In broadcasting, the only basis for planting is the total seeding rate usually expressed in the weight of seeds per unit area. Example: 50-100 kg per hectare for lowland rice. There are no rows and uniform plant-to-plant distances are not considered.

It is possible to calculate the total plant population and the average number of plants per unit area upon germination if the average weight and the germination percentage of seeds are known. A replicated sampling of stand count per square meter or any sample area can also give a good estimate of the total population. 

In both the hill and drill methods of planting by direct seeding, there is a desired row-to-row spacing. Take mungbean, for example. The distance between adjacent rows maybe 60 cm.

If planted by hill, 12 seeds may be sown in 4 hills 25cm apart in each linear meter in a row at 3 seeds per hill. Otherwise, if planting is by drill, the 12 seeds will just be dispersed in one linear meter without considering uniformity in plant-to-plant spacing within the row. With 12 seeds per linear meter (1m = 100cm), the mathematical, but not actual, average for the plant-to-plant distance will be 8.3cm (i.e., 100cm ÷ 12 = 8.3cm).

But if broadcasted, no reference to any distance nor spatial arrangement is necessary. For uniformity, however, the average seeding rate should be 20 seeds per square meter or 12 seeds in every 0.6-sq m ground area. In all these planting methods, the total seeding rate is constant at 200,000 seeds per hectare. 

In the hill method, the hills are either occupied by a single plant or any multiple numbers of plants and spaced uniformly within each row. Therefore the row distance, hill distance, and the number of plants (or seeds) per hill are always given or otherwise computed from a given plant population density.

In contrast, there is no uniform spacing between plants within the row in the drill method. Instead, seeds are released over the intended row in uniform seed weight or the number of plants per linear meter.

To illustrate further, here are some calculated results:

In Broadcasting. If the required seeding rate is 100 kg per hectare, the seeds have to be broadcated at an average rate of 0.01 kg or 10 g per sq meter. Assume further that the crop to be grown is rice and the seeds to be used for planting have an average weight at 14% moisture content of 30 grams per 1000 grains (equivalent to about 33,333 grains per kilogram). This will be equivalent to an average seeding rate of about 333 grains per sq. meter or a total seeding rate of 3,333,333 grains per hectare. If seed germination is 100%, the same figures will apply to seedling emergence.

In Hill Planting. Assuming that the recommended planting distance for corn is 75cm x 25cm, this means a spacing of 75 cm between rows and 25 cm between hills. If the planting rate is 1 seed per hill, the computed total seeding rate per hectare will be 53,333.3 seeds. The decimal point indicates that this value is just an estimated average. Formula:

     PD (or TSR) = [A ÷ (Dr x Dh)] x NPh  	                                               
         
        where:  PD   = total plant population density (no. of plants)	
	        TSR  = total seeding rate (no. of seeds)
		A    = area to be planted (m²)
		Dr   = distance between rows (m)
		Dh   = distance between hills (m)
		NPh  = number of plants (or seeds) per hill
	

In Drill Planting. Given the same assumptions under broadcasting, i.e., a seeding rate of 100 kg (=100,000 g) per hectare and 1,000-grain weight= 30 grams but planting the seeds in drill: If the rows are 20 cm apart, the calculated average seeding rate per linear meter in the row will be 2 grams. With a 1000 grain weight of 30 grams for rice, this is equivalent to an average seeding rate of about 66.7 seeds per linear meter. But if the row distance is widened to 25 cm, the average seeding rate will increase to 2.5 grams or 83.3 seeds per linear meter. Formula:

     PD (or TSR) = (A ÷ Dr) x Nplm

	 where: PD   = total plant population density (no. of plants)
		TSR  = total seeding rate (no. of seeds)
		A    = area to be planted (m²)
		Dr   = distance between rows (m)
		Nplm = no. of plants (or seeds) per linear meter
     

Calculations for the above given assumptions under broadcasting:

1. To calculate the average seeding rate (ASR) in the weight of seeds (grains) per square meter, divide the recommended seeding rate by the area to be seeded. This is the desired amount of seeds that should be broadcasted per square meter for uniformity throughout the crop area.

