A FATHER and son tandem of rice farmers in Naic, Cavite have recently found the use of mokusaku technology or wood vinegar beneficial as their harvests increased by at least five cavans of palay compared to their traditional style of farming.

Francisco Riman and his son, Joselito, tried the mokusaku technology on their separate one-hectare farms and they harvested 90 and 89 cavans, respectively, on their separate one-hectare farms.

On their separate half-a-hectare farms using traditional farming, they harvested 40 and 37 cavans of palay, respectively.

Farmer-scientist Danny Arnes, chairman of the Tres Cruces Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Farmers Association, said that the mokusaku technology could be applied not only in palay farms but even in vegetable gardens where it could help produce quality vegetables.

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) spearheaded the use of mokusaku on two separate one-hectare demonstration farms to encourage local farmers to apply the same technology in their farms and even in their backyard vegetable gardens.

Cavite provincial agrarian reform program officer James Arthur Dubongco said the project is being implemented under the P1.425-million Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Project (CRFPSP) of the province.

Dubongco said that P1 million of the fund is spent for the acquisition of a mini-rice mill, a mechanical rice transplanter, a moisture tester, three heavy duty brush/grasscutters, three semi-automatic knapsack sprayers and two wood vinegar chambers with three drums each chamber.

He added that P350,000 is set aside for agricultural extension providers and other farming supplies, while the remaining P75,000 is the counterpart fund of the participating agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organization.

Wood vinegar is a liquid produced from a composting mixture of wood, coconut shell, bamboo, grass, and other plants. It can be used as pesticide, insecticide, or soil conditioner.

Napatunayan ng isang mag-amang magsasaka ng palay sa Naic, Cavite ang bisa ng teknolohiyang mokusaku o ang tinatawag na “wood vinegar” nang tumaas ang kanilang ani nang hindi bababa sa limang sakong palay kumpara sa sinaka nila gamit ang karaniwang pamamaraan.

Sinubukan nina Francisco Riman at ang kanyang anak na si Joselito ang teknolohiyang mokusaku sa magkahiwalay nilang tig-isang ektaryang palayan at biniyayaan naman sila ng 90 at 89 kabang palay ayon sa pagkakasunod

Sa magkahiwalay ring tig-kalahating ektaryang palayan gamit ang tradisyunal na pamamaraan ng pagsasaka, hindi bababa sa limang kabang palay ang diperensya ng inaning palay ng mag-ama kung saan umani rin sila ng 40 at 37 kabang palay, ayon sa pagkakasunod.

Ayon kay Danny Arnes, magsasakang siyentista at pangulo ng Tres Cruces Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Farmers Association, ang teknolohiyang mokusaku ay maaaring gamitin hindi lamang sa palayan kundi maging sa mga gulayan kung saan makatutulong itong makapag-ani ng mas magandang kalidad ng gulay.

Isinulong ng Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) ang paggamit ng mokusaku sa dalawang magkahiwalay na tig-isang ektaryang demonstration farms upang kumbinsihin ang mga lokal na magsasaka sa lalawigan ng Cavite na subukan ang teknolohiyang ito sa kanilang palayan at maging sa kanilang gulayan.

Ayon kay Cavite provincial agrarian reform program officer James Arthur Dubongco, ang demonstration farms ay itinaguyod sa ilalim ng programa ng DAR na “Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Project” (CRFPSP) na pinaglaanan ng halagang P1.425 milyon.

Ang P1 milyon aniya ay inilaan para sa pamamahagi ng “Common Service Facilities” tulad ng mini-rice mill, mechanical rice transplanter, moisture tester, tatlong heavy duty brush/grass cutter, tatlong semi-automatic knapsack sprayers at dalawang wood vinegar chambers na may tig-tatlong drum bawat chamber.

Idinagdag pa niya na ang halagang P350,000 ay inilaan para sa agricultural extension provider at iba pang gamit at pangangailangan sa pagsasaka samantalang ang natitirang P75,000 ay ang ambag ng kasaling agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organization.

Ang wood vinegar ay likidong ginawa mula sa pinaghalong kahoy, bao ng niyog, kawayan, damo, at iba pang mga halaman. Maaari itong magamit bilang pestisidyo, pamatay insekto, o pataba ng lupa.