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Full research on the production and physicochemical assessment of specialty flour derived from mango ( Mangifera indica L.) peel wastes
No full textIn the Philippines, the substantial waste from agro-industrial activities, particularly from mango processing, presents environmental challenges due to disposal methods (eg. landfilling, crop scattering, incineration, and open dumping), leading to contaminati on and greenhouse gas emissions. To address these issues, this study investigated the potential of mango peel waste as a sustainable dietary fiber source through enzymatic modification to enhance its functional properties. This study utilized two variants of pectinase of different purity levels to treat mango peel flour and assess the effects on its hydration-related properties. The resulting solid pectinase-treated mango peel flour (SPMPF) demonstrated a reduced crude pectin content (1445 g/100g). water-hol ding capacity (2.64 mL/g), and moisture content (5.08 g/100g). It also exhibited a lower swelling capacity (4.33 mL/g), while attaining a higher oil-holding capacity (1.55 mL/g) and a moderate bulk density (0.625 g/mL), compared to its liquid pectinase-treated (LPMPF) and untreated counterpats. Conversely, LPMPF showed less crude pectin (2,047 g/1 00g), water-hol ding capacity (2.85 mLg), moisture content (6. 16 g/100g), and Swelling capacity (4.47 mLg,) yet an increased oil-holding capacity (1.42 mL/g) and bulk density (0.645 g/mL) elative to the untreated flour. The findings suggest that both solid and liquid pectinase treatments can significantly improve the functional qualities of mango peel flour for applications in food formulations and as a functional dietary fiber with health-promoting potentials
A case study of Filipinos living with hearing assistive devices
No full textHearing assistive devices such as hearing aids are crucial to the lives of individuals who experience hearing loss. In the Philippines, despite the increasing number of individuals who sufer from hearing loss, there is still a limited amount of research that has been done on it. This study aims to explore the effects of hearing loss to the lives of individuals experiencing it, the acceptance and use of hearing aids, and the benefits and challenges in using the assistive device. The researchers used a Theoretical Framework, composed of the Self-Determination Theory, Theory of Planned Behavior, and Medical Theory of Disability, as a basis to construct interview questions. The experiences of four hearing aid users with ages ranging from 25-50 were gathered through a semi-structured interview and analyzed through Thematic Analysis. With this, four emergent themes that answer the objectives were identified namely: emotional detachment, sense of belonging/unbelonging, social integration, and socioeconomic constraints. These findings highlight the struggles of individuals with hearing loss in keeping up with their respective settings at school, in the workplace, or in public places. This can lead to the development of negative feelings affecting self-confidence. These feelings and the realizations that come after serve as intrinsic motivation for the use of hearing aids. Meanwhile, the norms on being a responsible member of society serve as extrinsic motivation. Aside from the use of hearing assistive devices, individuals with hearing loss also utilize other communication methods including lipreading and captioning. As a non-apparent disability and the lack of awareness regarding this, hearing loss makes communication a challenge as it can lead to discrimination at worst cases. Other than that, the cost and access to assistive devices and audiological services hinder the use of hearing aids as well because of the lack of laws that benefit individuals with hearing loss
Ubiquitous mycorrhiza: friendly partner in ecological restoration and ecosystem sustainability
No full textThree ecosystems: Eucalyptus urophylla-Shorea contorta mix (ECO-1), La Mesa Dam Watershed (ECO-2), and P-fertilized E. globolus stand (ECO-3) were prepared to quantify functions of mycorrhiza in restoring degraded forest lands in the Philippines and sustaining plantations in Western Australia.. Rooted cuttings of S. contorta (RCSC) were either inoculated (with fumigated and unfumigated soil from Makiling and Subic dipterocarps forests) or uninoculated, following RCBD experiment. RCSC were interplanted in ECO-1 and monitored growth, survival and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) dynamics in 6-18 months after outplanting. In ECO-2, emergence of indigenous wildlings under five plantations was evaluated in terms of endomycorrhizal association. In the last study, superphosphate (P0=0, P1=100, P2=1000 kg ha-1) was applied in ECO-3 to assess effects in below (ECMF hyphal biomass, root production, nutrient turnover) and above-ground (tree, litter, ECMF diversity and production, nutrient accumulation) biomass.
