BIO-EXTRACT IN ORGANIC STRAWBERRY PRODUCTION OF AMPHOE BO KLEUA, NAN PROVINCE, THAILAND

Organic strawberry production and the tourism service business are being integrated by using a participation process of farmer groups to learn how to manage resources and community’s potential to increase the income after rice planting in plain areas and highland rice planting in rainy season of Amphoe Bo Kleua, Nan Province in the northern part of Thailand. This is adding value to strawberry production and the expenses of tourists who visit the area is the direct income of participating farmers as well as providing income to other related people in the community. This also causes sustainable resource management and improves the quality of life as well as decreases forest resource utilization.
Organic strawberry production is started by preparing plots with 2 t of organic fertilizer per Rai and covering the plot with rice straw. However, there are some damages caused by diseases and insects. Bio-extract Dry 6 herb (15 kg) with the components of 3 kg Millettia racemosa Benth, 2 kg Stemona curtisii Hook, 2 kg wild yam, 2 kg grounded neem seeds, 2 kg mangosteen peels and 2 kg Zingiber cassumunar Roxb, fermented with 5 kg sugar, 0.5 L rice whisky and 25 L water for 30 days, was tested. This bio-extract is used with other types of oranges and vegetables and has been found to repel insects and decrease disease incidence as well as promote plant growth because it contains a phytohormone. The testing was carried out in the growing season from October 2010 to March 2011 by spraying the fermented fruit juice at 1:1000 in the whole canopy every 7 days during the growing season. The bio-extract was compared to difenoconazole sprayed at 0.04 L/20 L when the disease appeared, and a control.
The result of using bio-extract in strawberry production compared with difenoconazole was that there was no significant difference between the growth rate of strawberry using fermented fruit juice and chemicals. It was found that strawberry yield was significantly higher using the bio-extract compared to using chemicals, because bio-extract prevented disease and insect damage.
This research can be the model of using bio-extract in Thailand’s strawberry growing. Moreover, it shows the benefits of decreasing chemicals import and health problems of farmers caused by the utilization of chemicals.