ROMULO G. DAVIDEScientist and Extension Worker

Dr. Romulo G. Davide

as Scientist and Extension

worker for the FSTP Program

RG Davide takes temperature

readings of his potted tobacco

plants under glass house

conditions- as part of his Ph.D.

Thesis experiments (NCSU

1964).

RG Davide applies a nutrient

solution of a liquid fertilizer

from a bottle with a rubber

tubing to his tobacco potted

plants grown under controlled

condition (NCSU 1964).

Dr. RG Davide holds

his 1st Laboratory

class (top) in

Nematology, First

Semester, 1967 at

UP Los Baños and

last laboratory class

(below), 2nd

semester of 1998

before his

retirement.

UPLB-CA students listen to DR. R.G. Davide (left) as he describes and explains

the symptoms and damage of a disease on the peanut leaves.

An individual citrus nematode,

Tylenchulus semipenetrans.

Adult female root-knot nematode

Meloidegyne incognita feeding inside

a root portion of tomato species.

A group of citrus nematodes (upper) is

shown feeding and attacking a portion of

a citrus root (lower portion of photo).

An individual spiral nematode,

Hilicotylenchus sp. that can attack

roots of banana, vegetables and others.

Cavendish banana plant topples due to nematode damage on its root system (top).

Dr. R.G. Davide (lower photo) examines the rotten roots damaged by the nematodes

(Marsman Banana Plantation, Davao del Norte).

A celery plant

suffers with

numerous root galls

due to infection by

the root-knot

nematode

Meloidogyne

incognita.

Covers of Book authored by Dr. R.G. Davide that shows some close-up views of the

microscopic nematodes.

Bioact is the trade

name of the first

commercial biological

nematicide developed

by Dr. Romulo G.

Davide and associates

of the University of the

Philippines Los Baños

for the control of plant

parasitic nematodes

that attack economic

crops. It consists of a

spore concentrate of

the fungus

Paecilomyces lilacinus

isolated from

Philippine soil and

applied into the soil

around the diseased

plants.

CORN-BASED FARMER-SCIENTISTS RDE

TRAINING PROGRAM FOR A SUSTAINABLE

AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

A PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM WITH FARMERS, LGUs, DA-ATI, DAR,

DENR, DOST, DILG, UPLB, SCUs AND OTHER CONCERNED

AGENCIES AND NGOs UNDER E.O. 710.

MOTTO: We Gather Knowledge to Scatter.

THEME: Empowering Farmers for Socio-Economic Progress.

THE CORN-BASED FARMER-SCIENTISTS RDE

TRAINING PROGRAM IS BASED ON THE

ASSUMPTION THAT:

••THERE IS NO BARREN SOIL, ONLY BARREN MIND; THERE IS NO BARREN SOIL, ONLY BARREN MIND;

andand

••FARMING IS BUSINESSFARMING IS BUSINESS

IT IS DESIGNED TO LIBERATE POOR FARMERS

FROM THE BONDAGE OF POVERTY AND HUNGER

POOR FARMERS HOUSE

Sample house of poor

farmers in Leyte and

Samar.

Farmer-scientist

Leonito Manzanades poses

at the back of his house in

Argao, Cebu.Poor corn harvest by a poor farmer in Cebu.

CAUSES OF POVERTY OF

UPLAND FARMERS

• Low level of education

• Limited access to market, roads and transportation

system

• Slow inefficient delivery of technical services by

government support agencies due to lack of funds

and technical manpower

• Absences of farmer organizations and credit

facilities

• Insurgency (NPA) and drug problems

• Politics

• Others

Corn Vegetables

Banana Cattle Milking Cow

Chicken Goat Swine Market

WHAT IS A SCIENTIST?

“He watches things.

He reads.

He finds out how things work

and how they can be made better.

He wonders.

He experiments.

He finds out what is true.

He sees that wonderful things do indeed

happen.”

It is very important that before farmers are taught how

to be farmer-scientists they should understand what a

scientist is.

FARMER-SCIENTISTS RDE TRAINING

PROGRAM IN CORN-BASED

PRODUCTION SYSTEM

PHASE I

VALUE FORMATION, RESEARCH EXPOSURE

AND TECHNICAL EMPOWERMENT

Farmers and Scientists set up experimental plots

of corn to compare the effects of organic

fertilizers vs. inorganic fertilizers; IPM; varietal

trials; intercropping system; and others.

Cultivation of the farmer’s mind for love of God,

country and people is also emphasized.

Phase I farmer-scientists in

Siquijor stick their

experimental plots, the initial

work of the farmers to become

scientists.

