January - March 2010

In This Issue:

RESEARCH&DEVELOPMENTEast-West Seed’s Heart & Soul

Tanim sa Kinabukasan Advocacy Project Launched

A Decade of East-West Seed

International

Downey Mildew of Cucurbits

By Bryan Angelo GarciaThe following is an excerpt from Bryan Angelo Garcia’s article which appeared in the January 23, 2010 issue of the Manila Bullletin.

East-West Seed Company (EWSC) has established itself as the leading tropical vegetable seed company in the Philippines after 27 years in the industry. By providing excellent quality, high-yielding, innovation driven products, East-West has cornered the vegetable seed market and has helped millions of farmers and vegetable traders. The company constantly strives to revolutionize the agriculture industry by investing on technologies that would improve the quality of their products.EWSC stands by this belief and continues to drive itself further. With

this in mind, the company has channeled its investments on a new state-of-the-art Research and Development facility that will house the future of seed innovation in the Philippines. This facility stands in the company’s Hortanova Farm in Lipa City, Batangas.The new building houses laboratory facilities for plant pathology, tissue

The pressure on the employees and management of East-West Seed Philippines is enormous!

2009 was a banner year. We introduced more new varieties to the farmers than ever before. Our breeders are delivering exciting new products for the years to come. We produced the seeds that we needed in a consistent high quality.

In return, the vegetable farmers of the Philippines showed their trust in us by continuing asking the dealers for East-West Seed products.

I cannot emphasize enough, that as long as we continue to focus on serving the Farmers, we will remain their preferred supplier.

Thanks to our efforts of providing quality seeds, the farmers are able to produce better looking and tasting vegetables for the consumers. This, in combination with the Government promoting healthier foods, will lead to a higher consumption of vegetables in the country.

I can remember, for instance, the time that simply no vegetables were available in the markets of Davao. Today, the consumers are offered a wide

variety of good-looking vegetables at affordable prices.Our seeds have contributed to that positive development.The challenges for the future are substantial: globalization, changing weather patterns, import

liberalization, to name just a few are all requiring farmers to be better informed and to be open to change.

East-West Seed has companies in most countries in Asia. We need to use our international knowledge and experience to predict the farmer’s needs and the consumer’s preference in the years to come. That’s our obligation.

And…we are ready for that, we can handle the pressure.

Joost Pekelharing

culture, and seed technology research. It also boasts a seed storage area, including pre-drying rooms and long-term storage facility at -20°Celsius that can store good quality seeds for many years.Aside from the new building’s facilities, Hortanova Farm also has

about 10 hectares of land which they devote solely for product development. This includes green houses for seedling production and hectares of cultivated land which is mainly used as testing ground for the development and selection of superior new breeding lines and new hybrid varieties.EWSC proudly pioneers the application of doubled haploid technology,

otherwise known as in-vitro technology, to support and accelerate plant breeding and variety development.Another breakthrough for the Philippine vegetable seed industry which

EWSC has pioneered is the routine application of marker technology such as Iso-Electric Focusing (IEF) and DNA-based markers. These technologies guarantee farmers that they are getting the best quality products from East-West Seed. These also quicken product development and delivery.All these efforts are geared towards fulfilling the East-West Seed spirit,

which is serving the Filipino and Asian farmers. EWSC takes it upon itself to uplift the farmers’ lives by increasing their income through high quality seeds and related products, and by continuously training them on new production technologies.

Dear Readers,

East-West Seed Philippines had a triumphant finale in 2009 and what better way to cap the year than to share the blessings through Tanim sa Kinabukasan (Plant for the Future) which was launched in December 2009. And 2010? It started with a bang with the inauguration of the new R&D building in February. A lot happened contributing to our 2009 success and more is expected in 2010. Need I say more? Let’s hear it straight from our President…a rare privilege for the initial issue for 2010 of Usapang Gulayan.

Tabeth G. VelascoEditor-in-Chief

THE PRESIDENT SPEAKS

RESEARCH&DEVELOPMENTEast-West Seeds’ Heart & Soul

LetterEditor

from the

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Present during the inauguration were EWS Vice President for Marketing Bert van der Feltz, EWS President Joost Pekelharing, Senator Edgardo J. Angara as guest of honor, EWS Board Chairman Simon N. Groot, EWPH General Manager Mary Ann P. Sayoc, and Mr. Groot’s wife Daisy Groot

These colorful flower patches added much vibrance to the already festive occasion

Also gracing the inauguration with Sen. Angara were the EWPH Board of Advisors: former Department of Agriculture Secre-tary Senen C. Bacani, former Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Johnny B. Santos, and former San Miguel Corpora-tion President Frank C. Eizmendi, Jr.

