Bigger Pods & Beans! New Soybeans Varieties Hope For Poultry, Livestock Industry

The fledgling Soybeans Industry of the country, a commodity needed by the poultry and livestock sector which is heavily imported, may yet get a big boost with the introduction of the first two new varieties which showed outstanding performance in the first Cycle of Trials.
Starting with just 300 grams of seeds for each variety which had a germination rate of about 50%, the two new Soybeans varieties which I have named as Cotabato GZ-83 and Cotabato GZ-111 produced bigger pods with consistent 3 or more beans in the pods.
With less leaves than the traditional Manchuria White variety which had been propagated by farmers in the Caraga Region of Mindanao, the two new varieties also matured early with some plants completely shedding off leaves at less than 90 days.
Yesterday, we started the second cycle of the trials for the new Soybeans varieties sowing of 5 kilos of Cotabato GZ-111 seeds produced out of about 175 grams of seeds which survived the dry spell and fungal attacks.
Next week, the other variety, Cotabato GZ-83 which had also been harvested, will be planted in a separate area to eliminate the possibility of cross-pollination.
In the 2nd Cycle of Trials in new location, studies and observations will be conducted to establish the traits and characteristics of these two new Soybeans varieties.
While I am really excited about the potentials of these two new Soybeans varieties, it would take us another full year before we could produce a sizable volume of seeds to be able to expand the hectarage.
This long process is a proof that there is no instant success or magic in Agriculture.
In this endeavor, we have to be patient, observant and determined to succeed.
Everything that we do is for the country’s future and the welfare of the next generation.
#IntergenerationalAgriculture!
#farmingisendlesslearning!
(Image left shows the beans of the traditional Manchuria White variety while at right are the beans of the new Cotabato GZ-111 variety which are obviously larger than the old variety. We thank Vetmate Farma Corp. of Batangas businessman German Panghulan and Green and Grow Teknologies for supporting this research.)