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

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Field Guide of Discovery-based Exercises for Organic Vegetable Production
nursery for planting. Plant are bushy and because of a need for wider planting distance, they require
a larger than average area for field studies. Flowering starts on 6 th to 8 th week after transplanting and
harvest of fresh fruits begins 2 weeks later. Similar to other fruit vegetables, growth stages overlap.
Eggplant is an often-crossed crop. The flower is normally perfect, having functional male (anthers)
and female (pistil) parts. The flowers are borne solitarily or in clusters of two or more. In solitary
flowering type, flower drop may be as high as 80%. Fertilization in mature flowers occurs between
06:00-11:00 a.m. However, this is influenced by daylight, temperature, and humidity, such that exact
timing is determined by observation and experience.
In FFSs, many innovative experiences can be shared among farmers to understand the biological
processes involved in reproduction of self-pollinated vegetable crops, such as string bean and
eggplant, which is a prerequisite for successful operation of participatory plant breeding program.
After learning plant’s reproduction processes, farmers will be able to apply their knowledge by
crossing a number of self-selected self-pollinated varieties, and study different methods and tools,
which influence success of hybridization.
How long will this exercise take?
• Fifteen to thirty minutes daily (1 st week) and weekly (succeeding weeks) for field walks,
observations, hands-on, and interaction with farmers; and
• Fifteen to thirty minutes weekly brainstorming session in processing area.
learning objectives
• To create awareness and understanding among participants of crops’ biological processes and
how selfing in often-crossed crop (e.g., eggplant) and hybridization of self-pollinated vegetables
(e.g., string bean) can be accomplished in their own farms; and
• To learn from other farmers and do hands-on using innovative experiences in selfing in oftencrossed
crop (e.g., eggplant) and hybridization of self-pollinated vegetables (e.g., string bean).
materials
• Office supplies (e.g., notebooks, ball pens, marking pens, crayons, Manila papers);
• Other supplies (e.g., scissors, glassine bags, aluminum foil, forceps, dissecting needle, paper
clips, magnifying glass, pen, and tags); and
• Self-pollinated vegetables (e.g., string bean and eggplant) organically grown as parent materials
for cross-breeding exercises in learning and adjoining fields.