Republic of the Philippines Silliman University

Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental Philippine

LEARNING CONTRACT

Name of Student : JANMARK E. AHIG

For the Degree of : BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURE (Agronomy)

Title of the Study : Growth and Yield performance of Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) Under Basal and Foliar Fertilizer Application

Approved:

MS. MERLYN G. BUSCATO Facilitator Date

GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCE OF RADISH (Raphanus sativus L.)

UNDER BASAL AND FOLIAR FERTILIZER APPLICATION

Learning Contract Manuscript presented to the faculty of

SILLIMAN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE

Dumaguete City, Negors Orental

In fulfilment of the requirement for Soil Science 22

JANMARK E. AHIG MARCH, 2015

TRANSMITAL

The learning contract manuscript attached here entitled GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCE OF RADISH (Raphanus sativus L.) UNDER BASAL AND FOLIAR FERTILIZER APPLICATION, prepared and submitted by JANMARK E. AHIG, in fulfilment of the requirements of SOIL SCIENCE 22, is here by accepted.

MS. MERLYN G. BUSCATO Facilitator .

Accepted in fulfilment of the requirements of SOIL SCIENCE 22.

PROF. JOSE EDWIN C. CUBELO Dean, College of Agriculture

Date

Dedication

I would like to dedicate this research to everyone I love. All of my

hard work and dedication has finally paid off. Finishing this learning

contract has been the dream of mine for a couple of months now, and

I would like to thank those who have helped me along the way. First

and foremost. I would like to thank God for giving me this opportunity.

Next I would like to thank my parents for their emotional support and

for the funds they provided for me to finish this experiment. I want to

thank my cat Rosette, for being really fat and always there for me. I

would also like to thank my pet tadpole for surviving against all odds

for over a week. Next I would like to thank the mouse that lives in the

dorm for cutting through the wall because it gives me the inspiration

that I need to get through the day. I also want to thank Aaron for

keeping me distracted on making my papers. This is a special moment

in my life and I would like to thank any of my unmentioned friends and

family that have helped me along the way. This moment will be a

moment that I will never forget. I just remembered a few other people

I would like to thank; google and who ever invented copy and paste,

the fish I caught in third grade, the light in my room because I

wouldnt be able to see the keyboard without it, the internet for letting

me go on alljapanesepass.com and javsin.com to keep me awake, our

dorm because without it I would be homeless, and last but not least I

would like to thank all the people out there that actually took time out

of their day to read this. I cannot stress how much of a big deal to me

this is. I have been trying to finish this experiment for months, but

that has not been possible until this amazing day. Hopefully my good

luck will continue, but this is undoubtedly a rare occasion. If you asked

me how I did this, I would say, you can achieve anything you set your

mind on. To all the kids out there reading this, I would like to tell them

to follow their dreams. Being able to finish what you want is amazing,

thank you everyone.

GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCE OF RADISH (Raphanus sativus L.)

UNDER BASAL AND FOLIAR FERTILIZER APPLICATION

JANMARK E. AHIG

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted in order to know the effect of basal and

foliar application of fertilizer in the growth and yield of radish.

The result has revealed the foliar feeding is a better way of applying

fertilizer in radish. The result has shown that foliar feeding is 8.25 g higher

when compared to the weight of basal application of fertilizer. The foliar

fertilizer has an average tuber weight of 71.75 g and the basal application

has an average tuber weight of 63.5 g. In terms of plant height there is no

significant difference between the two application of fertilizer. There is also

no significant difference in the number of leaves.

GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCE OF RADISH (Raphanus sativus L.)

UNDER BASAL AND FOLIAR FERTILIZER APPLICATION

Janmark E. Ahig

INTRODUCTION

Radishes are a hardy, cool-season vegetable. Radishes can be planted

in any season, except during warmer months. They are a very easy

vegetable to grow. The radish is an edible root vegetable of the Brassicaceae

family that was domesticated in Europe in pre-Roman times. Radishes are

grown and consumed throughout the world, being mostly eaten raw as a

crunchy salad vegetable. They have numerous varieties, varying in size, color

and the length of time they take to mature. They are sometimes grown as

companion plants and suffer from few pests and diseases. They germinate

quickly and grow rapidly, smaller varieties being ready for consumption

within a month while larger daikon varieties taking several months. Some

radishes are grown for their seeds: oilseed radishes, for instance, may be

grown for oil production. Others are used for sprouting and both roots and

leaves are sometimes served cooked (Wikiepdia, 2014).

