2016 in PHILIPPINES: Sustainable Yield Intensification in Philippine Cassava Systems
Project code: PHI-05
Objective:
The project generates the scientific information that is required to establish nutrient uptake –yield relationships for cassava, determines the agronomic use efficiency for individual nutrients, which aids in the development of fertilizer recommendations, and establishes 4R consistent nutrient management practices for smallholder growing systems.
Timeline:
Implementation is between 2015 and 2018 in the Philippines.
Treatment overview:
The project uses an approach that successively reduces the risk for growers to invest in fertilizers and thereby aids in market development for our industry. The approach consists of:
(a) analyses of existing data to derive nutrient uptake functions for cassava,
(b) completion of the information with data from on station trials and trials in commercial fields that demonstrate economic viability and validate nutrient uptake functions, and
(c) development of a Nutrient Expert® Cassava Philippines.
Therefore we will
(1) determine the parameters for internal nutrient efficiency, response to individual nutrients and attainable yields from nutrient omission trials on stations, then
(2) verify parameters in trials in farmers’fields and develop a Beta version of Nutrient Expert® Cassava, then
(3) use the Beta version to generate fertilizer recommendations for a selected number of farmer’s fields, and (4) examine the field results jointly with stakeholders and refine the models as needed.
Results to date:
Project field implementation has started in July 2014.
(1) In 2015-2016, results of two years of cassava cropping at three sites in Laguna (on-station), Isabela (on station) and Butuan (2 farmers’ fields) indicate positive response to fertilization, which includes substantial yield response to K application.
(2) The establishments of cassava nutrient omission-plot trials in 16 regions of the Philippines began in 2016, through the Department of Agriculture Regional Field offices (3-6 farms, a total of 45 farms).
(3) Plant and soil analyses and data processing from the harvested sites are on-going.
(4) In 2017, Beta version of Nutrient Expert® Cassava will be developed and validated in farmers’ fields and a manual for 4R Cassava Nutrient Stewardship will be published.
Summary:
Whilst it is known that cassava responds to fertilization, lack of quantitative knowledge on the response to fertilizer and the uncertainty surrounding that response under specific conditions is a major obstacle to development of the market for cassava fertilizers.