Abiotic factors: Its relationship on the yield of mango (Mangifera indica L.) with science and technology interventions

This study evaluated the implementation of the Alternative Learning System (ALS) and the 21st-century life skills of Region XII senior high schools with an end view of proposing a contextualized policy recommendation. The study was conducted in the Department of Education across the region, specifically in Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato, General Santos City, and Sarangani Province. It sought to answer problems on learning resources materials, learning environment, learning assessment, distance learning modalities, flexible learning programs, partnership with stakeholders, and learning facilities, and the 21st-century life skills focused on the information, media, and technology skills, learning and innovation skills, communication skills, and life and career skills of senior high school. This research employed the explanatory sequential mixed methods design, delving into implementing the Alternative Learning System (ALS). An in-depth interview was employed to explore the study's qualitative aspects and unveil the perceptions of the selected senior high school teachers. Results showed that the level of implementation and level of effectiveness in 21st-century life skills of the Alternative Learning System (ALS) was rated High by SHS teachers. There was a significant positive relationship between these variables, which means that high implementation would significantly affect the effectiveness of the 21st-century life skills of ALS. The results of the quantitative and qualitative data served as a basis for crafting the policy guidelines on specialization, hiring, deployment, promotions, and benefits of ALS teachers must be implemented. Results also revealed that financial or government subsidies to ALS learners to support their learning needs must be available, and the partnership of industry partners and possible work opportunities must be strengthened.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0777/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

This study was conducted to determine challenges in Halal goat production in SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII). This region is one of the major producers of Halal goats in the country. Twelve (12) municipalities/cities: North Cotabato- Pigcawayan, Aleosan, Carmen and Kabacan; Sultan Kudarat-Columbio, Pres. Quirino, Tacurong, Isulan; South Cotabato- Tantangan, Tupi, Polomolok; and General Santos City) were the sampling sites. Purposive sampling was used in the survey. A total of 131 respondents were interviewed using a questionnaire. Based on the results of the interview, ten (10) challenges have been enumerated by the respondents. It includes disease, lack of vet services, shortage of land, inadequate pasture, predators, theft, poor breeds, no fences, shortage of water and labor intensive. Among these challenges, disease was the most common (65%) followed by lack of vet services (8%) and shortage of land, inadequate pasture and the presence of predators (5%). Common goat diseases encountered by the respondents include diarrhea (57%), cold (13%), cough (11%), bloat (8%) and parasitic infection (7%). Assessment of challenges in Halal goat raising provides necessary information to government institutions in order to formulate possible intervention and proper coordination between agricultural technicians and goat raisers.

T he study aimed to evaluate the factors influencing children involved in legal conflicts in the SOCCSKSARGEN region. The local government of SOCCSKSARGEN is adopting various strategies to address the problem of Children in Conflict with the Law (CICLs) in South Cotabato, Cotabato Province, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City. One of the procedures entails establishing the Bahay Pag-asa, a rehabilitation center for children in conflict with the law (CICLs) and at-risk youth. The study participants were of juveniles involved in criminal activities residing at St. Marcelline in General Santos City. These children were placed in the institution to redirect their focus and provide them with a safe haven while their case is being decided. This study employed a quantitative-descriptive design. This study employed the survey approach to gather information about the demographic profile and factors influencing youth involved in criminal activities, such as family relationships, peer influence, and external environmental factors. The conclusions drawn are based on the collected data. 1. Children in Conflict with the Law were of various ages, ranging from 9 to 21 years old, at the time of committing the crime. 2. The majority of these children were influenced by their family dynamics, which led them to engage in criminal activities. 3. The objective is to facilitate the reintegration of children in conflict with the law into society after their case is resolved. The aforementioned programs and services encompassed residential care services, including caring, healing, life skills intervention program, and teaching, as well as a juvenile justice program, technical skills program, and independent living program. This study examines the impact of several influences in the community on youngsters involved in criminal activities. Additionally, it might be inferred that the societal standards in their previous place of residence had ingrained a certain psychological impact on them, causing their sense of wrongdoing to be hindered.

