Members:

Reyes, Mia Makaila M.

Main Idea: Farming Approaches in The Past

I. Farming Process

A. Land Preparation

1. Seedbed preparation

2. Plowing

3. Harrowing

4. Land levelling

B. Planting Preparation

1. Tending of seedlings

2. Pulling and bundling of seedlings

C. Planting/Transplanting

D. Maintaining Crops

1. Farm irrigation

2. Tending of irrigation canal

3. Tending of crops

3.1 Manual weeding

3.3 Spraying of organic insecticide

4. Picking of snails

E. Harvesting

1. Threshing

2. Hauling

F. Drying

II. Equipment

A. Animals

1. Carabao

2. Horse

3. White Elephant

B. Machinery

1. Tractors

1.1 Three Wheel Tractors

1.2 McCormick Thresher or Trilladora

1.3 Four Wheel Tractors

1.4 Land-Master Tractor

2. Floating Power Tiller

3. Hydro tiller

4. Stripper Rotor

5. Postharvest Machinery

6. Single-Cylinder Gasoline and Diesel Engine

7. Power Tiller

8. Rice Transplanter

C. Hand Tools or Methods

1. Hand Tractors

2. Manual Threshing Methods

III. Farming Conditions

A. Economic

1. Subsidies

2. Commodity price

2.1. Weather

2.2. Investor speculation

2.3. Expenses
 3. Immigration laws and labor

3.1. labor availability

3.2. labor laws

B. Climatic

1. Light

2. Water and rainfall

3. Temperature

4. Air

4.1. Oxygen

4.2. Carbon Dioxide

5. Relative Humidity

6. Air

6.1. Moderate wind

6.2. Strong wind

C. Physical/Environmental

1. Topography/Relief

1.1. till land

1.2. soil erosion

2. Climate

2.1. rainfall

2.2. temperature

3. Soil

3.1. Loamy soil with proper drainage

3.2. Poor texture soils with harsh chemical

Farming is an act of growing crops that can be used as materials or food. Farming

nowadays is easier compared before due to the existence of modern technologies. Farmers who

experience the traditional way have utilized the workforce due to the lack of machines and other

supplements needed for growing crops. The innovations that occur in agricultural practices today

was led by the farming approaches in the past.

One of their approaches shown in their farming process. According to Reyes and Cruz

(2020), during the preparation of the land, farmers need to perform seedbed preparation,

plowing, harrowing, and land levelling. Land preparation is essential for which it is one of the

main factors and activities that could affect the growth of the crops. The next step would be the

preparation needed for planting. Farmers need to tend the seedlings, and they also need to pull

and bundle those seedlings after tending it since it is essential for the actual planting of crops.

After that, planting or transplanting follows up. As the seedlings are growing, the farmers need to

maintain the crops by performing farm irrigation, tending of irrigation canal, tending of crops,

and picking of snails. Maintaining the crops is essential for the growth of the crops since like

other plants, insects or bug might damage them, also crops could die without receiving enough

water. Harvesting comes next as the crops are now fully developed. And finally, drying of crops

is done for the crops to be converted into rice with the help of rice milling.

Second will be seen in their equipment. The instrumentality utilized in farming was

modification via time thanks to the organization of the various countries. Before the organization

Philippine farmers used solely themselves, they do not use any animals or machinery to plant and
harvest the crops once the organization began, the initial country that colonize the Philippines

was the Spaniards they are the one UN agency introduced the only animal-drawn wood plow

with iron wedge and moldboard, carabao-drawn carts for agricultural used and equid calesas for

agricultural transport. Then the Americans came and their inventors created machine tractors that

were utilized in Mindanao to supply crops for maritime used and for export. The United States of

America mechanization technologies transferred to Philippines like the tractor-powered

stationary rice thresher - the "McCormick" thresher or "trilladora" was used throughout

American organization. Once the second war came Japanese colonies came to the Philippines

and they did not introduce any style of technology for farming like tractor. As a result, they

additionally used animals in their farming. Massive grain silos for storage are put in in Northern

and Central island however clad to be "white elephants" and later destroyed. Human and animal

farm power sources are predominant during this time. Agricultural mechanization and labor

productivity levels are low. Then, IRRI is established in 1960 at the University of the Philippines