By Ric M. Reyes

East-West Seed’s advocacy project, Tanin sa Kinabukasan (Plant for the Future) was recently launched in Kaliwanagan Elementary School in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija. This project aims at teaching school kids improved techniques of planting vegetables and eventually influencing them to love eating their greens. It also aspires to encourage the whole community--parents, teachers, schoolchildren, and local government units (LGUs)--to learn and appreciate the value of growing vegetables and promote healthy eating habits. This noble project is undertaken by EWPH in collaboration with participating schools, LGUs, and Synergeia Foundation--a non-government organization dedicated to improving basic education in the country.

San Jose City Mayor Marivic V. Belena and EWPH General Manager Dr Mary Ann P. Sayoc led the more than 500 guests in unveiling the schoolchildren’s impressive vegetable showcase of various varieties that included hybrid

tomato Diamante Max, hybrid ampalaya Galactica, hybrid upo Mayumi, pakchoi Choy, Kangkong Tsina LP, Mariposa sitao, hybrid baby cucumber Pipinito, hybrid sweet pepper Emperor, and hybrid hot pepper Django. The varieties were in their prime fruiting stage and heavily laden with flowering fruits. The vegetable demo impressed the parents and teachers from near and far who marveled at the profusely fruiting hybrids planted by the children. For many, this is their first time to see modern crop management techniques of producing high value vegetables. They saw and learned the advantages of using seedling trays and sterilized medium to germinate and grow healthy seedlings. The visitors appreciated the use of plastic mulch to prevent weed growth and soil erosion, as well as its beneficial effects in preserving soil moisture and nutrients. Also shown off were vegetables grown in containers convincing others that limited space should not stop one from raising veggies.

The launching was capped by a vegetable cooking contest participated

by parents of the Kaliwanagan Elementary School kids. Freshly harvested greens from the children’s garden were used as main ingredients for the recipes. Cash prizes and assorted seed packs were awarded to the participants.

The Tanim Sa Kinabukasan (TSK) has been piloted in two sites--the Kaliwanagan Elementary School and Manicla Elementary School both in San Jose City. The children attended a season-long training which included lectures conducted by EWPH technicians, as well as hands-on work on vegetable production. TSK is a vicarious way of learning plant science and developing such values as discipline, patience, and responsibility.

This year, TSK is set to expand in other places nationwide. To ensure sustainability of the project , EWS is allocating one peso from every small pouch and bulilit can sold. This project is a manifestation of East-West Seed’s commitment to help promote the growth and development of vegetable farming, to serve the farmers, and to improve people’s lives.

TANIM SA KINABUKASAN ADVOCACY PROJECT LAUNCHED

Editor-in-Chief

Associate Editor

Editorial Consultant

Page Editors

Tabeth G. Velasco Bel C. Enriquez Conrado H. BalateroRic M. Reyes Leslie L. De LeonMartin R. HinloTerre B. Tanquezon

Photo Editor

Contributors

Lay-out Artist

Erwin M. Mendoza Kristoffer D. AquinoLawrence S. CorpusMichael B. CurazaArlene A. DionglayCecilia C. MallariCherry A. RelevanteNathabhat SoontornpalinGerry D. Vinculado

Mark O. Gosingtian, Jr

Editorial Board

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Children learn modern techniques in vegetable growing in classroom and hands-on in the school gardens.

San Jose City Mayor Marivic Belena and EWPH General Manager led the Tanim sa Kinabukasan launching and signing of the Memorandum of Agreement in Kaliwanagan Elementary School , San Jose City , Nueva Ecija. Also in photo are the Vice Mayor of San Jose City, Kaliwanagan School Principal Agrifina Brillo, EWPH Product Management Group Head Ric M. Reyes, and schoolchildren of Kaliwanagan

Perhaps the smallest cucumber in the Philippines, hybrid cucumber Pipinito, is a nutritious alternative to junk food that both kids and adults will surely love. In today’s quest for wellness and a healthy lifestyle, a vegetable variety that is great for snacking must be a welcome item in grocery shelves. (See related article on page 4). Pipinito’s small size means it can be eaten freshly harvested, skin and all, or made into vegetable salads.