The study focused on the labor standards enforcement program and code of ethics practices among the labor inspectors of the Department of Labor and Employment in Region 12. The study utilized primary data through one-on-one interviews coming from the Labor Inspectors of the Department of Labor and Employment Region 12, specifically in areas of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato, Sarangani, General Santos City, Regional Office, and TSI. A total of twenty-two participants, which are Region 12 Labor Inspectors, answered the qualitative questionnaire, with the data gathered to be analyzed through thematic analysis. The results show that the Labor Standard Enforcement Program under the Department of Labor and Employment is an effective program and tool in the enforcement of Labor Standards laws, statutes, and orders through Proper Implementation and actual Inspection; however, they have an insufficient workforce. In terms of Labor Inspectors’ performance, they adhere to norms and conduct, yet they also commit violations. Lastly, the norms of conduct that are commonly ignored by the Labor Inspectors are they become biased, receive gifts in exchange for a favor, and they are more into “sarili muna” than “bayan muna”.

The study aimed to find the best-fit structural model to describe the mathematics performance of freshmen secondary education students majoring in mathematics concerning psychological, physiological, and psychosocial factors. Psychological factors were measured in terms of self-efficacy and attitudes toward mathematics, while physiological factors were assessed about nutritional status, and wellness and well-being. Psychosocial factors were measured in terms of math anxiety and math interest. A questionnaire was administered to 312 randomly selected mathematics teacher education students who have experienced struggles in their board examination performance. These students came from various higher education institutions in the Davao and the SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City) regions. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were established through factor analysis and an internal reliability test, respectively. The findings indicate that students exhibit strong performance in mathematics, possess moderate levels of psychological and psychosocial competencies, and maintain relatively healthy physiological statuses. Additionally, the results reveal a structural model depicting students’ mathematics performance with psychological, physiological, and psychosocial factors, which can explain 78% of the data considered in the study. Higher educational institutions may enhance support for students’ psychological and psychosocial skills and integrate health and wellness programs to boost their physiological status, given its impact on academic performance. Further research is encouraged to explore additional factors affecting academic success, aiming to develop a more comprehensive understanding of influences on students’ performance.

Baise city is one of the largest producers of mangoes, with this agricultural industry located in the karst region of Southwest China. However, calcium-rich and alkaline soils, severe soil fragmentation, and poor water and fertilizer retention capacity contribute to low mango yields and are key issues that limit the development of the mango industry in karst areas. Our study objectives were to identify the soil factors that limit mango growth and yield in the karst region of Southwest China, and to determine how these growth- and production-limiting conditions vary between landscape positions. This study analyzed the differences in soil nutrient and element contents in mango leaves, and used a Random Forest algorithm to calculate the eigenvalues of the mango leaf and soil elemental indices in the different geomorphic parts (slopes, transition zone, passes, high-yielding depressions, and low-yielding depressions) of the karst peak-cluster depressions. The key factors affecting the mango leaves and soil were screened based on the diagnostic results and the eigenvalues. The results showed that for the elemental contents of Fe, Mg, Ca, and Mn in the mango leaves in the different geomorphic parts of the karst, the peak-cluster depressions were generally deficient and varied significantly. The contents of available B (AB), soil organic matter (SOM), pH, total nitrogen, available Fe, available Mn, alkaline hydrolysis nitrogen, exchangeable Ca (Caex), exchangeable Mg, and other indices in the soils differed significantly, and AB, available Zn, and available K (AK) showed low or very low content levels. In addition, the key soil factors limiting mango yield in the karst areas were AB, fulvic acid, SOM, Fe, Mn, Caex, soil water, and AK; and the key mango leaf factors were Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn, and Mg. Consequently, the characteristics of soil water content, pH, and soil organic matter may be the main drivers affecting the differences in the mango yield and the elemental characteristics. These findings suggest that the addition of organic fertilizer could improve the quality and yield of mangoes in karst areas.

The experiment was conducted at the Fruit Research Station, Sakkarbaug, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, over two years, 2021-22 and 2022-23. The experiment followed a Randomized Block Design with Factorial concept (FRBD), consisting of 18 treatment combinations, each with three replications. The treatments included three nitrogen levels N1 (500 g/tree), N2 (750 g/tree), N3 (1000 g/tree), two phosphorus levels P1 (100 g/tree), P2 (150 g/tree) and three potassium levels K1 (500 g/tree), K2 (750 g/tree), K3 (1000 g/tree). The experimental results indicated that significantly highest plant growth, including plant height (0.27 m), plant spread on east-west (0.27 m) and north south (0.32 m), and number of panicles (236.97), was observed in pooled result under the application of nitrogen N3 (1000 g/tree), In terms of yield attributes, the treatment N3 (1000 g /tree) recorded the highest fruit set at pea stage (12.93) and marble stages (3.06), with maximum number of fruit per tree (165.19), fruit yield per tree (40.50 kg) and fruit yield (7.26 t/ha) in pooled result. Regarding phosphorus levels, the application of phosphorus P2 (150 g/tree) significantly influenced various growth, yield and quality parameters and resulted in the highest number of panicles per plant (236.39), length of panicle (26.47 cm) along with an increased number of fruits per tree (164.94) and highest fruit yield per tree (40.43 kg). In potash treatments, K2 (750 g/tree) significantly influenced various growth and yield parameters like maximum number of panicle per plant (237.53), highest length of panicle (26.53 cm) and highest fruit yield per tree (39.68 kg/tree). On the basis of two years studies and results obtained from the present investigation bring the conclusion that growth, yield and quality parameters of mango were influenced by different levels of N, P and K. It seems quite logical to conclude that fertilizer application of 1000 g/tree nitrogen, 150 g/tree phosphorus and 750 g/tree potash has been found optimum fertilizer dose which improved growth and yield with higher net realization in mango cv. Kesar.

