeds, <strong>of</strong>f-types, and plants that are<br />

de<strong>for</strong>med, diseased, or infested; and<br />

• Harvesting is undertaken at the most mature stage <strong>of</strong> seed or stage <strong>of</strong> physiological maturity <strong>of</strong><br />

seed, when it has accumulated all the needed food reserves. 242 .<br />

Thus, this sub-section covers exercises adapted from best practices and learning experiences by<br />

FFS facilitators and farmer-practitioners, as well as by technical experts on seed production topics<br />

relevant to organic vegetable production. These topics include: (a) keeping seeds pure; (b) selecting<br />

varieties or lines to produce; (c) developing hybrid and inbreed varieties; and (d) harvesting and<br />

processing <strong>of</strong> seeds.<br />

241 Maghirang, R.G. 2008. Organic Seed Production. Paper presented during the Workshop on Designing Farmer <strong>Field</strong> School Curriculum on Integrated Pest<br />

Management <strong>for</strong> Organic Vegetable Production held at the Philippine Council <strong>for</strong> Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development<br />

(PCARRD), Department <strong>of</strong> Science and Technology, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines on 28-30 April 2008. 23p.<br />

242 Bautista, O.K. (ed). 1994. Introduction to Tropical Agriculture. 2 nd Edition. SEAMEO Regional Center <strong>for</strong> Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture<br />

(SEARCA) and University <strong>of</strong> the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna, Philippines. pp167-175.

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