     ASR (i.e., weight of seeds/m²) = recommended seeding rate (kg) ÷ area (m²)
	   = seeding rate per hectare (kg) ÷ area of 1 hectare (m²)
           = 100 kg/ha ÷ 10,000 m²/ha
	   = 0.01 kg/m² or 10 g/m²
	

2. To calculate the average weight of a single seed (grain), divide the weight by the given number of grains. Here we have presumed that we have data providing that 1000-grain weight is 30 g.

      Ave. Seed Weight (g/grain) = Weight of seeds ÷ no. of seeds
	    = Weight of 1000 grains (g) ÷ 1000 grains
	    = 30 g ÷ 1000 grains	
	    = 0.03 g per grain
	

3. To calculate the average seeding rate (ASR) in the number of seeds (grains) per square meter, divide the ASR (weight of seeds/m²) by the average seed weight.

	 
      ASR (i.e., no. of seeds/m²) = ASR (g/m²) ÷ Ave. seed weight (g/grain)   
	    =  10 g/m² ÷ 0.03 g/grain 
	    =  333.3 grains per sq meter
	

4. To calculate the total seeding rate (TSR) in the number of seeds (grains) per hectare, divide the required (or recommended) seeding rate per hectare by the average seed weight or, given the ASR in a number of seeds per sq. meter (no. 3), multiply it by 10,000, the area of a hectare. Make the necessary conversion to the same units of measurement. The result will also be the total perfect plant population if germination of the broadcasted seeds and plant establishment is 100 percent.

     TSR (no. of seeds/ha) = Seeding rate per hectare (g/ha) ÷ Ave. seed weight   								                   
	    = 100 kg/ha ÷ 0.03 g/grain
	    = 100,000 g/ha  ÷  0.03 g/grain
	    = 3,333,333.3 grains per hectare
   

Direct Seeding Methods <<< Farmers’ Actual Practice in No-Till Corn Farming >>> Orchard Planting Patterns

Based on crop grouping and plant use, the main divisions or branches of horticulture are:

1. Olericulture – the production of vegetables including storage, processing, and marketing. Vegetable crops are grown for their succulent and edible parts such as the roots, stems, leaves, young tops, flowers, fruits, or seeds for use in culinary preparations either fresh or preserved in the fresh state.

2. Pomology – the branch of horticulture that deals with fruit crop production. Fruit crops are grown for their edible fruits which, as a rule, are consumed raw.

3. Floriculture – the cultivation and management of cut flowers, flowering plants, and foliage plants (Louisiana State University 2011) including their use in an ornamental construct such as flower arrangement (ISHS 2011). A term that is used interchangeably with floriculture is ornamental horticulture.

4. Plant Propagation / Nursery Crop Culture – the propagation and production of seedlings, young trees, shrubs, and vines, as well as ground covers, turf, ornamental plants, and other crops in nurseries for landscaping, interior plantscaping, or outplanting.

5. Landscape horticulture – the branch of horticulture that includes the design, construction, and care of landscapes taking into consideration proper choice of plants and aesthetic effects for homes, businesses, and public places.

The following crops are likewise generally included within the domain of the branches of horticulture: perennial bush and tree nuts; and aromatic and medicinal foliage, seeds, and roots (ISHS 2011).

In addition, the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS 2011) and Janick (1972; 2002) provide the following descriptors of horticulture:

1. Horticulture differs from agronomy in many ways but some crops can be classified as both horticultural and agronomic depending on use (e.g. sweet corn is horticultural, grain or forage corn is agronomic). In the tropics, however, the distinction between horticulture and agronomy is not clear.

