INTEGRATION OF PEST AND NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN ORGANIC VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

Marilyn G. Patricio and Rodolfo D. Martin

Abstract

The study aimed to determine the effects of the combination of bio-fertilizer and botanical extracts on tomato; the combination of organic mulching and botanical extracts in stringbeans and eggplant; and the effect of companion cropping and bio-fertilizer in tomato.

The incidence of adult leafminer was lower by 60.71% on tomatoes applied with vermi tea combined with Oriental Herbal Nutrient (OHN) than in other treatments during dry and wet season. Fruit damaged was also lower at 1.88% as compared to plants not sprayed with botanical extract at 3.13%. Moreover, the yield of tomato applied with this treatment was 30.14 t/ha, 32.32% higher than those plants without botanical extract.

Growth of weeds on plants mulched with rice straw with OHN was lower by 42.04 % in eggplant and 44.40% in stringbeans than in other mulching materials used during dry and wet season trials. Eggplant mulched with rice straw with OHN had the highest yield of 17.28 t/ha, higher than the yield of plants with no mulch and no botanical extract with 3.47 t/ha. Whereas, stringbeans mulched with rice straw with OHN obtained the highest yield of 11.20 t/ha, higher than those plants with no mulch and no botanical extracts 3.36 t/ha.

There is no significant difference on the incidence of leafminer in tomato companioned with basil, oregano and marigold applied with vermi tea and manure tea. Tomato companioned with marigold applied with vermi tea had yield of 26.62 t/ha which is comparable with tomato companioned with oregano applied with manure tea with yield of 26.47 t/ha.

Keywords: companion crop, bio-fertilizer, vermi tea, manure tea and botanical extracts