ATTENTION Filipino Rice Farmers! New Species of Pest Identified

Have you seen these bugs roaming around your rice field? Mind you! This could be the next 'rice black bug'! Even more, This pest can survive heavy dose of insecticide application for it is very minute and mobile.

This insect is called rice grain bug (Paromius longulus). This insect was found to be attacking the rice panicle from flowering up to milking stage. The results? Unfilled and discolored rice grains that reduces quality of harvest and subsequently, the quantity of yield.


The Department of Agriculculture urges Filipino farmers and farm technicians to closely monitor this new wave of insect pest.

How to Make Your Own Worm Compost System

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Vermicomposting, or worm composting, allows you to compost your food waste rapidly, while producing high quality compost soil and fertilizing liquid. Best of all, it's self-contained and nearly odorless.

Steps

1. Obtain a worm bin.
2. These can be purchased from many online vendors or your local gardening or farm supply store.
3. You can build your own. Use rubber storage totes, galvanized tubs, wood, or plastic.
   • 
     • Material: Rubber is cheap, easy to use and durable. Galvanized tubs are somewhat costly but will last forever. Wood will eventually be eaten, and plastic cracks easily, but either will do in a pinch. Some people prefer wooden compost worm bins because they may breathe better and absorb excess moisture[1], which can be hazardous to the worms. Just don't use chemically-treated wood, which may be dangerous to worms or leach harmful chemicals into your compost. 5-gallon plastic buckets now for sale by most hardware stores can be used - especially if you live in an apartment. Clean the big 5-gallon soap buckets thoroughly and let them sit for a day or so filled with clean water before using as a worm bin.
     • Ventilation: Your bin should be well-ventilated, with several 1/8 inch (3mm) holes 4 inches (100mm) from the bottom (otherwise the worms will stay at the bottom of the bin and you may drown your worms). For example, you can build a worm bin out of a large plastic tub with several dozen small holes drilled out on the bottom and sides. Untreated wooden bins are naturally ventilated because of structure of wood.[2]
     • Size: The larger you make the container, the more worms it can sustain. Estimate 1 pound (0.45kg) of worms (1,200) for every square foot of surface area. The maximum productive depth for your bin is 24 inches (61cm) deep because composting worms will not go further down than that.
     • Cover: The bin should have a cover to prevent light from getting in and to prevent the compost from drying out. Choose or make a lid that can be removed if your compost is too wet. Use a canvas tarp, doubled over and bungee-corded on, or kept in place with wood. Burlap sacks also work well, and can be watered directly.
   • Use 4 old car tires: To make a four-tire wormery, create a base from old bricks or flagstones (must be flat and with as few cracks as possible). Place a layer of heavy newspaper on top of the bricks. Stuff four old tires with newspapers. Pile the tires on top of each other, with the first tire on the Sunday newspaper. Put some scrunched up paper or cardboard in the bottom to soak up any excess liquid. Fill the entire wormery with organic material (semi-composted is best). Add the composting worms (tiger or brandling species are best). Use a piece of board weighed down with bricks as a lid. The lid must be big enough to stop rain getting in. Harvest a tire's worth of fertilizer roughly every 8 weeks (during warm months).
4. Prepare the box for worms. Fill your bin with thin strips of unbleached corrugated cardboard or shredded newspaper, straw, dry grass, or some similar material. This provides a source of fiber to the worms and keeps the bin well-ventilated. Sprinkle a handful of dirt on top, and thoroughly moisten. Allow the water to soak in for at least a day before adding worms. You can also use Canadian peat moss, which is more expensive but yields a loamier vermicompost.
5. Get worms. There are several varieties of worms that that are bred and sold commercially for vermicomposting; just digging up earthworms from your backyard is not recommended. The Internet or local gardening club is your best bet for finding a worm vendor near you. The worms most often used, Eisenia foetida (Red Wigglers), are about 4 inches long, mainly red along the body with a yellow tail. Another variety to consider are Eisenia hortensis, known as "European Night crawlers." They do not reproduce quite as fast as the red wigglers, but grow to be larger, eat coarser paper and cardboard better, and seem to be heartier. They are also better fishing worms when they do reach full size. However, with any non-native species, it is important not to allow them to reach the wild. Their voracious appetites and reproductive rates (especially among the red wigglers) have been known to upset the delicate balance of the hardwood forests by consuming the leaf litter too quickly. This event leaves too little leaf litter to slowly incubate the hard shelled nuts and leads to excessive erosion as well as negatively affecting the pH of the soil. So, do your best to keep them confined!
6. Maintain your bin. Keeping your bin elevated off the ground, using bricks, cinder blocks, or whatever is convenient will help speed composting and keep your worms happy. Worms are capable of escaping almost anything, but if you keep your worms fed and properly damp, they should not try to escape. A light in the same area will ensure your worms stay put. Sprinkle the surface with water every other day. Feed your worms vegetable scraps at least once a week.Feeding lightly and often will produce more worms (which is good when starting a new bin) and large amounts fed less often will fatten your worms (good for fishing). Add more cardboard, shredded newspaper, hay, or other fibrous material once a month, or as needed. Your worms will reduce everything in your bin quickly. You will start with a full bin of compost or paper/cardboard, and soon it will be half full.This is the time to add fibrous material.
7. Harvest the compost,using one of the following techniques.
   • Put on rubber gloves, and move any large un-composted vegetable matter to one side. Then, with your gloved hands, gently scoop a section of worms and compost mixture onto a brightly lit piece of newspaper or plastic wrap. Scrape off the compost in layers. Wait a while giving the worms time to burrow into the center of the mound. Eventually you will end up with a pile of compost next to a pile of worms. After harvesting, you should replace the bedding and then return the worms to the bin, do whatever you want with the compost, and repeat.
   • If you prefer a hands-off technique, simply push the contents of the bin all to one side and add fresh food, water, dirt, and bedding to the empty space. The worms will slowly migrate over on their own. This requires much more patience, of course.
   • The last technique is to use a separator.
     • Barrel separators are expensive and available on the internet.
     • You can also make your own shaker box.
8. Apply the harvested compost to plants, or use it to make worm castings tea.