Pipinito is early maturing and can be harvested 38 to 40 days after sowing. It is a high yielding variety ideally harvested everyday to maintain the optimum size and taste of the fruits. It is important to harvest the fruit at its ideal size of three to four inches and diameter of about one inch to maintain its juiciness and crispiness. Any delay in harvest would reduce

Eggplants come in all shapes and sizes. Different markets have different preferences. Hybrid eggplant Gwapito was developed to meet the Filipino’s specialized culinary needs. The small rounded fruit of Gwapito is perfect for the aromatic and delectable pinakbet made famous in the northern provinces of the country.

Eggplants, such as Gwapito, contain a large amount of antioxidants that improve health, protect well from illness, sharpen the mind, and strengthen the heart. Eggplants can also be used in diets to attain desired weights.

So what does Gwapito have to offer over the commonly used open pollinated native variety? It outperforms native varieties by providing 50% more yield and exhibiting very strong plant vigor. It is recommended that harvesting be performed every other day for optimal

MaturityPlant vigor

Plant UniformityFruit colorFruit length

Fruit diameterGlossiness

Fruit UniformityHarvest interval

Downy mildew toleranceVirus tolerance

Yield per plant (kg)Yield per hectare

38 - 40 Days after sowingStrong

Oriental type – light green mottled8 - 10 cm2 - 3 cm

DailyModerate to goodModerate to good3 kilos35 - 40 Metric tons

45 - 50 Days after transplantingVery Strong

ExcellentPurple green

5 cmVery glossy

Excellent

2 Kilos32 Metric tons

PIPINITO GWAPITOHORTICULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS

East-West Seed’s Little Giants: Pipinito and Gwapito

Cucumber, scientifically known as Cucumis sativus, belongs to the same family as watermelon, zucchini, pumpkin, and squash. Mention it and what comes to mind are facial–masked ladies with eyes neatly dotted with cucumber slices in an attempt to erase those dark circles considered an abomination by womankind. Have you ever wondered why this green cylindrical fruit has gained much popularity as a beauty product? The answer is in its three remarkable elements: silica, ascorbic acid, and caffeic acid. Silica does magic in improving skin complexion, while ascorbic acid and caffeic acid prevent water retention which explains the deflation of puffy eyes and the soothing of sunburns. Its high water content gives it its characteristic moisture and cooling effect.

But the benefit of cucumber is more than skin-deep (pun intended!). It is loaded with Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, potassium, thiamine , folate, and panthothenic acid. A half-cup serving of sliced cucumber contains a measly eight calories which should cause no worry to the weight conscious. Its fiber content also aids in digestion and has a cleansing effect on our digestive system. As a diuretic, cucumber promotes the flow of urine, guaranteeing healthy kidneys, urinary bladder, liver, and pancreas. Recent studies have shown it to lower blood pressure. Sterols, a compound found in cucumber skin assists in reducing cholesterol levels.

With all these perks of cucumbers, why not stack your refs with piles of them and enjoy them raw, cooked, pickled, juiced, whipped as skin cream, or sliced as eye patches? A healthy and radiant you guaranteed inside and out! Now, that’s cool!

CUCUMBER IS COOL!By Arlene A. Dionglay

the fruit’s palatability. The plants are of average height, easy to maintain, adaptable to year round planting, and tolerant against pest and diseases such as downy mildew.

By Lawrence S. Corpus

fruit size. The fruits are uniformly 5 cm in diameter and are very glossy, making them very marketable. Fruits, too, show good transportability with a shelf life of four to five days. It can be planted year round and is adaptable to lowland areas.