School of Agriculture field, currently UP Los Baños (UPLB), the revolution starts; IRRI

develops IR8 or "miracle rice" in 1966. Hand tractors from Japan are introduced in the early

Nineteen Sixties. Land-master tractor from kingdom fits as workhorse for multiple cropping

project by IRRI. IRRI Agricultural Engineering Department beneath takes the little Farm

Machinery Development Program under USAID grant, the axial-flow thresher makes obsolete

the standard pedal drum and manual separation ways. The initial fuel crisis happens in 1973 and

another in 1979. In 1981-1990, IRRI-AED releases additional styles of tiny farm machines and

devices. UPLB-based RNAM actively conducts regional activities on agricultural machinery and

mechanization. SV Agro-industries in Iloilo develop floating power tiller IRRI-AED modifies it

into hydro tiller each style is adopted by farmers. Eventually, IRRI phases out the style and
development of rice production machinery and focuses instead on postharvest technologies

beginning in the late Nineties. PhilRice-Rice Engineering and Mechanization Division (REMD)

and therefore the Bureau of Postharvest analysis and Development (BPRE) sustain analysis,

development, and extension (RDE) activities of rice production and postharvest machinery. The

Philippines starts deliberate shifting from effortful and low labor-productive farm operation ways

to mechanized farming. The Philippines imports 200,000 single-cylinder gas and diesel engines

in 2013 alone largely from North American countries, China, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

Level of mechanization remains low with work animals still the predominant power supply for

little landholdings. Tiny landholdings of up to three have represented 88.4% of total farms in

2012. Power tillers are step by step substitution the Bubalus bubalis through increasing

convenience of custom rent services, however not as chop-chop as desired thanks to the high

costs of foreign engines. Foreign simple machine tractors, rice transplanted, and combines begin

obtaining widespread. Native manufacture of engines; development of renewable and

surroundings friendly farming technologies. RDE on technologies for land leveling and

exactitude agriculture, automation, and AI however to not neglect the classic styles for the

transition from ancient to high-tech agricultural mechanization.

Lastly, farming has its condition that greatly affect farming approaches. There are several

factors that affects farming such as economic factors, climatic factors and

physical/environmental factors. Under economic factors are subsidies that the government

provide for small time farmers, commodity prices which indicates the market price of the crops

that can be affected by the weather conditions, the speculations of the investor, and the expenses

such as fuels or fertilizers. Immigration laws and labors are also under economic, immigration
laws affect the number of laborers available and labor laws that dictates if subsistence farming

receive wages. Climatic factors also affect farming in various ways such as light which plays an

important role for the production of food for plants. Water and rainfall aid the growth and

development of plants. Temperature affects the growth of the plants. Air such as oxygen gives

energy for the growth and development processes and carbon dioxide for food production during

photosynthesis. Relative humidity influences the stomata of the plant which is responsible for

regulating water loss through photosynthesis and transpiration. Wind is responsible for

pollination, moderate winds allows gas exchange in plants while strong winds incur water loss

and topple the plants. Physical or Environmental factors could also affect farming. Topography

or relief could affect farming in different ways such as till lands that prepares the soil, soil

erosion degrades the quality of the soil in the area and poor transport networks and facilities

makes it hard for the import and export of the goods and the storage of the goods. Climate such

as rainfall or temperature affects the growth of the plants as per mentioned earlier. Soil also

affects the growth of the crops, loamy soil with proper drainage supports the growth of the plants

and provides adequate water and food for the plant. Poor texture soils with harsh chemicals

prevents the growth of the crops. There are many factors that affects farming but the factors

mentioned above are the factors that are common and beneficial for farming.

To conclude, farming approaches are manifested through the farming process, equipment,

and condition. It appears that farming approaches eventually change through time. With the

contribution of other countries changes in agriculture happened that led us into modernization.

Since rapid changes occur through the help of new technologies and continuous research, there

are still a lot of discoveries that yet to be discovered that could enhance our agriculture practices.
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