CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Pechay (Brassica chinensis Linn.) is a vegetable grown for its tender and

succulent leaves. Its English name is Chinese cabbage, or celery cabbage, a plant related

to the mustard and cabbage family (Madulid, 2001, p. 46). Pechay requires sufficient

irrigation. It should be grown in areas where rainfall is well distributed throughout the

year, especially if it is to be raised on commercial basis. It grows during both the rainy

and dry seasons, although it grows best during the cool months of the year. In order to

make them grow faster, the soil around them should be cultivated and kept constantly

moist (Westerfield, n.d.).

Figure 1. A Pechay Plant

Pechay is a short-season crop; one can have several harvests a year. Pechay is not

very choosy as to where it should be grown. It can be grown throughout the Philippines,

whether in small scale or extensively for commercial purposes (Avenir, n.d.).

Pechay is a leafy vegetable that needs regular watering and the soil should be all

drained, highly fertile, friable and rich in organic matter. Pechay should not be exposed to
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strong winds, especially when they are maturing, because strong wind can either uproot

the plant or destroy its leaves. Neither should it be exposed to extreme heat, because the

leaves will wilt due to faster evaporation of moisture (Avenir, n.d.). Pechay does not need

plenty of sunlight to provide the much needed energy for the manufacture of food

(Avenir, n.d.).

The pechay plant grows vigorously on soils rich in organic matter, particularly

nitrogen (N). This is one reason why in Baguio, farms receive heavy manure from crop to

crop in addition to supplemental application of chemical fertilizers. Aside from soil

variations, different commercial varieties vary in their nutritional requirements for

optimum head production. In Baguio, the application of 12-12-12 fertilizer at the rate of

600 kg/ha has resulted in heavy yields (30- 35 tons/ha) of good quality heads (Philippine

Vegetable Growing Guide, 2009).

Fertilizers are added to soils deficient in the elements that plants need. The wide

use of fertilizers has significantly improved the production and quality of food and feed

crops. Commercial inorganic fertilizers are numbered according to the proportion of

nitrogen (N), phosphate, and potassium (K), respectively. Thus, a 10-20-20 fertilizer

contains 10% nitrogen, 20% phosphate, and 20% potassium. A simple fertilizer is a

fertilizer that contains a single plant nutrient. A complete fertilizer has all the primary

nutritional elements a plant needs and also some trace elements (Grolier Encyclopedia of

Knowledge, 1995, pp. 247-248).

“A fertilizer is any natural or manufactured material that is added to soil to

(Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), and zinc (Zn) – called
micronutrients or trace elements (Grolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge, 1995, pp. 247).”

According to the study entitled The Content and Nutritional Significance of

Minerals on Fish Flesh in the Presence and Absence of Bone (Martínez, Periago,

Santaella, & Ros, 2000) fish flesh contains minerals like iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper

(Cu), manganese (Mn), sodium (Na), potassium (P), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and

phosphorus (K).

Nitrogen (N) can be found in fish, animal manure, blood & bone meal, hoof &

horn meal. It is also very abundant in the air. Phosphorus (P) is important for growth. All

plants need it from day one to grow good roots to support the plant later. Phosphorus (P)

increases leaf area without reducing transport of sugars to the root. For this reason it is

useful alongside Potassium (K), especially for root crops. This nutrient can be found in

rock phosphate and bone meal. It is a very immobile nutrient in the soil. Potassium (K) is

involved in plant processes and in cell-sap production. It helps the plant absorb and hold

onto water. It increases protein synthesis from nitrogen (N). Potassium (K) causes plants

to grow coarse tough vegetation more resistant to plant diseases (The Organic Gardener,

2009).

Fertilizers are broadly classified into organic and inorganic or chemical fertilizers

(“Types of Fertilizers”, 2007). Inorganic fertilizer is a fertilizer manufactured chemically,

as distinguished from organic fertilizer, as naturally-occurring fertilizers like peat moss or

green manure, or naturally occurring mineral deposits like saltpeter (Wikipedia, 2010).

Manure is any material, especially barnyard or stable dung, often with discarded animal

bedding, used to fertilize soil (HarperCollins Publishers, 2009). Inorganic fertilizers are
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manufactured from nonliving materials. Rock phosphate for example, is a common

source of phosphorus in chemical fertilizers. On the other hand, organic fertilizers are

made from materials derived from living things. Animal manures, compost, bone meal

and blood meal are organic fertilizers (Gardenguy, 1999). Organic fertilizers also include

slurry, worm castings, peat, seaweed, humic acid, brassin and guano (Wikipedia, 2010).

Organic fertilizers are fertilizers that do not contain any chemicals or synthetic

compounds (My Garden Guide, 2009). They strengthen the nutrients of the soil. Organic

fertilizer also furnishes vitamins and minerals that soil uses to stay wholesome. It

increases the capacity of the soil to bind moisture and deters insects and weeds without

utilizing chemical insect powder or weed killer (Jim Ellison Enterprises, 2009).

