Divine Word Academy of Dagupan

Rizal Extension, Dagupan City

A.Y. 2023-2024

Benefits of Adding Monosodium Glutamate

When Watering Plants

Submitted by:
Jhoceffe Izaeiah Adanglao
Wilhelm Konrad B. Ferrer
Johnie Dave A. Natnat
Derrik Shem V. Sioson
Ashley Nicole F. Padar

Submitted to:
Ms. Jinky S. Rimorin
Scientific Investigatory Project Teacher

May 3, 2024
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

To almighty God, for providing us the courage and strength and for protecting us along
our journey in conducting our research.

To our family, for helping us morally and for helping us out financially by covering the
costs for our research paper.

We would also like to send our gratitude to Mr. Kyle Dela Peña for sparking the idea
behind our paper with his insightful comments and input.

And lastly to our scientific investigatory project adviser Ms. Jinky Rimorin for being a
good mentor that gives their time and effort in teaching us how to deal with our research
correctly and for believing that we can pursue our research well and make it much better
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DEDICATION

This research paper is wholeheartedly dedicated to our loving parents who encouraged
and inspired us in conducting this study and who continually provide their moral, spiritual, and
financial support to finalize our paper.

We also dedicate this research to our relatives, friends, and classmates who have
offered words of advice and supported us throughout the process of making our academic
research.

And lastly, we dedicate this research to the Almighty God, who gave us strength and
who showered us with his blessings. We would like to thank him for giving us his guidance,
wisdom, protection, and for giving us good health while doing our research.

Jhoceffe Izaeiah Adanglao

Wilhelm Konrad B. Ferrer

Johnie Dave A. Natnat

Derrik Shem V. Sioson

Ashley Nicole F. Padar

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgement……………………………………………………………………..……………………….……..…… 1

Dedication ………………………………………………………………………………………….…………................. 2

Table of Contents………………………………………………….………………………..……………….…………….. 3

Abstract…………………………………………………..……………………………………….…………………………... 4

Chapter I: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study……………………………………………..……………….…………………………...……. 5

Statement of the Problem……………………………………………………………………………….…………….... 7

Hypothesis ……………………………………………………………………………………...………….………………… 7

Significance of the Study……………………………………………………………….………………………………… 9

Scope and Limitations…………………………………………………………….………………..……….............. 10

Definition of Terms…………………………………………………………………………………..….……….......... 11

Chapter II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE …………………………….……….……...………………..

12

Chapter III: METHODOLOGY

Materials………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………………….. 15

Procedure………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………...... 16

Chapter IV: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Findings………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………..…. 17

Chapter V: CONCLUSION…………..……………………………………………………………….…………………. 19
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Chapter VI: RECOMMENDATION………..………………………………………………………..……………….… 20

Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………………..……………........
21

ABSTRACT

The utilization of monosodium glutamate (MSG) as a fertilizer in gardening and

agricultural practices has gained attention due to its perceived benefits and ease of availability.

Despite anecdotal evidence supporting its efficacy from gardening veterans like Mazlan,

comprehensive scientific research is lacking to substantiate its claims. This study aims to

address this gap by investigating the effectiveness of MSG as a fertilizer through a controlled

experiment.

The experiment involved treating two identical Strobilanthes dyerianus plants with

different watering solutions: one with regular water and the other with water mixed with MSG.

Over a 16-day period, the growth parameters of both plants, including height and stem

diameter, were monitored.

Initial findings revealed that the plant treated with MSG exhibited significantly faster

growth and larger root diameter compared to the control plant. Analysis of the data supported

the hypothesis that MSG, with its high content of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, trace

elements, and amino acids, serves as a viable alternative to traditional fertilizers.

Through this experiment, Mazlan's theory regarding the benefits of MSG in plant growth

was validated, providing empirical evidence to support its effectiveness as a fertilizer. While this
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study focused on the benefits of MSG, future research could explore potential drawbacks and

further optimize its application in gardening and agriculture.

Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

According to Mazlan, gardening veteran for over 55 years, MSG has grown in popularity

and use as an alternative plant fertilizer.He says that it is most likely due to its high content of

nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. MSG also has trace elements such as ammonium, sulfate,

calcium, magnesium, organic matter, and a variety of amino acids which are needed for plant

growth.

The necessity to conduct a study on the topic of using MSG as a fertilizer arises from

several critical factors. Firstly, there has been a notable increase in its popularity among

gardeners and agricultural practitioners, driven by anecdotal evidence suggesting its

effectiveness. However, this surge in usage lacks the backing of comprehensive scientific

research. Without empirical data, it's challenging to ascertain the true efficacy, potential

benefits, and any possible drawbacks associated with MSG as a fertilizer.

The problem influencing the need for this study lies in the growing trend of using MSG

as a fertilizer without comprehensive scientific understanding of its effectiveness, potential

benefits, and possible drawbacks. Despite anecdotal evidence supporting its efficacy from

gardening veterans like Mazlan, there remains a lack of empirical research and data to

substantiate its claims. Without such evidence, gardeners and agricultural practitioners may be
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making uninformed decisions regarding fertilization practices, potentially leading to suboptimal

outcomes or unintended consequences for plant health and environmental sustainability.

In the context of gardening and agricultural practices, the use of MSG as a fertilizer has

garnered attention due to its perceived benefits and ease of availability. With the increasing

interest in organic and sustainable gardening methods, exploring alternative fertilization options

like MSG becomes pertinent. Many farms today now spray their crops with MSG to enrich

growth and to ward off insects (Fassa, par. 8).

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Statement of the Problem

This study serves to determine the benefits of adding Monosodium glutamate when

watering plants. The purpose of this study aims to answer the questions listed below:

1. What are the problems identified?

With the existence of inflation, it's no surprise that food, our necessities,

and products that we use on a daily basis would also raise their prices. So as a solution

people have started creating various alternatives in place of these products to save

money, People have also started growing plants not only as a vanity on their homes but

to create their own source of food.

So comes the next problem which is plants can take too long to grow and start

creating food. A food bearing plant can take a minimum of 30 days up to 90 days or

even more. Another problem that some gardeners face are insects and pests that cause

the death of many of their plants.

2. Relation of the solution to the problem

Since we have learned that plants take a hefty amount of days to fully grow, we

can now then use Mazlan’s knowledge and agricultural skills by adding Monosodium

glutamate to the water we use on our plants which as stated according to our research

helps give the plants the nutrients they need to grow stronger and faster thus cutting or

reducing the time that it takes for them to start producing crops and foods that we can
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make use of. Lastly Monosodium glutamate is known to be used by farmers as a way to

protect their crops and guard off insects and pests

Research Objectives

In this section we lay out the objectives and goals that we aim to accomplish in our

research. We split it into two sections those being the Main Objective and the Specific

Objectives.

Main Objective:

This study aims to identify the benefits of adding Monosodium glutamate to the water a

person uses on their plants or crops.

Specific Objectives:

This study also aims to do the following:

1. Create a cheaper, much affordable alternative fertilizer

2. Create a protection or repellant that guards the crops from insects and pests

3. Prove and support Mazlan’s theory

Research Hypothesis

If Monosodium glutamate contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and a variety of

amino acids which are needed for plant growth, then it should work as a cheaper and much

affordable alternative fertilizer.

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Significance of the Study

As this study aims to determine the benefits of adding monosodium glutamate when

watering plants and to see its effectiveness.

This study is beneficial from various sector as follows:

Gardeners and Plant Enthusiasts. Gardeners and plant enthusiasts can benefit from

enhanced plant growth and health by incorporating glutamate into their watering routines,

leading to more vibrant and productive plants.

Agricultural Sector. Farmers and agricultural professionals can potentially increase crop yields

and optimize resource utilization by utilizing monosodium glutamate as a supplement for

watering plants, contributing to improved agricultural productivity and food security.

