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GOOD Morning to everyone. Did you all have a good week. Jacob's life was full of trials, And as it was for the old Patriarch, So it is for us. Life buffets and restricts us. Makes demands on us that we do not want to clear. Yet even the most unjust, undeserved and pointless sufferings is an opportunity for us to respond in a way that our Lord can turn us into his own likeness. We can take joy in our trials because we know that adversity is working to make us perfect and complete, lacking nothing. But this takes time. We want the quick kix, but there are no shortcuts that can accomplish God's ultimate purpose for us. The only way to grow into Christ's likeness is to submit each day to the conditions God brings into our lives. As we accept his will and submit to his ways', his holiness becomes ours. Gradually Gods spirit will turn us into kinder, gentler men and women, Sturdier, stronger, more secure and sensible.

Lets pause for prayer: Give me father, a purpose deep in joy or sorrow thy trust to keep, and so through trouble, care ands strife glorify thee in my daily life. God often empties our hands to fill our hearts.

Our topic: Cover crops, usually creeping legumes are frequently interplanted with tree crops such as coconuts, sisal, cacao and banana. This should be tried by mango growers even if there has been no previous experience. These cover crops, besides protecting the soil from the pounding effect of the rains, soil wash and the undesirable effects of sunshine, build up the organic matter in the soil and maintain the soil surface in an ideal condition for the spread of the surface feeding knots of the trees. Such cover crops will also reduce leaching and the roots of deeper rooting species bring up nutrients form the subsoil which become available for the crop.

Leguminous cover crops are usually preferred as they can and do increase the soil nitrogen the ground covers must be easily propagated by sees, grow rapidly without competing with the crop, tolerate some shade and cutting back from around the tree crop, be resistant to pests and diseases, not act as an alternate host for pests or diseases attacking the crop, suppress weed growth, particularly grasses and be free of irritating hairs or spines which would be unpleasant to cultivators without footwear or leg covering. If the soil fertility is fairly low, liberal amounts of phosphate and potash should be applied.

The leguminous cover crops will reduce root diseases in the fruit trees thus cutting down the fungus problems. Here in he Philippines my research has shown that the leguminous plants calopogonium caeruleum and pueraria phaseoloides have proved to be excellent cover crops for coconut and mango plantations, crowding out the weeds. The planting of cover on neglected plantations can greatly increase the yields of mango and coconut after only one year.

Soil and soil conditions affect the growth of crops indirectly by their effect on weed growth, pests and diseases as well as directly by supplying water and nutrients to the crop. Weeds have the same requirements for nutrients as crops but they are often more tolerant to adverse conditions. Adverse soil conditions due to soil compaction or poor drainage greatly increases the changes of serious infection with root fungi. If soil conditions are good and growth is unimpeded root fungi will rarely take hold. The answer to this problem growers is in your hands. Utilize your plantations by inter cropping. Keep your soil fertility in good condition. This should become a standard practice for permanent sites if the yields are to be increased. As nematodes attack roots their effect on crops is more serious if root growth is already restricted by adverse soil conditions.

Although poor soil conditions alone can drastically affect yield, the effect of poor soil conditions combined with an attack by a pest or disease is even more serious and can often cause crop failure. Well farmers, I hope these ideas have been of some use to you. Take Care, see you next week.