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

Section 3 • Living Soil, Integrated Soil Nutrient and Crop Managements
• Moderate. Well-formed and moderately durable peds that are not very distinct in undisturbed
soil; and
• Strong. Durable peds or aggregates that are quite evident in undisturbed soil and become
separated when the soil is disturbed.
The characteristics of any soil emerged from its parent material and from external conditions such
as weather, slope, vegetation, and farming practices. Parent materials and external conditions
are often location-specific and may differ within a short distance in a farming area of a same
community 49 . In FFSs, a barangay soil map can be developed to indicate not only soil types, based
on soil textures and structures, but also location of farmer’s individual farms. This information
will be very useful in determining appropriate soil management strategies for each soil type by
actual field examination and sharing of experiences among farmers. This particular exercise was
designed to address this concern.
How long will this exercise take?
• Thirty minutes to one hour for field walks and observations of different soil textural and
structural classes of individual farmers in adjoining and learning fields; and
• Thirty minutes to one hour soil mapping and brainstorming session in processing area.
learning objectives
• To make participants aware of and understand the different soil-water management requirements
for different soil textural and structural classes to improve crop productivity;
• To learn how to do a barangay soil map showing different soil textural and structural classes
of farmers’ individual farms; and
• To learn from each other appropriate soil-water management practices for different soil
textural and structural classes.
materials
• Individual farmer’s farm in adjoining and learning fields where different soil textural and
structural classes can be observed visually; and
• Office supplies (e.g., Manila papers, notebooks, ball pens, and marking pens).
49 FARM. 1998. Facilitator’s Manual: Farmer Field School on Integrated Soil Management. Farmer-centered Agricultural Resource Management (FARM)
Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization Regional Office for Asia-Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand. pp34-35.
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