Environmental Conservation Efforts. Healthy plants contribute to ecosystem balance and

environmental sustainability. By promoting plant health through innovative techniques like

adding monosodium glutamate when watering, this practice can indirectly support

environmental conservation efforts.

Community. Through this research, it will raise awareness within society about the positive

effects of adding monosodium glutamate when watering plants. This awareness will enable the
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community to better understand and promote the proper method of incorporating monosodium

glutamate into their plant watering routines.

Researchers. The exploration of monosodium glutamate's effects on plant growth presents an

opportunity for further research and scientific inquiry in the fields of plant physiology and

agriculture, potentially leading to the development of new agricultural practices and

technologies.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

Scope: This study is conducted within a limited timeframe of fourteen days.

Limitations:

1. Short Time for Experimentation - only having 2 weeks to analyze our data, our

plants were only just starting to grow. By this logic we only had a few days to notice the

differences in both plants. If given more time we could have noticed a vastly greater

differences in the plants growth

2. One sided data - Since the focus of our research is understanding the BENEFITS of

using monosodium glutamate on plants, meaning we did not explore the DRAWBACKS

of using it thus only giving us a one sided data.

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Definition of Terms

In this section we provide a list of significant terms or words that are important to our

research, alongside their definitions.

1. MSG - MSG is short for monosodium glutamate. MSG is a white, odorless, crystalline

powder commonly used as a food additive.

2. Fertilizer - any material, organic or inorganic, natural or synthetic, which supplies one

or more of the chemical elements required for the plant growth

3. Strobilanthes dyerianus - the Persian shield or royal purple plant, is a species of

flowering plant in the acanthus family Acanthaceae, which is the plant used in the

research

4. Centimeters - The main unit of measurement used to analyze the differences in the

experiment

5. Pest - a destructive insect or other animal that attacks crops, food, and livestock.

6. Root Diameter - The measurement of the length of the plants roots

7. Nitrogen – creates food for the plant through photosynthesis.

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8. Phosphorus – encourages root growth while increasing the uptake of other nutrients.

They are also bloom boosters.

9. Potassium – makes your plants grow fast and regulates the metabolic processes

required for fruit and seed development.

10. Amino Acids – can make the crop robust and improve crop resistance.

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

According to (Awang et al., 2020) chemical fertilizer was used to fulfill the demand as it

function to speed up the plant’s growth yet prolonged use may create an imbalance of soil

nutrients and discourage decomposition in soil microbes. monosodium glutamate (MSG) which

is commonly known as food flavoring was reported to be used as alternative fertilizer due to the

high content of nitrogen. However, the MSG used was from wastewater of MSG factory which

may have the unknown component. Hence, the aim of this study is to determine the optimum

concentration of pure MSG (Ajinomoto) towards the growth of S. melongena and how it affects

the pH of the soil. The plants were treated with MSG (Ajinomoto) by using 1.5g/L, 2.0g/L,

2.5g/L of MSG three times per week for seven weeks which resulted in the height for all

treatment were significantly higher compared to control but no significant changes in soil pH.
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The study showed that MSG gives a significant positive effect on S. melongena and can be used

as an alternative fertilizer to reduce the usage of chemical fertilizer.

According to (Li et al., 2022), recycling nutrients from the monosodium glutamate (MSG)

wastewater as a low-cost fertilizer is a cleaner practice in the MSG industry. However, the

potential of liquid organic fertilizer (LOF) recovered from MSG wastewater serving as a

substitute for chemical fertilizer, improving crop yields, and mitigating reactive nitrogen

emissions, has not been investigated. In a two-year paddy field experiment, the LOF recovered

from the MSG wastewater was used as top dressing, following a multi-splits fertigation way, to

evaluate its effects on rice yield. Compared with urea application as top-dressing (CF), the

application of LOF from MSG wastewater significantly increased NUE without compromising rice

yield. And at the same time the grain yield was almost the same as CF, and the NUE was even

higher indicating that recycling LOF from MSG wastewater as a fertilizer substitute for top-

dressed urea in paddy fields, can achieve a high yield of rice and NUE with less N input.

