EFFECT OF COMMERCIAL FERTILIZER AND NATURAL

FERTILIZER TO THE HEIGHT OF PECHAY PLANT

A Research Paper

Presented to the Faculty of the Mathematics Department

Ilocos Sur National High School

Vigan City

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Subject Research in Mathematics

Christine Mae A. Lazo

Diana Jane P. Paz

Princess Trisha May A. Quirit

Vince Lery M. Tadena

Catherine M. Ventura

2016-2017
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Christine, Diana, Princess Trisha May, Vince Lery and Catherine would like

to extend and express their profoundest gratitude to everyone who helped and gave

contributions for the fulfilment and success of this study.

Mrs. Leila R. Rabo, the researchers’ teacher, who is ever supportive, for her

unstoppable and unending patience, moral support, and who helped the researchers to

improve the study.

To the parents of the researchers, who have gave their moral support and

understanding when the researchers were doing the study, for their support financially for

the success of the study.

And lastly to God Almighty, for His blessings, enlightenment, guidance given to

the researchers, without which, everything would have been impossible

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ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to determine the effect of commercial fertilizer and

natural fertilizer to pechay plant. Moreover it aimed to compare which fertilizer grows

the pechay plant faster.

This study focused on the height of the pechay plant using commercial fertilizer

and natural fertilizer.

This research study employed the descriptive comparative design wherein 6

pechay plants were chosen as samples for this study. The samples were observed for 12

days.

This research was conducted at Malingeb, Bantay, Ilocos Sur. Pechay plants were

planted and the plants were watered every day with 200 ml water, and 2 tablespoon urea

fertilizer were put on the 3 plant samples, while the other 3 plant samples were mixed

with loam soil and cow’s manure. The height of the plant was observed every 3 days. The

height of the pechay plants were measured by the use of ruler every week. The plants

were put in an open area. The plants were watered every day with 200 ml of water.

The findings of the study revealed that there was a significant difference on the

height of the pechay plants that has commercial fertilizer and natural fertilizer.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

Acknowledgement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii

Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv

List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Background of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Statement of the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Scope and Delimitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Conceptual Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Hypothesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Significance of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Operational Definition of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

III. METHODOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Research Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Population and Sample . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Data Gathering Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Data Gathering Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

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IV. PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA . . . . . . 9

V. FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Findings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

DOCUMENTATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

CURRICULUM VITAE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
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LIST OF TABLES

Page

Table 1. Observation of the height of the pechay plants with natural fertilizer every three

days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

...9

Table 2. Observation of the height of the pechay plants with commercial fertilizer every

three days. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . 10

Table 3. Mean Height of the samples with commercial fertilizer and natural fertilizer

including the number of samples and standard deviation . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . .11

LIST OF FIGURE

Page

Figure 1 : Research Paradigm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 3

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Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Plants need to be fertilized because most soil does not provide the essential

nutrients required for optimum growth. Even if you are lucky enough to start with great

garden soil, as your plants grow, they absorb nutrients and leave the soil less fertile.

Remember those tasty tomatoes and beautiful roses you grew last year? It took nutrients

from the soil to build those plant tissues. By fertilizing your garden, you replenish lost

nutrients and ensure that this year's plants have the food they need to flourish.

Fertilizer is any material of natural or synthetic origin (other than liming

materials) that is applied to soils or to plant tissues (usually leaves) to supply one or more

plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants.

Natural fertilizer comes from an organic source such as manure, blood meal,

cottonseed meal, feather meal, crab meal, or others, as opposed to synthetic sources.

There are also some natural fertilizers that are not organic, such as Greensand, which

contains potassium, iron, calcium, and other nutrients.

Commercial Fertilizers are substance containing one or more recognized plant

nutrients and that is used for its plant nutrient content or that is designated for use or

claimed to have value in promoting plant growth. Commercial fertilizers also include

lime, gypsum, and manipulated animal and vegetable manures.

Chemical fertilizers are rich equally in three essential nutrients that are needed for

crops and always ready for immediate supply of nutrients to plants if situation demands.
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And some several chemical fertilizers have high acid content. They have the

ability to burn the skin. Changes soil fertility, but immediate supply or slow release.

Chemical fertilizers turn out to be cheaper because they pack more nutrients per pound of

weight.

On the other hand, natural fertilizers adds natural nutrients to soil, increases soil

organic matter, improves soil structure and tilth, improves water holding capacity,

reduces soil crusting problems, reduces erosion from wind and water, slow and consistent

release of nutrients, have slow release capability; distribution of nutrients in organic

fertilizers is not equal.

It is by this reason the researchers would like to conduct this study to provide a

solution to a problem to help growers decide which type of fertilizer is better when it

comes to the growth of plants.

