Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the story:

Organic fertilizers are substances containing nutrients derived from the

remains or by-product of an organism. Organic fertilizers are naturally rich in
nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, the three major nutrients needed in plant
growth.

Pechay, scientifically known as Brassica rapa subsp has been known as

a vegetable that has a nutritional benefits, its high vitamin C content. Vitamin
C is an antioxidant that helps boost your immune system and protect against
diseases. It also plays a crucial role in collagen production, which promotes
healthy skin and wound healing. Pechay is also a good source of vitamin A,
which is important for maintaining healthy vision and supporting the immune
system. Additionally, it contains significant amounts of folic acid, which plays a
vital role in DNA synthesis and cell division.

The researcher aims to investigate the growth of pechay with organic

fertilizers from vegetable and fruits bits from a juicer. Her goal or objective in this
experimentation is to determine if the application of this organic fertilizer will affect
the growth of her decided plant, through an experimentation. The researcher seeks
for a explanation to the effect of the organic fertilizers from vegetables and fruits in
the growth of a pechay plant

The research topic holds a significant importance as it help investigates the

community or environmental impact of farming. The researcher will experiment or
observed the growth of the pechay plant using the vegetables and fruit bits as a
organic fertilizer. This type of study contributes more knowledge to our mind when it
comes up with fertilizers and planting. Also it will help people’s practices in farming
or in planting become more friendly to the environment.
 According to Hitha Shaji, Linu Mathew, Organic fertilizers are naturally available
mineral sources that contain moderate amount of plant essential nutrients. They are
capable of mitigating problems associated with synthetic fertilizers. They reduce the
necessity of repeated application of synthetic fertilizers to maintain soil fertility. They
gradually release nutrients into the soil solution and maintain nutrient balance for
healthy growth of crop plants. They also act as an effective energy source of soil
microbes which in turn improve soil structure and crop growth. Organic fertilizers are
generally thought to be slow releasing fertilizers and they contain many trace
elements. They are safer alternatives to chemical fertilizers.

The use of organic fertilizers plays a significant role in sustainable agriculture

and for improving soil health. They are easily available at low cost and also very
easy to apply in fields. The crop yield increases by 10–25% by increasing organic
fertilizers. They are of the main prerequisites of organic farm management.
Application of organic fertilizers has proven beneficial for effective production of
crops. Organic fertilizers such as Rhizobium culture, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, PSB,
Azola, vesicular mycorrhiza, indigo-green algae, bio activator and many more are
commonly used. Rhizobium and Azotobacter provide about 78 per cent nitrogen of
atmospheric nitrogen and deposited in the ground through fixation (Organic Farming
Basic Principles and Good Practices, 2021).

According to Alejandro Castillo, ... M. Ofelia Rodríguez-García, in The Produce

Contamination Problem, 2009 application of organic fertilizers in pechay production is a
matter of great concern due to the fact that compost, produced under deficient
conditions or recontaminated with human pathogens as a consequence of incorrect
handling, can present a high risk of biological contamination during production.
Materials that are used traditionally for the production of organic fertilizers are
animal, crustacean, and vegetable wastes. The first two represent an important
source of human pathogens that must be inactivated during the production process
of the organic fertilizer. The origin of the materials can define the type of
microorganisms present in the compost if it is not produced correctly.
 There are a lot of studies have looked how organic fertilizers from vegetables
and fruits affect the plant and other plants. Vegetable and fruits fertilizer is well
known because it organic and it has a lot of important of nutrient that will affect the
plant with a better and nice quality. Also the organic fertilizer from vegetable and
fruits is well known for the nutrient NKP ( nitrogen, potassium, phospurus) and other
nutrients. NPK is known as a major nutrient that will affect the growth of the plant.

One important study is called “Response of pechay to a organic fertilizer” this

study was published by: Brassica napus L, Leif Marvin R. Gonzales*, Ramonita A.

Caralde** and Maita L. Aban. “Response of pechay to a organic fertilizer” is

published by Filipino student in the university of Capiz State University – Pontevedra
Campus, Bailan, Pontevedra, Capiz, Philippines. This study proved the people and
its reliable of the research being published.

The findings of this study about the pechay's growth with the vegetables and
fruit bits knownas organic fertilizer bear a great deal of importance for different
parties. The findings relevance due to their potential to enhance the planting and the
sustainability of agriculture and the practice to use organic fertilizer the. The
ramifications go so far as to suggest that farming methods could change in order to
benefit the environment.
Once upon a time in a small village, there lived a young girl named Lily. She was
born into a loving family with caring parents who always provided her with everything
she needed. They worked hard to give her a comfortable life, and Lily was
surrounded by friends who adored her.

Despite all the love and support she received, Lily developed an ungrateful attitude.
She took her blessings for granted and often complained about her life, believing it
was dull and uninteresting. Her parents tried their best to understand her feelings,
but their efforts seemed to fall on deaf ears.

One day, a terrible storm hit the village, causing widespread destruction. Homes
were damaged, and many families lost their possessions. In the midst of the chaos,
Lily's parents were forced to work even harder to rebuild their home and provide for
their family.

Throughout this difficult time, Lily's friends rallied together to help one another. They
shared resources and worked tirelessly to restore their community. As she
witnessed their selflessness and kindness, Lily began to realize the error of her
ways. She had been ungrateful for the love and support she had always received.