According to (Singh et al., 2009) Research into utilization of monosodium glutamate

industrial wastewater (MSGW) as a plant nutrient source was undertaken. The physico-chemical

and microbiological characteristics of MSGW were analyzed in detail. Effect of MSGW on early

growth of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. cv. Pekinensis) and maize (Zea mays L. cv. Bright

Jean) was tested by the seed germination bioassay. Subsequently, in a greenhouse pot

experiment using the same plant species, effects of MSGW application rates on the plant

biomass yield, nitrogen content and soil properties were analyzed. As the MSGW dose

increased, the biomass yield decreased, decreasing the N-use efficiency. Maize showed

significantly higher wastewater N-use efficiency compared to the Chinese cabbage. This

preliminary study demonstrates that by proper management of the pH and optimization of

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application rate, MSGW can be utilized as a nutrient source for plant growth. Further long-term

field studies to evaluate the environmental impact of MSGW usage in agriculture are being

designed to reduce the environmental risks associated with the reuse of this underutilized

wastewater in the agriculture.

According to (Singh et al., 2011) nitrogen rich wastewater from monosodium glutamate

industry (MSG) and paper-mill wastewater were used in this study as low cost fertilizers for

growing corn, a common fuel crop. In a greenhouse pot experiment, effects of these

wastewaters on corn growth and biomass yield along with the soil properties were evaluated.

MSG-wastewater was applied at three rates. Both these wastewaters did not show any adverse

effects on plant. N-use efficiency from the MSG-wastewater was comparable to urea-N

application. This study emphasizes on sustainable practices for energy crop production by

utilizing wastewaters as fertilizer sources. Hence, they reported for the first time that the MSG-

wastewater can be used for growing corn as a low cost green practice without adverse affects

on the soil properties.MSG-wastewater can be used as a low cost fertilizer by adjusting pH with

paper-mill wastewater for direct use in agriculture for fuel crop production. Finally, the

significant effect on plant growth at very low application rates of these wastewaters make it

environmentally safe for long term use. Utilizing MSG-industrial residues in agriculture for

growing fuel crops is a low cost green practice with multiple benefits on plant, soil and

environment.
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Chapter III

METHODOLOGY

The researchers used a control group design with treatment A receiving 22 grams of msg

dissolved into 8 oz or 1 cup of msg water. While treatment B serves as a control group

receiving 8 oz or 1 cup of regular water.

The plant (Strobilanthes dyerianus) gets 0.5 oz or 14 ml of water per day.

Controlled Variable: Independent Variable: Dependent Variable:

 Indirect sunlight  22 grams of ajinomoto  Height of the Plant (cm)

 Diameter of the plant’s

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 Water msg (11 g per pack) roots (mm)

 2 Persian

Shield, Astro

Bolante plants

 2 spray bottles

 2 medium sized

glass cups

 2 medium sized

clay pots

 Measuring tape

 Loam soil (5 kg

per pot)

Procedure:

For the MSG mixture

Step 1: Prepare two containers with both having 240mL of water

Step 2: Add 22 grams of MSG to one of the containers

Step 3: Transfer the water to two separate spray bottles

For the main setup:

Step 1: Prepare two clay pots and fill each with 5 kg of loam soil.

Step 2: Label the plants as Plant (a) and Plant (b).

Step 3: Plant one Strobilanthes dyerianus plant in each of the prepared clay pots.
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Step 4: Ensure both plants are irrigated.

Step 5: Assign Plant (a) to receive 8 oz (or 7-8 sprays) of MSG-mixed water.

Step 6: Assign Plant (b) as the control variable, to receive 8 oz (or 7-8 sprays) of regular

water.

Step 7: Spray both plants 7-8 times at the base daily.

Step 8: Place both plants under indirect sunlight.