Height is the measure of vertical distance, either how "tall" something is, or how

"high up" it is. Organic fertilizer may be cheaper per pound but works out to be more

expensive over all because more of it is needed for the same level of nutrients.

Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to compare the effect of commercial fertilizer and natural

fertilizer to the height of pechay plant. Specifically, this study sought to answer the

following questions:

1. What is the average height of the pechay plant using commercial fertilizer?

2. What is the average height of the pechay plant using natural fertilizer?
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3. Is there a significant difference between the height of the pechay plant with

commercial fertilizer and those with natural fertilizer?

Scope and Delimitation

This study focused on the height of the pechay plant using commercial fertilizer

and natural fertilizer. The study was conducted on January 21, 2017 – February 2, 2017.

The researchers used 6 samples, where 3 samples used natural fertilizer, and 3 samples

for commercial fertilizer.

Conceptual Framework

a. Commercial Fertilizer
Height of Pechay Plant
b. Natural Fertilizer

Figure 1: Research Paradigm

The figure above shows the effect of the commercial and the natural fertilizer on the

height of the pechay plant.

Hypothesis

There is no significant difference between the height of the pechay plant using

commercial fertilizer and the height of the pechay plant using natural fertilizer.
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Significance of the Study

This study is equally significant for pechay plant growers who are looking for

better fertilizer to grow the plant. With this, the better fertilizer can be easily identified.

Operational Definition of Terms

Height. It is a measurement on how tall the pechay plant.

Fertilizer. It is a substance (such as manure or a special chemical) that is added to soil to

help the growth of the plant

Pechay plant. It is the oldest green vegetable and used as the subject of the study.

Chemical fertilizer. This refers to the urea used as fertilizer in this study.

Organic fertilizers. This refers to the cow manure used as fertilizer.

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Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

So many people are in such a hurry to success that they eagerly take any shortcuts

that come across their way. So as plant growers, who would not like plants that grow

fast?

So the researchers decided to observe which fertilizer can grow the pechay plant

faster. Is it the commercial fertilizer? Or the natural fertilizer?

To make plants grow faster, what you need to do is supply the elements that the

plants need in readily available forms. That is the goal of fertilizer. Most fertilizers

supply just nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium because the other chemicals are needed

in much lower quantities and are generally available in most soils. Nitrogen, phosphorus

and potassium availability is the big limit to growth.

The purpose of fertilizers are to supplement the natural supply of soil nutrient,

build up soil fertility in order to satisfy the demand of crops with a high yield potential

and to compensate for the nutrients taken by harvested products or lost by unavoidable

leakages to the environment, in order to maintain good soil conditions for cropping.

Fertilizers enhance the growth of plants. This goal is met in two ways, the

traditional one being additives that provide nutrients. The second mode by which some

fertilizers act is to enhance the effectiveness of the soil by modifying its water retention

and aeration.
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Pechay plany is a low maintenance vegetable and could be planted any day, most

anywhere there is full sun and practically any kind of soil. They are annuals, meaning,

after harvest, they will die. Pechay is an annual biennial herb. Its leaves are smooth, 30

cm long, broad at the tip narrowing gradually at the base extending downward to the

upper end of its elongated, thick and whitish stalks. The leaves are erect, flowers are pale

yellow.
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Chapter III

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

The researchers used the descriptive comparative design.

Population and Sample

The subjects of the study were 3 pechay plants for commercial fertilizer and

another 3 for natural fertilizer.

Materials used in the study

The instruments used in the study were pot, loam soil, ruler, dipper, commercial

fertilizer, natural fertilizer, and writing materials. The pot was used to hold the pechay

plant. The loam soil was the type of soil that is used. The ruler was used to measure the

height of pechay plant. The dipper was used to water the plant. The fertilizers to grow the

pechay plant, and writing materials to list the data gathered.

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Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers conducted the study at Malingeb, Bantay, Ilocos Sur. Pechay

plants were planted. The researchers planted 6 pechay seeds on the pots. The plants were

watered every day with 200 ml water, and 2 tablespoons of commercial fertilizer were

put on the 3 plant samples, and the other 3 plants samples were loam soil mixed with

cow’s manure as a fertilizer. The height of the plant was observed every 3 days. The

results of the observation were jotted down in a table. The study lasted for 12 days.
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Chapter IV

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter presents the results and discusses the interpretation of the researchers

about this study. The data were presented in tabular and textual form.

Table 1. Observation every 3 days of the height of the pechay plants with natural

fertilizer.

SAMPLE 1 SAMPLE 2 SAMPLE 3

DAY
HEIGHT(millimeter)

3 13 16 18

6 24 23 25

9 37 32 33

12 42 45 43

Average height of the samples = 43.33 mm

The table above presents the height of each plant with organic fertilizer in each

observation time. The results showed that the height of the three samples used, don’t have

the same height yet they are close to each other. On the 12 th day, the average height of the

three samples is 43.44 mm

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Table 2. Observation every three days of the height of the pechay plants with commercial

fertilizer.