Video

Inexpensive and simple system you can build for under 10 dollars in under 10 minutes!

Tips

• If you have two bins, it can be a bit easier to get at your compost. Fill one bin and start the next. When you want to get at the compost, move the uncomposted matter from bin one to bin two and use all the finished compost. Bin two, the now-active bin, becomes full and then bin one becomes the active bin again.
• Egg shells in your bin increase the calcium content of the compost you produce. Worms also seem to like to curl up in them. To be most effective, eggshells must be dried out and finely ground (with a mortar and pestle or a rolling pin) before their addition to a bin. Use raw eggshells, not cooked.
• You can throw your coffee grounds, unbleached filters, and used teabags (remember to remove the staple!) right in the bin.
• The smaller you chop up/crush the food, the faster the worms will eat it. (And the faster your bin will produce compost.) Although some home-scale worm keepers use blenders to puree food scraps, others believe vermiculture should be a low-carbon-footprint endeavor and thus use little or no electricity.
• If you would like to collect the water (liquid fertilizer) produced by watering your worms, place a tray under the compost bin. Otherwise, the ground under the bin will become terrifically fertile. An elevated bin (either on bricks, or a bin with built-in legs) sitting in a tray of water will also prevent ants and other unwanted critters from getting into the bin.
• Remember that a worm bin is a tiny ecosystem. Don't attempt to remove the other critters living in your worm bin, they are helpers. However, do remove centipedes: Centipedes are carnivores, and eat baby worms and worm eggs.
• Shredded paper junk mail, egg cartons, cereal boxes, and pizza boxes all make excellent bedding (avoid glossy paper). Always soak household paper waste bedding for at least 12 hours before adding it to the bin, and thoroughly squeeze out the water first. Don't shred junk mail envelopes unless you remove the plastic windows! Worms won't eat plastic, and picking hundreds of shredded plastic window panes out of otherwise beautiful compost is a vermiculturist's nightmare.
• Pre-composted cow manure is a great food for worms. Just be sure to bury it at least 3 inches deep. Look at the warnings before you start adding any type of manure.
• Green food increases nitrogen in your finished compost. Examples are: green grass, beet tops, carrot tops, philodendron leaves, fresh cut clover or alfalfa.
• Brown food increases carbon and phosphate in your finished product. Examples are: paper, cardboard, wood chips, leaves, bread. If adding fresh lawn grass, be certain chemicals have not been added to the lawn. Lawn chemicals are deadly to the ecosystem in the bin.
• A balanced diet makes for a healthy bin, healthy worms and a great finished product.
• Finely ground and moistened grains (flour, oatmeal, etc.) are eaten the fastest, followed by fruits, grass, leaves, cardboard, paperboard (cereal boxes), white paper, cotton products, and magazines (slick paper). Wood takes the longest (up to a year or more).
• Calcium carbonate works well to solve most problems. Be sure to use calcium carbonate (e.g., powdered limestone) and not quicklime (calcium oxide).