2. Horticulture is intensive. It deals with high-value crops which are intensively cultivated with a high infusion of capital in terms of production inputs, labor, and technology per land area.

3. Protected cultivation, as in glasshouses and plastic tunnels, and irrigation is common.

4. The following terms are used to refer to production units for horticultural crops: gardens, orchards, groves, vineyards, greenhouses, nurseries, and sometimes plantations.

5. Horticulture supports environmental enhancement through a special branch of horticulture called environmental or urban horticulture which includes home gardening, landscaping, arboriculture (growing of trees), and interior decorating with the use of plants. These activities have been applied in horticultural therapy in which horticultural plants are used as therapeutic tools.

LITERATURE CITED

1. [ISHS] INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE. 2011. Defining horticulture, horticultural products and horticultural science. Retrieved Oct. 8, 2011 from http://www.ishs.org/definition/.
2. JANICK J. 1972. Horticultural Science. 2nd ed. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Company. 586 p.
3. JANICK J. 2002. Lecture 30: Origins of horticultural science. In: History of Horticulture. Purdue University. Retrieved Oct. 8, 2011 from http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/history/lecture30/lec30.html.
4. LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY. 2011. What is/careers. Retrieved Oct. 8, 2011 from http://www.horticulture.lsu.edu/whatis.html.

What is Agronomy <<<   >>> What is Horticulture

The traditional Filipino farmer is not unfamiliar with integrated farming system (IFS), multiple cropping, and sustainable agriculture. He who lives in the farm and mainly depends for subsistence from its produce should be ingenious. He has to be, being short always of capital.

In order to maximize production from a farm with a limited area, he had to invent the “bahay kubo” or multiple cropping systems. And then integrate it with the raising of livestock animals, poultry, and fish, where suitable. In farms large enough to require the constant use of the plow, the carabao is always there (but click here to read the impact of Btrr corn on carabao).

Integrated farming system is indeed ingrained in the culture of the Filipino farmers.

It is not surprising, therefore, that many mango growers and those having farms with perennial crops have adopted this farming system. One such farmer is Nestor Trespeces of Koronadal City (formerly Marbel). He has a 5-hectare farm in Banga, South Cotabato, which is just a few minutes ride from the city.

The farm has more than 300 mango trees aged 11 years old belonging to the Philippine carabao mango variety. This variety is reputed to produce one of the sweetest of all mango fruits worldwide.

The boundaries of the farm are fenced, and a few heads of cattle, goats, and “native” chicken freely move around. It is obvious that Sir Nestor is familiar with the crop-livestock integrated farming system.

As the year 2009 was about to end, a private contractor induced the flowering of the mango trees with calcium nitrate. Close to 4 months after floral induction, about 31 tons of mature fruits were harvested. This is a clear improvement compared to the previous 3 or 4 cropping attempts all of which are considered failures.

One-third of the harvested fruits, or 10.3 tons, was the share of the owner while two-thirds went to the contractor. The contractor shouldered all the expenses from floral induction to harvesting, plus the risk of loss in case of crop failure.

In contrast to the others, this farm is clean because the groundcover (carabao grass) is always maintained low by the continuous grazing of the livestock animals.

In effect, ruminant animals which graze freely around a farm become biological mowers. It is also known that their movement tends to disturb the insect pests which take refuge on groundcovers. As to chicken and other poultry like ducks, geese, and turkeys, they graze on grasses and feed on insects.

Despite the regular spraying of chemical pesticides, no injury has ever been detected on the animals in the farm. In other mango farms, chickens feast on the insects which drop immediately after spraying without any symptom of poisoning.

Where crop-livestock integrated farming is practiced, however, several factors need to be considered. These include the choice of livestock, stocking density, fencing and security, eradication of noxious weeds, feed supply, and possible damage to the crops. If the goat is integrated with mango production, it is recommended that the lowermost branches of the trees should be above 1 meter from the ground. Goats are capable of standing on their hind legs to nibble on the lowermost leaves and twigs. Sheep are different, they are grass browsers.