Savary, S., Fabellar, N., Tiongco, E. R., and Teng, P. S. 1993. A characterization of rice tungro epidemics in The Philippines from historical survey data. Plant Dis. 77:376-382. We used historical survey data to compare patterns of rice tungro epidemics in two endemic areas and one nonendemic area in The Philippines. Four categorized variables-planting date, cropping season, vector population, and proportion of viruliferous vectors-were tested for their ability to characterize the variation in tungro incidence. Correspondence analyses indicated that high tungro incidence was associated with intermediate planting dates, whereas absence of tungro was associated with very early or very late planting dates. In the two endemic areas (North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat, Mindanao; data from nine cropping seasons), increasingly higher tungro incidence was associated with increasing vector population and proportion of viruliferous vectors, but the relationships among the three variables differed in the two areas. In Sultan Kudarat, a high proportion of viruliferous vectors compensated for a moderate vector population size to produce high tungro incidence. In the nonendemic area (Central Luzon, 16 cropping seasons), moderate to high tungro incidence was associated with the presence of viruliferous vectors and moderate to very large vector populations. Further analysis indicated that epidemic years in Central Luzon are primarily associated with the occurrence of viruliferous vectors, with the size of the vector population playing a secondary role only. The analyses suggest that tungro outbreaks are more responsive to inoculum (represented by viruliferous vectors), when present, in the nonendemic area (Central Luzon) than in the endemic areas (North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat). Additional keywords: categorical data, endemicity J