Warnings

• Do not feed your worms meat, dairy products, eggs, or oily foods.
• Go easy on the citrus rinds. You can add them, but remember that they're acidic. If possible, add only a little at a time with plenty of other matter.
• Don't allow your bin to dry out. If there are enough holes at the bottom, your worms are not likely to drown, but they will die without water.
• Some varieties of worms may be sensitive to the oils or pH of your skin. Internet forum posts by active vermicomposters indicate that handling their worms seems to not yield any negative effects.
• Extremes of temperatures are deadly for worms- about 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. Don't place a worm bin in direct sunlight or out in the cold. Sustained frosts will kill your worms. If this is an issue in your area, move outdoor bins into a garage or shed during winter. If bringing your worm bin indoors during the winter is not possible add a small heating pad as follows: push the matter away from one side, place the pad up against that side, then backfill onto the pad. Run the wire out to an extension, plug it in and leave the pad set on low - or medium in particularly cold weather. This will prevent freezing in winter.
• Don't allow your worm bin to heat up past 90 degrees. You will cook your worms -- something no one should smell.
• Large amounts of green feeds (grass, alfalfa, etc.) heat up quickly and should be added lightly.
• Fresh (uncomposted) cow manure contains harmful pathogens and should not be used. It will also heat the bin to deadly levels and kill your worms.
• Powdered limestone will create carbon dioxide in your bins and suffocate your worms if the bins are not well ventilated. Use sparingly only if absolutely necessary and stir your bin every few days following adding.

Related wikiHows

• How to Make a Worm Bed
• How to Build a Compost Bin
• How to Use Your Home Built Tumble Composter to Create Rich Compost
• How to Build a Tumbling Composter
• How to Find Inexpensive Mulch
• How to Look After Houseplants
• How to Create Urban Rainforests
• How to Make Worm Castings Tea
• How to Prevent Small Worms in Birdbaths
• How to Make Your Own Sink Disposal Deodorizer

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ http://vermontworms.com/red-wiggler-compost-worm-bin/
2. ↑ http://woodwormfarms.com/?en_manual,4

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make Your Own Worm Compost System. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Reduce Water Pollution

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Many people are unaware that a large part of the water pollution problem can be traced right back to their own backyards and homes. It's almost impossible for government agencies to minimize this type of pollution, but you can help solve the problem by following a few simple steps.

Steps

Conservation and Recycling

1. Conserve water. Turn off the tap when water isn't necessary and try to take shorter showers if possible. This not only helps prevent water shortages, but reduces the amount of contaminated water that needs treatment.
2. Don't throw litter into sinks and toilets. Paints, oils and other similar items should be disposed of in the trash.
3. Help clean up litter in water-filled areas. This includes beaches, lakes, oceans. Make sure it is safe to collect the litter and put it in a nearby dustbin.
4. Contain and compost yard waste. Yard waste that sits around can easily wash into storm drains when it rains. Even if the waste doesn't contain chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides, the introduction of large quantities of sticks, leaves, and grass clippings can overwhelm waterways with unhealthy quantities of nutrients.
   • Compost yard wastes. Your compost should be contained in a bin or barrel to prevent the materials from being washed away. Some municipalities provide these for free or at low cost.
   • Use a mulching mower instead of bagging grass clippings. Mulching mowers add a natural layer of compost to your lawn and you don't have to deal with disposal of grass clippings.
   • Dispose of yard and grass clippings properly. If you don't compost or have yard wastes that you can't compost, contact your local waste management or environmental protection agency to determine how to dispose them.

Tips

• If you are not sure whether something is hazardous, check with your local waste management or environmental protection department, or do some research online.
• Think about the big picture. You may think that a little oil leak on your car isn't a big deal. However, the oil from thousands or millions of cars with minor oil leaks adds up quickly and soon you're looking at a cumulative oil spill far worse than any oil tanker crash. You can't fix all the oil leaks in the world, but you can fix yours. Be part of the solution.
• Educate your family, friends, and neighbors about ways to reduce their contributions to pollution. If your community doesn't already have environmental education programs, pollution control regulations or a hazardous waste recycling facility, take the initiative on this.
• In many areas, agricultural runoff is a bigger pollution problem than urban runoff. If you're involved in agriculture, contact your local extension service or environmental protection agency to find out more about ways you can reduce your environmental impact.

