Increasing pechay (Brassica rapa L. ssp. chinensis) production through suitable seedling establishment under two cultivation systems in the Southern Philippines

Othello  B. Capuno,; Abegail  B. Sentorias,; Adam  D. Goldwater,; Aiselyn  A. Sacro,; Dennis  B. Jomoc,; Eugenia  De Asis Lonzaga,; Gordon  Rogers,; Hubert  B. Dimabuyu,; Jessie  C. Rom,; Julie Carme  G. Estillore,; Nemisio Francisco  M. Napura,; Sandra  McDougall,; Zenaida  C. Gonzaga,; Ana Linda  G. Gorme,; Marina  A. Labonite,; J  Villanueva,

Increasing pechay (Brassica rapa L. ssp. chinensis) production through suitable seedling establishment under two cultivation systems in the Southern Philippines

Abstract:

Seedling management is very important in leafy vegetable with short period of growing as it covers almost half of the production period. Pechay is considered a high value and a highly demanded leaf vegetable in the Philippines. These studies were conducted to determine the best method of raising pechay seedlings including direct seeding, seed box and seedling tray under two cultivation systems in different provinces of southern Philippines namely Bohol, Leyte and Samar. The studies were conducted in each province and data were consolidated and combined. Protected cultivation slightly manifested benefits on survival, root characteristics and yield except in Bohol where 3 times fold yield of plants under protective structure than open field. There was better survival and yield of using seedling tray. The unfavorable method was seed box in Bohol and Leyte while direct seeding in Samar as evident by low survival and yield. Among the three provinces in southern Philippines, Leyte produced the highest yield of pechay per unit area. This suggests that no similar method of raising seedlings was effective in different parts of southern Philippines.

References:

Capuno OB, Gonzaga ZC, Loreto MB, Gerona RG, Borines LM, Tulin AB, Lusanta DC, Dimabuyu HB, Vega MLP, Mangmang JS & Rogers GS. 2015. Development of a cost- effective protected vegetable cropping system in the Philippines. Acta Horticulturae 1107:221-228, doi:10.17660/ActaHortic.2015.1107.30
Daly P and Tomkins B. 1995. Production and postharvest handling of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa var. pekinensis) (pp41). RIRDC 97/1
Himelick EB and Watson GW. 1990. Reduction of oak chlorosis with wood chip mulch treatments. Journal of Arboriculture 16:275-278
Gonzaga ZC, Capuno OB, Loreto MB, Gerona RG, Borines LM, Tulin AT, Mangmang JS, Lusanta DC, Dimabuyu HB & Rogers GS. 2013. Low-cost protected cultivation: Enhancing year-round production of high value vegetables in the Philippines. In Oakeshott J and Hall D (eds) Smallholder HOPES-horticulture, people and soil (pp298). ACIAR
Gonzales JA, Diputado JR MT & Briones ED. 1991. Effect of seedling production method and transplanting age on the field establishment, growth and yield of pechay (Brassica rapus var. chinensis). Philippine Journal of Crop Science 16(supplement1):57
Kalisz A and Cebula S. 2001. Direct plant covering and soil mulching in the Spring production of some chinese cabbage cultivars. Effect of temperature on premature bolting. Folia Horticulturae 13(1):13-22
Leskovar DI and Cantliffe DJ. 1993. Comparison of Plant Establishment Method, Transplant, or Direct Seeding on Growth and Yield of Bell Pepper. Journal of the American Society of Horticultural Science 118(1):17-22
Nesmith SD and Duval JR, 1998. Transplant Production and Performance: The effect of container size. HortTechnology 8(4):495-498. http://swfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/docs/pdf/veg-hort/transplant/trans_cs1.pdf.
Siemonsma JS and Piluek K. 1994. Plant resources of South-East Asia. No. 8: Vegetables. Bogor:Prosea