The Effect of Ipil-ipil (Leucaena leucocephala) Leaves as

Fertilizer on the Germination and Early Vegetative Growth of

Corn in a City Environment

An Investigatory Project

Present to

The Faculty of Science and Technology Department

Dr. Ceilio Putong National High School

Tagbilaran City, Bohol

Life Science Category

(Team Category)

Ghazza Isle Dominic Fabia

Mitchelle Rose Aguilar

Marie Juliet Borja

Cathrine Batiancila

September, 2016
 ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to determine if using fresh ipil-

ipil leaves as organic fertilizer to corn has a siginificant

effect on its germination and early vegetative growth.

The experiment was conducted in a city environment at the

residence of one of the researchers in Pamaong Street,

Cogon, Tagbilaran City.

Sweet corn seeds were sown in a 1m x 1m plot using the

following treatments, with three blocks:

Control – No treatment

Treatment 1 – applied with 1 kg ipil-ipil leaves only

Treatment 2 - applied with 1 kg ipil-ipil leaves plus

6 grams urea

Data were gathered by counting the seeds that

germinated and counting the number of leaves. Also, the

height (in millimeters) of seedlings were measured by using

a ruler.

Results showed that application of ipil-ipil leaves to

the plants gave taller plants compared to those in the

control plots and those applied with urea plus ipil-ipil.

However, those seedlings applied with both urea and ipil-

ipil leaves had more number of leaves compared to control

and that with ipil-ipil leaves only.

Not much was observed as to the germination rate

differences in all three treatments.

Based on the results, it can be concluded that using

ipil-ipil leaves as fertilizer could give positive benefit

on the height of corn.

 CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION

A. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

City life has become a trend for many people. Those

staying in the countryside seemed to flock to the urban

areas thinking that life would be easy since in urban

centers, there are many facilities, like schools, hospitals,

business enters, malls, etc. Whenever they need to seek

medication, or buy food, they are just at one click.

However, there is one thing that would help life be

better while living in Cities. People can resort to raising

their own organic food source. They could plant small

garden plots and use the ipil-ipil leaves as organic

fertilizer.

Ipil-ipil plants are easily available in the city. They

grow in roadsides, near residences and in vacant lots. Not

many people know that ipil-ipil has high nitrogen content

since this plant is a legume.

Leguminous plants can add as much as 500 kg nitrogen to

the soil per year (NAS, 1979). The young leaves contain high

values of protein, phosphorus and calcium. One popular

perennial legume is the Leaucaena leucocephala, which has

been tried in corn to increase yield.

 Ipil-ipil plants are environment friendly, affordable

and most especially available in our community. The Ipil-

ipil (Leucaena leucocephala) plant, is not native to the

Philippines, however, it has been growing fast and well over

the entire country. The ipil-ipil (Leucaena leucocephala)

plant can be a bush, shrub, hedge, or even a tree. It does

not have a single identified size, as it can be trimmed, or

left to grow. It has adapted to the Philippines very well

and can be found easily, as it is a type of a tropical

rainforest plant. The leaf of the Ipil- ipil (Leucaena

leucocephala) can produce nitrogen that is used as a

fertilizer for crops that require a lot of nitrogen and has

higher nutrient content.

B. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Null Hypothesis

This study considered the following hypotheses:

If ipil-ipil leaves are applied as organic fertilizer

to corn, then there will be no effect on its germination and

vegetative growth.

If ipil-ipil leave and urea are both applied to corn

plants, then there will be no effect on germination and its

growth.
 Variables

This study considered the following variables:

INDEPENDENT VARIABLES DEPENDENT VARIABLES

 Ipil-ipil leaves as  Germination of corn

organic fertilizer seeds

 Urea application  Plant height of corn

combined with Ipil-ipil seedlings

leaves  Number of leaves of

corn seedlings

C. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is beneficial to city dwellers. If found to

have positive outcome, this can make people adopt the

technology and be self-sufficient in producing their own

organic farm in their backyard.

