Technologies to Mitigate Impact of El Nio on Agriculture

That was the country s battle cry in 1997, when the Philippines was hit by the wrath of El Nio. El Nio refers to the unusual warming of sea surface temperatures along the equatorial Pacific that is usually characterized by below-average rainfall which leads to a dry spell. Data from the Department of Agriculture revealed that the 1997 El Nio affected almost 74,000 hectares of agricultural lands in 18 provinces. During the first half of 1998, the country s palay and corn production went down by 27 percent and 44 percent, respectively. After almost 13 years, another El Nio episode is about to hit the country, proof that it is indeed a recurring phenomenon. The challenge remains for the country to beat the negative impact of the forecasted prolonged dry spell. Considered highly vulnerable to an onslaught of a dry spell caused by El Nio are the provinces of Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Cavite, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Zamboanga City, Sarangani and South Cotabato. Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Romblon, Sorsogon, Aklan, Antique, Bohol, Samar, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, Bukidnon, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur and Davao City are considered moderately vulnerable to the phenomenon. One of the lessons learned during the 1998 dry spell was the need to disseminate timely information to local farmers to help them mitigate the adverse impact of El Nio in the country s food production. With this, the Department of Agriculture (DA) and other concerned agencies, such as the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources, Research and Development, the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), Philippine Rice Research and Development Institute, and the Philippine Council for Marine Aquatic Research and Development, have identified the following technology interventions: Small-scale irrigation systems THE small-scale irrigation systems include Small Water Impoundment (SWIM) and Shallow Tube Wells (STWs). SWIM taps surface water for agricultural use. Small water-impounding projects have dam heights of not more than 30 meters and/or a volume of storage not exceeding 50 million cubic meters. The Small Farm Reservoir (SFR) is the smallest version of SWIM. Its dam height is normally below 5 meters. It gets water supply from rainfall and excess runoff coming from small catchments areas with no defined stream. An SFR is individually owned and managed by farmers for irrigation, especially during dry-season cropping.

STW taps shallow ground water as the source of irrigation for crops. It is reliable during the dry season, when surface water is limited or not available. According to the DA, in Luzon, the most often observed method of drawing water from the ground is the use of centrifugal pumps primed either by diesel engines or electric motors via the drilled tubes or concrete cased open dug wells. In Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan, these are used by farmers to supplement irrigation of nonrice crops such as onion, pepper, corn, cotton, tobacco and tomato during dry season. Other irrigation methods, structure and tools TO effectively manage water supply, agricultural researchers identified other irrigation methods that have been studied and warrant further application in appropriate areas. Drip irrigation is one method whereby small amounts of water are applied at short intervals to the soil surface by single emission point. Hence, it enables a uniform distribution of water to all plants to the area of the roots. Diversion dams are structures constructed across a channel or river to raise water level and allow diversion of water by gravity from the ground.Intermittent irrigation-drainage water-management scheme rationalizes the utilization of limited water supply. Irrigation is provided at the time when it s most required without causing damage to crops. Cloud-seeding Drought situations may be abated by well-planned rain-stimulation operations such as cloud-seeding. This is a method of inducing rain clouds to produce rainfall. Sodium chloride, or salt, is dispensed to the rain-bearing clouds to coalesce with ice crystals at the right temperature and humidity. Condensation takes place in the cloud system transforming ice droplets into rain. The BSWM, in coordination with the Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Atmospheric Services Administration, can undertake periodic cloud-seeding. Soil-conservation measures Limited water supply for irrigation reduces moisture content and inhibits growth and productivity. To conserve soil moisture, mulching or the spreading of rice straws and other agricultural waste materials in the field is a practice among many farmers. Mulching reduces soil erosion and improves moisture retention. It also cuts capillary system, minimizing evaporation from soil and cracking of lowland rice field. Tillage practices, which refer to zero and minimum tillage, can also reduce soil and water losses. It is a land-preparation activity done prior to crop planting. Observing zero and minimum tillage practice help reduce evaporation, as it minimizes the exposed surface area of soil. Another measure is the organicbased balanced fertilization. Organic fertilizer enhances and improves soil porosity and water-holding capacity. It also improves the physical condition of soils by promoting soil aggregation and preventing surface crusting, thus improving water infiltration, plant root penetration and soil aeration.

Cropping system management Direct seeding is generally practiced in dry-land cultivation of rice and corn. It requires minimal water supply and reduces labor requirements. Use of 90-day rice varieties and planting of short-duration vegetables and other alternative food crops. Rice varieties such as PSB Rc12 or Caliraya and PSB Rc14 or Rio Grande are among those fit for drought. For corn, varieties such as Cn 96-71, CW2, Cn96-72 and CW24 are found dry-tolerant. Crop diversification is the production of upland crops that generally consume less water. Among the drought-tolerant crops are sorghum, sweet pepper, ube, togue, alugbati, banana, winged bean, pigeon pea, pole sitao, pineapple, ginger, cassava, cantaloupe, asparagus, black pepper, sweet potato, mung beans, grapefruit, cucumber, cowpea and peanut. Planting of these crops requires short growth periods thereby reducing moisture requirements. It also allows the cultivation of succeeding crops at the time when rainfall and residual moisture are available. Proper irrigation scheduling involves determining the appropriate time and frequency, as well as amount of irrigation application needed to obtain optimal growth and yield of crops in conjunction with the use of other inputs or practices production. Aquaculture Water recycling. Water in freshwater x ponds can be transferred to other ponds instead of draining it out when harvesting fish. Stock high-temperature and high salinity-tolerating fishes. For brackish water ponds, the culture of milkfish, tilapia and other fish species can tolerate water temperature higher than 32 0C and salinities higher than 32 percent should be considered. Livestock Planting leguminous fodder trees and shrubs. Leguminous fodder trees and shrubs such as Leucaena, Gliricidia, Sesbania, Calliandra and Erythrina can be planted on farm boundaries, vacant lots, along roadsides, contour hedgerows and even in marginal areas. Other leguminous fodder shrubs include Desmanthus, Rensonii, Flemingia and Stylo 184. These leguminous trees and shrubs remain green throughout the year and retain most of their leaves during dry season, making them a good source of feeding materials for livestock. Silage production. Silage is a preserved/fermented ruminant feed from grasses, other plants and agricultural leftover which serves as energy source for ruminant animals. This technology, excess grasses and agri-leftovers during the wet season are preserved for use during the dry periods. Urea-Molasses-Mineral Block (UMBB) supplementation for ruminants. UMBB is a feed supplement, which supplies the animals with essential nutrients usually deficient in most forages and crop residues. It is given as a lick to supplement low-quality roughages. In the onset of prolonged dry spell, preparedness could spell the difference. These technologies could equip our farmers with information and brace for the impact of El Nio and enable them to achieve farm productivity and maintain the country s food security.