MANILA, Philippines - Just because we run short of rice and corn does not mean we lack food. The country has a number of available and edible grains especially in the upland areas that could address our food requirement. One of these is a tropical plant of the grass family called
adlai
or Job’s tears (
Coix lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen
).
Most of the Subanen farmers in the Zamboanga Peninsula are practicing cultivation of dalai (Subanen term for adlai) as a hedge plant for their main crop, be it rice, corn or vegetables.
Ella Lubusan, 54 of Barangay Lubusan, Lapuyan, Zamboanga del Sur, said “We always save dalai seeds every cropping. It is our tradition to plant it with other crops. We plant dalai as if it were a fence to our crops. Pests are not attracted to dalai and we see it protecting other plants too.” Lubusan said they have two adlai varieties. The glutinous they call pulot has a reddish seed coat and the native which they call G’lakas, a tall variety with a white seed coat that they eat as staple in her childhood.
Today, Lubusan still eats adlai with her family but not as often as when she was with her parents because they alternate rice, corn and root crops now. They produce adlai grits using a century-old stone miller and a mortar and pestle. “Our grandmother instructed us to continue planting dalai. And if we are too weak to do it, she said we must broadcast it anywhere so that it will continue to thrive anyway, it grows in all soil types,” Lubusan recalled.
In Midsalip, Zamboanga del Sur, Danilo Irangan, 39, farming coordinator for the Tumamod Pusaka Subanen Midsalip Organization (TUPUSUMI), said “Dalai is a family treasure. Our ancestors gave this crop to us like a precious gift. My father said dalai seeds can sustain us forever because it grows anywhere even without tending it.”
Iringan, a descendant of Datu Makapangpang said they have glutinous and non glutinous Adlai. Those with violet (Ginampay Pulot), dark brown, and reddish brown (Pulot) seed coats are glutinous while those with white to beige (Gulian) seed coats are non glutinous and are used as staple. “Dalai can feed us all because even after harvest it will still continue bearing grains. Each time we cut its stalk, a panicle appears that is the reason why we have enough seeds for everybody. The seeds that the Department of Agriculture distributed nationwide for research and seed production are sourced from TUPUSUMI,” Iringan, a Gatautasan Subanen proudly revealed.
Using adlai seeds from TUPUSUMI, the Betinan Research Station (BRS) of the DA in the Zamboanga Peninsula conducted a research onadlai. The study focused on planting distance and the use of fertilizer.
The first treatment was applied with inorganic fertilizer (4bags 16-20-0 and 2bags Urea); the second with three tons organic fertilizer per hectare while the control was planted with no fertilizer at all. Planting distance was at 1m (meter) x 25cm (centimeters), 1m x 50cm, and 1m x 75cm.
According to Priscilla C. Jover, BRS superintendent, “result showed that adlai yielded 2.54 metric tons per hectare (mt/ha) with inorganic fertilizer at 1m x 75cm planting distance, 1.51 mt/ha using organic fertilizer at a distance of 1m x 75cm. The control however yielded 1.2mt/ha at a planting distance of 1m x 50cm. Based on this study our initial recommendation is 75cm planting distance per row and 50cm per hill. Sowing two seeds per hill is required to avoid thinning. We recorded 8-12 tillers per hill. We have not observed any pest that attacked Adlai in our station. However, we will conduct more replications and further studies in order to discover the full potential of adlai .”
Jover said they named adlai varieties in their station based on its characteristics. These are Kinampay, Bagelai, Mataslai, and Batalai. The Kinampay and the Bagelai has a height of 2-3 meters and mature in five months. The Mataslai stands 2.7 meters while the Batalai grows up to 1.5 meters. Both mature in six months. They call Mataslai a tall variety and Batalai as dwarf variety. Under BRS condition, Adlai’s milling recovery is 62 percent.
Jover said that just like rice and corn, adlai can be cooked in a rice cooker too. “It is just a matter of educating the Filipinos to eat other cereals like adlai. We can stop the pressure on rice and corn and be food sufficient using available grains in our country. Our Muslim family can survive with cassava as their staple. Most of us may prefer the taste of Adlai too.” Jover said.
The DA’s Western Mindanao Integrated Agriculture Research Center (WESMIARC) in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay and the San Ramon Research Center in Pamucutan, Zamboanga City has just started planting Adlai to study the crop to a greater extent. Identified research stations nationwide are also studying adlai using the seeds from TUPUSUMI with budget coming from the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR).
Adlai is a tropical plant of the grass family and is common in Southeast Asia. Just like rice, it has panicles that bear edible grains and has tillers ranging from 8-12 per hill under BRS condition. Harvest can be done five to six times because it can ratoon after the previous growth has been cut. It is tolerant to pests and diseases.
It can stand heavy rains and long dry spell which is a positive quality to address climate change. Related literature says it is medicinal and nutritious having essential amino acids, fiber, , vitamins such as B-complex and calcium. It has organic nutrients such as carbohydrates and proteins.
In the Zamboanga Peninsula, the glutinous varieties are cooked with coconut milk and sugar and served as snacks. The non glutinous varieties aside from being eaten as staple is used for making wine or Panggasi which the Subanens serve during special occasions like birthdays, weddings, thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest, and death anniversaries. P’yan Giyaya and Solomon Capas, both 80 years old from Lapuyan, Zamboanga del Sur say the best Panggasi is aged for two years.
Adlai may be an indigenous and unpopular cereal in the Philippines. But who knows, this plant could address the food requirement of 94 Filipinos and counting.