Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

The background study

Chemical fertilizer or inorganic fertilizers are

man-made enhancers used to raise the level of nutrients

found in soil. Chemical fertilizer improve the growth of

short amount of time. These are a fast dose of nutrients,

feeding your plants how you want and when you want. They

are fully artificial and manufactured in exact dose.

Their nutrients ratios are clearly printed on the bag,

and there is an inorganic fertilizer to meet your plant’s

specific needs. Your plant’s needs are a large factor

that shouldn’t be ignored. If they need food fast,

inorganic might be the way to go. In bag form, organic

fertilizer is significantly more expensive than inorganic

because of its raw materials and process.

The major contributor to enhance crop production

and to maintain soil productivity as well as prevent soil

degradation are the mineral nutrients. According to

SMART: Corn Fertilizer Recommendations, corn adequate

fertilizer management for profitable production. Applying

the right fertilizers at the right amount and the right

time is crucial for a successful crop production that’s

why a skilled farmer should performs good practices in

using fertilizers.
 There are different fertilizer placement method

that farmers usually performs in corn production.

Injection a method that used to place liquid or gaseous

fertilizer below the soil near plant roots, Surface

broadcast applied on the surface across an entire field,

Broadcast incorporated improves on the efficiency of

surface application by incorporating fertilizer through

plowing or disking, Band application or starter

application is applied in bands near where developing

roots will easily reach it; either to the side and below

the seed rows, slightly below the seeds, or in between

rows, Fertigation is distribution with water-soluble

fertilizers and chemicals through an irrigation system,

Foliar application is application of a small amount of

fertilizer or mineral through direct spraying onto the

leaves, Sidedressing is when fertilizer is applied

between rows of young plants to provide a boost during

periods of rapid growth and nutrient uptake, Topdressing

is when fertilizer or manure is spread on established

fields(grasses,legumes), Seed placement or Pop-up

application is when farmers apply small amount of

fertilizer in corn seeds during planting.

With this being said, this research aims to

determine the practices of farmers in using the inorganic

fertilizer in corn production.

Statement of the Problem

This study seeks to determined the practices of

farmers using inorganic fertilizer on corn crops.

1. What is the socio-demografic characteristic of the

farmers/respondents in this study:

a. Age

b. gender

c. Educational attainment

d. Attendance for trainings/seminars in Agriculture

e. Income per cropping

2. What are the practices of the respondents in corn

farming in terms of:

2.1 Types of fertilizers

2.2 Application of fertilizers

2.3 Corn Farming Strategies

Significance of the Study

The findings of this study will rebound to the

benefit

DEPARTMRNT OF AGRICULTURE- The result of this study will

provide information to Department of Agriculture that

makes the organization focus and give compensation in

agricultural sectors.

FARMERS- The study will provide more ideas and knowledge

for farmers who cultivates corn.

FUTURE RESEARCHERS- the result of the study will be

valuable to young researchers as a basis for their

research.

Scope and delimitation

This study focused on farmer’s in corn production

in Sitio Dugo, Barangay Banguian, Abulug, Cagayan.the

respondents were farmers who engage in corn production

from the age of_____ and above.

Definition of terms

As used in the study, the following terms are

operationally defined to facilitate a clear and better

understanding of the study.

Corn- maize, also known as a corn, is a cereal grain

first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern

Mexico about 10,000 years ago.

Production- is the process of combining various material

inputs and immaterial inputs in order to make something

for consumption.

Practices- the actual application or use of an idea,

belief, or method, as opposed to theories relating to it.

Fertilizer- are generally defined as “any material,

organic or inorganic,natural or synthetic, which supplies

one or more of the chemical elements required for the

plant growth.

Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

History of fertilizer

Neolithic man probably used fertilizers, but the

first fertilizer produced by chemical processes was

ordinary superphosphate, made early in the 19th century by

treating bones with sulfuric acid. Coprolites and

phosphate rock soon replaced bones as the P source. The k

fertilizer industry started in Germany in 1861. In North

America the K industry started during World War I and

expanded with development of the New Mexico deposits in

1931 and the Saskatchewan deposits in 1958. Modern K

fertilizer are more the product of physical than chemical

processes. The first synthetic N fertilizer was calcium

nitrate, made in 1903 from nitric acid produced by the

electric arc process. The availability of synthetic

ammonia after 1913 led to many new N fertilizers, but

physical quality was poor. In 1933 TVA was formed with a

national responsibility to increase the efficiency of

fertilizer manufacture and use. More than 75% of the

fertilizer produced in the United States is made with

processes developed by TVA.

Major fertilizes and fertilizer intermediates

introduced by TVA include ammonium nitrate, high-analysis

phosphates,diammonium phosphate, nitric phosphate, urea

ammonium phosphates, 11-16-0 and other liquid base

solutions, superphophoric acid wet-process

superphosphoric acid suspensions, granular urea, and S-

coated urea. These have had major impact upon the

production of mixed fertilizer, bulk blending, and the

fluid fertilizer industry. Future fertilizers not

technologically feasible, economical, and agrenomical

suitable-as have been past fertilizers-but also must meet

various air and water pollution standards during

production and have reduced total energy requirements.

(Russel D. and Williams G. 1977)

Fertilizer and It’s Nutrients

Organic fertilizers release nutrients as they break

down, improving the soil and its ability to hold water

and nutrients. Given time, they make your soil and plants

healthier and hardier. Organic fertilizers carry little

risk of a toxic overdose of chemicals, but they require a

breakdown of microorganisms to release nutrients,

limiting their seasonal effectiveness and potentially

increasing the amount they take to feed your plants

(Mowbot Team, 2018).

Types of supply of inorganic Fertilizer

There are six major inorganic fertilizer grades

available in the market, namely: Urea (46-0-0); Ammonium

Sulfate (21-0-0); Ammonium Phosphate (16-20-0);

Diammonium Phosphate (18-46-0); Complete (14-14-14) and

Muriate of Potash (0-0-60). inorganic fertilizers were

sourced from importation (69%) and domestic production

(31%). In general, total supply increased at annual

growth rate of 4.68%. Fluctuations were observed in both

domestic supply and imports. However, domestic supply

showed dramatic reduction of 25% annual average from 2002

to 2010. The lowest domestically produced inorganic was

recorded in 2010 at 36,000 metric tons only and zero

production in 2015.(Ani P. and Abeleda M. 2018

Chapter 3