GRAFTED TOMATO TECHNOLOGY FOR OFF-SEASON PRODUCTION

Technology Description:

Social conditions

The adopters and potential adopters of the technology are farmers with small landholdings and who have limited capacity for big farm investment and yet has the initiative and interest to participate in the program and dedicate their labor resource.

Technical considerations

During the early part of the introduction of the grafted tomato technology in Luzon , 365 farmers participated and completed the season-long training on “Integrated Crop Management on Grafted Tomato”. Since grafted tomato is a precision technology prospective adopters must be properly trained to equip them with adequate decision-making background during the commercialization stage of the technology. Current adopters are farmers who have participated in Farmer Field Schools conducted and implemented jointly by the Research, Extension and Training of the Central Luzon State University and the different local Government Units (LGUs) of Bulacan, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija. Furthermore, grafting and hardening chambers should be available for grafted tomato seedling production.

Economic data

Cost and return from 1000 m 2 grafted tomato under rainshelter, mulched and provided with trellis indicated a total labor cost of Php 12,214.25; material inputs of Php11,472.97 and rainshelter/mulching materials of Php 5,734.95 or a total expenses of Php 29,422.15. Gross production was 2,000 kg valued at P 30/kg or a gross income of Php 60,000. Net income, breakeven yield and breaeven price amounted to Php30,577.83, 980.74 kg, and Php 14.71 respectively with a return on total expenses of Php 1.04.

On the other hand, grafted seedling production which is a component enterprise can generate a net income of Php 19,023 and Php 219,207 using low cost and controlled condition grafting chambers, respectively. The return on investment is Php 0.34 and Php 2.71 from the low tech and controlled condition respectively (Please see attached Financial Feasibility).

Highlights of Technology Commercialization Activities:

• Technology Sourcing/Mapping

Research on grafted tomato production in the Philippines started in 1998 when The Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC) based in Taiwan and The Philippines through the Central Luzon State University and Bureau of Plant Industry-Economic Garden collaborated in a project entitled “ The Manila Peri-urban Vegetable Production Systems Project”. The project objective is to make the supply of vegetables to big cities in a sustained and safe mode.

Grafted tomato technology is one of the major output of the project. The technology is characterized by sparing tomato production from bacterial wilt infestation and flooding damage through grafting tomato scion to the bacterial wilt and flood resistant eggplant rootstock. The most common varieties of tomatoes easily succumb to bacterial wilt causing organism particularly during rainy season when soil moisture and humidity becomes highly favorable for the growth of the microorganism.

The tomato economy in the Philippines is characterized by two peaks; One is peak of fruit production during rainy season resulting to market glut and the peak of prices during hot-wet months (rainy season) brought about by limited supply. Increasing off-season production will reduce the occurrence of sky-high prices thus, making tomato price affordable to everyone’s home but at the same time offering the growers better source of alternative enterprise.

The profitability of grafted tomato technology to enhance off-season production, in Central Luzon is no longer a question. However, the technology should be tried in other tomato growing areas and by more farmers in commercial scale of in order for the growers and consumers realize similar benefits from the technology and likewise define the limits of the adaptability of the technology.

Prior to selection of beneficiaries rapid rural appraisal will be conducted to determine the problems associated with the growing of tomato during hot-wet months. Only areas which have flooding and/or bacterial wilt problems shall be considered for testing of the grafted tomato technology.

There will be two towns to be selected per province preferably two nearby towns located in flat to undulating topography.

• Technology Packaging (including technology Assessment)

STEEP Test criteria will be used to assess the technology. Where :

S- social acceptability

T- technical feasibility

E- economic financial viability

E- environmental soundness

P- political acceptability

Rating scale (PCARRD) shall be from 1 to 5.

• Technology Promotion

Technology promotion activites shall be done in several but interdependent stages:

• Technical Assistance in the construction of grafting and hardening chambers and rainshelters. The chambers are needed in producing the grafted tomato seedlings. Each grafting chamber has an enclosed area which measures 30 m 2 , hardening chamber (50 m 2), and rainshelters 25 m 2 . The chambers shall be operated by the farmer cooperative while the rainshelters shall be operated individually by cooperative members. The chamber operator shall be intensively trained at CLSU by the CLSU- Peri-urban Vegetable Production Sytems Team.

• Farmer/LGU empowerment

Farmers will be trained in integrated grafted tomato production and will be closely provided with technical assistance by CLSU, DA and LGU throughout the project duration until such time that they can confidently manage their grafted tomato farms.

• Process Documentation and Socio-Economic Analysis

Two full time project personnel will be will be hired to 1) document the processes and procedures followed by the beneficiaries, 2) identify constraints in the adoption of grafted tomato technology along with production and marketing, and 3) analyze the effect of the project on farmers, cooperatives and consumers.

Treatment

For all farms, grafted and non-grafted tomato under open field and rainshelter treatment will be used to adequately assess the advantages of grafting and rainshelter. Rainfall, relative humidity and temperature will be monitored daily in all the sites. EG 203 will be used as rootstock whereas, Diamante and Harabas will be used as scions. Plot size will be 25 m 2 for each treatment. Twenty samples per non-replicated treatment will marked for crop performance measurement. Means and standard deviation will be used to indicate crop performance per farm. Partial budget will be used to show the effect of frafting and rainshelter.

Data Gathering

Crop performance data such as insect and disease occurrence/damage, percent survival, number of fruiting plants, yield per plant, number of fruits to a kg yield and marketable yield will be properly recorded per farm/beneficiary.

Recommended cultural practices for grafted tomato seedling production and grafted tomato fruit production (Aganon et. al, 2002) shall be followed (Please see attached).

• Technology upscaling

Grafting facilities are proposed to be managed by local government units and/or cooperatives I order to generate income from sales of seedlings and sustain the labor requirement for grafting. As expertise is built in terms of management and operation of grafting centers more farmers can be assured of seedling supply. Furthermore, private entrepreneurs will have the interest to put up grafting centers as more and more farmers go into grafted tomato production. Production both of seedlings and tomato fruits shall be integrated with marketing. Marketing tie ups (at the moment a marketing tie for salad tomato is in place) shall be strengthened and expanded by consolidating the producers in order to demand a better price for their produce.

Source of Technology: Development of peri-urban vegetable production systems for sustainable year-round supplies to tropical Asian cities

Source of Research Fund : Government of Germany (GTZ ) through The Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center

Location: Municipalities of San Ildefonso, Plaridel, Marilao, Doña Remedios Trinidad, Hagonoy, Malolos, Pulilan, San Jose Del Monte, San Rafael in Bulacan; Camiling, Sta Ignacia, Anao in Tarlac; Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija;

Cooperators: Vegetable farmers

Farmer association/Leader: Samahan ng Kababaihan, Camachile, Doña
Remedios Trinidad, Kamlong Vegetable Growers
Association, Tabon, Pulilan, Malolos Crop Growers
Association, Balayong, Malolos City , San Ildefonso
Vegetable Growers’ Association

Number of Technology Adopters : 68 farmers from 13 municipalities

Date when Technology Adoption and Commercialization was started: May, 2002

Source: www.neda.gov.ph

No response to “GRAFTED TOMATO TECHNOLOGY FOR OFF-SEASON PRODUCTION”

Post a Comment