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

learning objectives
74
Field Guide of Discovery-based Exercises for Organic Vegetable Production
• To make participants aware of and understand the factors contributing to higher soil water
holding capacity and its role in improving crop productivity; and
• To learn the current best practices from other farmers that will increase soil water holding capacity.
materials
• Adjoining and learning fields where different soil water holding capacities can be observed
visually;
• Soils obtained in ‘Soil Biodiversity’ exercise;
• Office supplies (e.g., Manila papers, notebooks, ball pens, and marking pens); and
• Other supplies (e.g., three empty one-litter capacity plastic bottles, three clear plastic cups or
glasses, cutter, alaskin (tulle), rubber bands, water, weighing scale).
methodology
• Field walks, hands-on, and brainstorming
steps
1. Divide participants in small groups and ask them to conduct field walks and observe different
soil water holding capacities (WHC) in adjoining and learning fields as follows:
5 Groups I and II to visually observe WHC of poor and sandy soil (e.g., soil near river banks)
5 Group III to visually observe WHC of local farm soil (e.g., soil from farm continuously
applied with chemical fertilizers)
5 Groups IV and V to visually observe WHC of soil rich in organic matter (e.g., soil from
farm continuously applied with ordinary compost or vermi-compost)
2. Each group should mark a 1-m 2 quadrant of soil surface with use of pegs and nylon twine to
secure corners of quadrant and perform the activities below:
5 Pull out and ‘de-soil’ (e.g., ipagpag or shake to retain soil in the roots) weeds inside quadrant.
5 Remove soil litters and organisms (e.g., rove beetles, ants, millipede, earthworms, etc.)
found in soil surface.
5 Scrape soil within two inches depth of quadrant and place in separate plastic bag.
5 List down all pertinent observations.