For the benefit of today's generation, let us get to know more about the tree which stands witness to our elders' sweet chilhood memories.
Muntingia calabura, commonly known as aratilis or aratiles in the Philippines, has other local names such as datiles in Bicolano and manzanitas and cereza in Ilocano. Other international names of aratilis include Jamaican Cherry, Panma Berry and Strawberry Tree in English; bolania, yamanza and memizo in Spanish; kersen in Indonesian; and trungca in Vietnamese.
Aratilis is a small tree measuring five meters to, at most, 10 meters high with spreading branches. That is why fruits are easily reached by children. Leaves are light green, oblong ovate to broadly oblong lanceolate measuring 8-13cm long and with toothed margins. White flowers are long-pedicelled, about two centimeters in diameter and solitary or in pairs. Fruits are globose, about one centimeter in diameter, smooth, light red, sweet, and with numerous tiny seeds. The tree originated in Tropical America and it was introduced during the Spanish Era in the Philippines where it was widely distributed and became thoroughly adapted.
Various uses have been found for aratilis in other parts of the world including Southeast Asia. In India, the aratilis tree is grown in urban gardens and parking lots since it is a fast growing tree and it attracts fruit-eating birds such as woodpecker. In Mexico, the aratilis fruits are usually sold in markets. In Brazil, it is planted along riverbanks to attract fish with its fruits and, as a result, the fishermen have better chances of catching the fishes. In Indonesia, where the fruits are commonly eaten raw, aratilis is not sold at all in the markets because of the abundance of the fruits specially during the fruiting season.
Aratilis fruit has 82 percent edible portion which contains (per 100g) 75.0 water, 100 kcal energy, 2.0g protein, 0.6g fat, 21.6g carbohydrates, 2.4g crude fiber, 104mg calcium, 52mg phosphorus, 0.3mg iron, 0.03mg thiamine, 0.04mg riboflavin, 0.5mg niacin, and 150mg ascorbic acid.
Common Uses and Health Benefits
Parts of the aratilis tree can be utilized for other purposes. Leaves can be boiled to make a tea while its bark can be used to make ropes and fiber for bark skirts. Fruits can be processed into jams and juice. Its timber can also be used for light carpentry and as firewood. Even the flowers can be utilized as an antiseptic and to treat abdominal cramps.
Studies were conducted in order to identify the beneficial effects of Muntingia calabura. One is the in-vitro anti- bacterial activity of aratilis extracts. Results show that it possesses a potential anti-bacterial property that is comparable to the standard antibiotics being used. Another study claimed that aratilis leaves possess antinociceptive (reducing sensitivity to pain), anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties, justifying the Peruvian folkloric medicinal use.
One surprising study on aratilis is on its anti-cancer properties with the finding of new cytotoxic flavonoids in Muntingia calabura roots. Twelve new flavonoids were isolated and most of the isolates have demonstrated cytotoxic activity with some exhibiting selective activities when evaluated with a number of human cancer cell lines.
Environmental Benefits
One of the distinct characteristics of the aratilis tree is its ability to grow in poor soil and to tolerate acidic and alkaline conditions as well as drought making it a good "pioneer" plant. In addition, aratilis is also a fast-growing fruit tree and is very prolific. Once the berries ripen and harvested the tree flowers again to be pollinated a new by birds and insects such as bees and butterflies and these make for a lot of seeds to be spread by man and animals as the next generation of aratilis trees. Aratilis trees can shed much leaf and branch litter and therefore they can be used for reforestation projects in underdeveloped areas as these contribute to the improvement of the soil resulting to better adaptation by other trees.###
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References: 1. Coronel, Roberto E. 2011. Important Underutilized Edible Fruits of the Philippines, University of the Philippines Los Baños Foundation Inc. (UPLBFI) and Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultureal Research (DA-BAR), 2011. 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muntingia 3. https://www.alternativeremedies.wordpress.com/2009/09/04/health-benefits-of-aratiles-2/ 4. http://www.stuartxchange.org/Aratiles.html
Source: Liza Angelica D. Barral, BAR Digest October-December 2012 Issue (Vol. 14 No. 4)
Production
A study was conducted by the Mariano Marcos State University with the title “Commercial Production and Utilization of Sweet Sorghum (for Ethanol, Food, Feed and Forage)”.