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East-West Seed’s Little Giants: Pipinito and Gwapito Downy mildew of cucurbits, caused by the fungus-like water mold pathogen, Pseudoperonospora cubensis, is most destructive to cu-cumber, though all cucurbits (bittergourd, bottlegourd, spongegourd, melon, watermelon, and pumpkin) are susceptible. The most visible symptom is yellow angular spots on the upper leaf surface which later on enlarge and turn brown or necrotic. Under high humidity conditions (heavy dews or long periods of leaf wetness), grayish mass of powdery conidia/spores and mycelia appears on the underside of the spots. These spores are easily disseminated by wind currents, rain splashes, farm tools/implements or even the hands and clothes of workers. The disease is favored by cool to moderately warm temperature but it can tolerate hot days and can cause severe yield losses in a short period of time especially when frequent rains occur.

Management of downy mildew is a little bit challenging as the dis-ease is systemic and has the ability to overwinter on crop debris for long periods when the weather conditions are not conducive for disease development. Also, cultural practices like crop rotation and sanitation seem to have a limited effect on downy mildew incidence because the disease is spread from one field to the next by wind-borne spores. Al-though, early detection, good irrigation system (i.e. use drip irrigation or avoid overhead watering) and good soil fertility management may help reduce incidence and spread of the disease. The development of downy mildew-resistant varieties has long been considered the best solution to control downy mildew. At East-West Seed, breeding programs for resistance to downy mildew are being conducted. Along with resistant varieties, the combination of good cultural practices with both biologi-cal and chemical control would ensure low level of downy mildew inci-dence in the field. Below are some important help tips for management of downy mildew in cucurbits:

1. Avoid heavy dew formation or humid conditions (i.e. over-water-ing, misting or watering late in the afternoon) which are very con-ducive for disease development.

2. Ensure proper plant spacing for good air circulation.3. Remove and destroy by burying or burning all possible sources of

infection (infected leaves and plants, weeds, etc.) to minimize spread of the disease.

4. Spray with chemical fungicides (metalaxyl and copper-based) as ear-ly as initial symptoms are observed. It is better to spray in the early morning than late afternoon to avoid prolonged leaf wetness.

5. Avoid intensive spraying of chemical fungicides as it can encourage resistance of the downy mildew pathogen. Bio-control agent-based fungicides (Bacillus subtilis) have been reported effective when applied in between chemical fungicides to avoid repeated use of chemicals.

6. Potassium bicarbonate formulations have also been found effective against downy mildew.

In agriculture, soil is consid-ered as one of the most important natural resources. It does not only provide anchorage to the plants but most importantly, gives the plants essential nutrients and wa-ter needed to survive. Investing thousands of money in agricul-ture without allotting some for the maintenance or rehabilitation of soil may be a bad move. Always remember that a healthy soil gives healthy plants and lowers produc-tion cost as well.

Giving birth to a fertile soil does

not really require much cost as it seems. There are a number of ways which one can choose from depending on the need of the soil and on one’s capacity to carry out the chosen method.

One method that offers prom-ising results is the use of effec-tive microorganisms (EM). EMs such as. lactic acid bacteria, pho-totrophic bacteria, and yeast are beneficial microorganisms that are free living in healthy and un-disturbed soils that help in the de-composition of organic matters in

the soil, turning it to humus which is the source of essential nutri-ents needed by plants. Morever, the inoculation of EMs in the soil balances the population of good and bad microorganisms. What is more interesting is that once these good microorganisms outnumber the population of bad microorgan-isms, a significant decrease in the occurrence of diseases caused by pathogens happens.

These EMs are inoculated to the soil as a component in the prepa-ration of organic fertilizers and

pesticides. These can also be used as component in the preparation of animal feeds.

After attending a training on Sus-tainable Agriculture last year at the Aloha House in Palawan , the EW-PH’s Technology Transfer Depart-ment started applying and dissemi-nating to farmers the use of effective microorganisms in making organic fertilizers and pesticides. So far, the initial recipients of the technology have given positive feedback.

INVESTING ON SOIL By Cecilia Cielo-Mallari

Effective Microorganism concentrate is only one of commercially available sources of good

Left picture shows actual demonstration of making fermented plant matter or Bokashi to the farmer-coop-erators of San Antonio in Zambales. The picture on the right shows off the 400 m2 demo plot using hybrid ampalaya variety Galaxy established to display the raising of vegetables the natural way.

Downy Mildew of CucurbitsBy Cherry A. Relevante

Fig.1. Typical symptom of downy mildew on cu-curbits. Yellow angular spots appear first on the lower, older leaves (A) which later on become brown or necrotic (B) as the disease progress-es resulting to severe blighting and eventually plant death.

