1. CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Importance of the study
According to the data analysis of Dionglay, (2020) she stated that the
Philippines is the 7th top eggplant producer in the world? Eggplant is an
economically important vegetable in the Philippines, where its production
accounts for nearly one-third of the total volume of the top vegetables.
Eggplant farming provides many small-scale farmers their major source of
employment and livelihood. According to Agrimag, (2020) that Mucho F1
eggplant variety is a high-yielding, cluster-type eggplant. Its fruit is dark
purple in color and can grow from 23 to 25 centimeters long. It is an early
maturing variety that can be harvested 55-60 days after transplanting and is
still marketable 5-7 days after harvest. It has a very green calyx that makes
it always look fresh. Like other eggplant varieties, Mucho F1 can be grown
in lowland areas. These characteristics are highly preferred by both farmers
and consumers.
Hautea, et al, (2016), discuss eggplant, Solanum melongena L. (also
known as brinjal and aubergine) is one of the most important, inexpensive
and popular vegetable crops grown and consumed in Asia. In the
Philippines, eggplant production accounts for more than 30.0% of the total
volume of production of the most important vegetables in the country.
2. 2
Eggplant production provides an important source of cash income,
particularly for small, resource-poor farmers.
A Crop production using alternative, available and beneficial soil
amendments is a practical way in preventing the usage expensive synthetic
fertilizer. It might be taking a lot of work and time but looking on the positive
side to lessen in synthetic applications that can damage the capital of the
farm production and also ruin the natural health of soil. According to
Hodgson, (2019) lasagna gardening is a great technique since it does not
require you to dig up the earth to plant seeds. He stated that all you have to
do is make an outline of your plot and begin preparing your layers. Green
materials are meant to incorporate nitrogen into your garden and can include
items like coffee grounds, grass clippings, manure, yard waste, and
remnants of fruits and vegetables. There are plenty of brown materials you
may use for your garden, such as sawdust, wood chips, twigs, straw, dried
leaves, shredded newspapers, and peat moss. These materials are rich in
carbon and you can simply use anything that’s readily available to you
Darr, (2019) stated that, lasagna gardening is simple and elegant,
similar to the pasta dish it’s named for. This gardening method doesn’t
require any digging or tilling and turns kitchen scraps, yard waste, and
newspapers into layers of rich, delicious, nutritious soil. Lasagna gardening
builds soil from the ground-up, which means it doesn't have to deal with
breaking through hard, rocky ground or weeding later. it only need is a sunny
plot of unused land to make a lasagna garden planting bed.
3. 3
According to Hageman, (2022) rice hulls are one of the most
sustainable soil amendments available for improving drainage, water holding
capacity and aeration. Unlike perlite and other rock products, it does not
require mining; unlike peat moss it does not require land disruption to
produce it. Like coco coir, it’s a byproduct of agriculture that would otherwise
be considered waste. Rice hulls are the husks that are removed from each
grain of rice after harvest. The hulls are then parboiled at a high enough heat
to sterilize any grains of rice that found their way into the mix, as well as
weed seeds and diseases. Vermicast, the wondrous mixture of worm
castings and organic matter harvested from worm beds, has almost too
many benefits to list! But always up to a challenge, we will attempt to extol
its innumerable virtues and outline best practices to get the most from your
worm poop (Firma, 2019).
The expanding land area with acidic soil due to excessive use of
synthetic fertilizer, which is very harmful to plant with annual crop specifically
in eggplant (Sulanom melongena) a variety of Mucho F1. Lasagna gardening
or no dig gardening method helps the area to be useful by only using it as a
ground area for sheet mulching method while it is on recovering state. Farm
waste such as; rice hulls, corn tubes, coconut husks, etc. and animal
manures were burned and disposed in useless ways, these will be valued
and give importance and use in this garden method (lasagna gardening). In
this study aims to use the different amendments as organic fertilizer to help
the farmers to combat the existing problem.
4. 4
Objectives of the Study
The study will be conducted for the aims of determinng the efficacy of
lasagna gardening with different amount of amendments (rice hulls,
vermicast, corn cubs) on the growth and yield of eggplant (Solanum
melongena) Mucho F1 variety. Specifically, this study means to:
1. Determine the growth of eggplant (solanum melongena) Mucho F1 in
lasagna gardening method with different amount of amendments.
2. Evaluate the yield performance of eggplant (Solanum melongena) Mucho
F1 in lasagna gardening method with different amount of amendments and,
3. Identify then best amount of amendment applied to eggplant (solanum
melongena) Mucho F1.
Scope and Delimitation of the Study
The study is limited and focusing only on the efficacy of lasagna
gardening to the growth and yield of eggplant (Solanum melongena) Mucho
F1 variety using different amounts of amendments; rice hulls, vermicast, corn
cubs.
5. 5
Time and Place of the Study
The research study will be conducted on September to December
2023, at Sitio Tucalabung, Barangay Crossing Rubber, Tupi, South
Cotabato.
