Table of Contents

Title Page
Cover Page i
Table of Contents ii
List of Tables iii
List of Figures iii
The BUSH SITAO Plant 1
Crop Varieties 1
Culture and Management 1
Soil and climate requirement 1
Land Preparation 2
Varietal Selection 2
Planting 2
Fertilization 2
Organic fertilizer 2
Weeding and Cultivation 2
Pest and Disease Management 3
Harvesting 4
Post Harvest Handling 4
Packing 5
Seed Production 5
References 8

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 List of Tables

Table Title Page

No.
1 Insect management in bush sitao 3
2 Disease management in bush sitao 4
3 Cost and Return Analysis of bush sitao per hectare (seeds) 6
4 Cost and Return Analysis of Bush sitao per hectare (fresh pods) 7

List of Figures

Table Title Page

No.
1 PSB-Bs #3 1

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The BUSH SITAO Plant
Bush sitao (Vigna sesquipedalis x Vigna unguiculata) belongs to the Fabaceae family. The crop is still
minor in the Philippines since being planted only in small scale farming and in the backyards. Bush sitao is
often times grown either as an intercrop or in rotation with other upland crops. Based from the production
data of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), about 11,381 hectares were utilized for vegetable
legume crops including bush sitao in 1995 with estimated production of 29,058 metric tons.
It is a cross between pole sitao and cowpea which possesses the combined good qualities of the
two. The crop is bush-type, doesn’t need a trellis, less susceptible to wind damage and easier to manage
than pole sitao. This crop provides income to farmer when sold on open market.
Bush sitao is an annual dry season crop and takes a short period of time to grow. It may be erect,
trailing, climbing, and usually indeterminate under favorable conditions. The leaves are trifoliate and are
usually green in color. It is a self-pollinating crop. Flower colors are white, dirty white, pink, pale blue or
purple. Flowers open in the morning and close in mid-day and after blooming they wilt and collapse. The
stems are straight, smooth or slightly hairy and sometimes tinged with purple. The pods are borne above
the leaf canopy making the pods very visible. The seeds vary in size, color and shape. Usually the number of
seeds per pod varies from 8-20 seeds. The pods may be erect, crescent-shaped or slightly curved.
It is an important crop among home gardeners and has been released as substitute for pole sitao. It
is a fast growing crop, bears more pods that are more tender and fleshy. It matures earlier and can be
grown the whole year round. The plant tolerate drought, performs well in any type of soil however, friable
fertile soil is preferred to obtain healthy growth and high quality pods.
Bush sitao is also a good source of plant protein and consumed as vegetables either cooked or
mixed with other foods. It is also utilized as green manure to improve soil conditions. It is also a good
source of feeds in the form of silage or forage.

CROP VARIETIES

Among the open pollinated varieties of bush sitao are BPI-Bs #1, BPI-Bs #2 and PSB-Bs #3 (Figure
1). PSB-Bs #3 is recommended for its good pod quality, light green color, longer pod length (24.4cm), early
maturing and has an average yield of 8.96 t/ha. This variety is also moderately resistant to pests and
diseases. This variety is available at BPI-LBNCRDC.