Fig.2. Grayish mass of powdery spores and my-celia of P. cubensis soon appears on the under-side of the spots under moist conditions.

A B

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By Mike B. Curaza

For four years, Felizardo A. Galvez of Brgy. Puti, Zamboanga City endured being away from his family for a career in the military. Wanting to watch his children grow, he eventually gave up his rifle for the hoe and shovel. With a minimal capital, Mr. Galvez decided to try his fortune at vegetable farming. His 2 ha area planted with EWS varieties has blessed him with bountiful harvests. Staple in his farm are hybrid tomato Diamante Max and hybrid sweet pepper Bless. His 1,000 hills of tomatoes have given him 1.4 tons sold at PhP20 a kilo, while his 200 hills of sweet peppers already fruited 450 kilos bought at PhP50 per kilo. With the profit that Mr. Galvez has reaped, he can only agree that he can now better provide for and sustain his family’s needs. In only four years of farming, Felizardo has already bought hand tractors and water pumps, and was able to send all his children to a private school in Zamboanga City.

Mr. Galvez is now expanding his farm to other EWS varieties like hybrid eggplant Banate King, hybrid sweet peppers Sultan and Emperor, and hybrid ampalaya Galactica.

Gerry D. Vinculado

2004 is a year that Mr. Francisco Maniego, a businessman from Tubigon, Bohol, will never forget. It was then that his agrivet supply store was razed by fire. As he was left with nothing but ashes, he had to think of a way to sustain himself and his family. And so he ventured into vegetable farming, starting with local open pollinated varieties. Wanting to maximize his income, he later shifted to EWS seeds. His first EWS crop was hybrid ampalaya Galactica which he planted in his 1,200 m2 area. From his 644 hills of Galactica, he was able to earn PhP93,000. Encouraged, he cultivated 1,600 hills of hybrid eggplant Morena in a 2,500 m2 parcel of land. This netted him PhP121,000. With the income from his initial cropping of Galactica and Morena, Mr. Samaniego was already able to buy a motorcycle, a bush cutter, and a boar for his swine breeding services.

Mr. Maniego can never thank East-West Seed enough for being a big part of his triumph from adversity.

By Kristoffer D. Aquino

Being in a region where people have fancy for the fiery, Bicolano farmers are very particular with the hot peppers that they cultivate. Musts are the peppers’ level of spicy heat (the higher in the Scoville scale, the better) and their dark green color. Other characteristics become secondary. One farmer who has been providing fellow Bicolanos with pungent peppers is Mr. Marlon Medez. Marlon used to plant the traditional open pollinated variety. In 2009, EWS introduced him to a new hybrid hot pepper variety—Vulcan. Hesitant at first, he later allotted a hectare of his farm as a trial area for Vulcan. Two months into hard work, he then harvested an average of 20 sacks at 30 kgs each per picking. Although the farm-gate price of hot peppers during that time was only PhP15/kg, Marlon still was able to net more than a hundred thousand pesos.

Marlon’s luck with Vulcan has allowed him to send all his children to school. He now continues to plant this variety and has expanded his area because he has proven that it is dependable and a real money maker—truly Vulcan sa init, kita ay sulit!

A HOT PURSUIT

RISING FROM THE ASHES

A SOLDIER OF FORTUNE

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By Mike B. Curaza

In 2009, EWPH Sales Product Representative Miguel T. Aguilar was stopped for inspection in the Bgy. Kaparan military outpost in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay Province. Seeing the camp’s backyard lined with vegetable patches, Miguel offered a few seedlings to the soldiers. The garden impressed him much that he requested to see 1st Lt. Gamar Jumlani, the battalion camp’s officer-in-charge. He then offered to give the military men a seminar on vegetable production. This excited 1st Lt. Jumlani that right there and then, the details for a vegetable demo farm were set. Several weeks later, and an Agrilakad sa Gulayan was held in the camp.