Eight (8) promising sweet sorghum varieties came from ICRISAT and were used for multi-location tests. Study showed that of the eight sweet sorghum varieties, only five (5) showed adaptability to local conditions in MMSU.
DOST-PCAARRD partnered with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and state universities and colleges to develop technologies that could enhance the propagation and plantation management of bamboos.
Among these technologies is the propagation via branch cutting from three to four-year-old bamboo culms and one-node culm cuttings. Another technology is the clump management and suitable cultural treatments for the species of giant bamboo (Dendrocalamus asper Schultes f.) and kawayan tinik (Bambusa blumeana J.A & A.H. Schultes f.).
It was also found that branch cuttings from three to four-year-old culms are the best planting materials for giant bamboo propagation. At least 10 branches can be collected from one giant bamboo culm and each branch should have two to three live nodes and live buds. These branch cuttings will develop sprouts seven to 10 days after potting. With proper care and maintenance, the potted branch cuttings will be ready for outplanting after at least three to four months.
As for the kawayan tinik species, one-node culm cuttings is the propagation method suggested for its propagation. The mother culm selected is segmented into one-node culm cuttings. One-node cuttings are cut out from the mother culms containing an equal portion of the lower and upper internodes of about four to six centimeters. After a month, the rooted cuttings that developed sprouts are exposed to sunlight to improve growth. Then, in six to 12 months, the potted cuttings are ready for outplanting.
In order to sustain shoot or culm yield, clump management for both species should be done through regular tending operations such as cleaning, thinning, mounding, mulching, and fertilization.
Rehabilitation of existing old bamboo clumps can be achieved through the application of suitable cultural treatments which includes sanitation cutting, cleaning, or fertilizer application. This method offers a quick and cheap means of increasing the supply of bamboo.
These methods are now widely adopted by farmers and nursery owners growing and selling bamboos for livelihood in regions 3, 4-A, 6, and 10 and beginning to be replicated by other individuals throughout the country.
by Klarissa Camille Halili, DOST-PCAARRD S&T Media Service
Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) H.W. Schott & Endl. | by Ahmad Fuad Morad[/caption]
Problems in production, disease control, marketing system, and import policies hamper the development of the swine industry. The most pressing problem is the high cost of feeds. With corn and soybean as the main ingredient in swine feeds, a staggering 70% of the total production cost goes into feeds alone. Our local raisers, therefore, need to find an alternative feed ingredient that is cheap and locally available.
Sakwa, the cheaper alternative to corn
Last year, researchers from the Farming Systems and Soil Resources Institute (FSSRI) and the Institute of Animal Science (IAS) in UP Los Baños started a project that aims to replace corn with sakwa in swine feed. Entitled "Technology development for the utilization of Sakwa (Yautia sp.) as replacement of corn in swine grower and fattener rations," the project was conducted with the aid of farmers in Pinagdanglayan, Dolores, Quezon. The Bureau of Agricultural Research funded the study. In June 2001, the researchers concluded the study with encouraging results.
Sakwa is a by-product and the main corm (a short swollen underground stem base in some plants) of Gabing San Fernando - a tuber that thrives abundantly in plateaus and cogon-planted areas. The use of sakwa as swine feed is actually popular among farmers. Previous studies have shown that Gabing San Fernando is resistant to common pests and diseases, adverse climatic conditions and drought, and ranks second to sweet potato in terms of nutritive value and digestibility. Further tests by the IAS showed that dried sakwa contained 7.67% protein - a figure comparable to the 8.5% protein content of corn. However, researchers saw the need to further develop this technology since there are no literature on the feeding value of sakwa at present.
The researchers measured the performance of swine fatteners with varying levels of sakwa replacement of the corn component in the swine grower and fattener ration in both on-farm and on-station trials. Remarkably, sakwa-based rations were found to be more profitable than commercial feeds. Farmers using sakwa-based feeds incurred a net benefit of P740 per head of swine compared to only P320/head for commercial-feed treated swine. The cheaper cost of the sakwa feed, as compared to corn, brought about the savings.
Results also showed that when farmers replaced 60% and 90% of the swine grower and finisher diet, respectively with sakwa, the animal performed as well as those nourished with commercial corn-based feeds. However, the carcass yield and tenderness of meat decreased when corn was replaced entirely (100%) by sakwa. Nonetheless, the meat remained juicy, with good color and flavor quality.