It should be emphasized too that crop-livestock integration alone will not ensure successful harvest from mango farms. Many factors, including climate, farming practices, cost of inputs, and market, affect fruit production and profitability.

(The authors provided free consultancy assistance to mango and other horticultural farms in South Cotabato under the Consultancy for Agricultural Productivity Enhancement (CAPE) program of the Technology Application and Promotion Institute- Department of Science and Technology (TAPI-DOST). The program is implemented by DOST Region XII).

>>>  Back to Starting a Farm

The plastic tent method, also called kulob method, is the technique of enclosing potted planting materials with a plastic bag. The method is commonly practiced in plant propagation by stem cuttings.

But it has another important application, one which can be considered as both cost-saving and life-saving. Cost-saving in the sense that the technique eliminates the need to hire labor or to pay services. Life-saving too, that is, for your favorite plant.

Going Somewhere?

Maybe you have a scheduled trip away from home for several days? A business meeting, or a seminar, or a vacation with the whole family?

And you are worried that you have nobody to attend to your favorite potted plant?

Indeed such is a well-founded concern. Potted plants need regular watering and having nobody to do it is rightfully a cause for concern.

It should be more real with bonsai. Having a little amount of soil to hold water, the tree is susceptible of injury within just a few days due to dessication.

The Plastic Tent Method Offers Life-Saving Remedy

Yes, you can proceed with the trip and stop worrying that there’s nobody to do the watering of your precious plant. Or consider that at least there’s a fighting chance that your plant will still be alive when you come back.

All you need – the most essential – is one plastic bag that is big enough to accommodate the plant and its pot. Preferably it should be transparent, but other colors will do as well. We have in fact used blue, green, yellow, and red plastic bags in propagating bare-root wildlings and bonsai materials for years.

How To Set Up The Plastic Tent

You can do it just before or a day or a couple of days before leaving. Here’s a basic step-by-step guide in installing a plastic tent for outdoor plants under tropical settings:

1. Find a spot outside that is under partial shade and well ventilated. It may be under a tree with thick foliage or an improvised shed can be made. Also prepare the following materials to use: 1 plastic bag, 4 stakes, and 4 rocks.

The plastic bag should be wider than the canopy of the plant and longer than the vertical distance from the base of the pot to the tip of the plant. The stakes are of about the same length as the plastic bag. The rocks are to be used as weights.

2. Slightly elevate and level the spot on the ground where the potted plant is to be placed.

3. Drench the spot and the immediate surrounding with water.

4. Place the pot on the levelled ground.

5. Sink the four stakes on the ground in a square or rectangular arrangement around the plant. 

6. Pour sufficient water to saturate the potting soil. Also sprinkle water on the leaves.

7. Insert the plastic bag downward with the bottom up, using the stakes as a peripheral guide.

8. Ensure that the edges of the plastic bag remain pressed on the ground by weighing with rocks.

Note: The attached images demonstrate further the procedures.

Explanation

The plastic tent set-up should provide the following optimal conditions for continuing plant growth:

1. Prolonged supply of water. Water from the ground and the potting medium will be recycled over an extended period because the plastic bag will prevent its escape into the atmosphere. Liquid water will be converted to gaseous water in the processes of evaporation and transpiration and back again to liquid water through the process of condensation.

The set-up may also be benefited if there is rain. The water inside will be replenished by runoff and seepage.

2. Available light. Light will be available at low intensity because the plastic tent is under partial shade (or partial sun). A film of water adhering to the inside of the plastic bag also makes the plastic hazy. This condition will prevent injury to the plant due to excessive heat.

3. High relative humidity. The plastic tent enclosure will ensure high humidity inside. Consequently, evaporation from the ground and potting medium as well as plant transpiration rate will be reduced. This will further conserve water within the enclosure.