Inoculated RCSC in ECO-1 were taller by 40-46% with biomass 2-3x higher than uninfected control before outplanting. Soil inoculation increased RCSC height by 26-46% after 18 months of outplanting. ECM root colonization improved RCSC survival by 33-48% relative to control. This developed 7 and 11 root morphotypes in E. urophylla and RCSC, respectively. ECM roots were short, monopodial, thickened by fungal mantle, and contained Hartig net in epidermal cell walls. ECM diversity consisted of 4 genera (Scleroderma, Thelephora, Cortinarius, Boletellis) and 8 species, with biomass (gm-2) in the order: Co (5.3+8.9) \u3c fumigated (45.8 + 10.5 \u3c unfumigated (70.9 + 0.2). In ECO-2, the emergence of 57 indigenous species of wildlings could be linked to endomycorrhizal (4 genera and 18 species) fungi (21-198 spores 100g dry soil-1) that infect 42-95% of fine roots. In ECO-3, the number of taxa and abundance were unaffected by P application; however, biomass production was reduced by 26-40% after 12 months. By comparison, P addition decreased hyphal growth by 17-36% with root biomass (kg ha-1) of: P0 (118.9) \u3c P1 (181.9) \u3c P2 (122.0). P supplement increased accumulation in Lacccaria was significantly higher in Scleroderma and Pisolithus by 35% (N), 76% (P), 54% (K), and 75% (Cu).
Overall, mycorrhizal association contributes about 45% to growth and survival of cuttings. Their presence suggests potential in diversifying indigenous flora for watershed. Mycorrhizal function in nutrient cycling is sensitive to high inorganic P application that limits sustainability of plantation. Restoration of dipterocarp forests should consider nursery inoculation of best ECM strains to assure greater success. Role of endomycorrhiza in maintaining biodiversity in watershed needs further studies. P application should weigh the consequences in mycorrhizal activities to sustain nutrient cycling in plantation ecosystem. The national forest management of terrestrial ecosystems should incorporate underground ecosystem in biodiversity assessment and carbon sequestration studies
Environmental Attitudes of Local Government Scholars in Tiaong, Quezon, Philippines
No full textThis study aimed to analyze the environmental attitudes of local government scholars in Tiaong, Quezon, Philippines. The quantitative research design was used to determine the level of environmental attitudes using the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) Scale. It was also utilized to examine the relationship between environmental attitudes and independent variables which include demographic characteristics such as age, gender, and economic status, academic background such as student classification, scholastic standing, scholarship privileges, and membership in student and/or youth organizations, and experience with ecological extremes. A total of 301 respondents participated in an online survey administered through Google Forms ®. The respondents generally demonstrated a strong disposition towards positive environmental attitudes, as indicated by an aggregate NEP score of 49.54. Notably, the study revealed significant associations between environmental attitudes and distinct factors, including economic status (p = 0.014), student classification (p = 0.006), scholastic standing (p = 0.000), and membership in student and/or youth organizations (p = 0.005). Consequently, the null hypothesis postulating an absence of significant relationships between environmental attitudes and the independent variables was refuted. As a pioneer study on environmental attitudes in Tiaong, Quezon, Philippines, this research provided partial baseline data on the environmental attitudes of its local government scholars. It is imperative that a more comprehensive research study on environmental attitudes be conducted to include non-scholars and tertiary students from private schools acros
Supply and Demand Analysis for Chicken Eggs in the Philippines 2002-2022
No full textChicken eggs are one of the most important agricultural commodities in the Philippines. Ninety two percent of the gross supply in the country is allocated for the total net food disposable or for human consumption in unprocessed form. Chicken eggs are consumed mainly due to their nutrient contents, especially protein. The protein intake recommendation for an adult weighing 60 kg is 72 g of protein. It takes approximately 11 pieces of medium eggs to satisfy this recommended daily intake of protein. Phenomenal increases in the prices of chicken eggs in the recent years were observed. This is mainly attributed to the shifting of hog raisers to layer production in 2020 due to the outbreak of the African Swine Fever. This caused an oversupply of eggs in the country in 2021. In 2023, even with the oversupply, it was reported that demand declined due to the increase in the price of rice. However, retailers were still setting their price high to avoid losses. This prompted the researcher to analyze the supply and demand for chicken eggs in the Philippines from 2002 to 2022. The specific objectives were to (1) analyze the trends in chicken egg production, prices, and consumption, (2) describe the production practices for chicken eggs to identify the production inputs, (3) analyze the supply response to significant