LA TRINIDAD Benguet (PIA) – – Climate change adaptive agriculture sector. This is one area that the Benguet State University(BSU) is currently focusing on through its Research and Extension Programs.
BSU president Ben Ladilad, in a media forum at the university grounds last week, reported that BSU has Climate Smart Agriculture Center, which focuses on pushing for studies and research on climate change adaptation and mitigation.
According to Dr. Carlito Laurean, head of the Climate Smart Agriculture Center, this is a pet project of Ladilad that started three years ago that concentrates on researches and developing technologies that could help farmers adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change.
“We started with lower technologies that are already being used by farmers such as wind breaker technology and harvest management”, he said.
Laurean said they have developed structural wind breakers, through the use of galvanized iron pipes and plastic tunnels that can protect the farmers’ agricultural produce from strong winds.
In cases of drought, they have water harvesting technology as well as a design to lower the (vegetable) plots during summer to maximize the daily watering and for elevating the plot during rainy days so the vegetables can be protected from overflowing water.
In terms of advocacy, Ladilad said the school is in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Philippine Information Agency for climate change information, education and communication campaign. (JDP/CCD – PIA CAR)
