Small Strides!

Nine Plants Grow Out Of 2,600 Soybeans Seeds
Nine plants growing out of 2,600 seeds sown is by any measure and language a monumental failure.
But for a farmer trying to propagate in a tropical country new varieties of seeds from a temperate region, this is a dramatic success.
In mid-February, I planted 52 varieties of Soybeans with 50 seeds each which came from a temperate region.
The trials on new Soybeans varieties faced challenges at the very start.
The container which carried the seeds was stuck in the ports for six months because of documentation problems.
The 6-month delay in the planting of the seeds obviously affected the germination.
When the seeds were sowed in elevated plots, a long dry spell prevailed over Cotabato.
So, out of 52 varieties, only six had germinated seeds totaling 9 plants.
Now, the nine young Soybeans have started to produce pods and are well on the way to yield seeds for replanting.
We will replant the seeds from each of the six varieties carefully studying the reaction and performance of each variety to the climate and soil in Cotabato.
It will take a long process before we would be able to identify which varieties are adaptable to Philippine conditions.
We have taken the first small step.
I am certain we will achieve great things at the end of the process.

#FaithAsLargeAsMustardSeed!