factors, (4) analyze the demand for chicken eggs, and (5) formulate policy recommendations. The study utilized data from Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) OpenSTAT and Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES), and Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the supply response and demand for chicken eggs. Results on the supply response analysis with the log-linear model showed that the lagged volume of production of chicken eggs as well as the lagged agricultural wage rate are the statistically significant variables of the supply in the model. The lagged volume of production positively affects the current supply while the lagged agricultural wage rate has an inverse effect to the current supply. Additionally, the elasticities of the variables were both less than one which indicates that supply is not very responsive to the changes in these factors. On the other hand, the demand analysis showed that consumption of chicken eggs in the aggregate national level is very responsive to the changes in the retail price of rice, pork, and beef. Chicken eggs are also considered as a normal and necessity good. On the analysis in each income classification, it was revealed that chicken eggs are considered a normal and necessity good in low-income households but are considered inferior goods in middle- and high-income households. The study recommends continuing incentivizing the egg-layer raisers and promoting the consumption of the commodity by highlighting the nutritional benefits and its nature of being a cheaper alternative for protein. Furthermore, policies on price regulations can consider the estimated elasticities since a slight change on the prices of related commodities can greatly affect the demand for chicken eggs
UPLB CEM Students\u27 Willingness to Pay for Compostable Mailer used in Online Clothing Purchases
No full textThis study explores the willingness to pay (WTP) of students from the College of Economics and Management (CEM) at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) for compostable mailers used in online clothing purchases. With the rise of e- commerce, the environmental impact of packaging has become a pressing concern. The primary objective is to assess the WTP for compostable mailers and identify influencing factors, including online shopping behavior and awareness of compostable mailers.
Using the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) with a Single Bounded Dichotomous Choice (SBDC) approach, data was collected from 176 students. Results show that despite limited awareness of compostable mailer benefits, most respondents are willing to pay extra for them. Environmental concern positively influences WTP, while bid amounts negatively impact WTP.
The study concludes that increasing awareness about compostable mailers could enhance their adoption. Additionally, the current market prices for compostable mailers are generally affordable for the surveyed population, indicating a potential for increased demand for eco-friendly packaging. Future research should consider refining bid amounts, expanding sample sizes, and including a broader range of products to provide a more comprehensive understanding of sustainable packaging preferences
Analysis on the Productivity, Profitability, and Potential Adoption of Carrageenan Plant Growth Promoter in Rice Production of Pulilan, Bulacan, 2023
No full textCarrageenan is a carbohydrate in the form of polysaccharides obtained from red algae. It is commonly used for food products, medicine, pharmaceutics, cosmetics, and industrial purposes. From 2013 to 2017, carrageenan had been tested for agriculture use. The carrageenan that is used in agriculture is irradiated which has a smaller molecular weight for easier absorption of crops. Field trials and profitability analysis studies were previously conducted in the provinces of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Laguna, and Iloilo, and proved that the use of irradiated carrageenan in rice production can increase both the production output and profit of farmers. These studies were done when carrageenan as a plant growth promoter was not yet commercialized, and the price was still tentative. Carrageenan plant growth promoter (CPGP) was only commercialized in 2019. The mentioned studies did not reflect the actual farm practices of the farmers as well as its profitability. Hence, this study aimed to determine the current farm practices of rice farmers while using CPGP, the productivity of these practices, and its profitability given its current price.
Pulilan, Bulacan was one of the participant municipalities in the field trials and profitability analysis of irradiated carrageenan. The municipality generated notable results from these studies. Furthermore, the local government of Pulilan provided CPGP subsidy to rice farmers. While previous studies have shown the benefits of CPGP in productivity and profitability, there was still no information whether farmers only use the product because of the subsidy. Thus, this study aimed to determine the potential adoption of CPGP and the factors affecting it. For this study, adoption referred to the willingness of the farmers to use and purchase CPGP at their own expense given prevailing price.
