Strong typhoons. Rising sea levels. Massive floods. Prolonged heat waves. Worsening drought. These are some of the aftermath of climate change which impacts on agriculture.

Meanwhile, crop damage, reduced yields, threatened poultry, livestock and fishery are some of the climate change impacts which threaten the country’s food security.

To mitigate these climate change impacts, various measures can be done. The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) is doing its part in mitigating and adapting to climate change impacts. PHilMech designs, develops and extends technologies that are climate resilient.

The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) defined climate resilient technologies as those having “the ability to anticipate, prepare for and respond to hazardous events or disturbances related to climate”.

Through these interventions, PHilMech is helping reduce carbon footprints and prepare the country, especially the agri-fishery sectors, before disaster strikes. Better ready than sorry.

PHilMech has developed technologies resilient to climate change. These technological interventions lessen greenhouse gases that contribute to the deteriorating climate change.

PHilMech also promotes climate resilient rice technologies like the precision seeder, transplanter and combine harvester under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF). These rice machines help farmers cope and adapt to the climate change hazards.

Moreover, PHilMech is shifting to tier 3 engines for its RCEF machinery. This is part of its efforts to reduce the carbon footprints in the agriculture industry.

Technological interventions

When pesticides are made, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxides are produced. These greenhouse gases contribute to global warming. Through PHilMech’s intervention, an alternative control to synthetic pesticides has been introduced to the agriculture industry. This is PHilMech’s way of mitigating the worsening climate change.

Similarly, solar and biomass energy sources are now being tapped by PHilMech to power its technologies. Since renewable, these sources of energy have low carbon emissions that help to avert further climate change.

The biological control agents (BCA), multi-commodity solar tunnel dryer (MCSTD), greenhouse-type solar tunnel dryer (GSHD) with biomass furnace, high temperature storage of onions, shallow tube well and solar powered irrigation system as well as the utilization of wastes for fuel are among the climate resilient interventions of PHilMech. These technological interventions help farmers cope and adapt to the risks of climate change.

Biological control agents (BCA). One of the biological control agents used by PHilMech that control crop pests and diseases are microbials. Microbials refer to microorganisms that kill pathogens. Microbial agents (DGA02 and DGA14) are biological formulations developed by PHilMech to control crown rot in banana, mango anthracnose. BCA can be used as dipping solution before planting banana suckers to induce resistance against vascular disease. Also, BCA can be directly sprayed to the crown area of the fruit.

The BCAs specifically microbials are in consonance with the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and organic farming, both mitigating strategies to climate change.

Multi-commodity solar tunnel dryer (MCSTD). This technology dries various commodities like tomatoes, mushroom, basil, guyabano leaves, cassava, mango and so forth, using the heat of the sun as source of energy. Since it dries commodities efficiently and hygienically, it preserves the quality of dried products longer because of lesser microbial contamination. It protects the dried products from sudden rainfall, dusts, flies and other insects. The MCSTD also enables ready supply of processed foods even during lean months, thus helping farmers and entrepreneurs adapt to climate change risks and hazards like food unavailability and famine.

Greenhouse-type solar tunnel dryer (GHSD) with biomass furnace. This is one of the technologies of PHilMech that uses solar and biomass energy. These are abundant energy sources in tropical countries like the Philippines. This technology intervention aims to provide high quality, naturally dried food safe products. The GHSD thoroughly and evenly dries commodities like fermented cacao beans and coffee.

The GHSD has biomass furnace and axial fans that circulate the hot air inside the greenhouse. These are powered by solar panels that even without electricity, drying of commodities can proceed. Thus, drying delays can be avoided including contamination of the products and rejection in the market.

High temperature storage (HTS) of onions. This technology uses the existing condition of air under the plastic-covered structure to prolong the shelf life of bulb and multiplier onions. This low-cost storage system can be used for short-term storage (3-4 months) of bulb onion and/or a storage facility (up to 8 months) for multiplier onion intended as planting material.

With HTS, farmers will worry no more of the rooftop moisture on stored onion every morning or during cold weather since this moisture contributes to easy spoilage of the commodity.

