ORGANIC VEGETABLE

PRODUCTION
ORG AGRI 211 (INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIC AGRICULTURE)
1ST SEMESTER, 2019-2020

MELISSA M. TRINIDAD
INSTRUCTOR
WHY DO WE NEED TO PRODUCE ORGANIC
VEGETABLES?
Organically grown vegetables are tastier and healthier for man and the environment
ORGANIC VEGETABLE FARMING PRODUCES
“LIVING SOIL”
CHEMICAL VEGETABLE FARMING CREATES
“DEAD SOIL”

• Acidic soils with few microorganisms

• Lacking in micro elements, trace elements, poor vitality
• Almost ZERO organic matter
ORGANIC NURSERY
ESTABLISHMENT
The nursery is where young plants are raised and taken care of
until they reach the right size for outplanting. It also provides
enough supply when the need arises which is more
economical than procuring them from commercial sources.
The production of planting materials requires a nursery to
protect them from natural destructive elements such as
typhoons, floods, or droughts. It also protects the seedlings
from roaming animals and insect pests to ensure their safety
and quality.
SELECTING THE SITE
• Clean and free from contaminants
• Establish buffer zone if necessary
• Put up shade
• Availability of clean and unchlorinated water
• Availability of concoctions
• Provision of clean garden tools
• Secured area from stray animals
• Strictly maintain proper record keeping
• Area should be large enough to accommodate the required seedlings and
facilities
• Area could be flat or slightly inclined to allow sufficient drainage
• Area must be accessible or close to the road
• Area must have good soil condition, i.e. dry sandy loam or loam, topsoil of
about 30 cm, with 5.5 to 6.5 pH and high quantity of organic matter
SITE PREPARATION
• After a suitable nursery site is selected, remove stones, rocks, stumps and
roots, and all undesirable vegetation. If it is sloping, construct bench
terraces following the contour. Use soil covered with grasses or dry
stones (riprap) as terrace walls. Hollow blocks may be used in exceptional
cases.
NURSERY CONSTRUCTION
• Seedbeds/germination beds are one (1) meter wide with about 0.6 meter
pathway between them.
NURSERY CONSTRUCTION

• Germination shed is an enclosed structure for protection and with

windows for adequate ventilation, and waist-high benches for germination
trays.
• Potting shed is an open-sided structure for mixing, storing of
potting materials, and filling of plastic bags and other
containers.
SEED SELECTION

• The use of genetically engineered seeds, transgenic plants or plant

materials is not allowed.
• Seeds and plant materials shall be from certified organic producer, if
available.
• When certified organic seed and plant materials are not available,
chemically untreated conventional materials may be used.
SEEDBED PREPARATION

• Clear the area

• Prepare the beds using indigenous materials
• Prepare the growth media
• Sterilize beds
• Introduce beneficial microorganisms
• Provide clean and unchlorinated water
• Stricly record the activities
POTTING MEDIA PREPARATION

• Collect growth media components (ordinary garden soil, coco coir dust or carbonized
rice hull, vermicompost)
• Mix using the ratio of 1:1:1
• Introduce beneficial microorganisms
• Put the mix media in the seedling tray, seedling box, “arorong”
and other growth media containers.
• Sow the seeds.
• Provide necessary moisture.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
OF SEEDLINGS

Watering
Most vegetables require consistent moisture to produce well.
The exact amount to apply depends on soil type, weather
conditions, and what kind of vegetables you're growing. One
general rule is to apply enough water to moisten the root
zone.
Hardening
One week before you're ready to transplant vegetable seedlings into
the garden, start hardening them (acclimating them to outdoor
conditions before planting them in the garden). Find an outdoor
location that's protected from wind and receives morning sun. Place
the seedlings in this location for a few hours the first day, then bring
them indoors. Gradually extend the amount of time they're left
outdoors so that by the end of the week you can leave them
outdoors overnight.
Preparing growth media
• Use the ratio of 1:1:1
• One (1) part of ordinary garden soil, one (1) part of
vermicompost and one (1) part of coco coir dust or
carbonized rice hull
• Introduce beneficial microorganisms
Preparing the land
• Thorough land preparation by pulverizing soil and make it free from
weeds
• Construct canals and waterways for proper drainage
• One meter of width of plot (distance depends upon the crop to be
planted)
• Sterilize plots
• Introduce beneficial microorganisms
• Strictly record the activities
Procedures of Planting and Transplanting
• Staking
• Establishing distance
• Holing
• Sterilizing
• Basal application
• Spraying concoctions
• Planting
General procedures in plant care
• Visit the plants everyday and observe presence of pests and diseases
• Water the plants every other day preferably in the morning
• Weed the plants when needed by hand weeding
• Spray concoction to make the soil healthy (feed the soil, not the plant)
• For faster growth, spray IMO & FPJ
• Spray FFJ to make fruits healthy and good taste
• Spray OHN and LABS when there are insect pests and diseases observed
• Plant insect repellants around the garden
• Practice crop rotation
CARE AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

