Plant and Livestock systems and Environmental Control Engineering 1

Activity 1

BAGUIWAN, JOVIE B.
BSABE-4A

1. Make a list of the most important food crops, both plant and animal, that are grown
in the Philippines.
List of Important Plant in the Philippines:
1. Rice (Oryza sativa) – It is the most important crop in the country. Rice ranks first in
importance for food security in all regions of the country. Rice is used in traditional food
preparations, native delicacies and production of traditional wine.

2. Maize (Zea mays) - In the Philippines chiefly supplements and substitutes for rice in
areas and periods of rice scarcity. Locally grown maize is used mainly for two purposes,
as animal feed and as human staple.

3. Coconut (Cocos nucifera) - The importance of coconut is primarily for economic reasons.
It is also important for food security in areas where it is chiefly grown (Southern Luzon,
Bicol region, Leyte, Davao) as source of cooking oil, beverage, confectionery, delicacies,
traditional food.

4. Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) - The primary importance of sugarcane is mainly

economic as one of the principal agricultural export of the country. It is also important in
the food security in areas where it is chiefly grown (Ilocos region, Southern Luzon,
Negros, Iloilo, Tarlac).

5. Banana (Musa acuminata, M. balbisiana and M. x paradisiaca) - It is the most important

fruit in the Filipino diet. Banana is important primarily in food security in all regions of
the country.

6. Manila hemp (Musa textilis) - are important for different reasons depending on use. The
primary importance of Manila hemp is economic, being the main source of livelihood in
areas where it is cultivated.
 7. Mango (Mangifera indica) - It is an important fruit in the Philippines because of its high
demand both in the local and foreign markets. Mango is used locally as fresh fruit, as
beverage in the form of puree and mango juice, and in bakery products.

List of important animals in the Philippines:

1. Philippine Eagle – The Philippine eagle is the national bird and the world’s tallest and
longest. Look for this bird on Mount Kitanglad. You can also see this bird on Mindanao,
Luzon, Leyte, and Samar islands.
2. Brahminy Kites – This large bird of prey resides in Bohol, Mindoro, Palawan, Cebu,
Marinduque, Guimaras, Leyte, Lubang, Sarangani, Masbate and Tawi-Tawi.
3. Dugong Sea Cow – See this sea mammal that can weigh up to 650 pounds around
Palawan Island.
4. Whale shark – The Philippines has the third densest population of whale sharks in the
world. You may be able to swim with them in the waters surrounding Leyte, Tubbataha,
Donsol, and Oslob islands.
5. Sardines – Snorkel with about 8 million sardines off the waters near Panagsama,
Moalboal, Philippines.
6. Tarsier – The candy-bar-sized tarsier, the second-smallest primate in the world, is found
in Corella, Bohol, Philippines. Look for this mammal that hunts at night high in trees.
7. Tokay gecko – If you hear something that sounds like you are winding an old-fashioned
alarm clock, look for a Tokay gecko nearby. This species is the second-largest species of
gecko, and you can spot it on Luzon Island.
8. Tamaraw – These small hooved mammals cherished by the Filipino people that live on
Mindoro.
9. Philippine crocodile – Head to Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park to see the Philippine
crocodile, which is the rarest crocodile in the world.

2. Make a list of the most important environmental effects of agriculture. Which of

them do you think could be avoided relatively easily, and which not?

1. Climate change - Agriculture is one of the major source of greenhouse gas emissions like
methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide which is directly linked to climate change. It
releases large quantities of carbon dioxide through the burning of biomass.

2. Pollution - To enhance agricultural production quantity and quality, several additives to

the soil are used in farming. The widely used are pesticides and fertilizers, which end up
as pollutants in water run-off from the soil. Pesticides and fertilizers application affect the
quality of air through the production of compounds like phosphorus, nitrate, and
ammonia.
 3. Soil degradation - Poor farming practices and extensive use of the farm are known to
cause a considerable decline in the quality of the soil. This leads to lessening of nutrients
in the soil.

4. Deforestation - Forests are cleared on large scale for farming resulting in many land
damages. According to British environmentalist Norman Myers, 54 percent deforestation
is due to slash-and-burn farming. With the removal of trees, the soil dries out as there is
no shade and there are no trees to assist in the water cycle by returning water vapor back
to the environment. With no trees, landscapes that were once forests can potentially
become barren deserts. The removal of trees also causes extreme fluctuations in
temperature.

3. Agricultural activities cause serious and widespread environmental damage in terms of

pollution and losses of natural habitat. Why do these damages seem to attract less attention
than those associated with forestry, oil and gas extraction, and other industrial activities?
Are agriculture-related damages being treated seriously enough?
- Much environmental damage is associated with agriculture, including pollution,
degraded land capability, and the destruction of natural habitats. Livestock are not treated well in
the industrial agro-food system, often being subjected to unnecessarily inhumane conditions
while being reared, transported, or slaughtered. Much of the damage associated with agriculture
can be avoided by using more organic means of production and processing. This is the major
environmental advantage of organic foods, along with a perception of health benefits by many
consumers. Although organic foods are usually somewhat more expensive to purchase, the price
differential is more than offset by the environmental benefits from improved stewardship of land,
the conservation of resources, and decreased pollution.

4. Select a crop plant or animal that is cultivated in the province where you live. Use the
website of your provincial agricultural department to find out the practices that are
recommended for growing the crop and what its production costs and economic value are.
- Swine Production
Balbalan, Kalinga farmers earned Php 405,113 from the 135 hogs produced under the Swine
Production Sub-project of the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural
Development (DA-SAAD) Program amid the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak.
In 2019, the SAAD Dao-angan Farmers Association with 51 members became a beneficiary of
the program, receiving Php 2,895,177.49 livelihood provisions on Integrated Root Crops and
Swine Production Project, and Integrated Root Crops and Duck Production worth Php 2,079,880
in 2020.
For swine production, each member received a package consisting of one head gilt, feeds good
for one cycle (from breeding to offspring production), and five heads of boars for the group.
Keeping the area ASF-free
Despite the ASF outbreak in 2019 to the present, 19 members of the group profited from the
project. The members earned a total of Php 405,113 from their 135 hogs.
SAAD Dao-angan FA Swine Production Income

The group kept their area ASF-free with the following measures:
 Compliance to the prohibition on entrance of swine and pork by-products from other
municipalities and nearby barangay units;
 Discouraging consumption of pork from other places;
 Providing proper animal food and vitamins; and
 Strict compliance to ASF prevention guidelines (biosecurity measures) provided by the
barangay’s task force.
5. Make a list of key agricultural practices (such as tillage, planting, fertilizer application,
and pest control), and compare how they are done in conventional and organic agriculture.
Based on your comparison, to what degree do you think organic agriculture causes fewer
environmental damages than conventional practices?
 Rice Farming
1. Right Seed Selection
2. Land Preparation and Water Management
3. Plant Health Management
4. Pest and Disease Management
5. Harvest at the right time
- organic farmers prepare the soil by using natural-based fertilizers, while a conventional farmer
will soak his seeds in fungicides and irrigate the soil with chemical-mixed water, the organic
farmer will depend on rain and stored rainwater during dry months. In organic farming, the seeds
will not be soaked in any chemical solution. Conventional farmers will use weedicide whereas
organic farmers will physically weed out the farm. All agricultural practices inevitably impact
the environment but Organic agriculture are perceived as having less deleterious effects than
conventional practices.