CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Introduction
Due to the increasing of environmental issues in many countries, researchers
and farmers find different methods to sustain the absence of adequate nutrient
supply and improvement to some poor quantity and quality soil structure.Hence,
according to Saebo and Ferrini (2006 as cited in Fini,Degl’Innocenti, &Ferrini
2016) composting diminishes natural problems related to the management of
wastes.
Soil is a vital part of the natural environment. It influences the distribution of
plant species. According to Sardare (2013), the soil is the most available growing
medium for plants. It provides anchorage, nutrients, air, water, etc. for successful
plant growth. But sometimes, soil has itslimitations to plant growth. The unsuitable
soil reactions, unfavorable soil confection and the compatibility of the plant to the
soil. Therefore, soil can be somewhat undependable for the growth of a plant and
must not be the only method to help plants grow. Under this situation, the
possibility of a plant to grow in a beach sand with compost fertilizer can be
introduced.
Sandy soil have a fine-grained silica base. They retain very little in the way
of water, fertilizers and nutrients. This means that it is an extremely poor growing
medium. Once they dry out they are difficult to moisten. However, adding a
compost fertilizer to the sandy soil has both immediate and long-term positive
impacts on soil structure by adding humus proteins, according to the United States
Composting Council. These proteins bind soil particles together, allowing the soil
to resist compaction and increasing its ability to hold moisture and nutrients.
Composting is a natural process that breaks down organic materials from animals
and plants into an organic fertilizer and soil amendment.
Moreover, adding compost to your garden also helps to neutralize pH and
improve the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of soils, increasing their ability to
hold nutrients for plant use. Compost is the best all-around soil conditioner
(Mazzoni, 2013). By determining the result of the sandy beach and compost, it will
help the agricultural problems and further improve the soil content on farms.
2.2 Review on the Independent Variable (Ratio of beach sand compost
fertilizer)
The use of compost as a source of organic matter and nutrients is a common
practice to improve physicochemical properties of a soil, meanwhile reducing the
need for inorganic fertilizers and so doing reducing the production costs (Pivato et
al. 2014). Compost affects soil porosity, texture, water holding capacity, and
increases the availability of nutritive elements.Compost fertilizers are created
through a process called composting which includes breaking down of organic
material derived from animals and plants according to United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA). Zahir et al. (2007 as cited by Azizah, 2013) explained that
composting has many benefits such as returning nutrients present in organic
materials to the soil, managing large volumes of organic wastes in environmentally
sound manners, controlling the undesirable features of organic materials (such as
pathogen and odor), improving the organic matter status, soil health and physic-
chemical properties of the soil, and supporting plant growth and crop productivity.
Compost fertilizer improves physical, chemical and biological properties of soils
making it more suitable for planting crops.
On the other hand, beach sand is a sand that is usually seen on shores,
beaches and coastlines. This type of sand is a collection of different small particles
coming from the erosion of rocks that are washed out to the beach. Pure beach
sand is not an ideal medium for growing plants because it has major disadvantages
as a growth medium, such as the inability to retain water and nutrients. But adding
compost fertilizer in sand will make up for the lost ability to sustain water and
nutrients. It was also said that sand residues can be turned into a resource for
agriculture through the composting process, using proper preliminary treatments to
increase their attitude to composting (Parente et al. 2013). Although sand can't
sustain water and nutrients it is still abundant in silicon dioxide which is
considered as a compound vital to plant health since silicon dioxide provides a
variety of benefits to plants. Some of these benefits are: stronger cell walls,
stronger cells that provides bigger cells to plants, increased resistance to
environmental stress, increased resistance to pathogens, increased resistance to
pests, and enhance metabolic functions for plants among others. Since Plant-
feeding nematodes are well known to cause yield reductions in crop systems
(Neher 2010) and vary in degree of host plant specificity (Perry and Moens 2006;
Jones et al. 2013). Sand deposition can provide plants with an opportunity to
temporarily escape from soil-borne pathogens and plant-feeding nematodes
(Vander Putten et al. 1988 as cited by Brinkman, 2014). Sand and compost supply
each other’s gap making the suitable for combination although results may vary
depending on the amount of ratio of sand and compost.
Additionally, sand is an ideal medium for hydroponics system. Hydroponic
is a method of growing plants in water-based, nutrient solution. Sand is easy to
restore nutrients and can be washed away. But it must be observed of what type of
sand being used in which a silica content sands are not a problem for micronutrient
absorption (Texas A&M University). Sand are also easy to drain and can simpler
to cultivate than other type of soil.

