Care and Maintenance of Crops

Weeding and Cultivation

these are two important agricultural practices that helps ensure crops’ healthy growth and development. These procedures are necessary to keep the crops healthy and to maximize yield; to prevent harming the crops, they must be done properly and precisely.

weeding

this is the process of clearing weeds/unwanted plants from the field. To grow healthy crops, weeds should be removed. They can seriously affect the crop yield by competing with water, light, and nutrients. This occurs two to three times per week, particularly in the early phases of crop cultivation. It can be completed mechanically with machines or manually with hand tools.

cultivation

this refers to raising crops or loosening and breaking the soil. The purpose of doing this to the soil surrounding established plants is to eliminate weeds and enhance soil aeration and water infiltration. This can be achieved manually with a hoe or mechanically with a cultivator. Managing the soil’s weed seed bank is another benefit of this.

irrigation

the agricultural sector of the nation heavily relies on this. It increases land productivity by giving crops enough water to yield more and maintain production stability even in harsh weather.

surface irrigation

this involves directly applying water to the soil surface

sprinkler irrigation

this utilizes overhead sprinklers to distribute water over the fields

drip irrigation

this system delivers water directly to the root zone of the plants

subsurface irrigation

this involves applying water below the soil surface

sprinkler-subsurface irrigation hybrid

this is a combination of sprinkler and subsurface irrigation

rainwater harvesting

this involves collecting and harvesting rainwater for irrigation

traditional or manual irrigation

this is a simple irrigation method where water is carried to the plants manually

fertilizing

this is an essential farming technique that includes adding nutrients to the soil to increase fertility and encourage plant growth.

side-dressing

applying fertilizer to the soil surface close to the plants

banding

applying in bands to the side and below the seed

broadcasting

spreading evenly over the soil surface

mulching

this is an organic farming method that comes with many advantages. A material layer is spread across its surface to protect and nourish the soil.

Sources of mulching materials

• weeds or cover crops

• crop residues

• grass

• pruning material from trees

• cuttings from hedges waste from agricultural processing or forestry

natural fiber

can be obtained in the Philippines from natural resources

natural resources

sugarcane

corn

areca palm

abaca plants

crop rotation

the accumulation of pests and diseases that favor particular crops can be avoided by doing this to cultivated crops in a field each season

beneficial insects

by feeding on pests, beneficial insects like lacewings and ladybugs can aid in managing pests

good cleaning practices

to stop the spread of illnesses and pests, thoroughly clean the field and equipment between seasons

proactive pest management

proactive pest identification, risk assessment, monitoring, surveillance, occurrence prediction, management, and control are all part of this timely crop pest management approach

use of resistant varieties

certain diseases can be less common if disease-resistant varieties are planted

healthy soil

plants with healthy soil are more resistant to diseases and pests. By using techniques like mulching and composting, this is accomplished

proper watering

fungal infections can result from overwatering. To keep the foliage dry and less appealing to disease-causing organisms, water the base of the plants

rice husk and rice straw

in the Philippines, this is a staple grain that produces many rice husks and straws during production

coconut husk and coconut shell

the Philippines is a major producer of these

bagasse

this is a by-product of sugarcane, another major crop of the Philippines

manure

in the Philippines, another significant source of biomass is manure from pig and poultry farms

corn cob and corn stalk

in the Philippines, corn is a major crop whose production yields a sizable amount of these