These are the recommended steps for the proper preparation of sakwa as swine feed ingredient:
1. Wash the sakwa properly, making sure that no soil particles are left as this may affect its quality as feed.
2. Chop the sakwa into thin, round pieces or more preferably thin strips. The latter will be more appropriate to avoid the chopped pieces from clumping together, thus hastening the drying process.
3. Dry the sakwa either by air-drying or with the use of a dryer to 14% moisture content. This can be done by air-drying for five days, or sun-drying for three days.
4. Mill the dried sakwa well using the "hammer mill."
5. Mix the milled sakwa according to the recommended ration - 60% for swine grower ratio, and 90% for the swine fattening ration.
6. Store the mixed feed in a dry place.
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This study won the AFMA Best R&D Paper Unpublished Category for Animal Science during the 13th National Research Symposium last 2 October 2001. For more information, please contact FSSRI, College of Agriculture, UPLB, College, Laguna, Tel.no. (049)5363229
By: Thea Kristina M. Pabuayon, BAR Chronicle, September 2001 Issue (Vol. 2 No. 17-18)
1. Akapulko (Cassia alata) - also known as "bayabas-bayabasan" and "ringworm bush" in English, this herbal medicine is used to treat ringworms and skin fungal infections.
2. Ampalaya (Momordica charantia) - known as "bitter gourd" or "bitter melon" in English, it most known as a treatment of diabetes (diabetes mellitus), for the non-insulin dependent patients.
3. Bawang (Allium sativum) - popularly known as "garlic", it mainly reduces cholesterol in the blood and hence, helps control blood pressure.
4. Bayabas (Psidium guajava) - "guava" in English. It is primarily used as an antiseptic, to disinfect wounds. Also, it can be used as a mouth wash to treat tooth decay and gum infection.
5. Lagundi (Vitex negundo) - known in English as the "5-leaved chaste tree". It's main use is for the relief of coughs and asthma.
6. Niyog-niyogan (Quisqualis indica L.) - is a vine known as "Chinese honey suckle". It is effective in the elimination of intestinal worms, particularly the Ascaris and Trichina. Only the dried matured seeds are medicinal -crack and ingest the dried seeds two hours after eating (5 to 7 seeds for children & 8 to 10 seeds for adults). If one dose does not eliminate the worms, wait a week before repeating the dose.
7. Sambong (Blumea balsamifera)- English name: Blumea camphora. A diuretic that helps in the excretion of urinary stones. It can also be used as an edema.
8. Tsaang Gubat (Ehretia microphylla Lam.) - Prepared like tea, this herbal medicine is effective in treating intestinal motility and also used as a mouth wash since the leaves of this shrub has high fluoride content.
9. Ulasimang Bato | Pansit- pansitan (Peperomia pellucida) - It is effective in fighting arthritis and gout. The leaves can be eaten fresh (about a cupful) as salad or like tea. For the decoction, boil a cup of clean chopped leaves in 2 cups of water. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain, let cool and drink a cup after meals (3 times day).
10. Yerba Buena (Clinopodium douglasii) - commonly known as Peppermint, this vine is used as an analgesic to relive body aches and pain. It can be taken internally as a decoction or externally by pounding the leaves and applied directly on the afflicted area.
In the Philippines, jute plant is called “saluyot” which is mostly abundant in Ilocos and Western Visayas. According to the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA), jute grows in all types of soil ranging from clay loam to sandy loam. It thrives best in tropical countries where climate is hot and moist. It is mostly a rainfed crop with little need for fertilizer or pesticides. Jute is an annual crop taking about four months (April-July or May-August) to grow.
Growing jute is environment-friendly. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) stated that, cultivating jute in crop rotation enriches the fertility of the soil for the next crop. It also does not generate toxic gases when burnt.
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By applying soil conditioner, Nilo grows sweet corn and vegetables- like lettuce, pechay, mustasa, sili, tomatoes, eggplants, alugbati, lemongrass, saluyot, pandan, Chinese kangkong, camote tops, ginger, luyang dilaw, malunggay- and herbs- like sweet basil, tarragon, oregano, sambong, damong mais and tawa-tawa- in plastic cans, bottles or styropors.
