Issue #30 of The BELIZE AG REPORT is online here!

Homemade Health - Essential Oils
Last summer I had the privilege of staying with a friend who is particularly gifted in the nursing healing arts and complementary therapies. I know a little about aromatherapy but she practices it every day. Her favorite method is to add essential oils to coconut oil (cold-pressed) and use it for massage oil. I found her massage oil to be very helpful for swollen joints, so much so that I became intrigued and decided to learn more. Pure essential oils have been pressed or distilled from the leaves, bark, roots, and other aromatic portions of a plant, yielding highly concentrated compounds. What I didn't realize is that they can be used with therapeutic benefit for a great number of illnesses and diseases. Digging deeper I learned that essential oils are used for not only treatment of stress and anxiety; they are being used with success in the treatment of cancer, pain, and for many other problems. Here are a few significant findings. *"Cancer starts when the DNA code within the cell's nucleus becomes corrupted," says Immunologist Mahmoud Suhail. It seems some essential oils have a re-set function, correcting the DNA code.

To The Editor
Did you know that minimum wage in Mexico is close to 1/3 of minimum wage in Belize? This fact is the key to understanding the challenges that farmers face in Belize. Imported produce grown more cheaply in countries with a lower minimum wage competes unfairly with produce grown locally. Farmers in Belize suffer the same consequence in competition with imports from Mexico. The great appeal of agro-chemical farming is largely due to the savings in labour. Farmers can simply spray rather than pay more workers to do the job by hand. In this way they can somewhat compete in both the world and local market by cutting the cost of production. This is where local organic farmers peel away the endemic veneer of false economy that oppresses growers the world over. The organic farmer uses labour rather than cheap agro-chemicals, which are specifically priced to target and entice farmers according to their local economy, making "agri-business" chemical farming the most economical choice. These chemicals, and the corporations that produce them, most often have their roots in chemical warfare applications from way back in the 1940's. As wartime dissipated in the 1950's and 60's these corporations had to find new applications for their products, and locked on to food production as a more stable market, introducing everything from preservatives to chemical farming applications, and everything in between, in the process of profit. Now we can rarely read a food label that does not contain unpronounceable ingredients about which we have little information, and no education. So how does all this affect our local market here in Belize? Belizean farmers must compete directly with the cost of Mexican imported produce, which is generally as much as 70% cheaper, and represents approximately 50% or more of the fresh fruit and vegetables in the fresh food open air markets in Belize.

Stormy Weather
Where were you late afternoon on 28 September? Do you know the reason for that tremendous thunder storm that dumped 55 mm (over 2 inches) of rain in just 45 minutes around Belmopan? Don Thompson's Weather Analysis web site, www.weathertricity.blogspot.com, explains that the earth was hit by an intense burst of radiation from the sun. Belize was on the outer edge of this strike. The graphic on his web site shows the extent of the hit; South America was hit the hardest although it extended west to Africa and north to the Caribbean. He further explained, "There was a high pressure ridge down the east coast of the Yucatan into Central America. It looks like a line of cells got trapped under the ridge. The one over northern Belize at 5PM local, suddenly exploded and within minutes became a violent thunderstorm directly over Belmopan. The city power was interrupted 3 times. By 8 PM the whole storm system was gone.

Young Grove Management Under Huanglongbing (HLB) Scenario In Belize
The challenge facing citrus growers today is how to bring into production young citrus trees under the heavy infestation of Huanglongbing (HLB) and Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). As infected orchards become unproductive, the decision to replace them with new ones is challenging. It is now six years since HLB was detected in Belize and there is an accumulated experience with the disease. The following are important guide lines on how to protect the new groves and minimize the infection rate with HLB. The first priority for citrus growers is to join the coordinated Area-wide Integrated Management System (AIMS) to suppress the Asian citrus psyllid population. A combined effort by everyone is more effective than individual control at the farm level. Participating in AIMS ensures the use of selected insecticides which are applied in March/April and October/November within a three week interval by all citrus growers to suppress the population of the psyllid throughout the industry. This will help to reduce the psyllid population to a low level and in the long term will allow new plantings to come into production and thus maintain low incidence of HLB. The second guideline is high density plantings: a higher number of plants per acre in the first four years. This will contribute significantly to early accumulated yields, reduce the time for recovery of investment and reduce the rate of infection.