Shallow tube well and solar-powered irrigation system (STW-SPIS). Water is very important in the growth and maintenance of crops. In areas where irrigation is a problem, shallow tube wells are used powered by gasoline or diesel small engines. However, fuel costs are high.

To cut on the high energy cost of gasoline and diesel, PHilMech developed a hybrid shallow tube well and solar-powered irrigation system. This is environment-friendly because it uses renewable energy and lessens greenhouse gas emissions from irrigated agriculture.

The STW-SPIS is applicable for high value crops like tomatoes and onions. It can also apply as water system for paddy “punlaan” or seed bed. This irrigation system, however, is not applicable for paddy production because the water output is not enough.

Based on the study conducted by PHilMech in 2020, the STW-SPIS has an average water discharge of 25-30 m³/day. The pump was used from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm in months of October to January. During dry season, February to May, the pump was used from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Utilization of wastes for fuel. PHilMech is converting wastes of commodities like cacao pod husks and mango peels into useful products like fuel in the form of cacao briquettes and mango pectin, a pharmaceutical or industrial product which can also be used as edible coating for mangoes to prolong mangoes’ shelf life. Left on the field, the commodity wastes decompose and generate methane, a greenhouse gas.

This intervention to recycle garbage into more useful product is an environment friendly intervention because burning these causes carbon dioxide emission whereas recycling the wastes into cacao briquettes lessens the use of fossil fuels like kerosene.

Moreover, recycling of wastes from mango peels increases farmers’ adaptation to climate change since this increases their income and productivity.

Promotion of climate resilient rice technologies

Under the Rice Tariffication Law (RA 11203), PHilMech is decreed to provide 5B worth of agricultural machinery every year from 2019 to 2024 to qualified farmer cooperatives and associations (FCAs) nationwide. Thus, PHilMech implements the Mechanization Program under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

Among the rice machinery distributed to qualified beneficiaries are climate resilient technologies that allow the farmers and their groups cope up with the aftermath of climate change. Efficient and reliable, these technologies allow the farmers to be ready before weather disturbances (e.g. incoming typhoon) or disasters strike.

Mechanical Rice Transplanter. PHilMech recommends the use of this rice machine because of its general features. It lessens the drudgery in planting paddy. It is an efficient technology allowing faster planting of paddy at minimum 80% planting efficiency. It is operated by one to two persons hence saving on labor cost and time.

Precision Seeder. This rice technology can be used in any soil condition (i.e. dry, soaked or incubated). It can plant 4 ha of land in a day with 60% planting efficiency. It has seed presser that cover seeds and prevent pests like birds, rats, etc. Its labor requirement is one to two persons. It is time and cost efficient.

Rice Combine Harvester (RCH). This mobile rice harvesting machine combines harvesting, threshing, cleaning and bagging in one operation. It saves on harvesting time since it can do the harvesting operation for up to 3 ha/day. The RCH also requires less labor and can ensure lower postharvest losses compared to manual harvesting.

Shift to tier 3 engines of rice machines

Engine, whether gasoline or diesel-powered, is one of the major contributors to greenhouse gases. Although engines provide energy source for the operation of agricultural machines like farm tractors and rice combine harvesters, these also emit pollutants that contribute to air pollution. Carbon oxides (CO and CO₂), hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and particulate matter (PM) are some of the environmental pollutants emitted.
Emission standards for engines vary.

Emission regulations for engines may include standard tiers 1 to 4. The higher the standard, the cleaner the air emitted.

To reduce pollutant emissions of engines used in agricultural machines, PHilMech is shifting to tier 3 engines specifically for farm tractors. The ultimate aim is to use tier 3 and 4 engines for other farm machines and contribute to the improvement of air quality in the farms.

According to a recent study conducted by PHilMech researcher, Engr. Edgar Flores, “upgrading from tier 2 to tier 3 engines could result in substantial reduction in emissions at 52.3% for NO_x; 64.5% for CO; 66.67% for PM and 65.34% for CO₂.”

How does PHilMech advance climate resilience? In various ways. The design and development of technological interventions, promotion of climate resilient technologies through the RCEF Mechanization Program and the shift to tier 3 engines for its agricultural machinery are a few of the measures being adopted by PHilMech. It is better to be ready with these interventions than be sorry, caught off guard, with the climate change aftermath.