Chapter 5

SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Summary

Gi-os upland rice was planted in clayey soil at Real, Monreal, Masbate from April

to October 2012. Six fertilizer treatments were replicated three times. The treatments

used were five bio-fertilizers and recommended rate of inorganic fertilizer. The effect of

five bio-fertilizers on rice agronomic and physiological characteristics, yield and yield

components, and soil characteristics were compared with the effect of inorganic fertilizer.

Simple cost and return analysis in growing upland rice using the six treatments was

made.

The effects on rice agronomic and physiological characteristics, yield, and yield

components of locally-made bio-fertilizers and Vital-N were similar to inorganic

fertilizer. The plants grown in soil applied with locally made bio-fertilizer and Vital-N

were tallest than those with Bio-N, Biogroe and Mykovam but not with inorganic

fertilizer. The height of plants grown in soil applied with Vital-N and locally made bio-

fertilizer was not significantly different from those with inorganic fertilizer from

vegetative phase (23-63 DAS), early panicle initiation (70 DAS) and booting stage (84

DAS). The effect of Vital-N was evident at vegetative phase while locally made fertilizer

was at reproductive phase. Similarly, the leaf area index of plants grown in soil applied

with locally made fertilizer and Vital N was higher at vegetative (42-62 DAS), booting
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(82 DAS) and flowering (102 DAS) stages than those with other bio-fertilizers but

similar to those with inorganic fertilizer. The leaf area index was higher in locally-made

biofertilizer than those from Vital-N from end of vegetative phase (62 DAS) to booting

(82 DAS) and flowering (102 DAS) stages but they are statistically not different.

Highest crop growth rate of plants grown in soil applied with locally-made bio-

fertilizer was noted during end of vegetative phase (62 DAS) to booting stage (82 DAS),

whereas Vital-N during booting (82 DAS) to flowering (102 DAS) stages. However, it

was not significantly different from those with inorganic fertilizer. The application of

bio-fertilizers and inorganic fertilizer resulted to variable relative growth rate at 62, 82

and 102 DAS but were not significantly different among treatments. Likewise, the net

assimilation rate at 62 and 82 DAS was not significantly different among treatments.

However, at flowering stage (102 DAS), the net assimilation rate of plants grown in soil

with locally-made bio-fertilizer was higher those with other bio-fertilizers but not

significantly different from those with inorganic fertilizer. The plant dry matter

production in locally-made bio-fertilizer was increasing from 42 DAS to 102 DAS and

higher than Vital-N but not significantly different from inorganic fertilizer. The high crop

growth rate, relative growth rate and net assimilation ratio of plants grown in soil with

locally-made bio-fertilizer can be attributed to high average total nitrogen found in plant

tissue.

The application of both inorganic fertilizers and bio-fertilizers did not cause any

drastic negative change in pH, % OM, % N, % BS and CEC of the soil which has an

initial neutral pH, high % OM, high % N, high %BS and very high CEC. The soil applied
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with locally made bio-fertilizer and Bio-groe was near neutral. The organic matter

present in soil applied with Mykovam and Bio-groe was very high (4.57%) and

moderately high (3.34%), respectively, whereas high in inorganic fertilizer, locally made

bio-fertilizer, Bio-N and Vital N. Application of Mykovam and Bio-groe had increased

the organic matter content of the soil compared to other bio-fertilizers and inorganic

fertilizer. This can be attributed to the increase in microbial bio-mass or organic carbon

produced by microorganisms present in Mykovam and Bio-groe like fungi.

The soil applied with inorganic fertilizer, locally made bio-fertilizer, Bio-N, Bio-

groe, Mykovam and Vital N contained very high CEC or ability to retain added nutrients.

Similarly, the same soil had high % BS which was greater than 75%. Additionally, bulk

density was determined and the soil used had an initial bulk density of 1.16 g/cc which

was lower than the average bulk density of 1.25 g/cc in cultivated soil. The soil applied

with locally made bio-fertilizers had the lowest bulk density of 1.02 g/cc which can be

attributed to the greater bulk per unit weight applied into the soil.

The plants grown in soil with locally-made bio-fertilizer had the highest average

number of tillers than those with other bio-fertilizers. The average number of tillers of

plants grown in soil with locally-made bio-fertilizer was not significantly different from

those with inorganic fertilizer. The plants grown in soil applied with locally-made bio-

fertilizer attained a grain yield of 3.14 t/ha but not significantly different from those with

Vital-N and inorganic fertilizer which have grain yield of 3.05 t/ha and 3.10 t/ha,

respectively. This can be due to combined effect of high number of panicles, percent
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productive tillers, filled spikelets per panicle, % filled spikelets per panicle and 1000 seed

weight. Moreover, the same plants had high straw weight and harvest index.

The cost and return analysis growing upland rice using the inorganic fertilizer and

top two performing bio-fertilizers such as locally-made biofertilizer and Vital-N was

made. The total production cost in growing upland rice using Vital-N was lower than

using inorganic fertilizer and locally-made bio-fertilizer despite lower grain yield.

Consequently, in using Vital-N, the net income and return to capital were P 112, 120.00

and 1,134.52%, respectively which were higher than locally-made bio-fertilizer and

inorganic fertilizer. The net income and return on capital in using locally-made bio-

fertilizer were P 109,813.00 and 695.59%, respectively. Lastly, the net income and return

on capital in using inorganic fertilizer were P 108,140.00 and 681.84%, respectively.

Conclusion

The study has established which bio-fertilizer to use in growing upland that is

comparable to the use of inorganic fertilizer. The best bio-fertilizer to use will depend not

only on cost return analysis but also on its effect at different plant growth stages and long

term beneficial effects on soil must be considered. The use of Vital-N has enhanced the

vegetative phase of upland rice, whereas locally-made bio-fertilizer has enhanced the

reproductive phase compared to inorganic fertilizer and other bio-fertilizers used. The use

of locally-made bio-fertilizer and Vital-N has enhanced the grain yield of upland rice

from its national average yield of 2.0 t/ha to 3.14 and 3.05 t/ha, respectively.
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Recommendation

Further study may be considered using the combination of both locally-made bio-

fertilizer and Vital-N in growing upland rice. Likewise, a study on long term effect of

these bio-fertilizers on soil fertility may be conducted. Moreover, to evaluate the effect of

these bio-fertilizers on the agronomic and physiological growth characteristics, further

study may be conducted on the effect of these bio-fertilizers to different upland rice

cultivars or varieties.