A group of farmer-scientists

in Larena, Siquijor measures

plant height and gathers data

on plant growth which they

do every other week for their

technical report to the class.

Curious farmers learn to recognize a diseased corn plant as Dr. R.G.

Davide (left) describes the characteristics of the fungal leaf spot

disease in corn. They also learn the technique of isolating the fungus

into sterile potato-dextrose agar plates.

First FSTP (Phase I)

Graduation

Program in Colawin

National High

School, Colawin,

Argao, Cebu.

December 9, 1994.

A part of the fertilizer trial

using Bio-N + Chicken manure

as organic fertilizer conducted

by a group of farmer-scientists

in Catanauan, Quezon. August

20, 2012.

Dr. R.G. Davide (3rd left) holds

up a large corn ear together

with a group of farmer-

scientists holding up big corn

ears they produced from their

IPM trial in Phase I in

Buenavista, Quezon, August

20, 2012.

Farmer-Scientist Leandro Kilaton (left) of Aloguinsan, Cebu

shows a big and small corn ears to Mayor Cynthia Go-

Moreno (center) and Dr. Romulo G. Davide (left) which they

produced from their varietal trial in Phase I.

Farmer-Scientist Leandro Kilaton poses with his Phase II corn plants

IPB Var 4, Brgy. Bojo, Aloguinsan, Cebu. August 6, 2003.

Happiness is written on the faces of farmers in Alcantara, Cebu as they

graduate and pose with Dr. Davide on completion of their 16 days once-a-week

training for Phase I under Davide’s Farmer-Scientists Training Program (FSTP).

PHASE II

ON-FARM EXPERIMENTATION AND

TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION

Farmers replicate their research experiences

from Phase I in their own farms. They set up

experiments with the assistance of scientists/

experts and agricultural technicians to determine

which production technologies are adoptable in

their farms.

On their way to an on-farm visit of FSTP Phase II farmer-scientists in Argao,

Cebu, Dr. R.G. Davide help them push the jeep they are riding on to follow the

road (Top). Below: Dr. R.G. Davide rides on a motor cycle of a farmer-scientist

going to his Phase II on-farm trial.

Argao River had no bridge way back in 1995 and everybody who goes to

the other side has to wade into the not so shallow waters. To visit and

check the Phase II corn experiments of farmer Magdaleno Albaran in

Conalum. Argao, Cebu some kilometers away, Dr. Davide took off his

shoes and waded (April 1995). If it rains this could become a swimming

expedition.

Farmer-scientist Ramonsito

Labajo (left) welcomes Dr.

Romulo G. Davide, FSTP

Project Leader, to his

experimental farm in

Capangga, Barili, Cebu,

For his on-farm experiment

on the application of fertilizer

to corn (Phase II), Ramonsito

Labajo showed that the

combination of Bio-N plus

Chicken manure is a good and

cheaper substitute for urea.

An experiment conducted by

farmer-scientists (Phase II) on

a corn farm shows that

without fertilizer application,

the corn plants had a few

germinations and could hardly

grow.

Compared with another corn

farm that was applied with

Chicken Manure + Urea it

demonstrates more

germinations and luxuriantly

growing corn plants (Colawin,

Argao, Cebu 1998). Lands that poor farmers previously thought rocky and barren now

show that corn planted on them can grow luxuriantly using the

scientific agricultural technologies they learned from their FSTP

training initiated by Dr. Romulo G. Davide (right).

Dr. Romulo G. Davide distributes high-yielding sweet

potato UPLBSP6 to Farmer-Scientists in Argao, Cebu.Farmer-Scientist Felix Lapaz of Carcar, Cebu poses with his

Phase II intercropping trial with sweet potato as intercrop with

corn in his own farm.

Farmer-scientist Alfredo Igot-igot of Candabong, Alcantara,

Cebu shows big ears of USM Var 10 corn he produced in

his farm under Phase II of FSTP. August 17, 2001.

Farmer-scientist Miguel

Soroño holds large corn

ears IPB Var 4 with

estimated yield of 6.0

tons/ha from his Phase

II on-farm varietal trial

in Carcar, Cebu.

Farmer-scientist

Ramunda Bucog shows

her large ears of corn

IPB Var 4 with

estimated yield of 5.0

tons/ha harvested from

her Phase II on-farm

varietal trial in

Cansayahon, Ronda,

Cebu.

Farmer-scientists

from Bayabas,

Argao, Cebu

display their

vegetable

harvests (bottom)

and corn-squash

intercropping

system (top).

