I.
Introduction
A. Background of the study.
Plants need to be fertilized because most soil does not provide essential
nutrients required for optimum growth. Even if the person is lucky enough to start
with great garden soil, as your plants grow, they absorb nutrients and leave the
soil less fertile. Nutrients in the soil also help plants grow strong. Some nutrients
that plants need are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and
sulfur.
Fertilizers, also known as food elements, are materials produced to supple
these elements in a readily available form of plant use. It helps to make plants
grow faster which help some farmers and gardeners for their business. Choosing
the right fertilizer help us to get everything we need from the plants we eat or
from the meat of animals that eat plants. Plants are factories that do all of the
work to process the basic elements of life and make them available to us.
Fertilizers help feed the world. The FAO has stated that “after land and water,
fertilizers are probably the most important input leading to increased yields”. It
is inherently difficult to estimate the share of fertilizers in increasing agricultural
output since so many factors are involved. It has been estimated that fertilizer
contribute about 40% of the nitrogen in human protein consumption, it follows
that nearly one third of this protein depends on fertilizers. Therefore, it is
important for us to know which fertilizers to use for us to sustain properly the
needs of every plant.
Increased crop production largely relies on the type of fertilizers used to
supplement essential nutrients for plants. Fertilizer application is required to
replace crop land nutrients that have been consumed by previous plant growth
with the ultimate goal of maximizing productivity and economic returns. Now a
day, there is increased emphasis on the impact on soil environment due to
continuous use of chemical fertilizers. The impact of chemical fertilizer
application on agricultural land is seen not only in terms of the soil quality but
also on the survival of soil organisms dwelling there in. Chemical fertilizers
provide three major plant nutrients; nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium or NPK.
However, the ever increasing cost of commercial fertilizer products driven, in
part, by the inevitable depletion of global phosphorus, is forcing producers to
look for alternative sources like bio-fertilizers and other organically-based
solutions. In literature, some researchers have concluded the chemical fertilizers
to be harmful for soil organisms but on the contradictory they have been
supported too to be beneficial as far as their food supply is concern. The primary
advantages of using biosolids as a fertilizer alternative are cost efficiencies and
the presence of nutrients and organic matter. Returning these valuable materials
back to the soils is a critical element in long-term sustainability.
B. Statement of the problem
This research aim to compare 2 different brand of fertilizer: Chemical fertilizer
and Citrus Sinensis Peeling (biofertilizers), specifically the researchers sought to
answer the following questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
How does the researchers determine the effectivity of these product?
What are advantages and disadvantages of using these fertilizers?
Which fertilizer will make plants grow faster and healthier?
Which fertilizer is better and more safe to use: Citrus Sinensis Peeling or
branded fertilizer?
C. Hypothesis
The researchers will determine the effectivity of the product by testing the
effectivity of 2 brand of fertilizer in separate plants (Plant A and Plant B). After
the testing, the researchers will record the result and make a statement about
the research.
D. Significance of the study.
The study are beneficial to:
1. Farmers and gardeners- the benefit of this study will help them to improve
the quality of their products, save time with their work, and get a higher
profit.
2. Environment- the benefit of this study will help our environment by helping
the soil and plants to sustain their needs and provide the essential nutrients
required for optimum growth.
3. Agricultural company- the benefit of this study will help them to give a good
service to their customers by giving them a high and good quality products
(ex: rice, vegetables, and fruits)
4. Community- the benefit of this study will help the community to sense this
as a source of income if made into a business.
E. Score and Limitation
The following information of this research will come from different textbooks,
surveys of different researchers, information stated of the product, and some
information in the internet about the subject which is plants and fertilizers. The
factors to consider covered by this study are to evaluate the effectiveness, cost,
and functionality of the fertilizer.
Through the study shows high feasibility, there are still boundaries that shall be
set to further facilitate the research process. In the study, there shall be two setups; thus set-up A: plant fertilized with citrus sinensis peelings, set-up B: plant
fertilize with branded fertilizer. The researchers will then identify its difference.
This study will last for 3-4 weeks. This study can be done until march and the
result should be presented at the statement. However, there are limitations of
the study which is stated below.
The following limitations are:
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Sunlight is one of the important materials in doing this study. Without
sunlight, this experiment can’t be processed.
Some informations gathered from surveys, questionnaires and reference
materials.
Cost and availability that will be covered from this study.
Time management
F. Definition of terms.
The following technical terms are defined in this study.
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I.
II.
Nitrogen- tasteless odorless gaseous chemical element
Phosphorus- poisonous waxy chemical element
Potassium- silver white metallic chemical element
Calcium- a soft gray alkaline earth metal, fifth most abundant element by
mass in the earth’s crust.
Sulfur- an abundant, multivalent non-metal
Citrus Sinensis- the scientific name of sweet oranges. It is what most
consumers commonly buy.
Review of related literature:
Experimentation.
The research about the comparison between 2 different brand of fertilizer
was aimed to help the community to be aware of the importance of
fertilizers and also to give them the information in which fertilizer to use
for their plants. Books, internet, and other references materials were used
as the primary sources of information to strengthen the researchers’ view
on this topic. But these were not enough, so experiments were conducted
by the researchers to gain additional information.
A. Materials:
• Pot A and Pot B
• Good quality of soil
• Seeds to be use (any kind of plant: pechay)
• Water
• Sunlight
• Branded Fertilizer
• Orange peelings
B. Methodology
Procedures:
1. 1. Sow seeds thinly on shallow furrows across the seed pot, and cover lightly
with fine topsoil. Do not broadcast seeds when sowing to avoid thick
germination in one place.
2. 2. Water the seed pot daily. Watering and other cultural management
practices should be regularly done.
3. 3. Apply liberal amount of fertilizer (Citrus Sensis Peeling for pot A and
branded fertilizer for pot B) at the base of the plants, then cover lightly with
soil and water immediately.
4. 4. Water the plant whenever necessary or depending on your own judgement
or observation of the plant
5. 5. Always remember to give both pot a presence of sunlight for their process
of growing.
6. 6. Every week, measure the height of both plant.
7. 7. Observe
8.
9. As long as the researchers followed the procedures, success of
experimentation will be achieved. Factors such as sunlight could affect the
study. In addition, if this is not available, possible that this study could fail.
However, researchers could try it once more again and again until the study
is evaluated.