The Philippines is targeting malaria elimination by 2020. To reach this goal, it is important to locate all residual foci of malaria and where possible, aggressively diagnose and treat every malaria infection. In low endemic provinces malaria transmission becomes focal in hard-to-reach areas where asymptomatic people do not actively seek treatment and thus, continue to perpetuate transmission. This study aimed (a) to estimate prevalence of Plasmodium species in three malaria-endemic provinces in Mindanao, (b) to measure malaria transmission intensity in these provinces using antibody markers of exposure to P. falciparum and P. vivax AMA-1 and MSP-119 antigens, (c) to determine polymorphisms in pfcrt, pfmdr1 and pvmdr1 genes, and (d) to discuss implications of these findings to malaria elimination in Mindanao. Cross-sectional surveys were conducted to a total of 2,628 consenting participants across all ages in the provinces of Sarangani, South Cotabato and Tawi-Tawi from 2010 to 2013. The RDT FalciVax™ was used for field diagnosis of malaria in Sarangani Province and South Cotabato Province for P. falciparum and P. vivax infection while microscopy was used in Tawi-Tawi Province for field diagnosis of malaria. Finger-prick blood spots on filter paper were collected from participants for PCR diagnosis, genotyping of pfcrt, pfmdr1 and pvmdr1 genes, and screening antibodies to P. falciparum and P. vivax AMA-1 and MSP-119 antigens using indirect ELISA. Blood spots were also collected from patients presenting with malaria symptoms from selected municipalities of Sarangani Province and South Cotabato Province as a pilot survey. Overall malaria prevalence by PCR was 3.7% in Sarangani Province, 10% in South Cotabato Province and 4.2% in Tawi-Tawi Province. P. falciparum prevalence by PCR was higher than P. vivax prevalence in Sarangani Province and Tawi-Tawi Province but the opposite was found in South Cotabato Province. There was one imported case of P. malariae in South Cotabato and there were no P. knowlesi and P. ovale infections found in the three provinces surveyed. There were disagreements in diagnosing P. falciparum and P. vivax using antigen detection, microscopy and PCR and these were attributed to sampling low parasite-density infections from small volume of peripheral blood spotted on filter paper. The pfcrt codons 72-76 haplotypes CVMNK (27.4%), CVIET (59.7%) and SVMNT (9.7%) were described in 62 P. falciparum isolates from Mindanao. The pfcrt mutant A144T and L160Y alleles were not found among P. falciparum isolates with pfcrt K76T mutant allele but lacked the pfcrt A220S mutation. The pfmdr1 86N- 184F-1034S-1042N-1246D haplotype, which was repeatedly associated with higher parasite survival following artemether-lumefantrine treatment, was found in seven P. falciparum isolates from Mindanao. Genotyped P. vivax isolates from Mindanao have the wild type pvmdr1 91N allele, which corresponded to pfmdr1 codon 86. The pvmdr1 Y976F mutant allele, which has been reported in chloroquine-resistant P. vivax in other countries, was found in 55.6% (5/9) P. vivax isolates successfully genotyped in this codon while the pvmdr1 1076L wild-type allele was found in three P. vivax isolates successfully genotyped in this codon. Combined seroprevalence to P. falciparum and P. vivax AMA-1 and MSP-119 antigens suggested that exposure to P. falciparum was higher than exposure to P. vivax in Sarangani Province and Tawi-Tawi Province. Overall seroprevalence to P. falciparum and P. vivax was 18.9% and 14.6% in Sarangani Province respectively. In Tawi-Tawi Province the overall seroprevalence to P. falciparum and P. vivax was 18.2% and 12.9% respectively. The opposite was observed in South Cotabato Province where overall seroprevalence to P. falciparum (3.4%) was lower than the overall seroprevalence to P. vivax. The seroconversion rates (λ) for P. falciparum and P. vivax malaria were estimated using simple reversible catalytic models. In Sarangani Province the SCR for P. falciparum (0.014, 95%CI 0.010-0.020) was lower than SCR for P. vivax (0.019, 95% CI 0.010-0.036). A model allowing two forces of infection was used to estimate SCR for P. falciparum in Tawi-Tawi. Results suggested that there was a change in P. falciparum transmission in Tawi-Tawi Province approximately 25 years before the survey was conducted. The estimated SCR for P. falciparum was 0.041 (95% CI 0.017-0.098) in Tawi-Tawi Province before 1987. The model suggested that SCR was reduced to 0.007 (95% CI 0.005-0.009) after 1987 to the time of survey. In South Cotabato the SCR for P. falciparum was very low (0.004, 95% CI 0.001-0.016). There was no SCR estimated for P. vivax in South Cotabato because seropositivity was equally distributed across age groups. Findings in this study were held back by sample size and low-density parasite infections in small number of infected humans. Nevertheless, this provided important baseline data for malaria epidemiology in Mindanao.

The fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 (Foc TR4) causing Fusarium wilt in banana is becoming a threat in the banana industry worldwide. It causes serious epidemics in some areas of Mindanao, Philippines, both in Cavendish and local varieties. Molecular detection of TR4 and phenotypic analysis of Foc isolates through vegetative compatibility grouping (VCG) test was done to determine Foc diversity in South-Central Mindanao, Philippines. Out of 75 representative isolates, 25 were Foc TR4 based on molecular detection. Twenty-two Foc TR4 were confirmed as VCG 01213/16 in VCG test with three isolates undetermined as they were not included in the analysis. The identified Foc TR4 isolates were collected from North Cotabato (9), South Cotabato (7), Saranggani (3), Davao del Sur (2) and General Santos City (4), isolated from Lakatan (12), Cavendish (11) and Latundan (2) varieties. This result indicates the rapid spread of the devastating pathogen in banana production areas of the above provinces both in backyard and plantation areas. Mitigating measures such as public awareness and implementation of integrated disease management are necessary to prevent further disease spread. Moreover, 14 isolates were identified as Genotype 8 and three were Genotype 9 from Latundan variety. Two isolates were placed under unknown VCG 1, and five under unknown VCG II which might represent novel Foc VCGs since members of each group were cross compatible but not compatible with any known VCGs tested. In addition, 13 isolates did not pair with known VCGs tested or with each other. Pathogenicity testing should be made to determine whether or not the above isolates are pathogenic or non-pathogenic endophytes which are also commonly found within Musa spp.