After Nilo F. Estrella learned the technology during the urban gardening seminar conducted by Dr. Lino Cortez and Manuel Cortez in 2007, he conducted his own research and developed his own models.
First Model: Production and Application of a Potent Lactobacilli Solution as a Soil Conditioner and Foliar Spray. It is done by producing Effective Microorganisms (EMO) through fermentation.
How to Make It:
1. Mix the rice wash and kitchen refuse, then fill 1/4 of a plastic container with the mixture and let it stand for a week.
2. After that, dispose the thin-film like substance that developed on top of the fermented mixture. Set aside half of the mixture then add ten parts of evaporated milk and one part molasses or brown sugar with the other half. Cover the container with cloth and let it stand for a week in a cool and well-ventilated place.
3. The fermentation will be complete after a week. The lactobacilli in the milk have killed the harmful microorganisms in the mixture.
How to Use:
Mix 45ml or about 3 tbsps. of the concoction with 16 liters of water then spray it to the soil regularly. When it is applied as foliar spray, sprinkle the plants with water afterwards to prevent after effects according to Nilo Estrella.
Second Model: Propagation of Indigenous Microorganism (IMO) through Fermentation.
Nilo uses cooked rice as substrate in collecting airborne microorganisms.
How to Make It:
1. Fill 1/4 of a plastic container with rice and allow it to stand for a week. By this time molds have appeared on the upper portion of the rice. Scrape these and put in another container that is 3/4 full of a mixture of water, molasses and milk.
2. Cover the container with clean cloth and let it stand for a week when fermentation is complete.
How to Use it:
Mix 45ml or about 3 tbsps. of the IMO concoction with 16 liters of water then spray it to soil and plants.
Third Model: Production and Application of Vermicast as a source of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.
How to Make It:
Feed the leaves of plants rich in nitrogen and kitchen refuse to African nightcrawler earthworms to produce vermicast. Then the vermicast, also known as worm castings, worm humus or worm manure can be added to soil containers to sustain the growth of vegetables.
How to Make Pesticide:
1. Nilo mixes with water two of any of the following: chopped hot pepper, garlic, onions, lemon grass, oregano, ginger and leaves of neem tree, makabuhay, or kakawate. Spray the solution as pesticide.
Source: Pete Samonte (2010). Making Soil Conditioners for Urban Gardening. Agriculture Magazine
Recently, many farmers asked me what is the 
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Plant breeding experts at the Philippines’ premiere plant breeding agency, Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB), have asserted the global position of highly-respected institutions like WHO on the safety of GM foods.
“Several esteemed international organizations such as WHO concluded that consuming foods with ingredients derived from GM crops is ‘no riskier’ than consuming the same foods with ingredients from crops modified conventionally,” according to Dr. Ruben L. Villareal, National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) agricultural sciences chairman.
The GM technology, considered to be under biotechnology, is in fact a major tool that can make Philippine agriculture competitive, he said. Villareal was one of the founders of IPB, University of the Philippines-Los Banos’s (UPLB) plant breeding arm.
“Through biotechnology, new varieties that would be advantageous to farmers, consumers, and the environment could be developed,” said Villareal.
Review of CA decision urged
The Court of Appeals (CA) just issued a decision last month stopping field trials of the GM Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) eggplant.
But Villareal urged the CA to review its decision stopping the Bt eggplant trial.
“With the numerous global evidences already known, I cannot understand the basis of the decision. I hope that our legal experts and the court could revisit and look deeply at the scientific evidences and the long experience of around 30 countries planting 170.3 million hectares of biotech crops including the Philippines,” he said.
Bt eggplant benefits
Bt eggplant (talong in Filipino) will significantly benefit farmers through less exposure to chemical pesticides. That has been proven scientifically contrary to accusations raised by anti-GM advocates.
Studies have shown numerous potential benefits of Bt talong to Filipino farmers and consumers. This includes reduction in farm labor costs by 10 to 25 percent and reducing pesticide applications by 60 percent, according to IPB. With less pesticide spray, consumers will also benefit from eggplant that has not been excessively sprayed with pesticide.
Bt eggplant enables up to 64 percent increase in yield and income for farmers.
Compared to conventional varieties, they can enjoy up to an additional income of P50,000 per hectare.