4. Warm temperature. It will be warm inside the plastic tent because the plant will continue to release body heat and heat from the sun will pass through the plastic bag. Much heat will be trapped in the water inside. But wind and rainfall will have a refreshing effect.

5. Continuing supply of carbon dioxide and oxygen. The plant will continue to photosynthesize and respire with CO₂ and O₂ being recycled.

6. Sufficient space for growth and avoidance of heat injury. The use of a relatively big plastic bag in the set-up will ensure that there is sufficient space for sideward and upward growth extension. Further, the scalding effect of severe light will be prevented because the leaves of the plant do not touch the plastic bag.

Modifications

The above procedure should mainly serve as a basic guide.

Many modifications can be made. For example, the stakes can be slanted so that the tips are bunched on top of the plant. The resulting plastic tent will be pyramidal in shape.

It is also possible to insert the pot into the plastic bag with its opening on top. The edges on top are then gathered and tied together.

Depending on the size of the pot and plant, other materials instead of the plastic bag may likewise be used as enclosures. A glass aquarium with a moist bed of sand or soil may be placed anywhere even inside the house or somewhere with a roof provided that there is light exposure. To seal, a plastic sheet is spread on top and the edges are fastened around the aquarium with a tape or tying material.

How Long May the Plant Remain Inside the Plastic Tent?

We have no documentation on the number of days that any plant should be allowed to remain inside a plastic tent. It is possible that the duration will depend on various factors such as plant adaptation, whether or not the plant is completely confined inside, the amount of light reaching the plant, and the occurrence of rains.  

Nevertheless, we have determined that molave bonsai on training can endure being inside a plastic tent for two months. Some plants that we raised in terrarium or bottle gardens also remained alive even after a year.

There’s an easy and quick way to prepare liquid fertilizer. All it takes is to dissolve urea (46-0-0) in water. This dilute solution can be immediately used for soil drench and spray application to supplement nitrogen to plants in need of the nutrient or to ensure its availability.

1% urea solution can be prepared just before application

The basic procedure that we follow is based on the long-established fact that 1% urea solution can be sprayed or used to water many plants including the leafy vegetable pechay (Brassica sp.). As for maintenance fertilizer for potted seedlings in the nursery, we do the watering once a week to once every two weeks.

But first, the theoretical basis.

Here’s How to Prepare a 1% w/v Urea Liquid Fertilizer

Materials:

1. Urea granules or 46-0-0
2. Water
3. Weighing scale
4. Container to hold water such as a plastic pail or basin
5. 1-li water dispenser
6. Water-resistant marker

Procedure:

1. Decide on the volume of liquid fertilizer to prepare, for example, 10 liters.

2. Convert the volume of liquid fertilizer to unit of weight (from ml to gram) by using the following 1:1 volume-to-weight equivalent of water at normal atmospheric pressure: 1 ml = 1 cc = 1 g or 1 li = 1 kg. Then calculate the weight of urea (46-0-0) granules to dissolve with the following formula:

Wu = Cu x Wf

where:Wu = weight of urea to be dissolved (in gram)
Cu = desired concentration of urea in the liquid fertilizer (in decimal, i.e., 1% = 1/100 = 0.01)
Wf = weight of liquid fertilizer to be prepared (in gram, i.e., 10 li = 10 li x 1,000 ml/li = 10,000 ml = 10,000 g).

Solution:

Formula: Wu = Cu x Wf

Wu = 0.01 x 10,000 g= 100 g

Note: The unit of measurement for the weight of liquid fertilizer to be prepared (Wf) may be in kilogram (kg). If so, Wu will also be in kg. To convert kg to gram (g), multiply by 1000 since 1 kg = 1,000 g. Therefore, 0.1 kg is equivalent to 100 g. That is, 0.1 kg x 1,000 g/kg = 100 g.