Ninety-seven farmers from Pulilan, Bulacan were interviewed for their production input and output data during the dry season of 2023 from the months of November to April. Forty-nine of the respondents used CPGP while 48 did not. The results of the study showed that CPGP users apply more production inputs, except seeds and rodenticide, than the non- users. This result was contrary to the previous study where fertilizer use decreased afterusing CPGP. Furthermore, the respondents only applied 5.76 liters of CPGP per hectare (ha) which was lower than the recommended rate of nine liters per ha. On the other hand, using t-test for independent samples, the rice yield of CPGP users was significantly higher than that of the non-users by 1.2 metric tons (MT) per ha with the use of CPGP, along with increased use of nitrogen in fertilizer and insecticide. Moreover, gross margin or profit of the CPGP users was significantly higher by PhP15,000 per ha compared to that of the non- users. Another factor for the profitability of the CPGP users was the higher paddy price, aside from the higher rice yield. Lastly, using probit regression analysis, the identified significant factors affecting farmers’ adoption of CPGP are CPGP cost, ease of application, and farm size. The greater the difficulty of applying CPGP, the lower chances of adoption. Meanwhile, farmers with large farms were more likely to adopt than farmers with small farms. This study suggested that farmers take advantage of the CPGP subsidy program to gain benefits in productivity and profitability. Furthermore, it was recommended that the local government of Pulilan, the Department of Agriculture, as well as the suppliers of CPGP target large farms as their main market
An Analysis on the Business Performance, Challenges, and Prospects of Animal Feed Retailing Microenterprises in NCR
No full textAnimal feeds are any edible materials, raw or processed, provided to domesticated animals, and are derived from plant- and animal-based ingredients by carefully selecting and blending these ingredients to provide nutritional diets for the health of the animals (Loosli, n.d.). These feeds cater to livestock such as poultry, hogs, and ruminants, as well as household pets like cats, dogs, birds, and fish. The Philippine Animal Feeds Industry is seeing rapid growth growing, driven by a rising population but reliant on imports to meet local demand (6WResearch, 2022). The global animal feed market size was estimated to be at US $570.72 billion in 2022, and the industry revenue of manufacture of animal feeds in the Philippines was valued at USD 2.54 billion in that same year. The Philippine animal feed market size is also expected to be large, as other parts of Asia, excluding Japan, India, Russia, and China, produce 114 million metric (9.6%) tons out of the 1,245 million metric tons in 2022. With this Animal Feed Enterprises (AFEs) are businesses involved in producing, reselling, or distributing animal feeds. In the National Capital Region, many AFEs focus on poultry feeds, often selling complementary products like animal vitamins and supplies.
Next, business performance is assessed using various quantitative and qualitative metrics to help businesses achieve goals, satisfy stakeholders, and improve operations. However, there are business performance indicators of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises that can be applicable for all, including for Animal Feed Retailing Microenterprises such as good managerial skills, stable line of products, and efficient marketing. Thus, this study analyzed the business performance of respondent shops in the four key functional areas of business --- marketing, operations, human resources, and finance. Understanding their operations can help enhance their contribution to economic development. These AFEs retail various feeds, vitamins, and equipment for livestock animals and household pets.
Moreover, the objectives of the study aimed to determine the demographic profile of the owners/managers and the business profile of their shops. As all shops have less than ten employees, these are all considered microenterprises. Another objective was to discuss practices and strategies in the four functional areas, to assess the status and business performance, to analyze their problems and opportunities, and to develop recommendations. This research gap of the paper is the lack of literature specific to the Animal Feed Retailing Industry, and so this paper provided new information on the industry. The area of the study is in the National Capital Region and included only retailing enterprises, not those producing or manufacturing animal feeds. An exploratory qualitative research design was used, collecting qualitative data on their practices and strategies. Using purposive and snowball sampling, respondents were selected based on specific characteristics as well as referrals. The data results were analyzed through descriptive analysis and thematic analysis to identify common patterns of answers.
Results showed no prevailing gender among owners/managers, most of whom are over 40, married, with a family size of at least three, and living in the same city as their shop. All work full-time in their business, and most have a bachelor\u27s degree. The respondents hailed from cities of NCR in the Philippines. All are registered sole proprietorships, mostly family businesses, with many continuously operating for four years already. The organizational structures were found to be simple, with separate owners and managers overseeing employees like helpers and cashiers.
In terms of the practices and strategies under the four functional areas, the dominant operational practices include shops being open for at least eight hours, almost seven days a week, with no other branches, a manual inventory management practicing FIFO and EOQ, and direct procurement from suppliers. Feed sources are local, either from the same city, other cities of NCR, or nearby provinces. The average inventory in stock and peak inventory level is 775 kg of feeds, with shop locations chosen for high foot traffic areas. Products sold include livestock feeds and pet food, animal vitamins, and respective equipment and supplies. The marketing strategies mainly rely on word-of-mouth, referrals, and physical store sales, with discounts and giveaways as promotions. Procurement and selling prices are similar across shops, with customers primarily buying pet food and poultry feeds, and fewer buying hog and bird feeds. The two main customers of the shops include backyard farm owners and pet owners.