2.3 Review on the Dependent Variable (Growth of Plants)

Plants need various types of nutrients for it to develop and grow. According
to Maleki et. al (2014 as cited in Kawthar, A.E. Rabie, H.M. Ashour and Fatma, S.
I. Ali, 2017) that the most effective element in improving the quantity and quality
yield of plants is nitrogen. Moreover, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium,
and sulfur are also major essential elements needed for plants to grow.There are
also micronutrients in which plants also absorbed for it to grow.
Plants grow in different types of soil in which it is the combination of the
three weathered rock particles that made up the soil- sand, silt and clay.
Furthermore, the type of soil that mostly being used and recommended is the
loamy soil. Loamy soil consists a balanced proportion of salt, silt and clay plus an
organic component called humus. On the other hand, the least used type of soil is
the sandy soil.According to Abd-Allah et. al (2001 as cited in Kawthar et. al,
2017), sandy soils are characterized as a poor nutrient-content soilwhich negatively
affect growth and productivity of medicinal and aromatic plants specifically in
Egypt.However, researchers and farmers are innovating and cultivating to make
sandy soil as a useable source of plant growth. Additionally, there are two types of
sand- silica-based sand and calcium-based sand that have silica and calcium that
are a micronutrient for plants.
Kazemi and Mohorko (2017) said that a growing mediais a fundamental part
of a green roof, providing water, nutrients and support to plants.There are many
growing media that can affectthe growth of plants. One of it is the type of soil.
There are different kinds of plants which specifically best depending on the soil
used.For example,mung beans are best on fertile sandy, loam soils with a good
drainage and grows poorly on heavy clay soils which is poor in drainage. In
conclusion, plants will healthily grow if the appropriate soil is being used. Also, if
proper and correct growing media is chosen, plants will grow successfully healthy.
In addition, there are plant parameters of growth and flowering that are
classified in the height of plant, number of plant, length of plant, number of leaves,
leaf area (cm2), least days to first flower emergence, plant diameter (cm), and
quality of the plant. According to the result in the study of Shahina Yasmeen et. al
(2012) that the best results in their experiment with compost plus sand are
observed in the over all leaf quality of carnation flower.