Corn That Says "No" To GMO
In the modern world where large agriculture companies are gaining ground with GM (genetically modified) corn seeds, non-GM growers have been in an increasingly difficult situation from GM pollen drift. This pollen can drift over four miles in the wind and once it lands in a non-GM field, that corn becomes tainted with the GM variety. Once contaminated, the farmer typically gets a lower price, and for specialty food grade and organic corn the price can be as little as half what it would have been. However, one bright spot is that a few plant breeders have found a way to develop non-GM corn varieties that "say no" to the GM pollen when it comes blowing its way. Blue River Hybrids in Ames, Iowa U.S.A., is the leading company that offers this type of seed, known as PuraMaize, for Midwest U.S. farmers. Blue River describes PuraMaize as a natural gene system which impedes pollination from GMO traited and blue corn pollen. It is naturally bred into Blue River corn hybrids, giving organic farmers a powerful tool to combat contamination from neighboring fields. Corn hybrids that contain the PuraMaize gene complex have the ability to recognize and favor pollen that also contains the PuraMaize gene complex. During pollination, the pollen grains move down the silk channel trying to fertilize the potential kernel. A PuraMaize corn plant will quickly accept like pollen from other PuraMaize plants and slow the pollen of a foreign plant, like GMO or blue corn. The foreign pollen can't win the race down the silk channel and is unable to contaminate the PuraMaize plant.

Energetic Agriculture - Pesticides & Healthy Crops
Late last year a farmer from Blue Creek in Orange Walk asked me how to effectively deal with aphids and mites in his crops. This was a hard question to answer. It took me several months of research to find the answer. The answer is so simple it spins the mind. I knew part of the problem, but not the entire solution. From my previous research and 3 years of experiments, nutrition appeared to be part of the cause of this pest problem for farmers. I had also known that nitrogen was also part of the problem. Nitrogen in two forms is used in agriculture - ammonia and nitrate depending upon the stage of growth of the plant. All plants need nitrogen for their development but a major problem in agriculture is the mind-set of farmers. If a crop needs say 100 lbs./acre of ammonia, most farmers will put more than 100 lbs. because they believe that more is better. Biology, chemistry and physics are precise. Nitrogen should not be needed in quantities of more than 40 lbs./acre for corn crops in Belize if the other minerals are in balance.

Soil Inoculants - Nutrient Uptake, Water Use, Disease Resistance
Understanding soil biology is important for keeping agricultural systems healthy and productive. Living soil is complex and includes creatures that cannot be seen with the naked eye, such as bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, protozoa and nematodes, as well as familiar creatures such as insects and earthworms. One teaspoon of a healthy soil can contain billions of bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms. This community of organisms is bound together in a food web that affects the chemical and physical properties of soils. We care about these properties because they also affect plant growth and health. Practices such as adding manures or composts to soil, planting cover crops and rotating crops are all aimed at rebuilding and maintaining soil organic matter, recycling and retaining nutrients, and controlling soil disease and pest levels. These practices are usually associated with increased beneficial soil microbial diversity and abundance. While there are examples of soil inoculants that successfully improve plant growth and crop yields (Table 1), their commercial production and use are still in their infancy. The success of a particular inoculant depends on direct and indirect effects on the desired plant species and interactions of the inoculants with the entire exiting soil biota land. Variation in soil physical and chemical properties, such as texture and acidity, also affect the success of inoculants.

Beyond The Backyard - Tropical Pioneers
Two trees that could be confused at a distance and have a lot in common are the trumpet tree and the balsa tree. Both arrived in my garden uninvited but the more I study them my respect increases.They are both fast growing indigenous jungle plants that play a very important role in the eco system. Cecropia named after the mythical first king of Athens Cecrops may have about 25 species in Belize of the family Urticaceae. Perhaps the most common is Cecropia peltata called the umbrella tree, embauba, trumpet tree, guarmo, yarumo and kooche as it is everywhere you look. It has been a seriously studied jungle weed due to its interdependency with biting Azteca ants who colonize its hollow stalks and feed exclusively on the muellerian food it provides. In Central America the leaves are also important food to howler monkeys, tapir, deer, sloths, birds,and bats plus a nesting place for chachalacas and an egg depository for the Cecropian Orion or stinking leaf wing butterfly. When the leaves are salted cattle will eat with gusto.

