Department of Education

Region IV-A CALABARZON

Effects of RHESK mix in the growth of Pechay

Sophia Isabelle Gamba

August 2017
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Philippines is known far it’s fertile and abundant agricultural lands. By being

knowledgeable about it’s preservation and innovation. It can satisfy the needs of the

whole country. Unfortunately, modernization is sweeping off those lands into industrial

and manufactory territories leaving small spaces for agriculture.

Loosing agrarian lands is indeed a big challenge for it fulfills the country’s

necessity. It is with this thought that the researchers came up with this study investigated

and analyzed the soil substitute produced out of rice husk, egg shells, and kakawate

leaves mixture. These material are usually discarded everywhere because it has no use,

But these discarded waste contains minerals that can help the plant growth.

Rice husk contains a high content of silicon and potassium, nutrient which have

great potential for amending soil, while those with a relatively higher carbon content (e.g.

wood or nut shells) are currently used for the production of activated carbon. The use of

rice straw and rice husks in the field has been practiced for some time (Ponamperuma,

1982). Research has shown that incorporation of rice straw and rice husks can

significantly improve soil properties by decreasing soil bulk density, enhancing soil pH,

adding organic carbon, increasing available nutrients and removing heavy metals from

the system, ultimately increasing crop yields (Williams et al., 1972).

Characterization of the rice husk showed that they were very rich in organic

carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and the exchangeable bases especially

calcium and magnesium. Where the husk pH was extremely acid (4.1), the

exchangeable acidity was correspondingly high (16.8) compared to where the pH was

slightly acid (6.5) with an exchangeable acidity (Essoka et.al 2014)

manufacture in plants. Moreover, crushed eggshells are good fungicide and reduce soil

acidity. Nitrogen from protein residues in eggshells and other nutrients will eventually

add to the fertility of the soil. Useful components of egg shell manure such as Calcium

carbonate is a principle ingredient.

While kakawate leaves are composed of minerals such minerals such as

nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, manganese,

and copper.

Farmers make use of the kakawate leaves in various ways: incorporated into the

soil during land preparation, spread over as mulch and applied as spray on standing

crops.

The latter was a concoction of fermented leaves (popularly known for local

farmers as “Kakawate Plus”) sprayed on the rice crop at maximum tillering to

reproductive stages. Other farmers prepared kakawate leaf extracts in combination with

lesser-known plant resources. This multi-purpose tree is popularly known to many

farmers because of its high mineral composition that provides nutrients to crops, and

chemical compounds that help control the insects and decrease population of soil-borne

pathogens (Villegas-Pangga, 2017).

These hypothetically suggest that rice husks, eggshells and kakawate leaves

mixture has a great potential for soil subtitute.

Statement of the Problem

This study determined the effects of rice husks, eggshells and kakawate leaves

on the full growth of pechay plant. This also answered the following questions:
 1. Is there an evidence of the presence of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium

and calcium in the RHESK mixture?

2. What is the power of hydrogen of RHESK mix week/s after the

preparation?

3. What is the performance of RHESK mix to the ten days growth of the

pechay plant in terms of average number of leaves per plant?

4. Is there a significant in the performance of RHESK mix with that of

common garden soil to the ten days growth of the pechay plant in terms of

number of leaves per plants?

Hypotheses

The stated main and specific problems lead to the following hypotheses:

There is no significant difference in the performance of RHESK mixture versus a

common garden soil to the ten days growth of the pechay plant in terms of number of

leaves per plant.

Significance of the Study

This study is perceived to serve its purpose in finding an effective soil

substitute to improve the growth of vegetables specifically pechay. It also

contributes to the conversion of wastes to something useful.

Scope and Limitation

The study is focused on investigating whether the rice husk, eggshells and

kakawate leaves (RHESK) mix is a potential substitute for common garden soil.
For the presence of Nitrogen, Potassium, Phosphorus and Calcium an assay of

sample submitted to the Bureau of Soils and Water Management, Diliman,

Quezon City was as reference. In determining acidity or basicity level of the

RHESK mix, the power of hydrogen (pH) of its major components was monitored

before mixing and that of the mixture was monitored weekly until its eighth week.

