Paraquat: saving soil in the Philippines

'Sagip-Lupa' means 'save our soil' and that’s just what the Philippines’ Sagip-Lupa Soil Conservation Project is designed to do.

Soil erosionDescription Displacement of solids (soil, mud, rock and other particles) usually by the agents of currents such as, wind, water, or ice by downward or down-slope movement. Authoritative On-line References and Resources http://soilerosion.net/ This site brings together reliable information on soil erosion from a wide range of disciplines and sources. It aims to be the definitive internet source for those wishing to find out more about soil loss and soil conservation. leads to depletion of nutrient content due to loss of surface soil where, unfortunately, most of the nutrients required by plants are found. Farmers in erosion-prone areas often resort to increased use of fertilizers to augment lost soil nutrients.

The Sagip-Lupa project, which began in December 2004, was created to minimize or eliminate the risk of soil erosion on Philippine farmland using paraquat for effective weed management as part of a zero-tillage system.

Collaborators on the project include regional agricultural and environmental management thought leaders, such as the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

"As a weed science expert, my philosophy is very simple: Bring technologies to the farmers. Hence, I'm very glad to be chosen as overall coordinator of the Sagip-Lupa Soil Conservation Project. This project reaches out to the grassroots level, which are the farmers, offering them technologies that address their concerns about soil erosion and effective weed management,” says Dr. Gil L. Magsino, Head of the Training and Extension Division of the National Crop Protection Center, UP Los Banos, Philippines.

Initially targeting maize (corn) crops, the project includes a formal study as well as grower education, with more than 130,000 growers trained in effective weed management and zero-tillage systems to date.

The results of the maize study showed a 91.4% reduction of eroded soil using paraquat and zero-tillage technology compared with standard farmer practices as well as 45.3 percent reduction in water run-offDescription The occurrence of surplus liquid (like rain) which originates up-slope and is collected beyond the ability of the soil to absorb it. The surplus liquid then flows away over the surface to reach the nearest surface water (pond, lake, river). Authoritative On-line References and Resources http://www.sowap.org/index.htm SOWAP (Soil and Water Protection) is a collaboration between industry, NGOs, universities and farmers to test a range of site-specific soil management methods, based on the concept of conservation tillage. It has looked at economic and environment aspects including effects on soil erosion and run-off..

“Our one-year project studied six sites and showed that technologies like "BILIS-SAKA" (minimum tillageDescription Least possible soil disturbance for preparing a seedbed by reducing cultivation and avoiding the use of a plow. It can involve direct drilling, broadcasting into existing stubbles or adopting a strategy of reduced tillage. The main benefits are to reduce tillage energy consumption, to conserve moisture and soil structure, to reduce disturbance of soil organisms and to retain plant cover to minimize erosion. Authoritative On-line References and Resources http://www.ecaf.org/ The European Conservation Agriculture Federation promotes best soil management practices based on minimnal soil disturbance by reduced tillage.) and "BILIS-LINIS" (inter-row application) prevented soil erosion while effectively managing a broad spectrum of weeds. Sagip-Lupa also provided added benefits like time and manpower savings in weeding and tillage practices that won the hearts of many of our farmers in this time of financial crisis.  Sagip-Lupa is really a technology for farmers and for agriculture sustainability,” says Dr. Magsino.

Farmers participating in the program agree.

“I grow different crops like corn, tobacco and rice. Through the help of paraquat, elimination and control of weeds become easy for me,” says farmer Alberto Grad.

Agustin Bangloy says, “I use paraquat to lessen expenses as compared to manual weeding. Manual weeding requires higher farm inputs.”

A Picture of Success

Thanks its success in maize, the Sagip-Lupa Soil Conservation Project was expanded to six addition crops, including upland vegetables, rice and, in June 2005, to mangos in Central Luzon in collaboration with the Tarlac College of Agriculture (TCA).

The Sagip-Lupa project also includes awareness programs to generate support for soil conservation, such as a unique “Soil Exposed” photo exhibit that allowed people to see the effects of erosion first-hand.

Zero-till systems, also called no-till, were developed to prevent soil erosion and reduce labor and fuel costs. Paraquat’s contact-only action allows farmers to control weeds without killing weed roots making it an ideal herbicide for use in conservation and zero-till systems.

The use of zero-tillage with paraquat is helping to save soil in the Philippines, supporting sustainable agricultureDescription Management and conservation of the natural resource base and the use of technological and organizational change in a manner that ensures continued agricultural production from the land for present and future generations. Such practices conserve land, water, and plant and animal genetic resources. They are environmentally non-degrading, technically appropriate, economically viable, and socially acceptable. Sustainability rests on the principle that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Therefore, stewardship of both natural and human resources is of prime importance. Authoritative On-line References and Resources www.nal.usda.gov Information from the USDA's Alternative Agricultural Systems Information Center. that will benefit of farmers today - and tomorrow.