Farmer-scientist Cirila Cuyacot of Ubay, Bohol compared her

experimental peanut plants in plastic bags fertilized with sea water

(left) with that applied with water alone (right). September 2009.

Farmer-scientist Cirila Cuyacot of Ubay, Bohol shows her husband

and son the luxuriant growth of her peanut plants in plots fertilized

with sea water. August 2010.

Elnard Ympal, UPLB’s “Outstanding Farmer-scientist” awardee for 2011,

demonstrates the use of his invented drip irrigation technique to water

his vegetable gardens during the dry season (center and lower left

photo) and shows Dr. R.G.Davide, FSTP Program Leader, his healthy

cabbage plants during the wet season (lower right photo).

Mr. Potenciano Alayaay of Lazi, Siquijor province monitors his peanut as an

intercrop to corn (upper photo, wearing T-shirt with FSTP logo) his peanut plants

derived from two seeds (one red and one white color) given by Dr. Romulo G.

Davide to him in 2004 and he successfully increased it up to the present and got

a total sales of P 3,125.00

PHASE III

FARMER-TO-FARMER TECHNOLOGY

TRANSFER AND ADOPTION

The farmer-scientists share their expertise

by teaching untrained fellow farmers how to

generate and develop farming technologies

based on their Phase I and Phase II

experiences. They use either the Adopt-A-

Farmer model or Adopt-A-Barangay model with

LGUs support. They are backed up by the MAO,

ATs and experts/scientists from other agencies

when needed.

RG Davide tries to help the

FSTP farmer-participants

plow their experimental

farm in Colawin, Argao,

Cebu (August 1994).

Farmer-scientist Leonito

Manzanades rides his

horse to go to Barangay

Cantolaroy, Sibonga to

teach fellow untrained

farmers on the Phase III

part of FSTP (Oct. 1999). Farmer-Scientist Wilfredo Abear of Colawin, Argao, Cebu demonstrates how to

transfer male corn pollen grains contained in a paper bag to young female corn silks

(bohokbohok) to produce a hybrid corn to non-FSTP farmers during a Phase III class

in barangay Cantularoy, Sibonga, Cebu (November 22, 1999).

Dr. R.G. Davide inspects the farmer-scientists Phase III experimental farm (top) and

raises the hand of farmer-scientists Mary Jane Raposa (bottom) at her Phase III

farm in Brgy. Maltana, Tampakan, South Cotabato. June 20, 2012.

This is now a farmer-to-farmer

technology transfer class (Phase

III) in the field where a farmer-

scientist graduate of Phases I &

II (extreme left, back to camera)

will now teach fellow non-trained

farmers in his barangay (those

squatting) the FSTP

technologies he has learned in

Phases I & II. Dr. Davide (seated

on a stone) listens to the lecturer

to support and guide him (Apo,

Argao, Cebu, 2000).

Dr. RG Davide visits the farmer-

scientists’ farms, no matter how

far from the barangay or town

proper, upland or in lowlands, to

check that their on-farm trials

(Phase II) are correctly done

(Barili, Cebu, 1997).

Alabel FSTP Phase 3 graduation on September 21, 2012 (photo taken by

Melecio J. Maghanoy).

SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT OF

FSTP ON FARMERS

Table 2. Summary of the partial results of the survey on the FSTP trained farmer-scientists in

some municipalities in Cebu City and Bayawan, Negros Oriental showing the effects

of the program on their annual income. Data taken October-November, 2005.

MUNICIPALITY CLASS NUMBER OF BARANGAYS

COVERED

NO. OF FARMER-

SCIENTISTS

SURVEYED

ANNUAL INCOME PERCENT INCREASE

(%)

BEFORE FSTP AFTER FSTP

Total Average Total Average

A. Cebu

1. Carcar 2nd 4 67 917,500 13,694 1,935,500 28,888 210.95

2. Argao 3rd 11 101 1,451,500 14,371.29 3,831,100 37,931.68 163.94

3. Tuburan 3rd 22 39 441,000 11,307.69 1,367,100 35,053.85 210.00

4. Dumanjug 4th 12 33 295,800 8,963.64 609,500 18,469.70 106.05

5. Sibonga 4th 8 29 243,400 8,393.10 500,100 17,704.55 105.44

6. Ronda 5th 7 22 170,733 7,760.59 389,500 17,704.55 128.13

7. Tabuelen 5th 8 18 250,500 13,916.67 492,500 27,361.11 96.61

B. Negros Oriental

1. Bayawan

City

- 7 23 268,500 11,676.91 625,899 27,213.00 133.05

TOTAL 79 332 4,039,265 9,751,199

PERCENT INCREASE 141.41%

Note: These data proved that FSTP can really liberate poor farmers from the bondage of poverty and live in prosperity.

