Research Question

How do different types of fertilizers affect red chili plant growth measured by the size of the
plant (height) and its leaves, the amount of sugar and acidity contained in the fruit, and the
size of the chili (in grams and centimeter)?

Background Information
Capsicum frutescens Lim or also known as chili pepper is a common fruit used in dishes to
add the taste of spiciness. Known for its unique taste, the pepper is a “hot-tasting tropical
berry” (eresources.nld.gov.sg) belonging to the Solanaceae family. Its pungent flavor made
the fruit an inseparable ingredient in Asian dishes, especially in Indonesia. Aside from its
pungent flavor, the chili fruit is a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamins B1 and B2, beta
carotene, protein, calcium, and phosphorus. As it has 26 different species, its most
commercially used species is Capsicum annuum. In Indonesia, it is not difficult to find this
type of chili which is known as "cabai rawit” in the markets. As an Indonesian, the conductor
has chosen Capsicum annuum as the subject of the experiment for it is commonly used in
Indonesian households and it is supposedly easy to grow as compared to other plants.
Although chili does not require adept to grow, chilies are known for its expensive price in the
market due to external factors such as the extreme drought that affects the growth of the
plants. Therefore in this experiment, the conductor will be using different types of fertilizer to
support the growth of chili plants.

Fertilizer, commonly used to enhance the growth of plants with provided nutrients is a natural
or artificial substance that contains chemical elements that can enhance the growth and
fertility of a plant (Britannica.com). It enhances the fertility of the soil as well by replacing
the chemical elements taken from the soil by the previous crop. As fertilizers are classified
into organic and non-organic (chemical) both have the same purpose of enhancing plant
growth. Regardless of the type, all fertilizers contain three major components, nitrogen (N),
phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), also known as NPK. The NPK ratio of fertilizer will vary
depending on the brand used. In addition, fertilizers also contain sulfur, magnesium, and
calcium as a secondary importance element.

Organic fertilizer which is composed directly of nature has been around as almost as old as
agriculture. This type of fertilizer is a traditional method of gardening as it doesn’t require
specific skills nor advance technologies. It is derived from organic matter such as animal
manure, sewage sludge, and food waste that are decomposed using anaerobic digestion
(sciencedirect.com). Some examples of organic fertilizers are bone meal, feather meal, fish
meal, soybean meal, seaweed, etc. most of the organic fertilizers come from animal waste or
plant waste as it is natural and contains high nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium.

Different than organic fertilizer, non-organic or chemical fertilizer are known as the modern-
day of gardening for it needs modern-day technologies. Unlike organic fertilizers, the
nutrients in chemical fertilizers are synthetic. By means, the NPK ratio or the nutrients in the
fertilizer is controlled. Since it is synthetic and made using technology, chemical fertilizer
may come in different forms such as gas, liquid, or solid. Whereas organic fertilizer mostly
comes in a solid form.

Hypothesis
For this experiment, the conductor will be using five different types of fertilizers as the
increment. Three of them being an organic fertilizer and two of them being a chemical
fertilizer. All five fertilizers will consist of different ratios with suspected the most balanced
ratio (e.g. 16-16-16) will produce the best plant as an outcome as it contains a balanced
nutrient.

Variables
Independent Variable: Types of Fertilizers

Description
Soybean Meal
 NPK Ratio = 7-2-0
 7% of Nitrogen, 2% of Phosphorus, and 0% of Potassium
 A high nitrogen fertilizer also contains a low amount of phosphorus and calcium.
Commonly used as a long-term soil conditioner (epicgardening.com)
Bone Meal
 NPK Ratio = 4-20-0
 4% of Nitrogen, 20% of Phosphorus, and 0% of Potassium
 Made up from the ground up cow-bones which is high in phosphorus but also contains a
low amount of nitrogen. Enhances flower production and root growth. Mostly used as a
solid amendment for spots with high nitrogen where plants keep getting burned.
Fish Meal
 NPK Ratio = 5-2-2
 5% of Nitrogen, 2% of Phosphorus and Potassium
 It contains a high level of nitrogen which acts as a fairly fast-acting fertilizer. It also
contains a balanced amount of phosphorus and potassium. Commonly used for corn crops.
Feather Meal
 NPK Ratio = 12-0-0
 12% of Nitrogen, 0% of Phosphorus and Potassium
 Very high in nitrogen, thus it is usually used before planting to boost the quality of the soil.
 The conductor of the experiment will be using this as a backup if one of the fertilizers
above can't be found.
NPK Fertilizer
 The conductor will be using two NPK fertilizers with two different ratios, 16-16-16 and 9-
25-25. By mean the first NPK fertilizer will contain a balanced amount (16%) of Nitrogen,
Phosphorus, and Potassium, while the other NPK fertilizer will contain 9% of Nitrogen and
25% of Phosphorus and Potassium.
Dependent Variable: Plant Growth
Description
Plant growth of the chili is highly dependent on the number of nutrients the plant absorbed. Since
the nutrients depend on the fertilizer used for the plants, different types of nutrients will be
absorbed. Thus, each plant will have a different growth rate.