The WorldVeg IPM package for tomato production was piloted in farmers’ fields in Talavera and San Jose municipalities of Nueva Ecija province, Region III in the Philippines. Field trials were implemented by the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), in collaboration with the University of the Philippines – Los Baños, the Regional Crop Protection Center (RCPC) Region III, and the local governments of Talavera and San Jose City in Nueva Ecija.

To showcase the benefits of the newly piloted IPM package to farmers, field days were organized that also serve for sharing information between farmers and experts. Two farmer field days were held in Barangay Bantug in Talavera and Barangay Manicla in San Jose City on March 1 and 2, 2023, respectively.

About 100 farmers joined the event at both sites, along with Dr Srinivasan Ramasamy (World Vegetable Center), Dr Filomena Sta. Cruz (UPLB), Ms Precerpina Luzaran (BPI), Engr Remegio Tabil (BPI), Mr Ulysses Duque (BPI), Mr Edgardo Supan (RCPC III), Ms Trojane Soberano (RCPC III), representatives from Provincial, City and Municipal Agriculture Offices, and Barangay officials.

Pest management of high-value crops with emphasis on the use of biological control agents (BCAs) were explained by Ms Luzaran, whereas Dr. Sta. Cruz presented the collaborative project. Dr Ramasamy explained the WorldVeg initiatives on safe and sustainable vegetable production in the Philippines and how farmers can benefit from these projects.

During the open forum, the unavailability of biological control agents (BCAs) was pointed out as a major reason why they are not used by many farmers. RCPC III together with BPI will, therefore, provide technical assistance to Local Government Units (LGUs) and farmer groups to produce their own BCAs (e.g earwigs, Trichogramma). A field tour was led by Mr Ulysses Duque. Different interventions such as the use of grafted tomato, mulching, setting up of pest and disease monitoring tools, and application of two biological control agents (Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae) and bio-pesticides (commercial neem extract) were demonstrated.