Farmers from Magsaysay, MisOr graduate from FFS on IPM in hybrid corn production.
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Twenty-five farmers completed the Farmers’ Field School (FFS) on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Hybrid Corn Production of the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10) in Barangay Cabubuhan, Magsaysay, Misamis Oriental, on September 12.
DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado said that the FFS intends to educate corn planters about matured technologies, with a focus on IPM-based pest and disease management, which maintains crop health leading to healthier and higher quality crops.
The four-month-long FFS included topics on land preparation and crop establishment, fertilizer rate and computation, soil sampling techniques, the morphology of corn seeds, insect pests of corn, integrated weed management, pesticide hazard to health and environment, and natural resources biodiversity and watershed management.
Also tackled were farm record keeping and economic analysis, which were carried out through the conduct of field days, assessments, and summarizing best practices in corn production.
DA-10 Field Operations Division chief Eduardo N. Pit, Ph.D., shared that the activity through the agency’s Various Production Support Services (VPSS) aims to help farmers gain sustainable and effective methods to manage pests and diseases in their corn fields while maximizing crop yield.
Marites B. Jayectin, one of the FFS graduates, is grateful for the opportunity to join said activity, where she has gained a comprehensive understanding of the key concepts and principles underlying IPM. Of which, she expects higher yields, directly translating into increased profits, she added.
Also gracing the event were DA-10 Agriculturist II Jesson R. Ucat, Magsaysay Sangguniang Bayan Council Chairman on Agriculture Genaro A. Nisperos, Municipal Agriculturist Patrick Ralph R. Pahalla, and Corn Agricultural Technologist and Technician Robert R. Nisperos and Francisco O. Naldoza, respectively.# (MPMTablon)