- By Ma. Victoria C. Seredrica
ABSTRACT
Two studies were conducted at CPU campus, Iloilo City from October 2009 to April 2010. The first one compared the effects of IMO 5 (T4), commercial compost (T5) and leaf manures from acacia (Albizia saman) (T1), Ipil-ipil (Leucaena leucocephala) (T2), madre de cacao (Gliricidia sepium) (T3), Inorganic fertilizers (T6) (positive control), and without fertilizer (T7) (negative control) on the growth and yield of potted cabbage and lettuce. The second study evaluated the growth and yield of pechay and lettuce in pots with residual fertilizer. The experimental treatments were the same as in Study I. Both experiments were laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Results from the first study showed significantly most number of leaves from fertilized lettuce. Plants with acacia (T1) showed the significantly highest yield of 0.94 kg/0.75m2 but only had 80% ROI. Lettuce with inorganic fertilizer, however, recorded the highest return on investment (ROI) of 89%. In cabbage, the number of leaves and height of fertilized plants were significantly higher than the unfertilized. Plants with acacia (T1) and ipil-ipil (T2) significantly gave the widest head diameter and highest yield but those with in organic fertilizer recorded the highest ROI of 125%. Results from the second study showed that lettuce with residues of green manures and commercial organic fertilizers had more number of leaves, were taller, and out yielded the unfertilized and those previous applied with inorganic fertilizer. Pechay with different manures had statistically similar leaf count and height but significantly outperformed those with inorganic fertilizer (T6) and the unfertilized (T7). The significantly highest yield was observed from plants previously fertilized with acacia (T1), commercial compost (T5), ipil-ipil (T2), madre de cacao (T3) and IMO-5 (T4). Pechay with compost (T5) showed the highest ROI of 318%.