MAJOR FINDINGS BY FARMER-SCIENTISTS FROM

THEIR EXPERIMENTS

� Chicken manure used at 50-100 grams per hill is the best organic

fertilizer for corn when applied at planting time, followed by urea

at 4-5 grams per hill 20-25 days later.

� Bio-N, a microbial fertilizer applied as seed treatment, can

substitute up to 50% of the nitrogen needs of corn plants. Its

combination with chicken manure can substitute the inorganic

fertilizers like urea and the complete fertilizer 14-14-14.

� Detasseling every three rows of corn plants but leaving the 4th row

not detasseled 45-50 days after planting can effectively control

the corn borer pests, resulting in increased yield, producing

bigger-sized ears and good crossbreed seeds. The cut-off young

tassels (flowers) are good feeds for cattle, goats and carabaos that

convert them into organic fertilizer.

� A number of open-pollinated corn varieties (OPVs) and hybrids have

been found to produce 4-6 tons per hectare compared to the 0.5-

1.0 ton per hectare from the local Tinigib variety. These are the IPB

Var 1, IPB Var 4, IPB Var 7, IPB 9204, IPB 911, USM Var 6, USM Var

10, CPX 3007, Obatampa, Pioneer hybrids, GSI-40 and others.

� Much higher yield and income can be generated from the sales of

surplus corn produced from the hybrids and open-pollinated

varieties than the local Tinigib variety.

� Milled corn grits of such varieties/hybrids as IPB Var 1, IPB Var 4,

IPB 9204, IPB 911, Obatampa, USM Var 10 and others were found to

have a taste and eating quality just as good or even better than the

local Tinigib variety, which the farmers commonly use.

MAJOR FINDINGS BY FARMER-SCIENTISTS

FROM THEIR EXPERIMENTS

MAJOR FINDINGS BY FARMER-SCIENTISTS

FROM THEIR EXPERIMENTS

� Botanical plants like neem, Chromolaena (hagonoy), citronella,

kogong-kogong (Ocinum) and others can effectively control the

corn weevils in storage.

� Intercropping corn with either sweet potato or mungo, peanut,

cassava and vegetables can increase farm production and

income.

THE FARMER-SCIENTISTS RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT

AND EXTENSION TRAINING PROGRAM FOR

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT: THE CEBU

EXPERIENCE IN CORN-BASED PRODUCTION SYSTEM

The Impact of the Program

Technical empowerment of poor farmers especially in

upland communities for socio-economic progress.

Improvement of corn, rice, vegetables, milk, and livestock

production through introduction of high-yielding crop

varieties/hybrids and improved breeds of animals. Corn

production has been increased from 0.50 ton/ha to 4.0-6.0

tons/ha.

Reduction in farmers’ cost of production by more than 50%

through introduction of newly developed microbial and organic

fertilizers like Bio-N and chicken manure.

Improvement of farmers’ income especially in corn from zero

before the training to P125,000 or more after the training. They

also obtained added income from sales of vegetables, cows’

milk and other farm products amounting to more than a hundred

thousand pesos per family per growing season.

Introduction of entrepreneurship program for the poor upland

farmers through formation of cooperatives and farmers’

associations.

Improvement of the quality of life and living standard of the poor

farmers in upland communities resulting from increased income -

construction of new houses using hollow blocks and GI sheets to replace

small nipa huts, purchase of refrigerators, TV sets, radios, motorcycles

and sending children to college.

Improvement of farmers’ leadership in their communities- many

trained farmers have become barangay captains and members of

barangay council who are actively involved in their community

development programs.

Enhancement of the research and extension capabilities of LGUs and

SCUs involved.

Prepared By:

ROMULO G. DAVIDE

Project Leader, FSTP

FARMERS’GUIDING FORMULA TO GET

RICH

KKAA (Farmer) + FSTP + Mercado = Pugos Ug Kadato

K – KOGI (Sipag, Hardwork)

K – KUSOG (Lakas, Strength)

A – ANTOS (Tiis, Sacrifice)

A – AMPO (Dasal, Prayer)

FSTP - Farmer-Scientists Training Program

MERCADO - Market (Palingke)

PUGOS UG KADATO - Forced to Become Rich

(Mapilitang Yumaman)

Formulated by: Dr. Romulo G. Davide

Professor Emeritus

College of Agriculture

University of the Philippines Los Baños

Farmer-scientist

Leonito Manzanades

poses at the back of his

old house before FSTP

(top)

and after FSTP (below).