Specifically, this study aimed to:

1. measure the effect of ipil-ipil leaves fertilizer on

the germination of corn plants in a city environment;

and
 2. determine its effect to the overall seedling vigor and

early vegetative growth of the corn plants.

D. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

This study covered only from germination to early

vegetative stage of the corn plants. This was due to the

limited time in the conduct of the experiment. However, the

researchers planned to pursue completing the experiment

until harvesting even if the data could not be used anymore

for its write-up.

 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Several studies have been conducted on the effect of

ipil-ipil leaves as organic fertilizer to corn. According to

Doloso, F.G. (La Granja National Crop Research and

Development Center, La Carlota City, Negros Occidental

(Philippines)), 1995, Significant results were obtained on

grain yield and plant height of corn. Application of 3 to 6

tons ipil-ipil or madre de cacao leaves plus inorganic

fertilizer at the rate of 30-15-15 kg NPK/ha gave

significantly higher yield comparable with the application

of the recommended rate (60-30-30 kg NPK/ha) of inorganic

fertilizer during the wet season. Campomanes, et al., also

observed that application of ipil-ipil leaves to eggplant

increased its yield (Research Journal, 2005).

The increase in yield can be brought about by the high

nitrogen content of the ipil-ipil leaves. The application of

ipil-ipil leaves with inorganic fertilizer under sweet

potato cropping, increased the soil organic matter and

available P and K. In other root crops, ipil-ipil

fertilization augmented the fertility status of the soil.

The use of ipil-ipil leaves as substitute or supplement to

inorganic fertilizer on root crops was found feasible

(Escalada, 1986).

DEFINITION OF TERMS

 City environment- is a human settlement with high

population density and infrastructure of built

environment. Urban areas are created through

urbanization and are categorized by urban

morphology as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs.

 Fertilizer- a substance (such as manure or a special

chemical) that is added to soil to help the growth

of plants

 Seed germination- is the process by which a plant

grows from a seed. The most common example

of germination is the sprouting of a seedling from

a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm.

 Inorganic Fertilizer- are man made formulas that can

be formulated for various speeds of release. Roses

benefit from both kinds and a good idea is to alternate

the two types

 Nitrogen fertilizer - refers to one of the most common

categories of fertilizers produced out of nitrogen (N)

chemical combinations. To be considered as an

 organic fertilizer, the plant nutrient must contain 5%

minimum of nitrogen.

 N-P-K: The elemental shorthand for the three major

nutrients in fertilizers. “N” stands for Nitrogen, “P”

stands for Phosphate (P2O2) and “K” stands for Potash

(K2O). These are the chemical forms of nitrogen,

phosphorus and potassium that are present in

fertilizers.

 Organic Fertilizer - Organic fertilizers are derived

from living things such as animals and plants. Most

common are manures, bone meal, fish meal etc. They are

generally slower to release as micro-organisms in the

soil have to break them down first so the rose plant

can use them.

 Phosphorus -the chemical element of atomic number 15, a

poisonous, combustible nonmetal that exists in two

common allotropic forms, white phosphorus, a yellowish

waxy solid that ignites spontaneously in air and glows

in the dark, and red phosphorus, a less reactive form

used in making matches.

 Potassium- the chemical element of atomic number 19, a

soft silvery-white reactive metal of the alkali metal

group.
 RCBD- The randomized complete block design (RCBD) is a

standard design for agricultural experiments in which

similar experimental units are grouped into blocks or

replicates. It is used to control variation in an

experiment by, for example, accounting for spatial

effects in field or greenhouse.

 CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

Place of study

This study was conducted in the front yard of the Fabia

residence at 55 A Pamaong St. Tagbilaran City from September

10, 2016 to September 20, 2016.

Preparation of the Experimental Area

An area of 9 sq m was thoroughly cleaned manually. This

was divided into 9 sq meters of small plots that served as

experimental plots.