Due to the cost and complexity in the measurement of Free Space Optical (FSO) visibility, this paper presents regression models based on meteorological factors to reliably estimate atmospheric visibility. The meteorological factors used are relative humidity, temperature, fractional sunshine, atmospheric pressure and wind speed for Cape Town, South Africa. Initially, Simple Linear Regression (SLR) models are developed and presented. To improve the performance of the regression, the SLR model is extended to a Multiple Linear Regression model (MLR) where three of the meteorological factors are taken into consideration simultaneously. It was found that by implementing MLR, the model performance improves considerably. However, it was also found that the model had effects of multicollinearity due to some of the predictor variables being highly correlated. To mitigate the effects of multicollinearity, two approaches are proposed, 1) removing the problematic terms from the regression model and 2) introducing interaction terms. Both approaches are seen to have little impact on the overall performance of the MLR model while the estimated model coefficients are significant at 5% significant level. In general, it is found through application of standard statistical tests that both SLR and MLR models can be used adequately to determine visibility at a location.

A study was conducted to evaluate yield performance of mango (Mangifera indica L.) genotypes in the Lake Victoria Crescent zone. The experiment was superimposed on a seven-year-old mango field with 36 genotypes laid out in a randomized complete block design, replicated thrice. Mango fruit set, fruit drop and yield were significantly (P < 0.05) differently among years and genotypes. The highest fruit set was recorded in 2015 and the lowest in 2014. Among genotypes, the maximum and minimum fruit set were observed in Koona and Pinero, respectively. The highest fruit drop was observed in Heidi followed by Keitt and MP1 genotypes. The highest yield of 59.6 kg/tree/year was recorded in Kate while Kensington pride genotype yielded least (3.5 kg/tree/year). In this study variation in mango yield was mainly due to varietal differences. The findings will aid in selecting mango genotype suitable for production in Lake Victoria Crescent agro-ecological zone.

An ethnomedicinal study was conducted to document the medicinal plants used, the manner of preparation and application in the treatment of ailments and the consensus in the use of medicinal plants to treat various ailments among four (4) indigenous people's groups, the Obo in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, T'boli in Maitum, Sarangani Province, and Blaan and Tagakaolo in General Santos City. The ethnobotanical interview was conducted using open-ended semi-structured questionnaires among identified traditional healers and elders as well as the household in the community. A total of 136 plants species, mostly herbs (47%), have been recorded with the corresponding conditions or illnesses in which they are believed to exert a therapeutic effect. Plant parts utilized for traditional medicine of the 4 IP groups include leaves (38%), roots (25%) and bark/stem (16%). Decoction (54%) and direct consumption (27%) applied via oral route are the common traditional medicine preparation. The IP communities in the SOCSARGEN Region have a rich pharmacopeia of traditional medicinal plants that persist through time despite the availability and convenience offered by modern medicine.&#x0D; Read full article here.

This study evaluated into how the Indigenous Peoples' Education (IPEd) Program was used in several SOCSARGEN-affiliated schools in General Santos City, Sarangani Province, and South Cotabato. The study utilized quantitative methodologies and a descriptive-correlational research approach to find out how widely the IPEd program has been implemented and whether it is linked to government policies, school practices, and overall performance. Many people in the neighborhood use the IPEd program, which demonstrates that they are highly committed to teaching everyone in a way that respects their culture, as the results reveal. Schools that are known for having good operating processes usually educate indigenous methods of knowing and doing things. Still, they said that things like making plans and working together with other agencies need to become better. It is also crucial to note that the research did not find a link between IPEd's efficacy and academic success. This shows that implementation doesn't have much of an influence on performance, even when it goes well. The study recommends that planning based on data should be better, school leaders should have more training, and people should be able to provide feedback on a regular basis.

The advantages of the rain cover cultivation over open field were evaluated in order to explore the mango efficient cultivation mode in the coastal rainy region of South China. The ‘Renong 1’ mango trees were treated with rain covers from first blooming until harvest. Meteorological variables such as temperature and relative humidity were determined, and the photosynthetic indexes, productivity and quality were also investigated. The results showed that rain covers tended to increase the temperature and decrease the relative humidity at flowering and fruit set phase, and resulted in a significantly higher bisexual flower rate. Rain covers promoted early fruit drop but the final fruit set rate was not significantly affected. In rain covers, the net photosynthetic rates (Pn) were not affected negatively whether at flowering and fruit set phase or at the fruit development phase. In comparison with open field, the mean yield of mango in rain cover increased by 60.2%, however the internal quality of fruits were not significantly affected by rain covers. In addition, rain covers significantly reduced the fruit decay and disease index of mango fruits after harvest. These results suggest that rain covers modified the microenvironment of the canopy in mango and promoted bisexual flower rate and yield of mango while they had no negative effects on the internal quality of fruits and improved the storability of mango fruit. Therefore, rain-shelter cultivation could be a promising practice for mango production in the rainy region of South.