ORGANIC VEGETABLE

PRODUCTION

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Introduction
The vegetable industry is one of the major sources of livelihood
for millions of Filipino farmers and businessmen. It is a good
source of vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, B, C, Iron as
well as protein and dietary fiber for the right nutrition or food for
the body.

Extensive cropping and long term application of chemical

fertilizers, pesticides & other inputs in vegetable plantation have
resulted to soil degradation and nutrient depletion.

With this condition, land area devoted to vegetable production

have poor soil quality with a characteristic of low soil organic
matter, acidic and low levels of macro and micro nutrients.

In response to these challenges, the Department of Agriculture

under the Organic Agriculture Program (OA) promotes the use of
organic fertilizer that is fully decomposed at stable temperature
with no foul smell.

Poverty and increase of population may cause hunger and lack

of food. But if the people will be empowered to produce and
consume vegetables it would solve the malnutrition problem in the
countryside.

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MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

I. Choosing the Appropriate Variety and

Securing Good Quality Seeds
• Adaptability to climatic condition
• With potential yield
• Maturity (early & late maturing varieties)
• Resistance to insect pests & diseases
• High market demand
• Viability
• True-to-type seed

Varieties of Vegetables

a. Open Pollinated Variety (OPV)

• Improved seed material grown for a long period of time and
maintained by natural cross pollination from generation to
generation (vegetable pollen agents-insects/wind). Seeds
from harvest could be used as seeds.
b. Hybrid Seeds
• A good synthetic variety that could be developed by
combining a good inbred lines from one or more varieties
and allowing at least one or more varieties & allowing at
least one generation for stabilization. The seeds from
harvest cannot be used as seeds because there is
tremendous reduction of yield due to inbreeding.

II. Site Selection for Raising Seedlings

• Sufficient source of water/availability of irrigation water.
• Free from water logging and well drained soil/field.
• Away from trees/structures to avoid shading.
• Presence of wind breakers (buffer-zone).
• Far from street/artificial lights.
• Free from pests & diseases.
• Free from contamination (physical, chemical, biological).

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III. Raising of Seedlings
A. Seed Box Method
1. Make seed boxes (1m x 1m x 15cm) or any desired size
and put holes at the bottom for drainage.
2. Mix the potting media thoroughly.
- 1 part river sand
- 1 part garden/top soil
- 1 part compost/vermi-compost
- 1 part coconut coir dust
- 1 part carbonized rice hull, etc.
3. Sterilize the soil medium with hot water using sprinkler.
4. Put the soil/potting media in the seed box.
5. Place seed box on perforated bench or high slatted
structures to be elevated and easy to be drained
when irrigated.

Characteristics of a Good Soil as Medium

Characteristics of a Good Sand as Medium

1. Sieved sand (use fine screen)
• Friable (“naruka”).
• Free from soil-borne pests and diseases
(biological/microbial)
• Rich in macro and micro-nutrients
• Fertile, porous, etc.
• Free from contamination (physical and
chemical)

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2. Free from pests and diseases
3. Free from contamination
4. Fine, pure, etc.
5. High water holding capacity

Characteristics of a Good Compost as Medium

1. Fully decomposed (90 days or 3 months).
2. Rich in macro and micro-nutrients.
3. Free from pests and diseases.
4. Substrates should come from an organic farm or within the
farm.
5. Free from contamination (physical and chemical)

Physical Characteristics of a Good Seed

1. No insect damage
2. No physical damage (cracks, bruises, etc.)
3. No deformities
4. No disease damage

Physiological Characteristics of a Good Seed

1. High yielding
2. High germination percentage rate (at least 85%)
3. Resistant to insect/storage pests (weevil, other seed
borers)
4. Resistant to diseases (smut/fungus, virus, etc.)
5. Viable seed (marketability, high germination percentage)
6. True-to-type seed

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 Characteristics of an Ideal Organic Nursery
1. Sloping (to avoid flooding or water logging).
2. Near water source/sufficient irrigation water.
3. Good drainage (sloping/elevated beds).
4. Free from contamination (physical, chemical, and
biological).
5. With shade (greenhouse, glasshouse, net-house, etc.).
6. Availability of potting media (soil, humus, sand, rice hull,
compost, coconut coir dust, etc.).
7. Availability of tools and equipment for nursery operations.
8. Accessible to the production area.

Sowing the Seeds:

• Make 2cm rows at 1cm depth in the seedbed or box and
sow evenly and cover gently with thin layer of soil.

Select good seeds according to Philippine National

Standard (PNS) and National Seed Quality Council
(NSQCS)

B. Seedling Tray Method

• Fill the holes with sterilized soil mixture.
• Place the trays on benches in sheltered place.
• Sow 2 seeds per hole and thin the seedlings 3-5 days after
germination to allow more spaces between seedlings.

Care and Maintenance of Seedlings

• Water the seedlings regularly in the morning.
• Employ weeding.
• Cover seedlings with white plastic sheet during rainy
season.
• Harden seedlings one week before transplanting by
gradually reducing the amount and frequency of watering
until seedling exhibit temporary wilting.