Field Lay-out

The experiment was laid out in a simple randomized

complete block design (RCBD) in 3 replications. The

following treatments were used:

Control Variable: No treatment (Without Ipil-ipil and No

Fertilizer)

Experimental Variable:

Treatment 1: 1 kg Ipil-ipil leaves applied per sq meter

Treatment 2: 1 kg Ipil-ipil leaves + 6 grams Urea fertilizer

Planting, Watering, Insect control, Ipil-ipil leaves

application and Weeding

1. Planting was done last September 10, 2016. This

experiment lasted for 10 days only.

2. Corn (Sweet Corn Var.) was planted evenly at 6 hills

per sq meters.

3. Watering was scheduled to be done every day,

however, it rained almost whole part of the

experiment, so this was done minimally.

4. The ipil-ipil leaves were applied to the soil by

mixing them thoroughly the day before corn sowing.

Application of 1 kg per plot (per sq meter) was

followed.

5. Insects were monitored closely and if any, will be

removed manually.

Gathering of Data

The following data were gathered:

1.) Days from seeding to seedling emergence. The

number of days from seeding to emergence was

counted when at least 3 hills had sprouted.

2.) Germination rate. This was done by counting the

number of seedlings that sprouted 5 days after

sowing.

3.) Plant height. All seedlings were measured by

getting the height in millimeters from the

ground (base) to the tip of the apical leaf

every 2 days, starting on Sept 16 to 20, 2016,

using a ruler.

4.) Number of leaves. This was done by simply

counting the number of developed leaves for

each seedling every two days from September 16

to 20, 2016.
 CHAPTER IV

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Site Description and Characteristics

The experiment was done at the front yard of the Fabia

Residence. It has a small space with concrete fences on the

western side. This cause delay in sunlight exposure to the

plants. The soil where the corn were planted, was full of

small stones and pebbles, as shown in the following photos.

Rainfall Occurrence

There was rain during the 5 days of the 10 days

duration of the experiment. Of the 5 days however, only 3

days had slow rainfall of about 30 minutes to one hour.

Light Interception

Due to high fence on the eastern part, the corn plants

could only have full sunlight exposure at around 10:00 am.

Effect of Ipil-Ipil Leaves on Seedling Growth

Seedling Germination

Table 1 below shows the final number of seedlings that

geminated after 5 days from sowing. More seedlings

germinated in the Control followed by those plots with Ipil-

ipil leaves. Seeds in plots with ipil-ipil and urea

fertilizer had the least germination rate. This might be due

to some interference of the leaves applied compared to the

plot without ipil-ipil.

Table 1. Number of seeds that germinated 5 days after

sowing.

Treatment R1 R2 R3 Total Mean

Control 5 6 6 17 5.67

Ipil-ipil only 6 3 6 15 5

Ipil2x with Urea 4 4 3 11 3.7

Plant Height

Table 2a and b show the effect of the ipil-ipil leaves

on plant height of corn. The tables show plant height at 6

and 10 dyas after sowing. It can be observed that those

applied with Ipil-ipil leaves had better height than the

control plants as seen in the mean computations. This might

be due to the leguminous property of ipil-ipil which made it

high with nitrogen content, an essential food nutrient for

growth.

Table 2a. Height of corn seedlings 6 days after sowing.

Treatment R1 R2 R3 Total Mean

Control 31.20 56.25 50.00 137.45 45.82
Ipil-ipil only 85.00 76.67 47.00 208.67 69.56
Ipil2x with Urea 64.50 51.25 55.00 170.75 56.92

Table 2b. Height of corn seedlings 10 days after

sowing.

Treatment R1 R2 R3 Total Mean

Control 92.00 121.67 156.67 370.33 123.44
Ipil-ipil only 190.00 233.33 133.33 556.67 185.56
Ipil2x with Urea 197.50 85.00 133.33 415.83 138.61

Comparative height of corn plants with ipil-ipil

and urea 10 days after planting.
250.00

200.00

150.00

100.00

50.00

-
R1 R2 R3 Mean

Control Ipil-ipil only Ipil2x with Urea

Number of Leaves

The number of leaves is also an indicator of good plant

growth. In Table 3, it is observed that plants with ipil-

ipil leaves had more number of leaves that the control

plants. Also, those with added urea had more number of

leaves than those with ipil-ipil only.

