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THE EFFECTS OF SEAWEED “GUSO” (Kappaphycus alvarezii) APPLICATION AT

VARIOUS CONCENTRATIONS TO GROWING

PECHAY (Brassica chinensis L.)

This study was conducted to determine the production and productivity of pechay through the application of various concentrations of seaweeds organic fertilizer, to know its efficacy and efficiency, and as well as the cost and return analysis of pechay production.

Results showed that the treatments were significantly different using the different treatments adopted. Various treatments affect significantly the growth and yield of pechay in terms of plant height, weight, number of leaves, and plant canopy size. However, the best result was manifested in treatment using complete inorganic fertilizer that resulted to have a high net income of PhP 129,000. Thereby, the effect of seaweed fertilizer to pechay application is not yet fully known.

ABSTRACT

Nature and importance of the study

Increasing vegetable production despite the decreasing area planted to the crop is a great challenge. With population increase, the demand of vegetables is tremendously great as expected that most Filipinos depend on vegetables for their daily palate. However, the most common vegetable that is affordable and highly nutritious in the market is pechay. This leafy vegetable is rich in various nutrients and can be easily raised in the backyard.

Pechay production needs high agricultural inputs such as fertilizers. However, the cost of inorganic fertilizer nowadays has increased while the ill-effects are worst. The use of organic fertilizer such as seaweeds is a best alternative to effect better environment and healthy food. The effect of seaweeds to pechay is not yet fully understood especially on its optimum rate or dosage of application. With this research endeavor, this will be implemented to follow concrete objectives, to wit.

INTRODUCTION

Objectives of the Study

•To determine the production and productivity of pechay through application of various concentrations of seaweeds organic fertilizer compared with inorganic fertilizer.

•To determine the efficacy and efficiency of seaweeds to the growth and yield of pechay.

•To know the cost and return analysis of pechay production adopting the different treatments.

Scope and Limitations

Our study was mainly focus on determining the efficacy and efficiency of seaweeds to the growth and yield of pechay and the production cost of growing the crop comparing the application of inorganic complete fertilizer.

Time and Place of the Study

This study was conducted starting July 4 until August 10, 2010 in Plaridel, Baybay, Leyte, with three (3) replications.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Crop Farm Management

Proper crop management is necessary to increase productivity and income which includes fertilizer application to augment the inherent fertility of the soil. Fertilizers which are either inorganic or organic materials of natural or synthetic in original supply nutrients to plants and if the soil has nutrient deficiency, poor growth and low yield of the crop may result. Correcting nutrient deficiencies must be done.

Fertilizer Sources

Fertilizer sources could either be granulated or foliar and there application is one of the strategies in supplying nutrients into the soil to increase crop production. Foliar fertilizer applied as spray are generally much more quickly absorbed and utilized by the leaves. Once sprayed to the leaves of the plants, the supplied nutrients are absorbed immediately. Even the plants grown under problem soil can still give satisfactory yield because of the utilization and the absorption of the supplemented nutrients through the leaves for their growth, development and reproduction.

Fertilizer Sources

Fertilizer sources could either be granulated or foliar and there application is one of the strategies in supplying nutrients into the soil to increase crop production. Foliar fertilizer applied as spray are generally much more quickly absorbed and utilized by the leaves. Once sprayed to the leaves of the plants, the supplied nutrients are absorbed immediately. Even the plants grown under problem soil can still give satisfactory yield because of the utilization and the absorption of the supplemented nutrients through the leaves for their growth, development and reproduction.

Foliar Application

Foliar application is the fastest, most effective way of helping plants overcome stress periods caused by environmental disorders and other environmental factors. Plants can absorb nutrients through their leaves 8 to 20 times more efficiently than through their roots. Best results occur when foliar fertilization is used and it can as well help saving the farmer a lot of money. With the discovery of seaweed foliar fertilizer, the crop would more likely result in a maximized yield and growth performance. One of the recommended seaweeds used in making foliar fertilizers is the Kappaphycus alvarezii.

Kappaphycus alvarezii

Kappaphycus alvarezii is a species of red alga which is a tough, fleshy-firm marine alga with a coarse thalli measuring ½ inch in diameter. It is frequently and irregularly branched, most branches primary-shiny green to yellow orange with a variable form. This alga is one of the most important commercial sources of carrageenans, a family of gel-forming, viscosifying polysaccharides. Farming methods affected the character of the carrageenan that can be extracted from the seaweed.