Conversely, gram can be converted to kilogram by dividing it by 1,000. Therefore, 100 g is equivalent to 0.1 kg. That is, 100 g ÷ 1000 g/kg = 0.1 kg.

3. Pour 10 liters of water into a container (e.g. plastic basin or pail). Allow the water to settle and mark the 10-li level. Then remove water in excess of 100 ml from the container.

4. Weigh 100 grams of urea and add to the water in the container. Stir by hand or any stirrer until completely dissolved.  

5. Allow the liquid solution to settle then slowly add more water up to the 10-li mark.

Note:

The above steps provide for the production of a 1% w/v urea liquid fertilizer. It means that the fertilizer solution has a 1% concentration of urea, w/v basis. “w/v” means “weight over volume.” That is,

Urea Concentration = (Wu ÷ Vf) x 100 = (100 g/10,000 ml) x 100 = 1%,

where 100 g is the weight of urea and 10,000 ml is the total volume of the liquid fertilizer. The multiplier “100” without any unit of measurement is a constant in converting fraction (w/v) to percentage (%).

As an alternative, the weighed urea (100 g) may be dissolved in water that is poured into a container placed on a weighing scale. After the urea is completely dissolved, water is added until the weight of the solution reaches the 10-kg mark. This will produce 1% w/w urea solution.

Precision in producing a 1% w/w concentration of the liquid fertilizer will depend largely on the accuracy of the weighing scale.

Volume of Liquid Water Used as Solvent:

The amount of water that was used to dissolve 100 grams of urea to produce 10 liters of liquid fertilizer with 1% concentration of the solute can be derived. Use the following formula:

Vw = Vf – Vu

where:

Vw = volume of water used as solvent (ml)
Vf = volume of liquid fertilizer prepared (ml)
Vu = volume of urea dissolved in water (ml, i.e., 100 ml = 100 g).

Solution:

Vw = 10,000 ml – 100 ml = 9,900 ml

Click here to read more about the density of water

Practical Application

For landscape and house plants, as well as for potted seedlings in the nursery, there is no necessity for technical accuracy.  

For convenience, it is sufficient to dissolve 1 level tablespoon of urea granules in 1 liter of water or multiples thereof. This is based on approximation that 1 tablespoon of water is equal to 10 ml or 10 grams. As a measuring tool for the solvent in excess of 1 liter, water is poured from a 1-liter bottle into a dipper and the top level is marked.

One (1) heaping tablespoon of urea dissolved in water dispensed from a 1.5-liter softdrink bottle will have approximately the same dilution rate.

The above procedures allow the production of liquid fertilizer in small quantities without using a weighing scale. Otherwise, if the amount of urea to be dissolved is so small, for example, 10 grams, it will be necessary to produce a digital balance or one that is capable of detecting such weight.

Both sexual and asexual methods are applicable in propagating molave or tugas trees (Vitex parviflora Juss.). Sexual methods consist of using extracted seeds and intact fruits, including wildlings that originate from the embryo within seeds. Asexual methods include the use of stem cuttings.

This paper is about the propagation of molave using fruits and seeds. The use of wildlings and stem cuttings as propagating materials is dealt with on another page (click here to read). But first, the distinction between the fruit and seed of the molave tree.

A molave tree has many tiny flowers (~6-8 mm long), attached to the branches of a panicle (flower cluster like that in rice) having a peduncle (stalk) that emerges from the tip of a stem. After pollination and double fertilization, each flower develops into a plant organ which is botanically called fruit (click to read What is a Fruit?). 

The fruit is small (diameter about 5-6 mm), somewhat globe-shaped, colored green but turns blue-violet to black when ripe and dried. Ripening of fruits on the same tree does not occur at the same time but gradually. Contrary to common usage, the fruit of molave is not edible.