Radishes are crops grown for their swollen tap-roots which can be

globular, tapering or cylindrical. The root skin color ranges from white

through pink, red, purple, yellow and green to black but the flesh is usually

white. Smaller types have a few leaves about 13 cm (5 in) long with round

roots up to 2.5 cm (1 in) in diameter or more slender, long roots up to 7 cm

(3 in) long. Both of these are normally eaten raw in salads. A longer root

form, including oriental radishes, daikon or moolI and winter radishes, grows

up to 60 cm (24 in) long with foliage about 60 cm (24 in) high with a spread

of 45 cm (18 in). The flesh of radishes harvested timely is crisp and sweet,

but becomes bitter and tough if the vegetable is left in the ground for too

long. Leaves are arranged in a rosette. They have a lyrate shape, meaning

they are divided pinnately with an enlarged terminal lobe and smaller lateral

lobes. The white flowers are borne on a racemose inflorescence. The fruits

are small pods which can be eaten when young (Hyde, Wursten and Balling,

n.d).

There are different methods of applying fertilizers on radish. One of

the most common application is basal application and foliar application of

fertilizer. As the name implies, basal application is a type of fertilizer

application that applies fertilizer from the base of the plant or from the soil.

Foliar application on the other hand, is a method of fertilizing plants directly

on the leaves and stems of the plant. It involves directly spraying nutrients

onto the plants leaves and stems where they are absorbed and used. It is

considered an almost immediate way to feed the plants. It is becoming very

common especially among small gardeners and lawn owners. In this

experiment, radish will be chosen because it has large leaves surface area

suitable for foliar application as well as large root system suitable for basal

application.

Objective of the Study

This study is going to compare which among the method of application

would increase the growth and yield of radish under the same condition but

with different types of fertilizer application.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Foliar Application

Nutrients are applied in the form of dilute solution on standing crop

over the leaves of the plants. Since there is the direct application of nutrient

to the site of metabolism the nutrient use efficiency is increased and quick

response is observed by plants.

Foliar method of fertilizer application is more fruitful (convenient,

economic and quick responsive) when: small quantity of micronutrient is

needed to apply. It cannot be applied effectively through root or soil. There is

need to apply partial quantity of nitrogen in the form of urea. It is not

possible to give the total requirement of major nutrients through foliar

feeding because higher concentration causes leaf scorching, and if frequency

of sprays is increased, it increase cost of cultivation. Foliar application has a

number of advantages and disadvantages which include the following. Foliar

feeding produces an almost immediate effect on the plants. For example, if

used on green leafy plants like kales, they will have larger and fleshier leaves

within a shorter period of time compared when other fertilizing methods are

used. The reason for this is that the nutrients provided are already in the

form that the plant needs. After absorption, all the plant has to do is utilize

these nutrients. Foliar feeding is the best way to grow plants in places where

there isnt enough water. This is because the plant will absorb water through

its roots. Were fertilizing through the soil is to be used, the nutrients in the

soil will most likely leach resulting in a nutrient deficient plant. It is however

recommended the use of it alongside with other fertilizing methods to get the

best results. Many of these are environmentally friendly. The disadvantage is

it can be an expensive method of fertilizing the plants in the long run. As the

plants will almost immediately absorb all the nutrients applied, one will have

to apply more fertilizers frequently for the best yields. If the fertilizer is not

applied appropriately, it might end up damaging the plant. There are times

when the concentration is focused on one part that it ends up burnt. This is

especially the case for chemical based liquid fertilizers. They can only be

applied during the morning and evening hours. This is because it is during

these times that the plant stomata are open. If it is applied during the day,

especially when its hot, then it is likely that it would not be absorbed into the

plant (Pandey, 2010).

Basal Application

In basal application, there also some advantages and disadvantages.

In here, the effects of granular fertilizer last longer because the solid is

absorbed at a slower rate. The release period of granules can vary from a

month up to nine months. An advantage of slow-release granular fertilizer is

that application would not be often. Organic granular fertilizers are those that

does not contain chemicals and is also commercially available. Using slow-

release organic granular fertilizer significantly decreases the chances of

damaging lawns and plants. The disadvantages though is granular fertilizers

do not immediately affect plants, it may take a long time for positive results

to show. Plants may not receive nutrients fast enough to help them recover

from deficiencies. Granular fertilizers also need moisture and warm

temperatures to act. The pH of soil may also adversely influence their

effectiveness. As with liquid fertilizer, inappropriate application of granular

fertilizer will leave telltale streaks and spots of burned grass on lawns (Miller,

and Media, n.d.).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Planting Material

Radish seeds are needed. The seed must have high germination rate.

Container

The soil should be equally divided in each pot about 8 kg of soil each.

The pot should at least be 24 cm deep so that the radish tuber will grow to

its fullest.