Table 3. Number of leaves of corn seedlings 10 days after

sowing.

Treatment R1 R2 R3 Total Mean

Control 2.80 3.50 3.33 9.63 3.21
Ipil-ipil only 3.00 4.00 3.00 10.00 3.33
Ipil2x with Urea 3.75 3.00 4.00 10.75 3.58

The corn seedlings, treatment and control, as shown in the

following photos.
 CHAPTER V

This study was conducted to determine if using fresh ipil-

ipil leaves as organic fertilizer to corn has a siginificant

effect on its germination and early vegetative growth.

The experiment was conducted in a city environment at

the residence of one of the researchers in Pamaong Street,

Cogon, Tagbilaran City.

Sweet corn seeds were sown in a 1m x 1m plot using the

following treatments, with three blocks:

Control – No treatment

Treatment 1 – applied with 1 kg ipil-ipil leaves only

Treatment 2 - applied with 1 kg ipil-ipil leaves plus

grams urea

Data were gathered by counting the seeds that

germinated and counting the number of leaves. Also, the

height (in millimeters) of seedlings were measured by using

a ruler.

Results showed that application of ipil-ipil leaves to

the plants gave taller plants compared to those in the

control plots and those applied with urea plus ipil-ipil.

However, those seedlings applied with both urea and ipil-

ipil leaves had more number of leaves compared to control

and that with ipil-ipil leaves only.

Not much was observed as to the germination rate

differences in all three treatments.

Based on the results, it can be concluded that using

ipil-ipil leaves as fertilizer could give positive benefit

on the height of corn.

CONCLUSION

Based on the results of this short study, it can be

seen that corn plants with ipil-ipil leaves as fertilizers

showed promising vegetative growth as well as that with

urea. They grew better than the control plants in a city

environment. While germination rate is poor, but this was

offset by their better growth.

RECOMMENDATION

From the minimal data gathered, it can still be

concluded that the use of ipil-ipil leaves is giving

positive impact on the growth of the corn seedlings. In a

city environment therefore, we strongly recommend to use

ipil-ipil leaves as fertilizer so city dwellers can have

organic source of food.

 Also, the study was conducted short of time so that

only minimal data can be gathered and analyzed. The

researchers recommend to continue gathering information

until harvest and will still analyze this data for

propagation of research knowledge of the proponents.

REFERENCES

 Escalada, Rodolfo. 1985. Effects of ipil-ipil as

organic fertilizer on root crops. DOST Union Catalogue

 Utilization of madre de cacao and ipil-ipil leaves as

organic fertilizers for field corn production [1995];

Doloso, F.G. (La Granja National Crop Research and

Development Center, La Carlota City, Negros Occidental

(Philippines))

 Phosphorus Fertilizers. The Free Dictionary

 Nitrogen Fertilizer. 2b1st Financing

Appendix 1. The experimental area showing full of rocks.
Appendix 2. Site shown three blocks and with three plots

per block.
Appendix 3. A corn seedling planted in the experimental

control, 10 days after planting..

Appendix 4. A corn seedling planted in the plot with ipil-

ipil leaves applied as fertilizer, 10 days after planting.

Appendix 5. A corn seedling applied with ipil-ipil leaves

plus urea, 10 days after planting.

 APPENDICES

Appendix 1. The experimental area showing full of rocks.

Appendix 2. Site shown three blocks and with three plots

per block.

Appendix 3. A corn seedling planted in the experimental

control, 10 days after planting..

Appendix 4. A corn seedling planted in the plot with ipil-

ipil leaves applied as fertilizer, 10 days

after planting.

Appendix 5. A corn seedling applied with ipil-ipil leaves

plus urea, 10 days after planting.