Extension training on Bokashi Fertilizer production

Abstract

The increasing cost of chemical fertilizer in the market urges the local farmers to formulate and develop an alternative source of nutrients for their crops. One of which is the use of organic fertilizer, however, the conventional production of organic fertilizer is tedious and time-consuming. Thus, the extension unit of one of the campuses of a university in the Bicol introduced the concept of Bokashi fertilizer through an Extension Training program. Bokashi is a fermented organic fertilizer that is rich in nutrients that are essential for plant growth and development. Studies have also shown that it can be used as a feed additive to tilapia and swine. The training aimed at capacitating farmers on bokashi fertilizer production. It was divided into theoretical and practical activities where the farmer-participants performed the production process. A pretest and post were given, and the result from the pre-test (M=4.46; SD= 2.25) and post-test (M=6.33; SD=2.31) showed that there is a significant difference in the level of knowledge attained by the participants t(14) =-2.88; p=0.01. This suggests that there is an increase in knowledge among the participants. To date, the farmer-participants are preparing to adopt the said technology and a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) has been inked and an application to DOLE as a farmers' organization has been approved. Finally, using the BUEMD evaluation tool, both the resource speakers (4.75) and the training evaluation (4.73) received an outstanding remark. Development and formulation of Bokashi using locally available materials, a record of ROI and IRR, and impact assessment is recommended. This paper presents the result of the training, its implementation process, and its output.