Bt eggplant will alter the practice, and its harmful health effects, of farmers in Pangasinan who extensively use insecticide on their eggplant. Some farmers are found to even dip eggplants on a bucketful of insecticide just to ensure the eggplants are not destroyed by the pest fruit and shoot borer.
“Bt eggplant aims to provide an effective alternative to eggplant farmers who are plagued by needing incessant pesticide spraying that directly cause environmental and health hazards,” said Villareal.
WHO position
WHO declared that different GM foods go through the global food safety process called Codex Alimentarius Risk Analysis of Foods Derived from Modern Biotechnology under which these foods are not found to be risky to human health.
“GM foods currently available on the international market have passed risk assessments and are not likely to present risks for human health, “ according to a WHO statement.
“No effects on human health have been shown as a result of the consumption of such foods by the general population in the countries where they have been approved. Continuous use of risk assessments based on the Codex principles and, where appropriate, including post market monitoring, should form the basis for evaluating the safety of GM foods.”
Legal sanction
Villareal asserted consumers should support IPB in the development of crops that raise farmers’ yield and income and reduce the exposure to pesticide of farmers, consumers, and the environment.
IPB was specifically created to develop crops beneficial for Filipino consumers and farmers. Its creation is sanctioned by the Seed Industry Development Act of 1992.
“UPLB is mandated by law to use biotechnology in (crops’) variety improvement. It is thus UPLB’s duty to develop these new helpful varieties,” said Villareal. “IPB’s existence will be rendered irrelevant if it cannot pursue its legal mandate which is academic research within the bounds of sound and science-based regulatory system.”
UN FAO
Dr. Ernelea Cao, a UP Diliman (UPD) Professor of the Institute of Biology and former Director of the Natural Sciences Research Institute (NSRI) of UPD, also stated that biotech crops and its food products are safe.
GM crops undergo assessments that abide by internationally accepted scientific standards of the United Nations-Food and Agriculture Organization and WHO CODEX Alimentarius, said CAO.
The Food and Drug Administration of the Philippines also recently released Advisory No. 2013-014 reiterating the safety of GM foods because these have passed the international standards for food safety assessment.
According to Dr. Cao, the accumulated body of knowledge and experimental data and the experience on scientific monitoring on the use of biotech crops and products worldwide in more than one billion hectares over the past 17 years are the most compelling evidences of the safety of this kind of technology.
Villareal also cited the statements of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the US National Academy of Sciences, and the British Royal Society that consuming foods with ingredients derived from GM crops is as safe as those of other plants developed through conventional means.
A decade of biotechnology use
Biotechnology is identified by NAST as a tool to boost agricultural productivity; to be used as feed and to improve the lives of the increasing population; and address environmental degradation, hunger and poverty.
The Philippines actually pioneered the establishment of biosafety regulations in Asia when then President Corazon C. Aquino created the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines in 1990 to ensure the responsible use of modern biotechnology for national development.
It continues to be the leading country in Asia in biosafety regulation and commercial use of GM crops. The adoption of GM corn for the past 10 years had been primarily responsible for the country finally attaining the goal of self-sufficiency in feed supply for the first time in 2012. According to ISAAA, the area of biotech corn production in the Philippines reached around 750,000 hectares in 2012.
Field trials
The UPLB-IPB had been conducting field trials of Bt talong from 2010 to 2012 in compliance with the biosafety requirements and guidelines approved by national regulatory bodies, specifically the Bureau of Plant Industry of the agriculture/" title="View all articles about Department of Agriculture here">Department of Agriculture. All trials have been completed as of August 2012.
The Bt technology have been used widely, successfully and safely worldwide in other crops such as Bt corn and Bt cotton. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) already affirmed the scientific consensus and declared the safety of Bt technology and the transgenic/GM crops derived using Bt insecticidal proteins.
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For interview requests, please call Ms. Analiza C. Mendoza, 0906-239-2362. For updates on biotechnology, visit SEARCA BIC’s website: www.bic.searca.org
It was the same issue that public and various sectors raised when the first genetically modified plant (a tomato with a delayed ripening trait) made its appearance in 1994.
Since then a growing number of biotech crops has been introduced in developed countries and consumed by millions of people all over the world. Reports say that more than 40 varieties of GM crops have been approved for use in the US in the past years.
Why are there questions now on the safety of GM products?
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