BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO
BAMBANG, Nueva Vizcaya (August 25)—The Department of Agriculture in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) has reminded farmers to “detop” of corn plants and “deleaf” of banana plants before a typhoon hits their crops.
According to Municipal Agriculturist Noel Baquiran Jr. of Tumaini town in Isabela province, more corn areas should have been damaged if farmers did not practice detopping in Barangay Sinippil just before Typhoon Florita hit their plants.
However, Baquiran warned farmers that detopping is best undertaken if grains are already in their full maturity and near harvest.
He explained that detopping is the process of removing the terminal portion from the uppermost node of a corn plant to prevent lodging during the occurrence of typhoons and strong winds.
On the other, Carol Albay, DA Region 2 coordinator of high-value crops development program, said that deleafing will also help mitigate damage to banana plants brought by strong typhoons.
Albay explained that deleafing or removing leaves will protect banana plants from falling caused by strong wind during typhoons.
“This was what the farmers in Peñablanca town in Cagayan province did to avoid the destruction of their banana plants from Typhoon Florita,” she said.
Albay led the monitoring of plantation areas hit by Typhoon Florita and saw still standing banana plants in Barangay Pentur despite the strong winds brought by the typhoon.
Residents in Peñablanca said it has been their practice to deleaf their plants before typhoons hit their banana plantation.
Meanwhile, the DA Region 2 said the estimated value of damages to crops and livestock in the region amounted to more than P1 billion.