Farmer-scientist Marciana Montanez of Apo, Argao,

Cebu poses with her house before FSTP (left) and

after FSTP (right).

Farmer-scientist Lucia

Baculta poses with her

new house and

multicab.

Below: She holds a

picture of her son when

he graduated from an

agriculture college

supported by increased

income from her FSTP-

improved productivity.

Farmer-scientist

Arlene Montejo and

her family from

upland Sudlon II,

Cebu City used to

live in their parents’

house but now have

their own home

(top) and delivery

truck (below) after

FSTP training.

FSTP NOW REACHES OUR

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN

MOUNTAINOUS COMMUNITIES

UNDER E.O. 710

A. Blaans of Alabel, Sarangani

B. Mangyans of Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro The typical homes of our indigenous Blaan tribe (top photo) in Sitio Moling,

Barangay Alegria, Alabel, Sarangani Province usually have layers of specially

matted coconut leaves for roofing and thin bamboo strips carefully woven into

nice designs as walling materials. Blaan farmer-scientist Ricardo Tangge (lower

photo), also from Alegria, Alabel, shows his healthy pigs that he raises in a pig pen

near his house (March 9, 2011).

Mr. Bok Ronald (front, right row) a

Blaan tribe farmer-scientist,

together with other Blaan farmer-

scientists welcomes Dr. Romulo

G. Davide (back, right row) and 2

FSTP staff to his mountain on-

farm corn trials in Barangay

Alegria, Alable, Sarangani

province for inspection. March

2011.

Dr. R.G. Davide holds a

meeting/dialogue with the

Alabel Farmer-scientists

Association led by its

President Mr. Jesus Lalisan

after the inspection/visit of

the corn-based on-farm trials

of the Blaan tribe farmer-

scientists. March 2011.Our indigenous Blaan farmer-scientists from Alabel, Sarangani Province in

Mindanao (wearing their FSTP shirt for graduation) arrange their big ears of yellow

and white corn and intercrops of camote, ubi & peanuts as ATI Director Alberto

Maningding (in red shirt), FSTP Program Leader Dr. Romulo G. Davide (white-

haired) and other guests view their exhibits during the Phase II graduation

program (Sept. 12, 2011).

Dr. R.G. Davide is

with a group of

Blaan farmer-

scientists who

shows him their

Phase III

experiments on

corn-mongo

production system

at Sitio Mongoleel,

Brgy. Alegria,

Alabel, Sarangani

Province (June 19,

2012).

This is a typical home in the mountains of Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro,

about 4-hr walk from the town, where our indigenous Mangyans enjoy a

life of contentment despite hardships and sacrifices. Our FSTP program

has recently started to introduce the community to better agriculture and

farming technologies to increase productivity and uplift their standard of

living (Jan. 20, 2011).

In good and bad weather a Mangyan couple’s kitchen in front of their home (upper

photo) serves them well where the wife cooks food while the pet dog enjoys

roaming unmindful of visitors from the lowlands. Bildo Ginya, the husband (lower

photo), is proud to let Dr. R.G. Davide taste their cooked meal of kadios and saba

banana (Jan. 20, 2011).

Yuto Idlaw, a Mangyan farmer-scientist (lower photo) inspects the growth of his

young corn plants in his on-farm trials while his non-farmer-scientist neighbors

curiously watch him. After about 35 days Yuto is elated (upper photo) to observe

the healthy growth of his corn plants and is convinced that the technology he

tested is adoptable to his farm.

The first Mangyan to graduate as farmer-scientist (Phase II) among the 8 Mangyans

who initially joined the FSTP Program in a batch of 50 non-Mangyan FSTP farmers,

Yuto Idlao (right, above & left, lower photos) proudly shows his co-graduates and

guests from right to left: Drs. Davide & Comia; Dir. Barientos, MAO Dr. Tria & SB

Chair Ayop of Mansalay , the big ears of yellow and white corn varieties he has

produced (May 23, 2012, Mansalay, Or. Mindoro).

RECOMMENDATIONS

For the FSTP trained farmers to be prosperous in their farm

business, they should be provided with:

1.Liberal credit facilities.

2.Good market outlet and market price for their farm products.

3.Adequate drying and storage facilities.

4.Passable farm-to-market roads.

For them, it is useless to grow more corn, rice, vegetables

and other crops when the market price for these products is not

good or profitable.

The government therefore, must respond to these needs,

especially the market need which is the most important key to

the success of a farm business.

Thank you!