Figure 1. PSB-Bs #3

CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT

1. Soil and climate requirement. Bush sitao thrives in areas with fertile and well drained sandy loam
soil. It is a warm season crop and can be grown throughout the year provided water is available. During
dry season, weekly irrigation is recommended but water logging must be avoided during wet season
because it induces pod rotting and causes root rot.
2. Land Preparation. Thorough land preparation is important to obtain high yield since the operation
renders the soil ideal for seed germination resulting to high plant stand and will ensure healthy and
uniform growth of bush sitao crop.
Prepare the land by alternately plowing and harrowing the field
2-3 times. The use of beds is recommended during the rainy
season; however furrow method is still preferred because
bedding is laborious. During dry season planting, prepare the
furrows 60cm apart and 75cm for wet season because this crop
becomes viny during this season.
3. Varietal Selection – Planting right varieties adapted to a specific
area may increase yield by as much as 20%. In the varietal
selection, there are important considerations to look into:
a. Adaptability to soil and climate
b. Maturity
c. Yield
d. Disease resistance and insect tolerance
e. Market/consumers demand
.
4. Planting. Bush sitao can be planted the whole year round.
Provided irrigation is available, better performance of the crop is
observed when grown in January. The seeds are directly sown in
the furrows. One hectare requires 10-12 kg of seeds. Drill the
seeds in furrows at the rate of 15-20 seeds per linear meter. Thin
out the seedlings 10 days after emergence.
5. Fertilization. Before the first plowing, apply 3 tons of well
decomposed manure per hectare. Before planting, apply 3
bags/ha of 14-14-14 as basal fertilizer and side dress with 1-2
bags of urea (46-0-0) at 1 month after planting. Muriate of potash (0-0-60) should be applied at the
rate of 1-2 bags during flowering stage. Foliar fertilizer should also be applied weekly, starting at
flowering stage.
6. Organic fertilizer: Fertilizer should be bio-degradable materials of microbial, plant or animal origins
produced on organic farms such as vermicompost and processed chicken manure. Basal applications
of organic compost of 5-10 tons/ha are needed for vegetable legume crops. Supplementary application
of Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ) or Fermented Fruit Juice (FFJ) should also be applied twice a week up
to flowering stage.
7. Weeding and Cultivation. Off-baring and hilling-up can be done as
early as two (2) weeks. Hand weeding shall be done as often as
necessary. Even after flowering, spot weeding is still of much benefit
to the crop. The common methods are hand pulling, hoeing and the
use of animal-drawn native plow. Best results are achieved by using
a combination of these
methods.
8. Irrigation. The field should
be irrigated right after planting or whenever necessary using
manual watering to have a uniform germination of seeds.
During dry season, weekly irrigation is recommended.
Adequate application of water is necessary during flowering

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 and early fruiting stages to obtain high percentage of pod setting.
PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Table 1. Insect management in bush sitao

Insect Pest Characteristic/Damage Done Management
Aphids (Aphis gossypii) - aphids suck sap on stems, Use resistant varieties.
terminal shoots and patioles of Monitor build-up of aphids
seedlings, and on pods and and natural enemies. Use
flowers of mature plants. neem seeds, soap or hot
- heavy attack can cause death of pepper extracts if necessary.
young seedlings, stunting and
delay in flowering of older plants.

- most important pod borer pest, Weekly application of neem

Pod borer (Maruca vitrata) causing severe damage to seed proved to be more
cowpeas. effective. Biological control
- Moths usually lay eggs on flower using Trichogramma spp.
buds, flowers, or on terminal parasitoid. Botanical spray of
shoots of young plants. Young Bacillus thuringiensis. Grow
caterpillars may feed on any part repellant crops such as
of the flowers or foliage. Upon marigold, basil, onion and
reaching maturity the caterpillars citronella. Chemical spray
drop from flowers or pods onto following the manufacturer’s
the soil and pupate beneath the recommended rates.
plant under leaf debris.
Weevils (Callosobruchus spp.) - Adults are 2.0-3.5 mm long. They Use neem seeds. Dry seeds
are also known as the cowpea for storage to a moisture
seed beetles and are the principal level of 13%.
storage pest of cowpea.

Beanfly (Ophiomyia phaseoli) - very destructive during seedling Botanical control using neem
stage of the plant seeds, soapsolution or hot
- adult is a minute jet black fly pepper extract. If needed,
attacking the seedlings just after chemical control for chewing
germination. The maggots feed as insects.
miners working down the petiole
into the stem (boring holes on the
leaves).
Severe damage – results to plant
wilting and drying-up

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 Leafminer (Liriomyza sp.) Conserve natural enemies
- feeds on the green inner portion of like spiders, lacewings and
the leaves leaving white zigzag syrphid flies. Provide yellow
lines. trap with used oil. Intercrop
with suitable vegetables like
eggplant and okra. Chemical
control following the
recommended rates.

Table 2. Disease management in bush sitao

Disease Characteristic/Damage Done Management
Mosaic virus - the disease is caused by a virus Keep the aphids under
commonly carried by aphids or control. Use of resistant
plant lice, the virus may affect varieties is the most
every plant in a field and reduce economical control
yield, quality, and selling price. measure. Seeds from
The affected leaves usually have disease free plants should
irregularly-shaped light green be used. Rouging and
areas of various sizes. Some burning of infected
puckering and other alternation plants. Crop rotation in
in leaf shape occur. severe cases.
- one of the most destructive of all The most successful
Fusarium wilt/ Root rot
roots organisms attacking beans, control of the disease is
the disease is caused by the crop rotation. The use of
fungus (Fusarium oxysporum). resistant varieties is also
Root disease prevalent after one of the most
prolonged rain and water logged economical measures.
condition. Causes an internal Plant in well-drained
rotting and brown discoloration soils. Spray effective
of the vascular tissue inside the fungicides to control the
stem, followed by wilting, disease infection in the
becomes yellow and usually die. field.
- disease of the leaves caused by Use resistant varieties.
Rust Uromyces phaseoli. The first Prune infected plant
symptom appears as small white parts.
spots or flecks on the underside
of the leaves. Within a few days,
the spots break open into rust-
colored pustules, about pinhead
size. A week or so after the
pustules appear, the entire leaf
begins to turn yellow. Later it
turns brown, dries up, and
eventually falls off.

