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Agricultural Approach: Farm Diversification

Corn-Rice-Green Corn Crop Rotation

Commonly, crop rotations are practiced to maintain soil productivity all year round and to increase crop yield. Most crop rotations propose alternatives to monocropping to maximize profit and to address loss of crops during dry seasons. However, in Jabonga, Agusan del Norte, many of the farmlands are located near Lake Mainit which overflows during periods of intense rainfall (November-February). During this period, the farmlands are heavily flooded and could not cultivate any crops. Corn-rice-green corn crop rotation is a practice proposed to compensate for the loss of profit during the flooded months [1].
Climate Adaptation Effectiveness

Corn and rice is rotated to maximize the amount of staple food available for profit and as a food source during flooding. Green corn has a shorter cropping period compared to yellow corn. Including it in the crop rotation maximizes the remaining months before the onset of the flood to generate profit that would serve as buffer income for the farming households [1].

Climate Hazards

  • Rain-Induced Flooding

Locations

  • Jabonga, Agusan del Norte, Region XIII (Caraga Region)

Adaptation Sectors

  • Agriculture

CCET Instuments

  • Action Delivery

Target Group based on Vulnerability

Basic Sectors:
  • Children
  • Farmers and Landless Rural Workers
  • Indigenous Peoples
  • Persons with Disabilities
  • Senior Citizens
  • Women
  • Youth and Students

Evaluations

Economic / Financial Effectiveness
Low

The initial cost of implementation is PhP 39,500/hectare with a 3-year return on investment. Farmers practicing corn-rice-green corn crop rotation have an estimated annual profit of PhP 17,860/hectare and internal rate of return of 42%. Even if the corn and rice yield is lower, this practice is still much more profitable than monocropping [1].

Technical Feasibility
High

This practice is highly applicable to areas where flooding occurs for two to four months. This crop rotation scheme entails technical knowledge and capabilities that could be supplemented by field schools and training by climate resilient agriculture practitioners in collaboration with LGUs. The LGU can aid in information dissemination for those who could largely benefit from the corn-rice-green corn crop rotation [1].

Social Acceptability
Low

An estimated 10% of corn farmers in Cebu currently adopt this practice but it is projected to increase to 50% in the upcoming years [1].

Environmental Impact
Mid (+)

Crop rotation, in general, lessens the difficulty in pest and disease management due to the disruption in the infestation cycles. It also increases top soil formation and productivity enhancing soil fertility [1].

Mitigation co-benefit

Corn-rice-green corn crop rotation aids in the increase of soil carbon sequestration by increasing biomass production per unit area [2]. However, greenhouse gas emissions could increase brought about by multiple crop management requiring more inputs [1].

Keywords

farm diversification, crop rotation, adjusted production timing, optimum income, corn-rice-green corn

References

[1] CSU-CIAT DA, (n.d.). Corn-Rice-Green Corn Crop Rotation. https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/ciat-pdfstorage.appspot.com/o/CRA-DS%2FCRA%20Technical%20Briefs%2FCRA%20Technical%20Brief_AgusanDN_Corn-Rice-GreenCorn%20Crop%20Rotation.pdf?alt=media&token=716e9f3a-7c8d-4e7c-adb8-1a8b37807c9d
[2] Wang, Q., Li, Y., and Alva, A. (2010). Cropping Systems to Improve Carbon Sequestration for Mitigation of Climate Change. Journal of Environmental Protection, 2010, 1, 207-215. https://doi.org/10.4236/jep.2010.13025

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