Related wikiHows

• How to Reduce Stormwater Runoff at Your Home
• How to Save the Environment at Home

Sources and Citations

• Water Quality Stewardship Guide, Northern Va Soil & Water Conservation District
• Puget Sound Parnership (State of Washington)
• Earth911.org
• New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Reduce Water Pollution. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Plant Lettuce

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Planting lettuce from seed is something that can be both fun and a good excuse for you to get outside the house and enjoy the outdoors for a little while. While you will save time, money and gas by not having to drive to the grocery store to purchase lettuce, you will reap the ultimate benefit of fresh lettuce and the joy of consuming something that you have grown yourself. After all, lettuce is one of the most easy veggies to grow!

Steps

1. Gather the things you will need. See below.
2. Prepare the site. As a general rule, lettuce should be planted in sunny or partially shaded sites that are sheltered from the wind.
   • Loosen up the soil with a pitchfork or broad fork. Remove all weeds and large stones.
   • Use a rake to create a smooth, level planting surface by combing it and then tamping it gently with the head of the rake.
   • If you have very poor soil, you may wish to:
     • Add nutrients such as compost before planting.
     • Till the soil with a rototiller, a tractor tiller, or even with pigs!
     • Construct a raised planting bed to provide additional topsoil.
3. Create planting rows.
   
   • Pull a piece of strong string and tie it down with stakes at both ends to ensure a straight row.
   • Set a plank of wood next to your line, (this is optional, but creates a surface you can step on without compacting the soil; see "Tips" below). Using a hoe, cane or other handy tool, dig a narrow trench about 1 centimeter (0.4") deep. If you are planting more than one row, leave a 30 centimeter (1 foot) gap between each one.
4. Plant the seeds. Drop the seeds into the rows. Check your package to calculate how far away each plant should sit from its neighbor.
5. Cover the seeds. Using a hoe, gently cover the seeds with soil. Use the metal head of a rake or a hoe to lightly firm the soil by tamping above the planted seeds.
6. Water the seeds. If the soil is dry when you are planting the seeds, immediately water the seeds after planting. You should keep the soil moist, as moisture and heat are essential for germination.
7. Protect your plants. Cover the lettuce to protect your plants from cold winds and frost. Use a frame (such as metal hoops) to support a cloth, then pull the cloth tightly over the frames and pin it down with fabric staples or sand bags. Remove the cloth when the seeds germinate and the plants are visible through the soil.

Tips

• Lettuce likes to grow in cool weather and so will generally produce better if planted early. Lettuce can be planted as soon as the ground can be worked and any time after that until concern for fall frost becomes an issue. A lettuce that matures in 60 days can be planted 60 days before the first killing frost of the fall is anticipated. When it gets too hot, lettuce tends to "bolt", channeling all of its energy into producing new seeds, and turning the flavor bitter. If you're planting in a particularly warm area, look for heat-resistant varieties, such as Jericho lettuce. Because it does so well in the cold, if you like growing lettuce you may want to build a cold frame and grow it in the snowy months.
• Always step around the planting area, especially if you have a raised bed. Lettuce needs loose, aerated soil. Stepping on the planting area will compact the soil and make germination and growth less likely.
• You may wish to also label where you planted the lettuce, marking when it was planted as well.
• To enjoy a continuous supply of lettuce, plant a new set of rows each week.
• If you are planting over a hundred linear feet of lettuce at once, this method can be inefficient and hard on the back. On a larger scale, it may be worth investing in a commercial seeder that can accomplish all of these steps with less time and physical strain.
• For an interesting variation, mix several types and colors of lettuce seeds in a single package and sow in a continuous row. This will result in a homemade mix that can be cut as early as 4 weeks after planting for a tender and beautiful salad.
• Buy pelleted lettuce seed as it is easier to handle and plant.
• Try transplanting lettuce after starting it in flats.