Fish emulsion fertilizer is an organic fertilizer since it is naturally derived. It is

made from the remains of fish. It is a liquid fertilizer made from combining fish

byproducts (eHow, 2009). Fish emulsion fertilizer is appropriate for many uses in the

garden due to its high nitrogen content. The Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium (NPK) ratio

for fish emulsion fertilizer is generally 5-3-3. It also has ample amounts of phosphorus

(P), potassium (K), sulfur(S), and trace elements. Phosphates promote root development

and nitrogen is used to make plant protein. Fish Emulsion also supplies important trace

elements for total plant health. Its release rate is rapid. This means that it can easily

transmit the nutrients it possesses to the roots of the plant. Fish emulsion is a concentrate,

which is diluted with water and applied to the gardening soil (Vanderlinden, 2009).

Many organic fertilizers are effective but slow acting. This is because it has to

decay before the nutrients it has are released. Fish emulsion, on the other hand, is the

closest an organic fertilizer can get to instant gratification, because its nutrients are
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released immediately. Also, fish emulsion fertilizer does not add salinity to the soil like

chemical fertilizers do. Therefore, it is an excellent way to get nutrition to salt-sensitive

plants without damaging them. Fish emulsion, once diluted in water and applied to the

soil, has a mild odor and is not even noticeable after several days. Fish emulsion should

be stored at room temperature because excessive heat will cause it to degrade (“Fish

emulsion”, 2009). Fish emulsion fertilizer is useful for foliar feeding plants with small

root systems, feeding greenhouse plants, and is sometimes used to confuse animal pests

(The Organic Gardener, 2009).

Hydroponics is the technique of growing plants in a medium other than soil, using

a feeding mixture of essential plant nutrients dissolved in water. This feeding mixture of

essential plant nutrients dissolved in water is called nutrient solution. The hydroponics

method is proven to be valuable where soil is unsuitable or infertile, or where soil-borne

diseases inhibit the growth of vegetables. The nutritional requirements for hydroponically

grown plants are identical with those for plants grown in soil, and the nutrient solutions

must contain essentially the same nutrient chemicals that are found in fertile soil (Grolier

Encyclopedia of Knowledge, 1995, p. 407). A fertilizer dissolved in water can be used as

the nutrient solution since a fertilizer supplies a plant with its essential plant nutrients

(Simply Hydroponics and Organics, 1997).

There are many methods of hydroponics and one of these is the water culture. The

water culture method of hydroponics is the simplest to set up on a small scale. In this

system the plant roots are totally immersed in a nutrient solution. The major

disadvantages of this system are the large amount of water required per plant and the

need to aerate the solution continuously (Hydroponic Systems, n.d.).

The actual design of the system is limited only by the imagination of the builder.

The system must provide means to (1) support the plant above the solution, (2) aerate the

solution, and (3) prevent light from reaching the solution to prevent the growth of algae.

The tray may be made of concrete or of plastic-lined or asphalt-sealed wood. If asphalt is

used to seal the tank, it must be made sure that it does not contain creosote or tars.

Asphalt that leaves an oil film on the surface of the water should not be used. A typical

size is 6 to 12 inches deep, 2 to 3 feet wide, and as long as is convenient. The plants can

be supported by inserting them through holes drilled in a plywood top or through holes

punched in a one-inch-thick Styrofoam sheet that floats on the surface of the solution

(Hydroponic Systems, n.d.).

Figure 2. Simple Hydroponic Set-up

Short plants such as lettuce and spinach will usually support themselves. Drill a 1-

inch hole in the Styrofoam or wooden cover and insert a transplant. The plant may be

held in place by packing a flexible material such as cotton into the hole around the stem.

A plant started in sand, perlite, or vermiculite can be transplanted easily to the water

culture system because these materials can be washed from the roots readily (Hydroponic

Systems, n.d.).
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Vine plants such as cucumbers and tomatoes must be supported by string. When

pruned to a single stem they can be wrapped around a loosely hung string as they grow.

Aerate the solution continuously by pumping air through a perforated hose or pipe

immersed in the solution. For small systems an aquarium pump and porous stone will

work. Do not bubble the solution vigorously because excessive movement may damage

the tender roots and impair plant growth. Change the nutrient solution every two weeks

when the plants are small and once a week as they begin to mature. Add water daily to

keep the solution level constant (Hydroponic Systems, n.d.).

The study conducted by Jumawan (2008) used fish internal organs as the sole

source of the fertilizer. The organs were first sun-dried and then made into powder.

Hydroponics growing system was employed. For the set-up, sprouts were put

individually into water bottles containing nutrient solution which is just water plus the

sun-dried fish internal organs powdered fertilizer. The experiment was done in thirty

days. The effectiveness of the fish internal organs fertilizer was compared with

commercial fertilizer in enhancing plant growth. The study concluded that fish internal

organs fertilizer is effective since the plants treated with it were the longest and heaviest.