Why Sulfur?
Although elements, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, usually referred to as NPK, are the major considerations for fertile soil by farmers, sulfur should be considered the fourth major nutrient in terms of the amount required. Most crops use between 40 to 90% as much sulfur as phosphate. Corn, sorghum and rice use around 35% as much sulfur as phosphate; citrus and sugarcane, about 50%, but cabbage and onions, 90 to 110%. There is a difference between sulfur and sulfate. Sulfur is an element, S; sulfate is sulfur combined with oxygen, SO4. When you compare phosphate, P2O5, with sulfur you should use the sulfate form of the element to obtain an accurate comparison. Although soils are tested for the elements, it is the sulfate form broken down in the soil that the plant uses. And the higher the phosphate level the more sulfur is needed because phosphate is more stable than sulfate in soil; it doesn't leach away as sulfate does and is more readily absorbed.

The Soils Of Belize By District/Region - The Belize District - East To West
My last article introduced the soils of the Belize District along and from the sea coast. This article is a further exploration of these soils extending westwards into the Cayo District as these soils are related to the course of the main agents of formation, the southern Belize and Sibun Rivers. We go from swamps to elevations of about 200 ft that have been formed by the Belize River in the north and the Sibun River, including the Caves Branch tributary, in the south. A major characteristic is the presence of relatively large and minor lagoons, creeks and streams. As the elevation rises the containing lowland pine ridge gives way to broken ridges interspersed with areas of broadleaf forest on undulating lands going to the west. Phosphorous is generally deficient. These soils of the lower Belize River Valley, on the eastern seaboard, are mangrove swamps and do not have a true coastline. The soils are mucky and in many areas are impacted by a high water table that has saline intrusions.

Both Soils & Crops Need Boron
More often than not, the soils we receive to be analyzed for growing all types of crops are deficient in several micronutrients, but the one that requires constant vigilance to assure the greatest success is boron. Like nitrogen and sulfur, boron can be leached from the soil. So just as is true concerning sulfur, it is necessary to test for boron content and generally expect it to be required to correct the soil accordingly from year to year. Although it should be, boron is not usually considered as a necessary addition for growing most crops including corn, soybeans, wheat, vegetables and even pasture. Without adequate boron more nitrogen is needed in order to produce the same amount of growth. Consequently, it needs to be present in sufficient amounts as plants begin to grow and throughout the growing season. Apply boron to your land based on need as established by a reliable soil test, not by guessing whether it is or is not needed.

The Tropic Rice Part Of "Rice And Beans"
The seeds of the rice plant are the grain that we eat in our rice and beans meal. Like most grains, the seeds have to be threshed to remove the hulls. In the old days this was done by swathing or bundling the stalks together and beating them in troughs manually. But not in Spanish Lookout where Tropic Rice uses the latest technology to mill rice. Paddy rice, as the grain coming to the mill is called, has to have only 12 - 13% moisture for milling. Sample paddy rice is tested for moisture and quality; the price to the farmer depends on both. The first stop in the mill is a holding bin. The rice is unloaded and from there it goes through a pre-cleaner, and then to a paddy husker where the rice husks are removed and discarded. Next is the paddy separator, which removes the kernels that didn't husk from the brown rice. Rice to be made into white rice then goes through an abrasive whitener that removes the bran from off the kernel, after which it enters the polisher where the rice is brought to its natural whiteness using clean water and gently rubbing the kernels. Brown rice bypasses the whitening and polishing processes.

Silicon's Role In Rice Production
Silicon (Si) is the second most abundant element of the Earth's crust after oxygen. It has long been neglected by ecologists, as it is not considered an essential nutrient for plants. However, research in recent years shows that it is beneficial for the growth of many plants, including important crops such as rice, wheat and barley. For instance, Si enhanced the resistance against pests, pathogens and abiotic stresses such as salts, drought and storms. Silicon might, thus, play a crucial role in the development of sustainable rice production systems with lower or zero input of harmful pesticides. Researchers from the interdisciplinary LEGATO project on sustainable rice production looked in more detail at the cycle of plant-available Si in contrasting regions of Vietnam and the Philippines to provide insights on the importance of this element in rice production.

Bird Watch - From My Perch
Chiquibul Adventures - Watershed Awareness, Solitaire Canyon River Expedition. With the aim of further exploring and understanding the Chiquibul National Park, the Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD) and Mountain Equestrian Trails (MET) completed another exploratory expedition on an un-explored river in the western jungles of the park during the month of August. Jim Bevis shares the essence of the team's experience: We entered the crystal clear river with inflatable kayaks at a remote location on the western base of the Maya Mountain Massif. The purpose of the expedition was to explore the downstream and photograph points of interest in the 14 miles stretch for a period of five days. Soon after casting off from the north side of the river, we entered a rugged and beautiful steep walled limestone canyon, where in places the swift and turbulent floodwaters of many millennia had cut deep and smooth into the polished limestone walls. The upper part of this river was somewhat shallow in places and much of the first day was spent dragging our kayaks through and over basketball-sized "boulder gardens" to the next pool of deep water.