In human resources, the shops mostly have one or two employees who each receive monthly salaries of Php 8,000, and who are usually trustworthy and efficient helpers. They also receive additional compensation and benefits like free food and water. In terms of finances, the average starting capital of the microenterprises is around Php 125,000, sourced mainly from personal savings, while there are some who loaned from banks. Monthly expenses average Php 68,000, with rent included. Average daily sales among all microenterprises are Php 8,700, and target monthly sales is around Php 192,000.
Relatively few issues were noted in the three functional areas of marketing, human resources, and operations. Marketing issues included low sales of certain feed brands and expired products. In operations, miscommunication with suppliers, sometimes low-quality feeds purchased, and old facilities. Human resources challenges included employee incompetency within the workplace and miscommunication between customers, employees, and the shop owner and/or mangers. In addition, financial issues included low sales on certain weekdays which were common for all shops, and a few with debts. Most aimed to maintain their current operations in both the short and the long-term, though some want to have more employees, remove poorly selling products, introduce new ones, or open new branches.
The recommendations addressed the issues and challenges faced by Animal Feed Retailing Microenterprises. Marketing strategies included market penetration by selling more feeds in more areas of their respective cities. To do this, they can use more social media platforms for selling, adding new feed brands, and other promotional methods. Improvements in the operational aspect include stricter feed quality checks, employee involvement in decision-making, and in general, implementing Kaizen or continuous improvement. Human resources improvements involve employee retention strategies like more competitive compensation to make the job more enticing, training, and feedback. Employees could be also trained to offer alternative products to customers. Financial strategies include setting attainable sales targets, retrenchment strategies, and concisely analyzing opportunity costs. These recommendations apply to all the shops facing issues in any functional area. There are also recommendations for opportunities that Animal Feed Retailing Microenterprises with no issues in the four functional areas can get such as government programs, offering all possible promotional methods that could be adopted, among others
The Mutual Effects of Pinching and Promalin® on Root Architecture in Two Boxwood Species
No full textBoxwoods are constantly pinched to shape and form hedges, and Promalin® application is used to boost their shoot yield. Having good root development is crucial for the healthy development of plants; however, the effects of such applications on plant root development have generally been ignored in previous studies. Hence, this study evaluated the effects of applications on the root growth of two boxwood species (Buxus sempervirens L. and Buxus balearica Lam.) during the summer dormancy period. Pinching and Promalin® (0, 1 000, 2 000, and 4 000 ppm) were applied to one-year-old seedlings at three different times. Results showed that pinching had a negative effect on root development in both species and both years. Root development was lower in pinched plants than in control plants, which were not pinched. Promalin® at 2 000 ppm was found to be the most effective application on the root parameter. Root development was also higher in the second year than in the first year, depending on temperature, humidity, and the duration of sunshine. It is recommended to apply 2 000 ppm of Promalin® and not prune B. sempervirens. However, if pinching is to be performed, application of Promalin® will be useful to improve root development. For B. balearica, applying pinching and Promalin® together will help increase root development depending on the application time (in periods when the temperature is high)
Development of a Disc Blade Cutting System for Sesame Harvesting: Determination of Operating Criteria and Energy Requirements
Get PDFThis study aimed to explore the use of rotary disc blades in cutting, since the mowing units used in sesame harvesting contain many parts, require frequent lubrication, and have vibration problems. An experimental setup with a disc blade working on a cut-mowing system based from harvesting methods of sesame plants was designed and fabricated. The most suitable cutting criteria which are blade edge types (30°-30°, 30°-Flat, 45°-45°, 45°-Flat) and disc blade diameters (150, 180, and 210 mm) were determined for shearing and disc cutting action. The lowest cutting energy was consumed by the disc blade with a 30°-wedge angle at all stem thicknesses and by the disc blade with a diameter of 180 mm for large stem thicknesses. In all pairs of edge, as the disc diameter increased, the energy spent for cutting the stems decreased. There was a significant difference between the two methods in terms of energy consumption only when cutting stems with a diameter of 10 mm. These results show that disc cutting can be recommended as a method for sesame harvesting