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IV. Land Preparation for Organic Vegetable
Farming
A. Lowland
• Plow the field 2 twice.
• Harrow until the desired tilt is obtained.
• Make single row or double row furrows or holes at 8cm
depth (or depending on the kind/variety to be planted).

B. Highland
• Clearing
• Digging or construction of plots
• Leveling and pulverizing
• Farrowing or holing

C. Backyard Garden
• Make the plot or bed at 1 meter wide or any desired size
depending on the area. Also, pots can be used.
• Make single row or double row or holes at the day of
planting at a desired distance and depth (depending on
the kind and variety of crop).

V. Fertilizer Application
• Basal: Evenly apply organic fertilizer or compost in band
along the furrows/holes and mix with the soil thoroughly at
planting time.
• Apply bio-fermented products like IMO, FPJ, FFJ, OHN,
etc. during the growing period as organic foliar fertilizer.

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VI. Planting/Transplanting
A. Single Row:
• The distance of planting ranges from 75cm to 1m
between rows and 25cm to 50cm between hills
depending on the kind/variety of vegetables.

B. Double Row: (1m bed)

• The distance of planting ranges from 60cm between
rows and 25cm to 40cm between hills.
Methods of Planting/Sowing

1. Planting/Sowing (Direct Seeding)

- Sow 1 or 2 seeds per hill

2. Planting/Sowing (Using seed-tray/s)

Transplanting: (25 to 30 days old seedlings)

 Water and uproot carefully the seedlings and place in
suitable container.
 Transplant 1 seedling per hill. The time of planting
should be late in the afternoon or during cloudy days to
minimize transplanting shock.
 During dry season, cover newly planted seedlings with
banana bracts or any available materials to protect the
plants from wilting and remove after 3-4 weeks when
the plants have established its roots.

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VII. Irrigation and Water Management
• Irrigate immediately after planting/transplanting and
continue irrigating as needed by the plants.

VIII. Weeding
• Do hand weeding especially at seedling stage and spot
weeding at flowering to maturity.
• Also, employ mulching to prevent the growth of weeds,
conserve moisture and prevent fruits/plants from rotting.

IX. Pests Management

• Monitor/assess pest damage and/or pest population as well
as presence of natural enemies/beneficial organisms.
• Apply botanical/organic pesticides to control pests and
diseases if necessary.

Pests and Diseases

1. Insect Pests/other pests

 Root feeders (white grub or “abal-abal”, mole cricket or
“ararawan”, etc.).
 Leaf feeders (armyworm & cutworm, semi-looper,
looper, cabbage worm, etc.).
 Stem feeders (stemborers).
 Sucking insects (thrips, aphids, etc.)
 Fruit feeders (fruit borer, fruit fly, etc.)
 Storage pests (weevil or “bukbok”, rats, cockroaches,
birds, etc.)

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 2. Diseases
 Bacteria (bacterial leaf blight)
 Fungus (target spot, Alternaria leaf spot, etc.)
 Virus (leaf curl virus in tomato & other vegetables)
 Pathogenic nematodes

Control Measures for Pests & Diseases

• Crop rotation
• Application/introduction of beneficial
• insects/micro-organisms.
• Intercropping
• Planting botanical repellants
• Displaying/hanging organic attractants & repellants
• Conserve existing predators
• Mulching

X. Side Dressing and Hilling-Up

• Use composted of Madre De Cacao,
kakawate, acacia, sesbania,
sunflower or azolla to cover the base
of the plants as mulch.
• Or apply organic fertilizer around the
base of the plant and cover with soil
through hilling-up. Also, you may
apply organic foliar fertilizer
(concoctions).

XI. Establishment of Trellis

• for climbing/fruit vegetables
(approximately 1 month after
planting)

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XII. Mulching
• Cover the soil with dried rice
stubbles or weeds to control
weeds and maintain soil
moisture. Use of plastic
mulch is restricted.

XIII. Harvesting
• Harvest the vegetables at the right maturity (or follow
maturity indices).

Maturity Indices
• Change in color (green to red-tomato, green to yellow-
squash, etc.).
• Hardness (from soft to hard - eggplant, etc.)
• Sweetness, taste and aroma

Harvesting Techniques
• Manual harvesting (use of sharp knives, cutter, other
harvesting tools/gadgets).
• Mechanical harvesters.

Post-Harvest Operations
• Trimming
• Sorting/grading
• Washing (carrots, radish, etc.)
• Packaging
• Labeling and storing

Characteristics of a Good Product

• No deformities
• No insect and disease damage
• No cracks
• No bruises
• No other physical damages
• Shiny and succulent

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 ORGANIC VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

Subject Matter Specialist:

Edwin C. Dicksen,
CSFBS/FBS, and Corn/Cassava Focal Person
ATI-CAR

Designed and Reproduced by:

Department of Agriculture
AGRICULTURAL TRAINING INSTITUTE
CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION
BSU Compound, La Trinidad, Benguet
Website: www.ati.da.gov.ph/car

Telephone Numbers:
• Administrative Services : (074) 422-2375
• Technical Services : (074) 309-2093
• Tele-Fax Number : (074) 422-7460
• E-mail Address : [email protected]

Find us on: Follow us on:

@aticordillera or @aticordillera @aticordillera Ati-Car

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