Reminiscing With Joe Friesen Sr., Cattleman Par Excellence
Of all the families who moved to Belize from Chihuahua, Mexico in 1958 one of the largest families was the Peter Friesen family. Joe, who is the second oldest of 11 children was 6 years old when his family moved from Manitoba, Canada to Mexico and 16 when they moved to Spanish Lookout.As a pioneer in the developing country Joe's father, Peter Friesen,did lathe work and made his own machinery for whatever he needed. They settled in Spanish Lookout on lands along the Belize River. At the time, it was in bush with many cohune trees and much bamboo. Rather than bring cattle from the 7,000 ft elevation area they left in Mexico, they purchased Brahman-type cattle from local sources, such as Eduardo Juan, Trinidad Juan, Negroman {Ranch} and the Delafuentes. Beginning in 1964, Joe began marketing cattle, a trade he would carry on for over 40 years until 2004, when he would turn things over to his sons. In the mid 60's, Joe sold 2 head per week, from his farm and from others in Spanish Lookout, for which the farmers received 11 cents/lb live wt for good cows, and 14 cents/lb live wt for the best steers - all local type Brahman.

What Do ppm & ppb Quantities Really Mean?
Descriptions of minute quantities, parts per million (ppm) or parts per billion (ppb), can be difficult to grasp. How can we practically relate to one part per million or one part per billion? One ppm is one part per 1,000,000, equivalent to one drop of substance diluted into 50 liters. In an analogy to time, one ppm is equivalent to 32 seconds of one year. One ppb is one part per 1,000,000,000, equivalent to one drop of substance diluted into 250 fifty-five gallon (200 l) drums - that is one drop into 13,750 gallons! In time, that would be 3 seconds out of a century. Many common synthetic-based pesticides' Maximum Contamination Levels (MCL) are figured in single digits of parts per billion, ppb, which hints at their intense toxicities. Synthetic poisons are much more concentrated than "botanical" poisons (those derived from natural botanical substances). Charles Walters points out: "� it would take a tractor-trailer load of botanicals to disturb, say, a water main, whereas a quart of Paraquat would do maximum damage."

The Southern Pine Beetle Is Speaking To Us!
You would think that as an environmental advisor to the United Nations I would be a better steward of our planet, but alas I grew up in Texas where tree huggers are hard to find and in only the past ten years have I lightened my footprint on the world. No matter where you stand on global warming, you have to admit the planet is heating up. Whether this is a cycle in our globe's very long history, which has become very warm and very cold many times, or this is the last big heat up created by man's ignorance to his surroundings, I will leave to each of our readers. I will probably get a sigh of relief from many of you when I tell you this article is not about melting glaciers, but something much smaller�..The Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) (Dendroctonus frontalis). Dark brown to black in color, and approximately 1/8th inch long with a unique rounded rear end, the SPB belongs to the largest order of insects, Coleoptera, and family Scolytidae. It has a life cycle of 35-60 days; that's six generations per year capability and has increased with the temperature. In natural forest situations, pine beetles prepare the way for ecological succession by selectively removing mature, stressed or damaged pines. Consequently pine beetle infestations often begin on damaged trees, but the beetles quickly reproduce and move to other surrounding trees. As beetles bore into bark, the tree tries to protect itself by exuding pitch, resulting in the formation of characteristic pitch tubes. Weakened trees may not be able to produce sufficient pitch flow to prevent colonization and when beetle populations are high, the number of beetles attacking trees may be so large that even healthy trees cannot withstand infestation.

Lemon Grass
The typical variety of lemon grass grown in Belize, Cymbopogan citratus, is commonly known as "fever grass" as a traditional remedy to reduce and alleviate symptoms of fever. Lemon grass is a perennial plant that grows in large clusters of long thin green leaves and produces a pleasant lemony, citrus aroma when crushed. It has a slightly pungent, but delicate lemony flavor with undertones of mint and ginger to season food, especially tea, soups, curries and salads. Stalks and bulbs of the plant are commonly used as an ingredient in Asian and Indian cuisine. As a gardening aid in tropical gardens it is used as a companion plant. Many Belizeans have lemon grass plants growing as an attractive decorative and useful plant in their home gardens. There are more than fifty varieties of lemon grass; not all are used for culinary, medicinal or agricultural purposes. Lemon grass is indigenous to India and tropical regions of the Asian continent, including Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. It is also commonly grown and used in Central America, Java, Madagascar, China, West Indian islands and Zambia and other warm tropical climates. It grows year-round in all tropical countries and can successfully be grown indoors in cold climates. Mature plants resemble common field or "cattle grass" and generally grow from about two to four feet in height. Plants do not flower or produce seeds; they are propagated with portions of the root of the plant. Once established, lemon grass usually grows wild via underground rhizomes. It is an easy plant to grow and requires little care beyond a sunny location and watering in the dry season.

