Chapter 1

Introduction

These days, it is common for farmers to use commercial

fertilizers, believing that it will help their crops to grow big
and healthy and in return, giving them higher earnings but
they don’t realize that using commercial fertilizer can be
costly as well. This is the reason why in recent years, people
have been creating alternative fertilizers for these commercial
ones. It is also great that it is eco-friendly and easy to make.

Ipil-Ipil plant, scientifically known as “Leucaena
lucocephala”, can be organic head spring of compost as its
foliage rivals the excrement in the nitrogen content. Some
studies demonstrated that Ipil-Ipil leaves were practically
identical to ammonium sulfate in providing the nitrogen
necessity of rice plants in various soil conditions.

In this study, the case of utilizing Ipil-Ipil plant as an

organic fertilizer is incorporated into another use. In this case,
the Ipil-Ipil leaves will be used in growing bell peppers. As
the economic progress of the Philippines begins to stabilize, it
is time to begin to ask whether it is time to apply the
practicality and sustainability of crop growth should be
accepted. The findings of the study will provide an input that
will help in answering the questions as a little step to future
advancements in agriculture.
 Bell pepper (Capsicum annuum.), additionally called
‘sweet pepper’,‘kampana’ or ‘lara’ is grown for its fruits, that
typically comes in varied colors like red, green, yellow,
brown, and orange. A sweet pepper may be extremely nutrient
vegetable. This bell formed vegetable with an inexperienced,
shiny exterior adds splash of color to any dish. The months of
October to December is suitable
for planting sweet bell pepper, especially for areas that are lo
w elevated to achieve the best quality of fruit outcome?
For mid and high elevated areas, any month of the year is
applicable to grow sweet bell pepper because it requires low
temperature.

Nowadays,
farmers usually use commercial fertilizers in growing
their crops, but these commercial fertilizers have
adverse effects that can cause soil acidification because it can 
decrease the organic matter in the soil. In this study, the resear
cherswould like to introduce Ipil-Ipil leaves as an organic
fertilizer in growing sweet
bell pepper. A study by Brady (as cited in Gonzales et. al., 20
15), organic fertilizerssupply nutrients to the soil to help
improve its physical, chemical and
biological property which could enhance the growth and devel
opment of plants just likecommercial ones but it is less

harmful to the environment and cost less.

 In order to make Ipil-Ipil leaves as an organic
fertilizer, the researcher’s will ferment the leaves. Fermented
plant juice (FPJ), is the extract of the plants’ Chlorophyll and
blood. It is a rich enzyme solution that could help enhance the
growth of plants. In order to extract the essence of the plant
through osmotic pressure, brown sugar is needed. In addition,
fertile soil is one of the best soils that a farmer would use.
This kind of soil has nutrients coming from decayed plants
and animals, so it
is best to use when planting a seedling. Furthermore, the type 
of soil that sweet bell pepper would best grow is that it is
loamy and rich in nutrients, so the researchers will use this
kind of soil. Overall, the researchers will use Ipil-Ipil leaves as
an alternative fertilizer for it contains good nutrients such as
nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus that help improves and
add the nutrients that are already present in the soil. In
addition, Ipil-Ipil is abundant in the Philippines as it adapts
the tropical climate which makes it more accessible to the
researchers in making it as an alternative fertilizer. The
purpose of this study is to inform the farmers about the
effects of Ipil-Ipil leaves as an alternative fertilizer in growing
sweet bell pepper considering that farmers usually use
commercial fertilizers for growing crops. This study will
create consciousness to the farmers and to the community
on the effects of Ipil-Ipil leaves as an alternative fertilizer.

The researchers’ aim in conducting this study is to give

information about
Using Ipil-Ipil leaves as an organic fertilizer and how it
affects the growth of sweet bell pepper. It also aims to answer
the following questions:

1. How does Ipil-Ipil leaves, as an organic fertilizer affects the

growth of sweet bell pepper in terms of

a. Time and length of sprout produced 

b. Time and length of stem produced.

c. Time and length of fruit produced

2. What are the nutrient contents present in Ipil-Ipil leaves

that makes it suitable as an organic fertilizer?

3. What is the best volume of Ipil-Ipil leaves to be used as an

organic fertilizer of sweet bell pepper?

Objectives:
1. To test the effectively of Ipil-Ipil leaves as an organic
fertilizer in growing sweet bell pepper.
 
2. To determine which volume of Ipil-Ipil leaves is the best
organic fertilizer.

The researchers’ goal in making this study is to inform about

the effects of Ipil-Ipil as an alternative fertilizer in growing
sweet bell pepper. This study is beneficial to the following:
1. Farmers
 – Farmers who plant sweet bell peppers will benefit from this
study, as this study focuses on the use of Ipil-Ipil leaves as an
organic fertilizer in growing sweet bell pepper. Instead of
buying commercial fertilizer and they can save money in
using this.

2. Community
 – People living in the community can benefit the use of ipil-
ipil leaves as an organic fertilizer specially those who have
home gardens since they would not be buying commercial

ones.

3. Future Researchers
 – 
  This study would help the future researcher in gaining
information in using Ipil-Ipil leaves as an organic fertilizer.
This can also serve as a reference for future studies.

This study is limited to the use of Ipil-Ipil as an organic

fertilizer for the growth of sweet bell pepper. The researchers
will collect the leaves of Ipil-Ipil and then chop it manually.
After chopping the leaves, the researchers will dissolve brown
sugar with water and then add the chopped Ipil-Ipil leaves to
BLAH BLAH. After that the leaves will be crushed
thoroughly and then place the mixture in a net cloth. The
mixture is then pressed and drained in a colander. The juice
and the net cloth will
then be placed in a plastic container and is covered with a pap
er bag and let sit in 15-20 days before it can be used. The Ipil-
Ipil leaves will first be tested in the Office of the Provincial
Agriculture, Turno, Dipolog City to examine the nitrogen,
phosphorus and potassium content. The place where the sweet
bell pepper will be planted is located in Purok Rubia, Obay
Polanco. The soil will first be tested in the Office of the
Provincial Agriculture, Turno, Dipolog City before planting
the sweet bell pepper in order for the researchers to know
what type of soil that they will be using.

This study will be focusing on the growth and

development of the bell pepper. It will discuss about the
growth of sweet bell peppers depending on the treatment that
is being applied in terms of time and length of sprout, stem,
and fruit production. The data analysis of the study will be
focusing on the effectively of Ipil-Ipil leaves as an organic
fertilizer.