SAMPLE 1 SAMPLE 2 SAMPLE 3

DAY

HEIGHT(millimeter)

3 28 33 27

6 63 65 62

9 72 76 75

12 83 83 86

Average height of the samples = 84 mm

The table above presents the height of each plant with commercial fertilizer in

each observation time. The results showed that the height of the three samples used, don’t

have the same height yet they are close to each other. On the 12 th day, the average height

of the three samples is 84 mm.

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Table 3. Mean Height of the samples with commercial fertilizer and natural fertilizer

including the number of samples and standard deviation

COMMERCIAL
CRITERIA NATURAL FERTILIZER
FERTILIZER
Number of Samples 3 3
Mean Height 84 43.33
Sd 1.7321 1.5275
t-value 30.50
Critical value ±2.776
Decision Reject Ho

The table above presents the mean height of the samples with commercial

fertilizer and natural fertilizer including the number of samples and standard deviation.

On the other hand, the computed critical value was ±2.776 The computed value of

30.50 is greater than the positive critical value of 2.776. Thus, it is within the rejection

region. This connotes that the null hypothesis is rejected. So there is a significant

difference between the height of the pechay plant given with two kinds of fertilizers.

Thus, the commercial fertilizer is better than the natural fertilizer when it comes to the

growth of pechay plants.

This may be the reason why more and more farmers use commercial fertilizer.

Chapter V

FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

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This chapter presents the summary of the findings, conclusion and

recommendations of this study.

Findings

The following are the salient findings on the study:

1.) The mean height of the samples with commercial fertilizer was 84 mm. On the

other hand, the mean height of the samples with natural fertilizer was 43.33 mm.

2.) The computed value of 30.500 was higher than the critical value of 2.776. This

suggests that the null hypothesis was rejected.

Conclusion

Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions were drawn:

1.) The pechay plants with commercial fertilizer are taller than the pechay plants

with natural fertilizer.

2.) There is a significant difference between the height of the pechay plant which

used commercial fertilizer and natural fertilizer. The pechay plants grow faster

with the use of commercial fertilizer than the natural fertilizer.

Recommendations

From the findings and conclusions drawn in this study, the researchers

recommended the following:

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1.) Plant growers should use commercial fertilizer if they want their plant to grow

faster.

2.) The containers and the variety of plants should also be considered to come up

to a successful gardening

3.) Longer time must be spent for the observation and the conduct of study for a

more reliable result.

4.) Further must be conducted considering the different types of commercial

fertilizer and natural fertilizer in growing plants.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

INTERNET SOURCES

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilizer

http://www.fertilizer.org/AboutFertilizers

http://home.howstuffworks.com/question181.htm
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APPENDIX

DOCUMENTATION

Day 3 Day 6

Day 9
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Day 12

Day 15
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CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: Christine Mae A. Lazo

Address: Fuerte, Caoayan, Ilocos Sur

Place of Birth: Caoayan, Ilocos Sur

Date of Birth: August 28, 2001

Name of Mother: Ida Mae A. Lazo

Name of Father: Roger S. Lazo

Educational Attainment

Elementary: Fuerte Elementary School

Secondary: Ilocos Sur National High School

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CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: Diana Jane P. Paz

Address: Capangdanan, Bantay, Ilocos Sur

Place of Birth: Vigan City, Ilocos Sur

Date of Birth: August 16, 2000

Name of Mother: Ludivina P. Paz

Name of Father: Eufemio V. Paz

Educational Attainment

Elementary: Capangdanan Elementary School

Secondary: Ilocos Sur National High School

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CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: Princess Trisha May A. Quirit

Address: Pantay Laud Vigan City

Place of Birth: Pantay Laud, Vigan City, Ilocos

Sur

Date of Birth: September 23, 2000

Name of Father: Charles A. Quirit

Name of Mother: Genalyn E. Quirit

Educational Attainment

Elementary: Anonang-Naguillan Community School

Secondary: Ilocos Sur National High School

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CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: Vince Lery M. Tadena

Address: Vacunero, Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur

Place of Birth: Manila

Date of Birth: August 9, 2001

Name of Mother: Leny M. Tadena

Name of Father: Reynaldo A. Tadena

Educational Attainment

Elementary: Sto. Domingo South Central School

Secondary: Ilocos Sur National High School

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CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: Catherine M. Ventura

Address: Malingeb, Bantay, Ilocos Sur

Place of Birth: Vigan City, Ilocos Sur

Date of Birth: January 21, 2001

Name of Mother: Honorata Elena M. Ventura

Name of Father: Bello V. Ventura

Educational Attainment

Elementary: Malingeb Elementary School

Secondary: Ilocos Sur National High School