Preparation of Planting Media, Seeds and Experimental Layout

Black polyethylene bags were used as containers for this experiment. Ordinary garden soil served as the growing medium. Seeds of pechay variety Brassica Chinensis L. were prepared for planting in various concentrations including complete fertilizer. The bags were arranged in Complete Randomized Design (CRD) having 5 treatments with 3 replications. Thereby the treatments were as follows:

Treatments:T0 – control (tap water application)

T1 – application of inorganic fertilizer (14-14-14) at the rate of 10 grams per bagT2 – foliar application of seaweeds at fifty percent (50%) concentration

at three times weeklyT3 - foliar application of seaweeds at twenty five percent (25%)

concentration at three times weeklyT4 - foliar application of seaweeds at twelve and a half percent (12.5%)

concentration at three times weekly

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Methodology

Fifteen pieces of black polyethylene bags were filled with garden soil, watered and 1 day after watering these was sown with pechay seeds. Three to five days after sowing, seeds thinned to 1 seedling per bag. These were grown for thirty days at the backyard exposed in direct sunlight. These were watered twice a day at early morning and late afternoon and were fertilized with inorganic and organic fertilizers depending on the treatments adopted.

In preparing the seaweed extract 1 kg. of kappaphycus alvarezii was used to produce a concentration of seaweed extract. The algae was cleaned, placed in a pan with cover and added with 1L water. This was heated with fire until seaweed extract was obtained. The extract was placed in a bottle in preparation for foliar application.

Methodology

In preparing the spray solution water was used as diluting agents to comply the needed concentrations based on the treatment adopted. The growing plant (specially the leaves) was sprayed at different concentration, i.e. 50%, 25% and 12.5% at three times a week preferably Monday, Wednesday and Friday starting at 5-day old until 30 days after sowing.

Data Gathered

•Biological Data•Plant height – this was measured using a ruler by measuring the height from the soil surface to the highest part of the plant.

•Fresh weight at harvest (g) – this was done by weighing the individual plant with the weighing scale.

•Number of leaves at harvest – this was done by counting all fundamental leaves at harvest.

•Plant canopy size– this was measured using a ruler by measuring the diameter of the crop horizontally.

•Data on Cost and Return Analysis Cost and return analysis of the different treatments was compared based on the adopted options in the experiment. Thus, the study was started June 26 and completed August 4, 2010.

General Observation

The pechay plants grew normally with different growth rates based on the different concentrations treatments used. The application of Kappaphycus alvarezii extracts with different concentrations resulted to lesser productivity compared to the plant treated with complete inorganic fertilizer.

Generally, the plants treated with Treatments 0, 2, 3 and 4 were observe to produce lesser number of leaves, shorter plant height, lighter weight and smaller plant canopy size while Treatment 1 resulted to produce the highest plant height, more heavier in its weight, more number of leaves and wider canopy size.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

TreatmentsAgronomic Parameters

Plant heightPlant

weightNo. of leaves

Canopy size

T0 - control (tap water application) 16.33b 48.33b 9.00 21.00bT1 - (14-14-14) commercial fertilizer (10g/pot)

21.33a 100.00a10.33 25.33a

T2 - (50% concentration) of foliar application of seaweeds (250g)

14.33b 43.33b8.33 21.67b


14.33b 43.33b8.33 25.00a

T4 - (12.5% concentration) of foliar application of seaweeds (62.5g)

16.00b 50.00b9.33 24.33ab

Table 1. Agronomic parameters of pechay grown at various concentrations of seaweed fertilizers, complete inorganic fertilizer and control.

Plant height (cm)

Plant height of pechay was gathered after harvesting the plant at exactly 30 days after germination. This was done in all treatments including control. Statistical analysis generally showed that the plant mean height in various treatments were not significantly different. However the mean height of pechay when applied with complete nutrients of N-P-K using in organic fertilizer manifested the tallest at 21.33 cm. And this was followed by treatments T0 and T4 with 16.33 cm and the least in treatments T2 and T3 with 14.33 cm as shown in table 1. The plant height of pechay applied with seaweed extracts at different concentrations was relatively shorter than pechay applied with complete fertilizer. This might be because the nutrients required for plant growth were directly available to plants applied with commercial fertilizer.

Plant height (cm)

Besides commercial fertilizers used was composed of complete macro essential elements for efficient and effective plant growth, thus effect the highest plant height. Needed for plant growth may be readily available in commercial fertilizer, whereas macronutrient in the Kappaphycus alvarezii extracts particularly P and K may not be readily available since it is organic in origin. The macronutrient in the seaweed extracts are abundant only for Nitrogen and were less available to other macronutrients P and K and probably these nutrients are present in their organic form that the plant cannot readily utilize.

Plant weight (g)The plant weight of pechay as affected by the application of various

concentrations of seaweed extracts, commercial fertilizer, and control treatment. Pechay applied with complete fertilizer (14-14-14) showed the highest plant mean weight of 100 grams per plant. This followed in plants applied with 12.5% concentration of seaweed extract at 50 g, then control (tap water) of 48.33 g, then the least weight are in treatments T2 and T3 with the application of 50% and 25% seaweed extracts at 43.33 grams per plant. Unavailability of nutrients may probably attribute to the poor growth of pechay in foliar fertilizer. Nutrients may be present but in other forms that were not absorbed by plants.

