BACOLOD City – The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) disclosed that the ashfall caused by the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano on Monday night, June 3, has increased the level of acidity in both the sugarcane leaves and ground soil in affected areas.
The pH (potential of hydrogen) level which is used to indicate the level of acidity showed a 4.14 pH on sugarcane leaves and 5.06 pH in the soil, according to a testing done at the SRA-La Granja Agricultural Research and Extension Center in La Carlota City.
The SRA said both results indicate increased acidity when compared to the 6.48 pH result of ground testing last week.
SRA administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said the pH level of seven is neutral but years of tilling sugar fields has affected our soil and the 6.48 pH result last week should have been ideal.
“With the current results after the ashfall, if this will not be washed out by rains, we will need soil rejuvenation in affected sugar lands to bring it back to the ideal state and that is long term,” said Azcona.
He, however, said that as of now it is too early to tell whether the volcanic ash will cause extensive damage on crops as it has been raining on the affected areas, and hopefully the acidity will be diluted.
SRA records showed about 23,000 hectares of sugarcane fields in four sugar mill districts may have been affected by the volcanic eruption.
“We will continue to monitor pH recovery and what needs to be done. We have assigned field personnel, with SRA Board Member David Sanson, to go around affected areas and coordinate with the farmers,” Azcona said.
In a report presented by the research and development arm of the agency that conducted testing in the La Granja research station on Tuesday, the immediate effects of volcanic ash can cause physical damage on leaves, reducing its photosynthesis capability and biological and chemical disruption on the soil which can all lead to reduction of yield.
“Its long-term effects on sugar crops can cause nutrient imbalance on soil, compaction and erosion and chemical leaching that may reduce the soil pH level,” the research team said.
As mitigating measures, the research team recommended using cover crops, irrigation by washing off plants and soil, and applying lime or organic matter to neutralize soil pH changes caused by the ash fall.
In the long run though, sugar farmers can benefit in due time from volcanic ashfall as it is rich in minerals and nutrients such as potassium, phosphorus, and trace elements, which can enhance soil fertility over time and improve crop yields, it said.
The team added that the fine particles in volcanic ash can also improve soil texture and water retention, aiding root growth and reducing the need for frequent irrigation and can act as a natural pesticide by creating a physical barrier that deters pests and disrupts their life cycles, reducing the need for chemical interventions.
Meanwhile, SRA will be assisting the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in ambient air monitoring in affected areas.
This comes after DENR assistant division chief Cliff Jeffersonn Escobar informed SRA that they only have the capability and equipment to monitor the particulate matter in ambient air in two stations in La Carlota City and La Castellana town, and asked SRA to monitor the ambient air in Bacolod City where smells of sulfur were detected on the night the volcano erupted./PN
