How to grow Organic Mango

REX A. RIVERA, Agronomist

1.Distance mango far apart to allow full sunlight and free flow of air. (20x20 meters quincunx will give 50 hills per hectare.)

2.Practice clean culture. Keep weeds and grasses short. Grow creeping leguminous cover crop to protect soil and beneficial microorganisms.

3.Cultivate and plow the soil at least once a year to aerate and prune off roots at the surface that are sensitive to heat and dry spell.

4.Drench with BMO (Beneficial Micro Organism) and HOC (Herbal Organic Concentrate) the compost and organic materials. Spread organic fertilizer and decompose farm waste before plowing and cultivation so the organic materials will be incorporated in the soil.

5.Prune and remove diseased and infested branches and other plant parts and bring debris to compost pile. Chop are shred them to small pieces for faster decomposition. The compost pile is drench with BMO and covered.

6.Provide enough water and keep soil moisture adequate at all times. Cover crops and mulching will help maintain soil moisture especially during summer months. However, less moisture is required two (2) weeks before flower induction and one (1) month during fruit maturation (100 to 130 days from flower induction.

7.When the leaves are mature and the flower buds are ready evidence by plump and pointed bud tips (about 7 to 9 months from flushing), the tree may by induced to flower. The types of natural flower induction are:

a.Smudging or smoking the tree.

b.Spraying Herbal and Mineral concentrate (Substitute to KNO3)

8.Before and after flower induction, drench the whole tree from soil, trunk, branches to the leaves with HOC-4n1 (Herbal Organic Concentrate) to drive away insect pest especially mango hoppers to prevent them from laying eggs on emerging flower after bud break.

9.The most critical period on mango production is from flower induction up to 45 day the period of flowering, blooming, and fruit formation and development.

10.Smoking and spraying HOC every 3 to 5 days up to 18 days from flower induction will greatly help in repelling insect pest and curing diseases. Do not spray or disturb the flowers during bloom and pollination. Insect pollinators should be encouraged to come. This is at 20 to 40 days after flower induction.

11.If it rains during the flowering and fruit formation, Spray HOC-3n1 (Fungicide) immediately after the rain. Gently shake branches to remove water droplets on flowers as this is a good medium for growth and development of anthracnose and other fungal diseases.

12.At 45 to 90 days Spray HOC-4n1 and HOC-GO alternately once a week to help in fruit development and prevent insect infestation.

13.At 60 to 70 days bag the good fruits candidate for export. Leave alone the partly damaged or deformed fruits as these will be for domestic market or for processing. This will greatly reduce your bagging cost and labor expense.

14.Allow the fruits to fully mature at 120 to 130 days to gain full sweetness and aromatic odor. Fully mature fruits command a better price.

15.Before harvesting, see to it that you have all the harvesting tools, equipment, containers and a packing shed close or within the farm.

16.Give proper instructions and guidance to your workers and harvesters before sending them off to harvest. Make them remember that every single fruit has value and they should handle them with care, avoiding bumps and bruising.

17.Have a separate group of workers, especially trained to sort, grade, package and scale the fruits. Another group at the packing house will do the washing, hot water dip treatment, air drying, final sorting or grading, packing and weighing to be transported to market destinations.

18.After harvest, a new cycle of tree management start. This will be the rejuvenation stage from post harvest to flower induction. A period of 7 to 9 months.

19.The trees are prunes and sanitized by clearing the surrounding and drenching the whole tree with HOC-4n1.

20.Spread the organic fertilizer and decompose farm waste materials.

21.Plow under and cultivate the soil from under and outside canopy cover. Follow this by harrowing to pulverize and level the soil.

22.Water the trees and spray HOC-GO to initiate new flushing. Two to four new shoots will emerge which will be potential bearing buds.

23.During flushing, spray HOC-4n1 at 5 to 7 days interval. The young leaves are very susceptible to anthracnose infection and insect pest attack being soft and tender.

24.Provide adequate water at all times, and keep down the weeds by slashing.

25.Monitor the trees until they are ready for another flower induction.

End of cycle

Other Interventions:

1.Preferably, intercrop between mango trees with low growing high value seasonal crops such as vegetables, grain, legumes, root crops and spices.

2.Maintain a mini forest for bird sanctuary and other wild life and bio diversity to complement the needed balance of nature ecosystem.

3.Grow a wide range of herbal plants that will help in pest and disease control.

4.Raise poultry and livestock to augment your farm income and provide you with rich animal waste for organic fertilizer conversion.

5.Avoid as much as possible burning and application of toxic chemicals as this will kill the beneficial life in the soil and in the farm.

6.Visit your farm regularly. The foot prints of the owner are the best fertilizer.

Photo courtesy of http://macsystems.com

Tips on Saving Money

Want to stop living from paycheck to paycheck? Read on and start saving today.