Generally light green leaves and stunted growth of pechay plants were observed in tap water (T0), 50%, 25% and 12.5% concentration of seaweed foliar fertilizers. These manifestations may be due to lack of nitrogen as reflected by light a green color of leaves. Thus, N nutrient in the Kappaphycus alvarezii extracts seemed not absorbed or not available for plant growth. In case of control, abundant supply of essential nutrient elements maybe present in tap water, thus control treatment also showed high plant height, heavier weight, comparable number of leaves and canopy size than that of other treatments.

Plant weight (g)

Generally light green leaves and stunted growth of pechay plants were observed in tap water (T0), 50%, 25% and 12.5% concentration of seaweed foliar fertilizers. These manifestations may be due to lack of nitrogen as reflected by light a green color of leaves. Thus, N nutrient in the Kappaphycus alvarezii extracts seemed not absorbed or not available for plant growth. In case of control, abundant supply of essential nutrient elements maybe present in tap water, thus control treatment also showed high plant height, heavier weight, comparable number of leaves and canopy size than that of other treatments.

Number of leavesResults showed that the number of leaves of pechay as affected by

various treatments were significantly different. The numbers of leaves in Treatments 2 and 3 were exactly the same. However, the numbers of leaves in pechay adopting Treatments 0 and 4 were almost the same while Treatment 1 consistently produced abundant number of leaves.

Plant canopy size (cm)Table 1 shows that plant mean canopy size of pechay adopting the

different treatments. The plant canopy size of pechay in all treatments was not significantly different. However leaves of pechay in treatments T1, T3 and T4 were wider than treatments T2 and T0 (control). Smaller leaves of pechay resulting to smaller canopy size may be due to nitrogen deficiency. It is a fact that nitrogen is responsible for the growth and development of leaves. Nitrogen may be available in inorganic form but maybe unavailable or unabsorbed in organic form.

Plant canopy size reflects plant growth and development. Pechay with sufficient nutrient showed good performance particularly when applied with complete commercial fertilizer as well as foliar seaweed fertilizer with 25% concentration. Greater canopy size would mean greater area for photosynthesis to take place since there would be more receptor sites for photosynthesis. However, pechay plants applied with organic seaweed foliar fertilizer with 25% concentration were a little bit inferior to pechay applied with commercial fertilizer. Statistically, they are also significantly different which can be attributed to the difference in leaf length and leaf width. It reflects that foliar fertilizer with 25% concentration of seaweeds can produce vigorous canopy but this could not equate to the plants applied with complete inorganic fertilizer.

Cost and Return Analysis

Treatmentsaverage

weight/plant (g)

Production per Hectare

(g)

Price per kg

Gross Income(Php)/ha

production cost per ha(Php)

net income

T0 - control (tap water) 48.33 4,833.00 20 Php96,660.00 Php51,000.00 Php45,660.00

T1 - (14-14-14) commercial fertilizer (10g/pot)

100 10,000.00 20 Php200,000.00 Php71,000.00 Php129,000.00


43.33 4,333.00 20 Php86,660.00 Php56,000.00 Php30,660.00


43.33 4,333.00 20 Php86,660.00 Php54,000.00 Php32,660.00

T4 - (12.5% concentration) of foliar application of seaweeds (62.5g)

50 5,000.00 20 Php100,000.00 Php52,000.00 Php48,000.00

Table 2. Cost and return analysis of pechay applied at various concentrations of seaweed extract, complete inorganic fertilizer and tap water control.

Cost and Return analysis

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

This study was conducted to determine the production and productivity of pechay through the application of various concentrations of seaweeds organic fertilizer, to determine its efficacy and efficiency, and as well as to know the cost and return analysis following the different treatments adopted.

Seaweeds were boiled with water to form foliar fertilizers wherein various amount was diluted with water to produce different concentrations. The formulated fertilizers were applied in order to evaluate the performance of pechay. The study was laid out in completely randomized design (CRD) with 5 treatments and 3 replications. The treatments were as follows:

T0 = control (tap water), T1 = complete inorganic fertilizer, T2 = 50% seaweed fertilizer, T3 = 25% seaweeds fertilizer, T4 =12.50% seaweed fertilizer.

Results showed that the best result was manifested in treatment using complete inorganic fertilizer. This contributed very high net income of PhP 129,000 through a significantly greater plant height, heavier weight, and wider canopy size. Therefore, complete inorganic fertilizer is mainly the vital fertilizer material needed for growing the crop due to its quick absorption of all major essential elements, i.e., N, P and K from the roots to its foliage. And thus, is necessarily recommended for increasing the productivity, production and income of said endeavor.

THANK YOU!

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