Philippine

Dr. WILLIAM D. DAR

for a

President, InangLupa Movement

Paper presented during the 19th PSSST Annual Meeting and Scientific Conference
held on 18-20 April 2016 at Legazpi City, Albay

Global Mega Challenges

Sustainable Intensification is Key

Components

Developing markets
Building social capital
Creating sustainable
livelihood
Understanding barriers
Enabling environment

Cropping (farming) systems

Improved soil and water
management
Integrated nutrient management
Diversified systems
Efficient agricultural practices

Higher yield
Resilient to pests and
diseases
Resilient to climate
change
Improving nutrition

Soil Health
Also referred to as soil quality
Defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital
living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans
Soil contains living organisms that provide
the basic necessities of life: food, shelter,
and water

We Depend on Soils
Healthy soils is the basis
for healthy food
production.

Soils is the foundation for vegetation

which is cultivated or managed for
feed, fiber, fuel, and medicinal
products.

Soils supports our

planets biodiversity and
they host a quarter of
the total.

Soils helps to combat and adapt to

climate change by playing a key role
in the carbon cycle.

Soils stores and filters

water improving our
resilience to floods and
droughts.

Soils is a non-renewable resource, its

preservation is essential for food
security and our sustainable future.

Status of Philippine Soils

(BSWM Land Degradation Assessment 2013)

Declining fertility of rice growing areas
especially in lowland areas
Increasing soil erosion for upland
agricultural areas
Rapid conversion of agricultural areas to
residential; and other land types to
various land uses
Increasing water pollution that is in turn a
major land degradation concern

Land Degradation
Pervasive problem in the countrys farmlands
Played a role in the slowdown of productivity growth in agriculture

CY 1900: 21 M ha (70% of land area)

CY 2005: 7 M ha (23% of land area)
Source: DENR, 2005

70% of the
countrys land area

initially responsible for the degradation of

primary to secondary forests and grasslands

Reduction of forest vegetation

Loss of bio-productive functions

State of

Decline of surface water

quality (pollution)

LAND
Degradation

Extreme climatic events

Increased incidence of
pests and diseases

Soil Health Assessment:

Bhoochetana

(Soil Rejuvenation)
Transition to land health
Uses soil health assessment as
an entry point to plan sciencebased interventions that can
lead to tangible benefits for
farmers through convergence of
sustainable technologies for
increasing productivity of farm
households with an effective
integrated watershed
management approach.

as an

Entry Point

Monitor the
outcome

Assess the
symptoms

Treat the
problem

Diagnose the
causes

Source: ICRISAT

Case in India:
Bhoochetan
(Soil Rejuvenation)

is a mission mode project of ICRISAT

that harness science for sustainable
use of natural resources among
farmers and increase rainfed crop
yields by 20%.
Increased crop yield by 20-66%
Covered 3.1M ha and benefitted 4.4M families
Contributed to rise in agriculture growth:
above 5% annually since 2009
Benefit-cost ratio: 3-14:1
Accrued net benefit in 4 years: $ 240M
Source: ICRISAT

Bhoochetana: An Upscaling Model

Source: ICRISAT

Narrowing the yield gaps

Percentage of farmers fields deficient in soil nutrients in different states of India

State

No. of
farmers
fields

Org.C
%

Av.P
ppm

K
ppm

S
ppm

B
ppm

Zn
ppm

Andhra Pradesh

1927

84

39

12

87

88

81

Karnataka

1260

58

49

18

85

76

72

73

86

96

65

93

179

22

40

64

43

24

82

12

60

10

46

100

82

119

57

51

24

71

89

61

28

11

21

96

100

18

Madhya
Pradesh
Rajasthan

Gujarat
Tamilnadu
Kerala

SAT Soils
are not only
thirsty but
also hungry!

Source: ICRISAT

Bhoochetana Achievements
Saved their soils. To
avoid soil erosion, farmers
did contour planting, green
manuring, broad-bed and
furrow planting.
Saved water. Farmers did
conservation furrows and
added to the soil organic
materials, which led to better
conservation of water.

Saved the environment.

Farmers use biocontrol
agents, not pesticides that
pollute the environment.

Saved on fertilizers.
Instead of following blanket
recommendations, farmers
tested their soils for lack of
nutrients.

Saved good seeds. ICRISAT gave

farmers high-yielding and droughtresistant new/improved varieties of
chickpea, peanut, pearl millet, pigeon
pea, and sweet sorghum.

Source: ICRISAT

Case in the Philippines:

Yamang Lupa Program

is the Philippine adaptation of the Bhoochetana concept.

It has 3 pilot regions 9,327.3 ha (as of November 2015)
Quezon (Luzon)
Samar (Visayas)
Zamboanga Sibugay (Mindanao)

Soil
Health
Cards:
A prescription for our sick soils
YLP Entry Point
Assessing the soil health status
using the stratified soil sampling.
Preparing a GIS-based soil
fertility status maps.
Developing the Soil Health
Cards with specific nutrient
management recommendations.

Developed and distributed

Soil Health Cards

covering 9,327.3 ha

Mean Results of Field Demonstration

REGION

4A

REGION

Crop
Rice
Tomato
Ampalaya
String bean
Onion

Average Yield (t/ha)

Farmers Practice
YLP Demo Farm
4.40
4.62
5.00
8.175
5.75
7.00
7.85
8.36
11.60
25.00

% Difference
4.88
48.20
19.61
6.29
73.22
(as of November 2015)

Crop
Upland Rice
Lowland Rice
Peanut
Okra
Corn

Average Yield (t/ha)

Farmers Practice
YLP Demo Farm
4.40
5.95
7.00
8.75
3.31
6.75
3.05
5.45
3.32
4.60

% Difference
29.95
22.22
68.39
56.47
32.32
(as of November 2015)

Mean Results of Field Demonstration

Average Yield (t/ha)
Crop

REGION

Ampalaya
Peanut
Lowland rice (NSIC 298)
Sweet potato
Sweet corn
Cassava
Squash
Hot pepper
Upland rice
Yellow corn
Watermelon

Farmers Practice

YLP Demo Farm

5.50
1.00
4.50
4.20
5.40
7.50
8.50
5.10
3.20
2.50
6.00

12.70
2.10
8.20
13.30
10.60
20.20
20.10
11.50
6.40
5.50
11.50

% Difference
79.00
71.00
58.00
104.00
65.00
92.00
81.00
77.00
67.00
75.00
63.00
(as of March 2015)

YLP Outputs
Increased yield of 50% - 232% after 2 years

Average increase on net income over

farmers practice is 153%

Result of YLP rice demonstration was

higher by 5-58% as compared to
farmers practice

10
KeyMessages
Messages
10YLP
YLP Key

Pro-active consortium partners

2
Strategic capacity development

Stratified soil
sampling technique

Comprehensive soil
analysis

Building awareness
on soil health

Demand-driven and farmer

participatory research

Best-bet crop management options

5
7

Economic gains

9
Effective extension delivery system:
Maximizing the use of ICT

10
Initiatives on soil health mapping

Save Our Soils through

Inclusive policies &
governance

Investment in sustainable soil

management

Targeted soil research

Stopping soil degradation &

restoring degraded soils

Effective education &

extension programs

Soil information systems

To rejuvenate the countrys soil resources,

DA needs to allot an initial
to
1. Upgrade and repair outdated laboratory
equipment and facilities of national and
regional BSWM soils laboratories
2. Re-train technicians and field persons
3. Conduct soil analysis and mapping nationwide

The soil is the great connector of

lives, the source and destination of
all without proper care for it,
we can have no life.
- Wendell Berry