Freshly detached ripe fruits, those which are easily visible on the ground under the tree canopy or those still attached to the panicle, are fleshy with soft outer enclosure (the pericarp or fruit wall, or pulp). But they become hard and dry after a few days on the ground or after drying. Inside each fruit is a seed (but some authorities say up to 3 or 4 seeds). Even when an intact fruit is used as propagating material, it is the seed, particularly the embryo inside, which develops into a seedling. 

Steps in Propagating Molave Using Seeds:

1. Collect ripe fruits from the tree or from the ground under the tree canopy.

2. Soak dried fruits in water and discard those that float.

Instead of seeds, molave can be propagated by direct sowing of freshly collected fruits

3. Extract the seeds from the fruits by pressing between fingers. 

4. Sow the seeds in individual pots or on a seedbed. 

5. Prick the seedlings from the seedbed and transfer to individual pots.

6. Take care of the seedlings following usual nursery practices.

The steps in propagating molave using fruits (seeds surrounded with pulp or pericarp) are the same as in seed propagation with the exception that intact fruits are used instead of seeds. Seed extraction is thus dispensed with. Nevertheless, the resulting seedlings in fruit propagation originate from the same embryos in the seeds. To ensure high percentage germination, the seed floatation method should be applied on dried fruits collected from the ground. Put the fruits in a pail or basin containing water and discard those that will float.

How We Propagated Molave Trees Using Intact Fruits

On several occasions, we propagated molave trees from a few freshly harvested fruits. We squeezed each fruit by the thumb and forefinger and the depulped seed is immediately pushed into potted medium. Depth of sowing was just enough to conceal the seed under the surface of the potting medium. 

But sometime in April this year, my sister brought home a few handfuls of fruits of the molave tree, tugas babae type. The fruits were all colored black but mixed soft and hard, indicating that they were separated from the tree in different periods of time.

Believing that the seeds of molave are recalcitrant, we sowed the intact fruits immediately without drying. Such method of propagating molave is an application of direct seeding which, from experience, we found to be the general rule for recalcitrant seeds.

Recalcitrant seeds occur in the Bungalon or Grey mangrove (Avicennia marina) of the family Verbenaceae, the same family that the molave tree belongs to. With rare exceptions, the existence of seed recalcitrance in any plant indicates that other plant species under the same family as the former likewise have the same seed characteristic (Fernandez 1993).

We simply spread the fruits on top of a pot of soil and covered the fruits partly with additional soil. The pot was placed where direct sun exposure was about three hours per day starting at noontime and regularly watered. Seedling emergence started about two weeks from sowing.

Propagating molave by intact fruits should be more advantageous because it eliminates the process of seed extraction.

LITERATURE CITED

FERNANDEZ, P.G. (ed.). 1993. Recalcitrant seeds and intermediates. Agroforestry Seeds Circular No, 3. (March 1993). pp. 22-26.

(Ben G. Bareja, Aug. 2013)

I Molave Botany and Growth I Tugas Lanhan vs. Tugas Babae I Uses and Prospects I Alternative Propagation I Molave Bonsai I

Figures on human population statistics generated by the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (UN-DESA-PD 2011) indicate a surging world population even with some countries posting negative growth (see table below).

After only four decades starting in 2010, it is estimated that in 2050 there will be an additional 2.41 billion (2,410,239,000) more people to feed.

Ensuring food supply means continuing crop and livestock agriculture and other food production systems including fisheries. Consequently, exponential growth will be expected in the demand for water, energy, and other resources for agricultural, industrial, and domestic use.

Table 1-PS. Population statistics comparing estimated total human population (in thousands) of the world, selected regions and countries for the year 2010 and 2050 (Source: UN-DESA-PD 2011).