Steps:

1. Figure out what you need to save for and how much you need to save. For short-term goals, this is easy. If you want to buy a video game, find out how much it costs; if you want to buy a house, determine how much of a down payment you’ll need. For long-term goals, such as retirement, you’ll need to do a lot more planning (figuring out how much money you’ll need to live comfortably for 20 or 30 years after you stop working), and you’ll also need to figure out how investments will help you achieve your goals.

2. Set savings goals. Once you determine how much you need to save, establish a timeframe (i.e. “I want to be able to buy a house two years from today.”) Set a particular date for accomplishing shorter-term goals, and make sure the goal is attainable within that time period. If it’s not attainable, you’ll just get discouraged.

3. Figure out how much you’ll have to save per week, per month, or per paycheck to attain each of your savings goals. Take each thing you want to save for and figure out how much you need to start saving now. For most savings goals, it’s best to save the same amount each period. For example, if you want to put a $20,000 down payment on a home in 36 months (three years), you’ll need to save about $550 per month every month.

4. Add together the installment amounts (monthly, weekly, or per paycheck) for all your savings goals. Can you afford to save this total each period? If so, great; if not, proceed to the next step.
Keep a record of your expenses. Write down everything you spend your money on for a couple weeks or a month. Be as detailed as possible, and try not to leave out small purchases.
See where you can trim your expenses. You’ll probably be surprised when you look back at your record of expenses: $300 on ice cream, $100 on parking tickets? You’ll likely see some obvious cuts you can make. Depending on how much you need to save, however, you may need to make some difficult decisions. Think about your priorities, and make cuts you can live with.

5. Reassess your savings goals. If there’s absolutely no way you can fit all your savings goals into your budget, take a look at what you’re saving for and cut the less important things or adjust the timeframe. Maybe you need to put off buying a new car for another year, or maybe you don’t really need a big-screen TV that bad.

6. Make a budget. Once you’ve managed to balance your earnings with your savings goals and spending, write down a budget so you’ll know each month or each paycheck how much you can spend on any given thing or category of things. Try to leave a little room for minor unexpected expenses.

7. Stick to your budget. A budget won’t do you any good if you don’t follow it religiously. Build some self-discipline, and remember why you’re on a budget in the first place.
Pay yourself first. Savings should be your priority, so don’t just say that you’ll save whatever’s left over at the end of the month. Deposit savings into an account (or your piggybank) as soon as you get paid.

8. Open an interest-bearing savings account. It’s a lot easier to keep track of your savings if you have them separate from your spending money. You can also usually get better interest on savings accounts than on checking accounts (if you get interest on your checking account at all). Consider higher-interest options such as CDs or money-market accounts for longer savings goals. Shop around for the best interest rates on an account that fits your budget and liquidity (how quickly you need the money) needs. For very long-term goals, such as retirement, you’ll need to develop an investment strategy, not just a savings plan.

9. Consider automatic deductions from your paycheck. Many employers allow you to deduct savings from your paycheck. The money is directly deposited in your savings account so you never even see it on your paycheck. You can also have investments for retirement taken directly out of your pay, and the taxes may be deferred with this option.

Tips


a. If your savings timeframe is very long, such as that for retirement, you may want to structure your monthly savings so that they grow larger later in life when you will (hopefully) have more income coming in.

b. If unexpected expenses cause you to deviate from your budget from time to time, cut unnecessary expenses before you cut money from your savings goals. Other than the bare necessities, your savings goals should be your top priority.

c. In this day and age, many of us have cars, so saving money on gas can contribute to your effort considerably. Consider getting rid of the car altogether if you can. See the related wikiHows for more information.

d. If unexpected circumstances render you unable to meet your savings goals, reassess them and figure out which ones you can delay or cut out. Get back on your program as soon as you can.

e. For very important or very large savings goals (such as a down payment on a house or saving for your kids’ college tuition), consider opening up a separate account. You’ll be able to keep better track of that particular goal, and you’ll be less tempted to dip into it.

f. If you receive unexpected cash, put all or most of it into your savings, but continue to set aside your regularly scheduled amount as well. You’ll simply reach your savings goals sooner.

g. If you no longer have a regular expense, such as when you pay off your car or home, set aside that money into savings. You’ll be paying yourself instead of somebody else.

h. Make paying off high-interest credit card and loan balances a top priority. You can’t really save money when you’re needlessly wasting it on finance charges.

i. Buy a piggy bank for your coins. Coins and change may look insignificant but when accumulted overtime they can help you save.

Warnings

• Never loan cash to others that you cannot afford not to get back.
• Never borrow money that you cannot repay.
• Do not go out "window shopping" with any money on you. You will only be tempted to spend money you cannot afford to lose.
• Be sure to keep track of automatic deductions from your paycheck. Sometimes mistakes happen, and if you’re not paying attention, you might not get all your money.

Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Save-Money