By Gerry D. Vinculado

In its quest to promote greens among Visayas State University (VSU) students, EWPH recently sponsored a Best Dormitory Vegetable Garden tilt. The activity was launched in the VSU Baybay, Leyte campus on January 9, through the “Hands-on Training on Vegetable Production.” EWPH provided the seeds and prizes, while VSU took charge of the planting inputs. The dorm gardens were evaluated on February 23 by the judges chaired by Assoc. Prof. Elisabeth D. Briones of the Department of Horticulture (DOH). Her members were Dr. Rosario Salas, Assoc. Prof. Arsenio Ramos (both from DOH), Ms. Mirriam Dela Torre of

A SALUTE TO MINDANAO’S GULAYAN SA KAMPO1st Lt. Jumlani brags that their 1,000 m2 garden, now aptly named Gulayan sa Kampo, has already given them more than a ton of EWS upo Tambuli alone. With Miguel’s introduction of hyrbrid upo Magnifica and Mayumi, and hybrid eggplant Banate King the soldiers are assured of a better harvest.

The success of the project has inspired the Barangay Captain of Kaparan to put up a similar garden to mark his village’s boundary. Also, the Gulayan sa Kampo has been expanded to the other battalion camps in Sitio DK, Libertad, and Tungawan. Because these camps have become self-sufficient and hunger has no place there, we could only salute our military brethren.

EWPH SPONSORS VSU’S BEST DORMITORY VEGETABLE GARDENthe University Student Services Office, and Ms. Adelina Carreno of VSU Radio DYAC. The gardens were evaluated using plant vigor, production, and artistry as criteria.

Mulberry Men’s Home brought home the top prize. The other finalists--Mabolo Men’s Home, Carnation Cottage, and Dahlia Cottage—received tokens as finalists.

This noteworthy project was spearheaded by the VSU Radio DYAC with support from EWPH and VSU’s Department of Horticulture.

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For Further Inquiries, Please ContactThe Technical Training SpecialistTechnology Transfer DepartmentPhone: +63(44)755-4952 loc. 226;

+63(2)2998232 to 33 loc. 226Fax: +63 (44) 766-1005

Cecil.Mallari@eastwestseed.com

By Nathabhat Soontornpalin

East-West Seed International Co., Ltd. (EWIT), the trading arm of the East-West Seed Group of Companies, celebrated its 10th year anniversary last January. For this event, demonstration fields were put up in Chiang Mai and in Nonthaburi, which showcased 285 East-West Seed (EWS) vegetable and flower varieties. These awed the

300 guests who have come from as far as Myanmar, India, Turkey, and France to attend the field days on January 19 and 21. Booths on seed technology, plant pathology, and advanced DNA were put on display to provide guests with valuable knowledge. With the EWS Seed Laboratory recently earning the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) stamp, a tour of its facilities was just apt. Guests

By Tabeth G. Velasco

This hot summer certainly deserves one cool quencher. Here’s one that’s not your usual beverage. This one comes with a healthy twist. Enjoy every sip!

You will need:1-1/2 cups diced Pipinito1/3 cup fresh Calamansi1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh Ginger1/4 stalk crushed lemongrass3/4 cup water2 cups sparkling water, chilled6 teaspoons brown sugar

1. Combine 3/4 cup water and sugar in a small saucepan, add lemongrass. Bring to a boil. Cook until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cool.

2. Place sugar mixture, diced cucumber, calamansi juice, and ginger in a blender; process until smooth. Cover and chill.

3. Combine cucumber mixture and sparkling water in a pitcher. Stir gently with a whisk until blended. Serve over ice. Garnish each glass with a cucumber spear, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Cucumber-Calamansi Spritzer

A DECADE OF EAST-WEST SEED INTERNATIONAL

were likewise treated to samples of succulent melons, and delectable sweet and glutinous corns.

Capping the celebrations was a dinner cum fashion show by EWIT honchos and breeders who sashayed the runway with EWS products in hand. The night ended with the EWIT staff’s performance of Jai Ho, fittingly wishing East-West Seed more luck in the years to come.

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ATTEND OUR OFF SEASON VEGETABLE PRODUCTION TRAINING!

Training dates are:April 13 – 16June 8 – 11Aug. 10 – 13Oct. 12 – 15Nov. 9 - 12

Objectives:1. To enhance the participants’ knowledge on the phsyiological processes

of plants and the important factors affecting growth and development of vegetable crops.

2. To develop skills in growing vegetable crops.3. To equip the participants with basic tools in identifying, monitoring, and

managing common insect pests and diseases affecting vegetables4. To learn the basics of farm planning, record keeping, and marketing of

vegetables.