MS banana shows worth

MS banana shows worth

By ZAC B. SARIAN

MANILA, Philippines -- The Mama Sita banana, an introduced cultivar from Thailand, is showing some of its fine qualities in field trials as well as in actual small plantings of people who have planted some of the first available planting materials.

The latest report from Dr. Benito S. Vergara of Los Banos is that the MS bananas in a field trial at UPLB have withstood the strong winds of Typhoon Bebeng that hit the country recently. The two photos below show the contrast between MS banana and the other cultivars in the field trial.

The MS bananas are proudly standing with their fruits unscathed, except for the tattered leaves. On the other hand, the second photo shows the other cultivars in the field trial practically all of them toppled by the fury of Bebeng.

The field trial is being conducted by Dr. Augusto Molina and Laverne Gueco. Earlier, it was also observed that the MS banana was one of the few varieties that were not infected by disease.

Some of the local planters who have planted a couple of years ago, or less, are reporting to us their very encouraging observations. Dr. Rene Sumaoang who has a farm in Sta. Ignacia and in Tarlac City reports that his MS bananas are fruiting now after just one year of planting the suckers. He has also planted about 50 tissue-cultured MS banana earlier this year which, he said, are growing very fast.

Another early grower of this imported cultivar is Mrs. Soledad Agbayani of Console Farm in San Miguel, Bulacan. She has been harvesting big bunches of her crop which, she says, are big and very sweet. They are also producing a lot of suckers.

The MS banana has a stout trunk which makes it very sturdy and can’t be easily toppled by strong wind. It is recommended that before a typhoon arrives, some of the leaves have to be pruned.

AANI Mango Festival – Watch for the Mango Festival on May 21-22 at the AANI Weekend Market at the St. Vincent Seminary on Tandang Sora, Quezon City. There will be ripe mangoes available at very affordable prices. From the Console Farm alone, there will be at least two tons available. There will also be other attractions. Planting materials not only of mangoes but also other exotic fruits like Vietnam pummelo, variegated Valencia orange, rambutan and others will be available from Teresa Orchard & Nursery.

Aside from plants, there will be side attractions that include displays of turkeys, free-range chickens, native pigs and others. Dr. Eduardo Paningbatan and his hanging vegetables will also be there.

Smut in sugarcane – We just got the most recent annual report of the Philippine Sugar Research Institute (Philsurin) from which we learn that sugarcane smut has become one of the most destructive diseases plaguing the sugar industry in almost all regions producing the crop.

The disease is caused by a fungus named Ustilago Scitaminea Sydow. It now occurs in all mill districts in

Bananas toppled by Bebeng — These are some of the banana cultivars in the field trial of 9 imported and 9 local banana cultivars at UPLB. Unlike the MS banana in upper photo, these were toppled by Typhoon Bebeng when it hit Los Banos recently. Photos courtesy of Dr. Benito S. Vergara. By the way, MS banana produces big fruit bunches. The fruits may be eaten fresh ripe, boiled, fried, and can also be made into banana chips.the Philippines and can infect 50 to 70 percent of a standing crop, and yield reductions of up to 71 percent have been documented for even high-performing varieties in the Visayas and Mindanao. In the past, losses have been so extensive that a number of commercially grown varieties had to be discarded, according to the annual report.

Sugarcane smut is characterized by the growth of unbranched gray to black whip-like structures from the top of infected stalks. These whips are made up of both host and fungus tissue, and may emerge at any time when the infected sugarcane is from two to seven months old. The disease is easily spread by wind, infected cuttings, through the soil, and may be borne by insects, animals, people, machines and other objects.

More than just bananas in Tagum

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

January 31, 2011, 1:40pm

Bananas for export

If you happen to visit Tagum City in Davao del Norte and you ask what Hijo Plantation is all about, the people would readily answer: “Bananas.”

But that was when the 2,200 hectares were still intact.   Today, after the land was divided due to the government’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), only 760 hectares remain.  Although there are still bananas planted all over the area, the management has ventured into something more creative and in vogue with the time – leisure and travel.