For potential fertility of RHESK mix the early growth in terms of number of leaves

per plant of pechay was considered as the indicator.

Definition of Terms

RHESK mix. This refers to the soil substitute produced by composting and mixing

rice husk, eggshells, and kakawate leaves, following the proportions 1:1:1, 5:3:2

and 7:2:2.

Practical Fertility. This refers to the fetility of the mixture indicated by the

presence of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium and Calcium vital to the growth of

plants.

Potential Fertility. This refers to the fertility of the RHESK mix measured using

the growth of pechay plants as basis.

Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Soil supplies plants with inorganic, mineral nutrients in the form of dissolve ions,

these mineral nutrients include such metallic elements as potassium, calcium and others
as well as such non-metallic elements as nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus (Brady and

Weil). These mineral nutrients and non- metallic elements can be found in CHESG-532.

In the study of Burly and Vadhera, the eggshell chemical analyses showed that

the eggshell is composed of about 97% calcium carbonate. On the other hand, the study

of Mitchel showed that it is reasonable to assume that the eggshell add calcium to the

soil and help to reduce soil acidity.

The kakawateleaves decompose relatively fast, providing nitrogen and

potassium. G. sepium application also improved the soil moisture availability

(Subramanian et al., 2005). In the field experiment application of Gliricidia was

shown to increase the soil nitrogen levels in the top soil than in the sub-soil.

Chapter III

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

The experimental method of research was utilized in this study. In this

experimental study, the setups were as follows: Setup A which is the control

used 500 g of common garden soil as medium for planting; Setup B which is the

experimental used 500g of RHESK – 111 mix as medium for planting; Setup C

which is the experimental used 500g of RHESK – 532 mix as medium for

planting and Setup D which is the experimental used 500g of RHESK – 722 mix

as medium for planting.

In this design the dependent variable is the potential fertility assessed in

terms of the growth in terms of number of leaves of the pechay plants. The
independent variable is the medium used for planting (common garden soil and

RHESK 111,532 and 722 mix).

During the planting stage, all other factors that may influence the result

like the amount of soil, sunlight received, amount water, the initial state of the

pechay plant are held constant ensuring strict monitoring all throughout the

experimental period.

Part of this study is the analysis of the practical fertility of RHESK mix

using presence of Nitrogen, Potassium, Phosphorus and calcium as bases. In

accomplishing this, a descriptive analysis using previously validated results was

employed.

Experimental Procedure

In order to produce the RHESK mix, all the materials needed were

gathered. The eggshells were powdered and dried the leaves then grinded in a

blender. Following the ratios of 1:1:1, 5:3:2, and 7:2:2, exact amounts of the raw

materials for the mixture were measured: 1 kg for the rice husk, 1 kg for the

eggshell, and 1 kg of dried kakawate leaves. 5 kg for rice husk, 3 kg of eggshell,

and 2 kg of dried kakawate leaves. 7 kg for rice husk, 2 kg of eggshell, and 2 kg

dried kakawate leaves. Ten liters of water was added to moisten the mixture

since all the materials used were dried. The mixture was placed inside a black

garbage bag. Small holes were bored around the garbage bag for the aeration.

The bag was placed in one specific area in the school science garden for the

composting process. The composting process lasted for eight weeks.

with a depth of 1 cm for a week in order to have pechay seeds seedlings. Eight 4

liters of bottles were cut into half forming 16 plots. Four of which were filled with

500g common garden soil, four plots were filled respectively by RHESK 111, 532

and 722 mix.

The Initial Power of Hydrogen of the Components of the RHESK – 111,

532 and 722 mix was tested individually using a digital pH meter. Also the power

of hydrogen of the RHESK – 111, 532 and 722 mix was tested weekly for eight

weeks.

On the 5th and 10th day after the transplanting, the researchers monitored

and recorded the number of leaves per plant. All the data were recorded and

kept properly.

Statistical Treatment

This study used the following statistical treatment of data: (1) Mean was used to

get the average of the number of leaves. (2) t – Test pair wise to determine the

difference in the mean of the number of leaves of the pechay plants between the control

group and the experimental group.