2.4 Review on Studies that addresses both IV and DV

ISRIC (2012 as cited in E. Arthur, W. Cornelis, and, F. Razzaghi 2012)
stated that sandy soils cover the whole world for about 900 million hectares and
require special management to sustain their agricultural needs. One of these special
management is the addition of composted materials(E. Arthur, W. Cornelis, and, F.
Razzaghi 2012). Composts have certain nutrients that can be a replacement to
replenish the nutrients required for the growth of plants.
E.,Arthur et. al (2012) indicated that with the application of compost can
improve the physical and chemical properties as well as increases crop yield. For
example, the good quality of flowering plants with additional of numbers of
flowers and greater size is produce when mixed with a composition (Khasa et. al,
2005; and Carlile, 2008 as cited in Yasmeen et. al 2012). In the field of vegetable,
it is reported that after the filter-cake compost is mixed with the sandy soil there is
manyfruit, and size developed (Stoffella and Graetz, 2000 as cited in E. Arthur, W.
Cornelis, and, F. Razzaghi 2012). There are also increased in shoot and root
growth in tomato by applying compost to loamy sand ang potting soil (Meuchang
et. al 2006, and Levy and Taylor 2003 as cited in E. Arthur, W. Cornelis, and, F.
Razzaghi 2012). Despite the benefits of the application of composition, it is still
rarely seen nowadays to add it in sand.
As mentioned, beach sand contains silica or silicon dioxide which is a
micronutrient of plant. Silicon (Si) is the second most abundant element in soils
but it is not still considered as an essential element for plant growth. Even so,
monosilicic acid (H4SiO4) is still being absorbed by plants via the roots, and
accumulates in tissues at concentrations ranging from 0.1-10% of dry weight in the
form of polymers of hydrated amorphous silica (Epstein 1999; Richard & Sussman
2003 as cited in Dogramaci et. al, 2013).
Various examinations have announced the valuable impact of silicon (Si) on
crop development and yield for plants under biotic and abiotic stress, however
factor comes about have been accounted for the advantageous impacts of Si
amassing in plant tissues among plant species (Hodson et al., 2005; Ma and
Yamaji, 2008; Abdel Latef and Tran, 2016 as cited in Mahmood et. al 2016). In
contrast, plants can be classified as ‘silicon accumulators’, ‘silicon neutral’ or
‘silicon-rejecters’ (Ma &Yamaji 2006 as cited in Dogramaci et. al, 2013). For
instance, rice, which is a silicon hyper-collector, can have as much as 10% of its
tissue dry weight (Takashi et. al 1990 as cited in Dogramaci). Tomato, a silicon
rejecter, has around 0.1% silicon in its tissuesince they are either not fit for
engrossing Si through their underlying foundations or exclude Si from plant tissues
(Ma &Yamaji 2006).
Mahmood et. al (2016) investigated regarding the application of silicon (Si)
to improve the physiology, growth, and yield of mung bean. Mung bean is a plant
species in the legume family. Furthermore, the joined use of the B. drentensis
strain with 2 kg Si ha−2 brought about the best improvement of mung bean
physiology, growth, and yield (Mahmood et. al 2016).

2.5 Summary

Prior to environmental matters, researchers developed methods to improve

the properties of soil. Although soil may be the most common use for plant growth,
it also has its limitations. Studies such as compost fertilizer or sandy soil can be
used to further improve its limits. Compost fertilizers and sandy soil can govern
the soil structure and the nutrients of the soil.
By providing developments on organic fertilizers to improve plant growth
and soil structure, it can lessen for the production in inorganic fertilizers. Compost
fertilizers can deal a large change to properties of soil, as well as the productivity
of the crops. Also, beach sand can be a major component, although it provides
disadvantages, by mixing the compost and beach sand it will further develop its
lack in soil development. Factors of sand can also provide plants with protection
against insects (Vander Putten et al., 1988 cited by Brinkman, 2014), but with the
proper ratio of the compost fertilizer and beach sand, we can get the proper mixture
to develop its soil structure.
Plant’s growth can be improved by the nutrient it needs and takes, but with
different soils can also provide different nutrients. A combination of soil, clay, silt,
and salt are mostly used seen and used for plant growing, while sand is the least
likely to be use. According to Abd-Allah et al. (2001 cited in Kawthar et. al.,
2017), sandy soils give less nutrients, in which it can affect the plant’s growth.
However, sandy soils contain silica based content, which can help with the plant
growth, but it needs a proper ratio of the sandy soil and compost to get the desired
development of growth. Many ways of measuring plant growth can be seen by the
measurement of its height, length, number of leaves and the diameter of the plant.
ISRIC (2012) stated that sandy soil needs a special treatment to sustain the
agricultural needs of the crops. Although sandy soil provides a silica based content,
not all plants are in need of its nutrients, some plants neglect the use silica while
others are either neutral or are in need of silica. Sandy soils may work on a plant’s
growth but also depends on the type of plant. Mung beans on the other hand,
proved to enhance on growth when provided with Silica (Mahmood et. al 2016).
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