Kim Atienza, in search of the mythical snake called “banakon,” was captured by its beauty. “(It’s) a place where you can meditate and relax,” the television host said.

Former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who had stayed in one of the rooms of Lanikai house, was equally captivated by its charm.  Television hunk Marc Nelson did kayaking at its beautiful Nabintad River. 

A 15-minute ride from the heart of Tagum City, the place is nestled along the coastline of barangay Madaum.  Here, you can talk with nature, breathe fresh air to your heart’s desire, and leave footprints on the sand. 

“We want people to experience the past and the present,” says Roberto C. Solitaria, the director for special projects.  “We have retained those from the past that can still be enjoyed today.  We have added amenities that would make the visit more memorable.”

The first stopover should be Lanikai, an airy two-storey house designed in plantation-style elegance.  It sits near the beach and is surrounded by tall spreading trees.  The place is so quiet that you can only hear the breeze and the sound of the waves. If you’re wondering what Lanikai is, it is a Hawaiian word for “heaven by the sea.”

Jojie Alcantara, Sun Star Davao columnist who has visited the place several times, rhapsodized: “(It) has a setting that I can only describe as old worldly and homey in atmosphere. It’s like I went home to the house of my grandparents for a vacation.”

“It is the world’s only beach inside a banana plantation,” says John Irene P. del Campo, who toured us during our recent visit.  Aside from its 4.5-kilometer coastline, it also has a playground for children and a beautiful place called The Spot, where visitors and guests can go fishing. 

There are also water activities like kayaking, banana boat riding, beach volleyball, and water trampoline.  On land, you can walk under the coconut trees, read thought-provoking books or listen to your favorite songs.  You can also do biking and horseback riding. “We have everything for everyone: adults, teenagers, and children,” Del Campo points out. 

For those who want to stay for the night, Banana Beach has several casitas. One or two mattresses are provided along with a mosquito net for protection.  If you want privacy, there are wooden blinds that can be unrolled.

 Not far from the beach is the 60-hectare second-growth forest.  “This is one of the remaining forests in Tagum City or even the entire province of Davao del Norte,” Del Campo says. The forest is home to herons, egrets and other birds.  Monkeys and wild pigs abound.  One way of enjoying the forest is through its Twilight Safari, which starts at 6:00 p.m. and ends at 9 p.m.   Guests stay at the edge of the forest and wait for the animals to come out and forage.

 Its newest forest attraction is the elevated walk or e-walk.  Actually, it is a series of several hanging bridges. Each hanging bridge is about 22-25 meters.  From the ground, the elevation is about 15 feet.  While walking on top of the e-walk, you can see various forms of organisms and plants.  If you’re lucky, you can see various species of birds.  

Another unique tour the management offers is the mangrove forest tour at Nabintad River, about 3.5 kilometers long.  “Our mangroves, which are about 40 hectares, are just but few of the remaining patches in the country.  In Palawan, you will see mangroves in their full glory.  In Mati, Davao Oriental, you will see several hectares of wetlands planted to mangroves.  But ours is unique.  Some people call it as virgin mangrove forest,” Del Campo says.

There is also an orchard tour, which is seasonal as it is dependent on the fruiting season.   During the tour, guests can harvest their own fruits or enjoy a quiet picnic at Hijo’s private orchard.  Fruit trees at the orchard include durian, mangosteen, pomelo, bananas, and other popular fruits.

Not to be missed is the banana plantation tour, where you can see how Cavendish bananas are prepared for export to various parts of the world.   Actually, the tour is an overview of the field, research and port operations of the Hijo plantation.  At the packing house, you can see how Cavendish bananas are prepared for export.

The different stages of the banana plant’s growth can be seen at the Research Center where you can view the tissue culture laboratory.  The tour ends at the Hijo Port where visitors can see the final leg of the banana production and export process.  At a drop of 13 meters, Hijo is the deepest port in Davao Gulf.

Hijo Plantation has a very colorful history.  When Americans came, they bought the land and planted it to abaca for export.   This was in the 1920s.  Forty years later, the land was sold to Jose “Boy” Tuason, who planted it with bananas.  In 1969, Tuason made the first banana shipment to Japan.

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