What is Agricultural Enhancement Farming Training? In partnership with the CARITAS-Australia and DAF-ARMM, MARADECA’s Sustainable and Enterprise Development Program, conducted the training to the farmers member in Brgy. Moriatao Datu, Lumbayanague, Lanao del Sur Province on March 23, 2017.
Agricultural Enhancement Farming Training is a form of technology transfer using established soil and fertilizer management and other advanced agricultural techniques. The training was participated by about 30 people’s organization members of the PO’s Ompongan o mga Taribasok sa Ranao, Ompongan o Mga Bae sa Ranao and the MYPD.
The technology transfer into the municipality was done through Mr Amer B. Magarang Chief of Farm Operations of the Provincial Agricultural Research Outreach Office who facilitated the said training. A degree holder of BS Agriculture Major in Agricultural Extension, Masters Degree in Farming Systems, Magarang was OIC MAO at Buldon Maguindanao & the Municipality of Butig for some few months, and is presently an employee at DAF-ARMM, Lanao Del Sur.
The training was expected to inculcate in the participants the following techniques and technology:
- Knowledge enhancement on farming vegetable
- To know some new technology on how to develop and gain profit
- Increase agricultural yield
- Farm Management
- Fertilizer selection, development and management
- Right ways of planting
- Learning how to planting other crops
- Learning how to control pests
- Knowing the ways of planting
- Making organic fertilizer and pest control
- Updates on new technology on farming
- Learning new ways of Gardening
A part of the technology transfer is the installation of a formal program consisting of the Preliminaries, the Activity Proper and the generation of Outputs. Before the discussion proper, the facilitator he asked first the participants what are the ways of planting vegetables. There were Volunteers who demonstrated and explained their traditional ways of planting.
As illustration, the facilitator explained that some vegetables may be grown as seedlings before planting in the garden, or may be direct seeded or some can even be vegetative propagated. Seeds when prepared as seedlings should be sown in seed boxes or plastic seedling containers. These vegetables should be prepared 2-5 weeks before planting depending on the species.
Among the significant outputs produced by the Agricultural Enhancement Farming Training were the following:
- Adopting a scientific method in the acquisition and handling of seeds, since Seed is the foundation of farming systems. These include: (a) Selection of seeds (quality seeds or certified seeds), (b) Seed treatment, (c ) Seed conditioning, (d) Vernalization, and (e ) Seed storage.
- The introduction of Crop Rotation Technology in vegetable production, a practice by rotating the non-leguminous and leguminous crops in order to prevent the spread of pests and diseases. It improves the fertility of the soil of every garden of the household family.
- Preparation for seedling production
- Establishment of Nursery and Fence.
- Land Preparation
- Transplanting
- Fertilizer Application
- Home Gardening and Family and Community Harmony
- Generation of Household Income and Rural Employment
- Development of an Organic Vegetable Garden
- Water Management
- Weeding
- Trellis Installation
- Pest Diseases and Management
- Harvesting
- Market Development
An open forum allowed the participants to clarify certain issues. This was followed by a closing activity.