For effective control, use resistant varieties and other measures like crop rotation, rouging and
pruning of infected plant parts and planting of repellant and companion crops, and if needed, the use of
chemicals/fungicides will be the last resort in controlling pests and diseases of bush sitao.

HARVESTING
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 For use as vegetable, pods are harvested 40-45 days after emergence. Harvesting should be done at
2-3 days interval to prolong the productive life of the plants. Harvesting is done manually. Harvest the pod
by holding the stem end before twisting it free. To avoid weight loss, harvesting should be done early in the
morning or during the cooler times of the day. The pods should be kept in a shaded area after harvest.

POST HARVEST HANDLING

Separate the marketable and non-marketable pods. Marketable pods are tender, straight, long and
unblemished. Non-marketable pods are short, curved, damaged with insects or diseases and over the
picking stage but can still utilized as vegetable.

Packing
Pack in plastic sacks, thick lined bamboo baskets, polyethylene bags or wrap the harvested
pods with fresh banana leaves. If bush sitao pods cannot be sold or used for 1-3 days, store small
quantities in moistened clay jars. Store pods at 12-15oC for not more than 2 weeks at 90% relative
humidity if cold storage facilities is available. Keep the pods away from ripening fruits during
transport and storage.

SEED PRODUCTION
Except for isolation and rouging, the cultural management techniques in seed production are
similar to fresh pods production.
A. Isolation. The isolation distance depends on the nature of pollination of the crop, whether self or
cross pollinated. The isolation distance of bush sitao is 10-50 meters.
B. Field Inspection. It involves identification of a variety and removal of undesirable plants from the
main crop through a process termed rouging. The undesirable plants may be weeds, plant of other
crop species, plants of another cultivar of the same species, diseased plants and other off-type plants.
Rouging should be done at least three times: first at pre-flowering stage; second at flowering; and
third at pod formation.
C. Harvesting. Select plants that is vigorous and free from pests and diseases. Harvest pods when
physiologically mature or when pods have turned brown. Harvested pods at 20 days after pollination
will give the best quality seeds. It may be necessary to harvest 3 times a week at peak harvest. Dry
pods should not be allowed to remain in the field to prevent shattering during sunny days rotting or
sprouting of seeds within the pods during the rainy days. When dry pods remain longer in the field,
these are also being exposed to insect pests.
Place the harvested pods under the sun for 2-4 days until brittle. Threshing is carried on by beating
the pods enclosed in net bags or sacks and manually beat with a stick. Separation of seeds from the
threshed pods is done by winnowing. Sort out small, wrinkled and seeds damaged by insect. Sun dry the
seeds for 4-5 days. Before packaging and storage, seeds must have 10% moisture content (MC). Seeds must
be packed in thick plastic, containers or aluminum foil, label with the name of the variety and date of
planting then keep in a cool or storage area. In the absence of cold storage, seeds can also be stored in the
refrigerator. If properly stored, viability of the seeds becomes longer.