Determined to change her attitude, Lily decided to make amends with her parents
and express her gratitude for everything they had done for her. Her parents,
although still hurt by her previous behavior, appreciated her efforts to grow and
change.

In the end, the village recovered from the storm, and life returned to normal. Lily
learned a valuable lesson about the importance of gratitude and the impact of her
words and actions on those around her. She made a promise to herself to never
take her blessings for granted and to always be appreciative of the love and support
she received from her family and friends.
According to Hitha Shaji, Linu Mathew, Organic fertilizers are naturally available
mineral sources that contain moderate amount of plant essential nutrients. They are
capable of mitigating problems associated with synthetic fertilizers. They reduce the
necessity of repeated application of synthetic fertilizers to maintain soil fertility. They
gradually release nutrients into the soil solution and maintain nutrient balance for
healthy growth of crop plants. They also act as an effective energy source of soil
microbes which in turn improve soil structure and crop growth. Organic fertilizers are
generally thought to be slow releasing fertilizers and they contain many trace
elements. They are safer alternatives to chemical fertilizers. ye

The use of organic fertilizers plays a significant role in sustainable agriculture and for
improving soil health. They are easily available at low cost and also very easy to
apply in fields. The crop yield increases by 10–25% by increasing organic fertilizers.
They are of the main prerequisites of organic farm management. Application of
organic fertilizers has proven beneficial for effective production of crops. Organic
fertilizers such as Rhizobium culture, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, PSB, Azola,
vesicular mycorrhiza, indigo-green algae, bio activator and many more are
commonly used. Rhizobium and Azotobacter provide about 78 per cent nitrogen of
atmospheric nitrogen and deposited in the ground through fixation (Organic Farming
Basic Principles and Good Practices, 2021).

According to Alejandro Castillo, ... M. Ofelia Rodríguez-García, in The Produce

Contamination Problem, 2009 application of organic fertilizers in pechay production is a
matter of great concern due to the fact that compost, produced under deficient
conditions or recontaminated with human pathogens as a consequence of incorrect
handling, can present a high risk of biological contamination during production.
Materials that are used traditionally for the production of organic fertilizers are
animal, crustacean, and vegetable wastes. The first two represent an important
source of human pathogens that must be inactivated during the production process
of the organic fertilizer. The origin of the materials can define the type of
microorganisms present in the compost if it is not produced correctly.
There are a lot of literature information everywhere. The researcher
Organic fertilizers comprise a variety of plant-derived materials that range from fresh
or dried plant material to animal manures and litters to agricultural by-products
(Wohlfarth and Schroeder, 1979; Das and Jana, 2003; Kumar et al., 2004). The
nutrient content of organic fertilizers varies greatly among source materials, and
readily biodegradable materials make better nutrient sources. Nitrogen and
phosphorus content is lower, often substantially lower, in organic fertilizers
compared to chemical fertilizers. Moisture content is another factor that reduces or
dilutes the nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations of organic fertilizers. Thus, it can
be cost ineffective to transport high-moisture organic fertilizer long distances.
However, use of locally available sources is perfectly reasonable if its use is
consistent with the production strategy. Nutrient value of animal manures is more
variable than that of agricultural by-products. The animal's diet, the use and type of
bedding material, manure age, and how it was stored are factors that affect manure
nutrient value; these factors can vary seasonally on and among farms, and
regionally or on a larger geographic scale. In contrast, nutrient content of agricultural
by-products is less variable but can be affected by the industrial process used to
produce the by-product. However, it always is advisable to analytically determine the
nutrient content of the organic fertilizer.

The organic carbon content of organic fertilizer can be of equal or greater

importance than its nitrogen and phosphorus contents. Application of organic
fertilizer promotes increases in heterotrophic bacterial biomass, which stimulates
other secondary productivity and mineralizes nutrients to stimulate primary
productivity (Schroeder, 1978; Anderson, 1987; Colman and Edwards, 1987; Qin et
al., 1995; Barkoh et al., 2005). Furthermore, through respiration the increased
bacterial population generates carbon dioxide, which increases dissolved inorganic
carbon available to phytoplankton, dissolves limestone to increase pond total
alkalinity, and can moderate increases in pH during periods of intense
photosynthesis. Also through respiration, the bacterial population consumes oxygen
and heavy applications of organic matter can result in low predawn pond dissolved
oxygen concentration (Qin et al., 1995). However, organic matter decomposition and
nutrient mineralization occurs over days in contrast to immediate nutrient availability
from chemical fertilizer.
Application of organic fertilizers to ponds depends on the fertilizer form and moisture
content. The recommended application method for fresh animal manure, for
example, cattle, swine, is to make a manure–water slurry that is splashed over the
pond surface. Poultry litter can be applied by broadcasting over the ponds surface.
Poultry litter bedding material such as wood chips/shaving or rice hulls, as opposed
to sawdust, can decompose and accumulate on the pond bottom, which is
undesirable. Agricultural by-products, for example, alfalfa meal, rice bran, can be
broadcast over the pond surface along the windward bank or mixed with water to
make a slurry that is splashed over the pond surface (Table 2.3).