As a
self-proclaimed proselytizer for Philippine Agriculture, I say, “The Filipino
farmer should ask the same question looking at his soil and thinking how
to make it fertile naturally, employing the
laws of Mother Nature, which ultimately
come from God: “Lord, to whom shall we go?”
Mark Joseph Zuniga says,
“Do you know that a rich source of information on Philippine soils is easily
available and accessible online?” (31 Jan 2023, Philippine
Soils’ Online Data Treasury, PhilRice, philrice.gov.ph).
I did not know that! So I visited the website. Mr Zuñiga says:
“The PhilRice Soil
Information System (PSIS) is a web portal in the DA-PhilRice Database and
Management Portal (DBMP) that contains extensive data and information on the
physical and chemical properties of the various soil types in the country,
categorized under Soil Series,
which is an ever-growing list of all the known types of Philippine soils and
their profile descriptions.”
About soil types,
soil profiles, Mr Zuñiga continues:
“The Bureau of
Soils and Water Management (BSWM) takes charge of mapping out and naming types
of Philippine soils. A team under the… Agronomy, Soils, and Plant Physiology
Division (ASPPD) in the DA-PhilRice Central Experiment Station validates the
information through soil morphological characterization; provides photos of
soil pits and landscape presentation(s); and offers the best plant or crop
recommendations.”
What I find farther
are the following: “Simplified Keys to Soil Series” (guidebooks). “General
profile descriptions together with land and soil photos.” … “Currently, there
are almost 400 Soil Series in the country, each having its unique set of
characteristics.” “’Distribution’ – ‘By clicking (on) a province, you are
provided with a list of the Soil Series found in that province, information on
properties limiting crop production, and management recommendations on rice,
and other economically important crops.’”
“’The PhilRice
Soils Information System can help researchers, policy-makers, and students.
Farmers who want to plant other commodities besides rice can also know if it is
feasible through looking up information in the web portal themselves,’ said Rodolfo Bermudez Jr., one of the key
project staff.”
PhilRice, thank you for all that data and information
– but I still cannot find anything on how to enrich
the soil naturally!
(image from supersoilglobal.com)
All that tells me
PhilRice scientists have not seen the need for reproducing the soil fertility
by natural means – such as by trash
mulching, which already sugarcane planters practice in the Philippines.
Why? I wonder why PhilRice
scientists have never studied how trash mulching can highly increase rice
production with very little cost via that technique?!
PhilRice people, I
repeat what scientist Romulo Davide has said: “There are no barren soils, only
barren minds.”@517
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