Warnings

• Don't fall behind on weeding, or else you may get some unexpected greens in your salad.
• Always wash lettuce before eating it, especially if any chemical insecticides or fertilizers were used. It is better to avoid use of such products and instead to use diligence in weeding and removing insects by hand, and to use compost and manure as fertilizers. The soil will benefit from it, as will your health.

Things You'll Need

• Seeds
• A draw hoe
• A cane or something similar
• A plank of wood
• A frame and horticultural fleece
• A garden fork
• A metal rake
• Stakes and string
• A landscape rake
• Water
• Plant labels (optional)

Related wikiHows

• How to Wash Lettuce
• How to Clean Greens
• How to Shred Lettuce and Cabbage, Restaurant Style
• How to Make Your Lettuce Extra Crispy
• How to Select Great Tasting Celery and Lettuce
• How to Keep Lettuce and Salads Fresh for Weeks
• How to Grow a Tomato Plant
• How to Grow a TickleMe Plant
• How to Make Trellises for Beans
• How to Grow Lettuce Indoors

Sources and Citations

• VideoJug.com Original source of this information. Used with permission.

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Plant Lettuce. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license. googled77e2a73aaeb6bc3.html googled77e2a73aaeb6bc3.html

How to Make Fermented Plant Juice (Organic Fertilizer)

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Organic gardening is really fun because you can produce delicious veggies naturally right from your garden. The most common source of organic matter is compost. But there are times that you can't make your own compost and there are times when you don't have enough organic matter to fertilize your garden. There are liquid fertilizers available in garden stores. These can be a substitute to regular application of compost, but organic liquid fertilizer is quite expensive, especially if you have plenty of plants to fertilize. But don't worry! You can make your own liquid fertilizer without spending a lot of cash. This is the so-called Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ). It contains many nutrients that can be beneficial to all plants. So why spend for fertilizers, if you can make your own!?

Steps

1. Combine the raw materials (see Things You'll Need below) in a 1:1:1 ratio. Example: 1 kg. plant materials, 1 kg. brown sugar, 1 gallon water. This can be reduced, just remember the ratio.
2. Place the materials in a large water-proof container. Mix the materials together until the sugar is dissolved in water.
3. Cover the container with a piece of cloth and secure with a rubber band.
4. Place the container in a quiet, cool and shaded location (such as a garage). Make sure the container won't be disturbed.
5. Leave the container for about a week. Do not disturb or move it as much as possible.
   • A week later, you will notice molds growing on the surface. The liquid will have a sweet-sour smell. It may be disturbing but its worth it. It is a sign that beneficial bacteria has inhabited the liquid.
6. Mix the liquid thoroughly with a stick.
7. Strain the liquid into a large plastic bottle, using a strainer. Leave enough space for the bacteria to breath. The solid materials can be placed into the compost pile, if you have. Otherwise, throw it in the trash.
8. Put the bottle cap loosely on to allow air to enter.
9. Place the bottle in a dark, protected area such as a garage.
10. Application: Mix 1 cup of the liquid to 1 gallon of chemical-free water. It is best applied early in the morning or late afternoon. Use the diluted liquid to water the plants at their bases.
    • For most plants, apply the diluted FPJ at least once a week.

Tips

• FPJ can also be used to accelerate the decomposition of organic matter in a compost pile. If so, sprinkle undiluted FPJ on the compost. It also improves the nutrient content of the compost.
• If you want to make sure that the plants have a steady supply of nutrients, you can apply half strength (1/4 cup FPJ per gallon of water). This is applied everyday.
• Shake the FPJ at least once a week to bring air to the bacteria and to avoid settling of the organic matter.

Warnings

• The smell of the liquid is quite disturbing, especially when straining the solids.

Things You'll Need

Raw Materials:

• Plant parts of fast growing plants (legumes have plenty of Nitrogen)
• Brown Sugar/ Crude Sugar/ Molasses
• Chlorine-free water

Other Materials:

• A large plastic container, large enough to contain 1 gallon water(e.g. bucket)
• A piece of cloth
• Rubber Band
• Plastic Bottles w/ cap (1L soda bottles, gallon bottles, etc.)
• Strainer
• Funnel
• Measuring Cup (optional)

Related wikiHows

• How to Make Fertilizer from Banana Peels
• How to Buy Fertilizer
• How to Make Bio Fertilizer (Panchagavyam)
• How to Make a Worm Box and Liquid Fertilizer

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make Fermented Plant Juice (Organic Fertilizer). All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.