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Table 3. Cost and Return Analysis of bush sitao per hectare (seeds)
Items Quantity Unit Rate/Unit Amount
A. Labor (250/man-day)
Mowing 4 hrs. 1500.00 750.00
Plowing (2x) 8 hrs. 1500.00 1,500.00
Manure application 4 MD 250.00 1,000.00
Harrowing (2x) 8 hrs. 1500.00 1,500.00
Rotavation 8 hrs 1500.00 1,500.00
Furrowing 2 MAD 500.00 1,000.00
Planting/basal fertilization 8 MD 250.00 2,000.00
Thinning 2 MD 250.00 500.00
Cultivation (Off-baring and hilling-up) 4 MAD 500.00 2,000.00
Irrigation (2MD-12x) 24 MD 250.00 6,000.00
Side-dressing 2 MD 250.00 500.00
Spraying 8 MD 250.00 2,000.00
Weeding (30MD-2x) 60 MD 250.00 15,000.00
Roguing (2x) 4 MD 250.00 1,000.00
Harvesting/hauling 70 MD 250.00 17,500.00
Seed extraction/cleaning/drying 50 MD 250.00 12,500.00
Seed sorting 12 MD 250.00 3,000.00
Seed packaging 2 MD 250.00 500.00
Sub-total 67,750.00
B. Supplies and Materials
Seeds 12 Kg 300.00 3,600.00
Manure 60 bags 150.00 9,000.00
Fertilizer- Complete 3 Bags 1200.00 3,600.00
Urea 2 Bags 1300.00 2,600.00
Muriate of Potash 2 bags 2000.00 4,000.00
Foliar fertilizer 2 kgs 500.00 1,000.00
Fungicide 1,200.00
Insecticide 10,000.00
Harvesting/Packaging/Drying Materials
- Sacks 25 Pcs 10.00 250.00
- Sacoline* 30 Meters 50.00 750.00
- Net bag 22 in x 30 in 50 pcs 50.00 2,500.00
Sub-total 37,500.00
C. Power Cost (Electricity) 5000.00

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 Total Cost of Production 110,250.00
Gross Income (300/kg) 210,000.00
Net Income (P) 99,750.00
ROI% 90.5
Seed Yield- 700 kg
*may be used for two seasons

Table 4. Cost and Return Analysis of Bush sitao per hectare (fresh pods)
Items Quantity Unit Rate/Unit Amount
A. Labor (300/man-day)
Mowing 4 hrs. 1500.00 750.00
Plowing (2x) 8 hrs. 1500.00 1,500.00
Manure application 4 MD 250.00 1,000.00
Harrowing (2x) 8 hrs. 1500.00 1,500.00
Rotavation 8 hrs 1500.00 1,500.00
Furrowing 2 MAD 500.00 1,000.00
Planting/basal fertilization 8 MD 2500.00 2,000.00
Thinning 2 MD 250.00 500.00
Cultivation (Off-baring and hilling-up) 4 MAD 500.00 2,000.00
Irrigation (2MD-12x) 24 MD 250.00 6,000.00
Side-dressing 2 MD 250.00 500.00
Spraying 8 MD 250.00 2,000.00
Weeding (30MD-2x) 60 MD 250.00 15,000.00
Harvesting(hauling, upgrading and packing) 70 MD 250.00 17,500.00
Sub-total P 52,750.00
B. Supplies and Materials
Seeds 12 Kg 300.00 3,600.00
Manure 60 bags 150.00 9,000.00
Fertilizer- Complete 3 Bags 1200.00 3,600.00
Urea 2 Bags 1300.00 2,600,00
Muriate of Potash 2 bags 2000.00 4,000.00
Foliar fertilizer 2 kgs 500.00 1,000.00
Fungicide 1,200.00
Insecticide 10,000.00
Harvesting/Packaging Materials
- Sacks 300 Pcs 10.00 3,000.00
Sub-total 37,000.00
C. Power Cost (Electricity) 5000.00
Total Cost of Production 94,750.00
Net Income (P) 39,650.00
ROI% 41.8
Marketable yield = 8,960 kg/cropping

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Price is P15.00/kg
Gross Income – P134,400.00

References:

BAS. Vegetable Production Data (1991-1995). Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, Quezon, City.
Carada, V.B.October 1986. Plant Industry Production Guide (26). Cucumber and Vegetables Legumes.
Bureau of Plant industry.
Calingasan, M.K. August1999. Paper presented to the participants of the Vegetable Seed Production
Technology at the Agricultural Training Institute- Farmers Training Center.
en.wikepedia.org/wiki/Helicoverpaarmigera
Fliers. Bush Sitao. Department of Agriculture. Bureau of Plant Industry, Los Baños National Crop Research
and Development Center.
Fliers. Production Guide of Pole Sitao. PCARRD. Department of Science and Technology. Information
Bulletin No. 154-A/2009.
http://www.infonet-biovision.org/default/cct/81/pests
http://www.infonet-biovision.org/default/cct/99/pests
http://www.infonet-biovision.org/default/cct/120/pests
How to Farm Better. Published by: Asian Rural Life Development Foundation, International.
www.scribd.com/doc/20585310/

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 Editorial Team:

Dr. Vivencio R. Mamaril

Ms. Solita R. Sicat
Ms. Elenita Sison
Ms. Ma. Teresa S. Buño

Printed at the Information Section

Bureau of Plant Industry
January, 2013

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