• Practices required for a vegetable crop growing in the field

include cultivation; irrigation; application of fertilizers; control of
weeds, diseases, and insects; mulching, trellising, pruning and
plant rejuvenation.
CULTIVATION

• Cultivation refers to stirring the soil between rows of vegetable

plants. The most important function of cultivation is weed
control and aeration.
IRRIGATION

• Irrigation requirements are determined by both soil and plant

factors. The two types of land irrigation generally suited to
vegetables are surface irrigation and sprinkler irrigation.
Watering is done early in the morning.
FERTILIZER APPLICATION

• Basal Fertilizer- application in soil by digging holes or mixing in

bed before planting (vermicompost)
• Foliar Fertilizer- applied into the leaves of the plant (vermitea,
FPJ, FFJ, FAA, Calphos)
PERFORMING PLANT CARE ACTIVITIES
Improving soil fertility
• Use of organic fertilizer
• Loosen the soil and spray IMO to increase the growth of beneficial
microorganism
• Practice intercropping
• Application of green manure
• Practice crop rotation
• Prevent soil erosion through cover cropping
• Practice fallow period
APPLYING BASAL AND FOLIAR FERTILIZER

• Basal fertilizer is applied in the soil by digging holes or mixing basal

fertilizer into the soil of preferred bed before planting the seedling.

• Foliar fertilizer is applied by spraying into the plant leaves and body during
ambient temperature while the stomata is open.
IMPROVING SOIL FERTILITY

• Use of organic fertilizer

• Increasing growth of beneficial microorganisms
• Practice intercropping, crop rotation and cover cropping
• Application of green manure
• Practice fallow period
WEED CONTROL

• Weed can reduce yield by 40-60% and can be controlled using

cultural, physical, and biological methods. Examples are
Mulching, intercropping, hoeing, pulling, and roguing.
ORGANIC PEST CONTROL METHODS

• Introduction of beneficial microorganisms

• Increase population of natural enemies by planting alternative
host plant for natural enemies
• Use parasitoid
• Maintain sanitation in the field
• Plant sacrificial plant
CROP ROTATION

ADVANTAGES
• Helps disrupt the life cycle, habitat and food supply of many pests and
diseases
• Helps in soil conservation
• Improve soil fertility
• Reduce weeds
 VEGETABLE ROTATION SYSTEMS

• Leaf-root-legume-fruit
• Root-leaf-fruit-legume
• Legume-fruit-root-leaf
• Fruit-legume-leaf-root
COMPANION CROPPING

• Chili – with okra, eggplant, radish

• Cabbage – with onion and tomato
• Tomato – with carrot, cucumber, onion, garlic
• Cucumber – with radish, corn, lettuce
• Peanut –with corn, okra
• Radish – with cucumber, tomato, chili
• Companion planting in gardening and agriculture is
the planting of different crops in proximity for pest
control, pollination, providing habitat for beneficial
creatures, maximizing use of space, and to otherwise
increase crop productivity.
MULCHING

Mulch – a protective covering, usually of organic matter

such as leaves, straw, placed around plants to prevent
the evaporation of moisture and the growth of weeds.
TRELLISING

• Trellising is a growth training technique which

saves space, help in managing pests, facilitate
harvesting and reduce harvest losses.
PRUNING

• Pruning is necessary to remove entire branches or

prevent the plant from growing outside its growing
area and taking over other plants' space. It aims to
remove diseased and damaged plant parts, evenly
distribute the nutrients and improve the productivity.
VEGETABLE REJUVENATION

• The productivity of perennial vegetables decline

after some time. Rejuvenation is necessary to
make them as productive as before.
PERFORMING HARVEST AND POSTHARVEST
OPERATIONS

Maturity indices
• Solanaceous (eggplant, pepper, tomatoes)
-color of fruit, shiny, perfect size
• Cucurbits (pipino, squash, upo)
-size, age from transplanting, convex appearance, color
• Leafy (pechay, lettuce, mustard)
-at least 8 leaves from the base
Harvesting and Handling Vegetables
• Harvest vegetables early in the morning or late in the afternoon using
pruning knife
• Segregate the different sizes of vegetable and remove those that have
defects
• Place it in bamboo baskets lined with banana leaves or used newspapers
to prevent rashes and other damages
• Transport vegetables at cool temperature or early in the morning
Observing harvesting protocol
• Must have clearly defined collection area
• Harvester must be identified and familiar with the harvesting area
• The harvest area shall be at an appropriate distance from conventional
farms and other sources of pollution and contamination
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