Climate change reporting for rural broadcasters Engaging rural media for community mobilization on climate-smart agriculture in the Philippines

To kick off a pilot rural radio campaign on climate-smart agriculture (CSA), three seminar workshops titled “Climate Change: iBroadkas Mo!”, for rural broadcasters in the Philippines were organized by the Philippine Federation of Rural Broadcasters (PFRB), with the support of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security in Southeast Asia (CCAFS-SEA). Participants for these seminar workshops were member broadcasters of the PFRB in strategic regions of the Philippines. Moreover, it was also attended by other media practitioners and government information officers from around the area. Participants to the workshops were familiarized with climate change concepts to improve their capacities in broadcasting climate-related issues and concepts to their audiences. The total number of participants for the whole series was 180 which included 147 practicing broadcasters, 19 government information officers and five staff members from the PFRB. Presentations and discussions during the workshops focused on CSA and techniques and practices for broadcasting climate-related issues effectively. Participants were asked to produce prototype scripts and radio programs, which may include two radio spots, a short interview or voice clips of experts, on CSA as their output for the workshops. The PFRB campaign on climate change, which was launched during the workshops, will engage the services and programs of 150 rural broadcasters in the Philippines in mobilizing the rural sector (particularly farmers, fisherfolk and rural women) and advocating the practice of climate smart agriculture. Members of the PFRB and their network of community radio practitioners will be provided with ready-to-be-aired interviews and scripts on climate-smart agriculture. The broadcast materials will be produced in the languages of selected pilot regions. To motivate broadcasters, a reward and incentive system based on listenership and impact shall be put in place

Variation in the flowering phenology of apple and pear in Australia

Bud burst and flowering dates of commercial apple and pear cultivars were monitored in three geographically and climatically distinct growing regions of Australia (Applethorpe, Queensland; Shepparton, Victoria; Manjimup, Western Australia). Whole tree field assessments were made of 5% green tip, first open flower and progression of flowering to full bloom at all sites. Initial data from 2012 and 2013 indicated significant regional and varietal variation in the timing of bud burst and flowering. Variability in the duration of the period between first open flower and full bloom among sites suggests potential effects of climate on the consistency of flowering. Relationships between phenological variability and temperature are discussed. Field measurements and temperature data are being used to develop cultivar specific models of bud burst and flowering time. These phenological models will be used in conjunction with 2030 climate forecasts to make predictions about potential impacts on the pome fruit industry in Australia. Preliminary results from the modelling analysis are presented

Variation in the flowering phenology of apple and pear in Australia

Bud burst and flowering dates of commercial apple and pear cultivars were monitored in three geographically and climatically distinct growing regions of Australia (Applethorpe, Queensland; Shepparton, Victoria; Manjimup, Western Australia). Whole tree field assessments were made of 5% green tip, first open flower and progression of flowering to full bloom at all sites. Initial data from 2012 and 2013 indicated significant regional and varietal variation in the timing of bud burst and flowering. Variability in the duration of the period between first open flower and full bloom among sites suggests potential effects of climate on the consistency of flowering. Relationships between phenological variability and temperature are discussed. Field measurements and temperature data are being used to develop cultivar specific models of bud burst and flowering time. These phenological models will be used in conjunction with 2030 climate forecasts to make predictions about potential impacts on the pome fruit industry in Australia. Preliminary results from the modelling analysis are presented

An overview of agricultural pollution in the Philippines: Summary report

The 'study' constitutes the totality of the work and includes multiple components, including national overviews of agricultural pollution for the three focus countries, thematic working papers, and an overall synthesis report. The present report corresponds to the national overview of agricultural pollution in the Philippines, and specifically, to the summary of three background papers on crops, livestock, and fishery systems respectively. The overview covers water, soil, and air pollution directly associated with activities and decisions made at the farm level or its equivalent (that is, vessel level or pond level in the case of fisheries). It especially looks at: (a) the use of fertilizers; (b) the use of pesticides; (c) another cropland management practices (including the use of plastics, the introduction of invasive species, irrigation and land preparation practices); (d) the burning of agricultural residues; (e) animal waste management (land and aquatic species); and (f) the use of feed supplements, including antibiotics, hormones, and heavy metals in animal agriculture (land and aquatic). Environmental impacts relating to land-use change are beyond the scope of the review