Country/Region	2010	2050	Population Increment*	Percent Increase (%)
World	6,895,889	9,306,128	2,410,239	34.95
More developed regions	1,235,900	1,311,731	75,831	6.14
Australia**	22,268	31,385	9,117	40.94
United Kingdom**	62,036	72,817	10,781	17.38
United States of America**	310,384	403,101	92,717	29.87
Japan**	126,536	108,549	-7,987	-14.21
Asia	4,164,252	5,142,220	977,968	23.48
China	1,341,335	1,295,604	-5,731	-3.41
India	1,224,614	1,692,008	467,394	38.17
Southeast Asia	593,415	759,207	165,792	27.94
Brunei Darussalam	399	602	203	50.88
Cambodia	14,138	18,965	4,827	34.14
Indonesia	239,871	293,456	53,585	22.34
Lao People’s Democratic Republic	6,201	8,384	2,183	35.20
Malaysia	28,401	43,455	15,054	53.00
Myanmar	47,963	55,296	7,333	15.29
Philippines***	93,261	154,939	61,678	66.13
Singapore	5,086	6,106	1,020	20.05
Thailand	69,122	71,037	1,915	2.77
Timor Leste	1,124	3,006	1,882	167.44
Viet Nam	87,848	103,962	16,114	18.34
Least developed countries	832,330	1,726,468	894,138	107.43

*Population statistics supplied by the author. Population increment is the difference between the populations for 2050 and 2010. Percentage (%) increase refers to the proportion of population increment to the 2010 population.

** Australia, United Kingdom, United States of America, and Japan are among the countries belonging to the More Developed Regions according to the classification of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UN-DESA-PD 2011).

***According to the National Statistics Office (2012) based on the national census, the population of the Philippines in the year 2010 was 92,337,852.

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The above population statistics show that the percentage increase in human population in 2050 over those in 2010 is minimal in the more developed regions (6.14%) compared to those of the Least Developed Countries, World, Asia, and Southeast Asia (107.43%, 34.95%, 23.48%, and 27.94%, respectively). More developed regions are defined by the United Nations (UN-DESA-PD 2011) as comprising of Europe, Northern America, Australia/New Zealand, and Japan. Japan, also an Asian country is projected to achieve negative growth (-14.21%) at the end of the period. The same negative projection (-3.41%) applies to China, an Asian giant.

As to Southeast Asia, all 11 component countries will have more population in 2050 topped by Timor Leste, the Philippines, and Malaysia in terms of percentage increase (167.44%, 66.13%, and 53.00%, respectively). However, population densities, which also indicate how populous a country is per unit of land area, differ. Population statistics from UN-DESA-PD (2011) also show that in 2050 these countries are projected to have population densities of 2.02, 5.16, and 1.32 persons per hectare which are equivalent to the land-to-man ratio of about 4,950, 1,938, and 7,576 sq. meters per person, respectively. Population density is computed by dividing the total population by total country area which includes the area under inland water bodies.

The 2,410,239,000 additional populace in 2050 is equivalent to 34.95 percent of the 2010 population. This also indicates that throughout the world at least 34.95 percent or more than one-third more food has to be produced compared to the 2010 volume.

Statistical data from 1995 to 2008 show that there has been an increasing trend in chronic hunger throughout the world (FAO 2009). In 2011, according to FAO (2011), almost 1 billion people throughout the world are undernourished with 239 million in Sub-Saharan Africa and 578 million in Asia.

For the less and least developed countries with a high population growth rate, the picture of a starving population and the expectation of increased expenditure for food and other basic needs would be more vivid. Many countries and their people must have been fully convinced of the ill effects of a bloated population, and so they have installed drastic programs to curb down population growth. Whatsoever, the world will continue to accommodate humans.

Agriculture must necessarily go on. It means generating more efficient agricultural technology in the most expeditious manner. It means more efficient utilization of available land without destroying the environment. Agricultural productivity per unit area of land must have a huge leap within the shortest time possible. Agricultural production areas have to be expanded.

Click here to read an update on how microbes can boost agricultural yields

REFERENCE

[FAO] Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2011. The state of the world’s land and water resources for food and agriculture. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/nr/water/docs/SOLAW_EX_SUMM_WEB_EN.pdf.