Planting Method

In this experiment their is gonna be 3 treatments and in each

treatment there are 5 replicates. In each pot the seeds should be direct

seeded, so that the root will not be disturb. The disturbance of the root may

cause it to split. In each pot must contain at least 3-4 seeds, to have high

germination rate. The plant should also be planted not more than 3-4 seed

size deep, because this may reduce aeration and thus decrease the rate of

germination.

Application of Basal Fertilizer

In the recommendation of the seed company the fertilizer for basal

fertilizer is 60-90-60 in every 1 hectare. That is about; 8.5 bags of T-14 and

3 bags of 0-18-0. In every hectare about 60,000 radish is planted. The

application of basal fertilizer should only be once a week and should be apply

3-4 inch away from the plant.Calculation per plant:

T-14 = 8.5 x 50 kg/1bg = 425 kg 0-18-0 = 3.5 bg x 50 kg/1bg = 150 kg

Per plant ratio: T-14: 525 kg/1hectare x 1 hectare/60,000 plants = 0.0070833333 kg/plant

Kg - g:

0.0070833333 kg/plant x 1000g/1kg = 7.0833333/plant

Per plant ratio: 0-18-0: 150 kg/1 hectare x 1 hectare/60,000 plants = 0.0025 kg/plant

Kg to g:

0.0025 kg/1plant x 1000 g/1 kg = 2.5 g/plant

Application of Foliar Fertilizer

In foliar fertilizer in every 1L of water 1 1/2 table spoon of foliar

fertilizer is needed. The foliar fertilizer is sprayed about 12 inch away from

the plant so that the mist is divided evenly through out the leaves.

Data Gathering

The following data should be gathered every week; Height of each

plant and number of leaves. During harvesting the following data should be

gathered; plant height, total herbage yield, number of leaves, diameter of

tuber, weight of tuber and the length of tuber.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Vegetative Growth Potential

Plant Height. Figure 1 exhibit the weekly increment if the height of

radish as influence by basal and foliar application of fertilizer, 6 weeks after

treatment. The data suggested that the plant height of radish was greatly

enhanced by the application of foliar fertilizer (T2) reaching up to 27.305 cm

as compared to basal application of fertilizer (T1) 25.781 cm. Also, the height

of the plants that has been treated with fertilizer is higher as when compared

to control treated (T3) that has a height of 21.386 cm. Although the numeric

value present on the plant height of radish differed slightly but still, there is

not much difference in the height of T1 and T2.

Number of Leaves. Likewise, there is not much difference in the

weekly production of leaves of radish treated with basal and foliar application

of fertilizer as shown in Figure 2. During the weekly data gathered the basal

application of fertilizer (T1=9.64) has moderately higher number of leaves,

which is then followed by control (T3=9.30), and then followed by foliar

application of fertilizer (T2=8.18).

Figure 2. Plant height of radish as influence by basal and foliar application of

fertilizer (cm).

Plan

t Hei

ght (

cm)

0

7

14

21

28

Number of Weeks1 2 3 4 5 6

T1 - Basal T2 - Foliar T3 - Control

Figure 2. Plant height of radish as influenced by basal and foliar

application of fertilizer.

Num

ber o

f Lea

ves

0

5

10

15

20

Number of Weeks1 2 3 4 5 6

T1 - Basal T2 - Foliar T3 - Control

Herbage Yield - The application of basal basal fertilizer (T1)has shown

some significant difference when compared to foliar application of fertilizer

(T2) and control (T3) as shown in Table 1. The average herbage yield of basal

application is 135 g which is 36.5 higher compared to foliar application of

fertilizer (98.5 g) and also 30.8 g higher when compared to control (104.2

g).

Table. Total Herbage of radish as affected by basal and foliar application of

fertilizer (g).

Treatment

Total HerbageTreatment

REPLICATION

1 2 3 4 5 Total Mean

T1 - Basal 119 g 83 g 130 g 0 g 208 g 540 g 135 g

T2 - Foliar 65 g 85 g 110 g 0 g 134 g 394 g 98.5 g

T3 - Control 113 g 60 g 99 g 99 g 150 g 521 g 104.2 g

Reproductive Growth Potential

Num

LITERATURE CITED

Hyde, M., Wursten B. and Balling, P. (n.d). Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radish

Miller, L., & Media, D. Granular Vs. Liquid Fertilizers for Plants. Retrieved from http://homeguides.sfgate.com/granular-vs-liquid-ferti l izers-plants-41903.html

http://www.almanac.com/plant/radishes

Reinders, G. 2014. Philippine Farming and Organics. Dumaguete City

Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radish