Dairy Products At Home: Mozzarella & Ricotta Cheese
The cheeses for this cheese-making workshop are mozzarella and ricotta. These are cheeses presumably invented in Italy but now prized all over the world, the second being a byproduct of the first. Mozzarella is the gooey topping for lasagna, pizza, and other Italian dishes which everyone likes so much. Here in Central America, mozzarella makes itself at home on enchiladas or quesadillas, with its famous melting quality. It's not easy to fit into a new culture, but if we were all so friendly and likable, sacrificing ourselves for the benefit of others, it would be much easier, more like� melted cheese. Here is a simplified recipe which has evolved in my kitchen through the natural selection of shortcuts inherent to that environment. Recipes generally call to acidify sweet milk with citric acid, but milk that is naturally sour needs no acidification, so I just use a blend of sweet and sour milk. It may be whole or skimmed, or some of each. To make hard cheeses, you will need rennet, which can be purchased in liquid form from Western Dairies in Spanish Lookout. To make it easier to measure small amounts, I put mine in a dropper bottle. You need � tsp to 4 gallons of milk, or 6 drops to a gallon. Stir in the rennet and let the milk set. In less than an hour, your milk will curdle, or become a solid rather than a liquid. The curd is ready to cut when you can cut into it with a knife and it makes a 'clean break', being of cutting rather than pudding consistency.

World Food Day At Mopan Technical High School In Benque Viejo
World Food Day was organized in 1979 and promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to combat poverty and eradicate hunger world-wide; it is now observed in almost every country of the world. October 16, 2015 was the date of forums held and attended by millions of people around the globe. Belize held the event one week later on October 23, 2015. The theme of the 2015 World Food Day was: "Soil Protection and Agriculture: Breaking the Cycle of Rural Poverty". Mopan Technical High School provided the venue and it was a showcase for the teachers and students of the school who provided tours of their healthy gardens and gave vibrant seedling plants to all who visited their booth.

Pro-Organic Belize On The Grow!
The seeds for Pro-Organic Belize (POB) group were planted at a symposium "Sourcing Healthy Food in Cayo" which was held at Maya Mountain Lodge in November 2014. Following this well-attended event, POB paired up with the San Antonio Cayo Organic Growers Association (SACOGA) to cultivate a growing relationship with the goal of having organic produce for sale at the San Ignacio open air market on Saturday mornings starting in December 2014. SACOGA now has a permanent booth at the market, run by Abdias Mesh, the founder and director of SACOGA and takes orders for fresh organic produce each week for pick-up on Saturday morning (see ad below). POB and SACOGA have developed a participatory guarantee system (PGS) of organic certification which is based on that of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM). The mission statement of POB is "To support and promote the San Antonio Cayo Organic Growers Association and other organic initiatives in Belize."

Ag Briefs
Neal Kinsey will return to Belize to again deliver his Introductory Soil Fertility Course on February 8th, 9th ,10th, 2016 at UB Central Farm. There may be a soybean field day after the course. Second Annual Christmas Plant Sale to benefit the Belmopan Humane Society. Saturday December 5 -Blue Moon Restaurant @the roundabout in Bmp. 10am-4pm. For Sale: plants & cuttings, poinsettias, palm trees, Christmas decor. Enter the raffle to win a completely decorated tree ready to plug in and light up your home or business! Worms that eat styrofoam: A Beihang University professor and his doctoral student, and a Stanford University professor co-authored a study, just published in Environmental Science and Technology, showing that mealworms, the larval form of the darkling beetle, can digest Styrofoam and produce a biodegradable waste. What do you do when the supply of bananas exceeds the demand and the price to the grower gets reduced too low to pay laborers in the harvest period? Look for alternative ways to industrialize the raw material! How about banana flour? The initiative to produce banana flour is still in its experimental stage in Paraguay.

Agriculture Prices At A Glance