Step 9: Monitor the height and stem diameter of both plants over a 16-day period.

Chapter IV

FINDINGS

Table 1: Height (cm) and Root Diameter (mm) of the Plant

Day Setup A (experimental) Setup B (control)

20 cm 20 cm
1
3 mm 3 mm
22 cm 20 cm
2
3 mm 3 mm
23 cm 21 cm
3
3 mm 3 mm
24 cm 21 cm
4
3 mm 3 mm
26 cm 22 cm
5
4 mm 3 mm
6 27 cm 23 cm
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5 mm 3 mm
28 cm 24 cm
7
5 mm 3 mm
29 cm 25 cm
8
6 mm 4 mm
31 cm 26 cm
9
7 mm 4 mm
34 cm 26 cm
10
7 mm 4 mm
35 cm 27 cm
11
8 mm 4 mm
37 cm 28 cm
12
9 mm 5 mm
38 cm 30 cm
13
9 mm 5 mm
40 cm 30 cm
14
10 mm 5 mm

The immediate findings during the experiment indicates that the Experimental set up

that has MSG has a significantly faster growth rate at the start than the Controlled set up which

has no MSG. Additionally, we also found out that the plant’s root diameter in the Experimental

set up is much larger than in the Controlled set up which exhibits the effectivity of MSG in

helping with plant growth.

Day 8

Day 11
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Day 14

Chapter V

CONCLUSION

After analyzing the data we have concluded our hypothesis to be successful and proved

Mazlan's theory to be true as the plants have shown signs of better growth after being sprayed

with water that was mixed with Monosodium glutamate. The experiment also provided us not

only with one data which could be used as a measurement of difference between the two pots,

which is the centimeter or the size of the plant but also we managed to gather the data that the

plant boosted with Monosodium glutamate also had a greater root diameter. Although we only

managed to focus on understanding the benefits and did not manage to explore on the
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downsides on using Monosodium glutamate on our plants, our experiment can still be deemed

to be successful as we have proved and answered our hypothesis which proposes that “If

Monosodium glutamate contains various chemicals and nutrients that plants need for growth

then it should be a viable alternative to your typical commercial fertilizer.

Chapter VI

RECOMMENDATION

In this section we have listed the various recommendations we formulated after

completing the experiment, for future researchers to use if they may ever create an experiment

with the same concept as ours.

1. Longer Time Period of Experimentation - since we identified that our short time

window to perform our experiment as a limitation, we recommend that the future

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researchers prepare in advance so that they could perform their research with more

time.

2. Try different concentrations of msg - one of the things we couldn’t manage to

explore was if the using different concentration of msg used would create a significant

difference, this was valuable data that could also provide more eminent knowledge to

help us understand the effects of using monosodium glutamate on plants.

3. Try it on different plants. - another path we couldn’t explore in our research was

figuring out if other plants have a different reaction to monosodium glutamate

4. Expound on your research - Stated as well in our limitations, only focusing on

understanding the benefits or the positive sides of using Monosodium glutamate was

alright but by understanding both sides or the advantage and the disadvantage of using

Monosodium glutamate could help us push our hypothesis further.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.quora.com/How-long-does-it-take-to-grow-a-full-sized-vegetable-garden-from-

seed-to-harvest#:~:text=Quick-Growing%20Vegetables%20
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https://www.therakyatpost.com/living/2021/10/08/what-ajinomoto-for-plants-may-actually-be-

good-for-them/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNCUrmVnHSU

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6952072/

http://abacus.bates.edu/acad/depts/biobook/FP-MSG.pdf

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/msg-good-or-bad#what-it-is

https://dengarden.com/gardening/Is-MSG-Ajinomoto-Good-for-Plants

Wastewater from monosodium glutamate industry as a low cost fertilizer source for corn (Zea

mays L.) - ScienceDirect

Impacts of monosodium glutamate industrial wastewater on plant growth and soil

characteristics - ScienceDirect