Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region V
Division of Sorsogon
Juban National High School
Cogon, Juban, Sorsogon

THE EFFICACY OF BANANA’S CHARCOALED STEM AS AN ORGANIC

PROCESSED FERTILIZER

Lester C. Deondo
Alfonso F. Grajo
Harvey G. Casta
Aivy Brenches
Christian Altarejos
Juliet Taduran
 CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM
Introduction
Organic farming is gaining ground every day. Fertilizers come from many sources.
Synthetically derived fertilizers are manufactured from minerals, gasses from the air and
inorganic waste materials. Fertilizers derived from organic sources obtain their nutrients from
natural sources such as microbes, organic waste, and other similar materials. And that is what we
need to consider in farming like in a field is fertilizer to help grow its production and more so, in
plants for its productivity and healthy crops. There are two types of fertilizers, organic and
inorganic. Organic fertilizers which are normally used in soil. They are healthy for plants and
have long lasting good effects on the soil. It is cheaper compared to inorganic fertilizer and it can
be easily found from the peels of the fruits, dried leaves, or like from the stem of the fruits
specifically, Banana.
According to Renee Miller (2018), Organic fertilizers release nutrients only when the soil
is warm and moist, which tends to correspond with your plants’ times of greatest need. However,
they rely on soil organisms to break down organic matter, so nutrients are released more slowly
than they are from inorganic fertilizers. This slow-release method reduces the risk of nutrient
leaching, but it takes time to supply nutrients to plants. He then added that organic fertilizers is
affordable and is easy to be found but over time, Organic fertilizers continue to improve the soil
long after the plants have taken the nutrients they need. Therefore, the longer your soil is fed
with organic fertilizers, the better its composition and texture.
According to Lirag and Bordado (2016), organic agriculture is pushed by Various sectors
in Bicol region and it is spearheaded by the Department of Agriculture. According to Meena,
Meena and Meena (2013), organic farming is a production management system excluding of all
synthetic off-farm inputs but rely upon on-farm agronomic, biological and mechanical methods
like crop rotations, Crop residues, animal manures, off-farm organic waste, mineral grade rock
Additives and biological system of nutrient mobilization and plant protection, etc. Which
promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and agro-ecosystem. Health. It all boils
down with the fact that organic farming is very vital especially to the lives of every farmers.
According to thehindu.com (2016), Banana stem is rich in potassium and vitamin B6 just
like the fruit. Paul Barbano (2020), Potassium aids plants in moving nutrients and water between
cells. Potassium strengthens plants’ stems and also fights off disease. It is especially important to
creating flowers, and even makes fruits (and berries!) taste better. Potassium will even make
your plants more resistant to drought. Without enough potassium, plants grow poorly in general.
It even increases the protein content of your plants. In short, potassium helps plants grown for
their fruiting and flowering.
 Under section 2 of Republic Act Number 10068 or also known as Organic Agriculture Act
of 2010, it is hereby declared the policy of the state to promote, Propagate, develop further and
implement the practice of organic agriculture in the Philippines that will cumulatively condition
and enrich the fertility of the soil, Increase farm productivity, reduce pollution and destruction of
the environment, Prevent the depletion of natural resources, further protect the health of farmers,
Consumers, and the general public, and save on imported farm inputs.
In the study of Gardening Expert and Host of Growing a Greener World, fertilizers derived
from organic sources provide benefits to both plants and soil and when used properly generally
won’t burn or damage plants. The researchers can attest the stem of bananas will not even burn
the plants even if it’s ironically charcoaled or was being burned it still can be use as a fertilizer.
Thus, organically derived fertilizers stimulate beneficial soil microorganisms and improve the
structure of the soil. Soil microbes play a key role in converting organic fertilizers into soluble
nutrients that can be absorbed by plants at a rate they can use. Organically derived fertilizers
often provide the secondary and micronutrients plants need, usually absent in synthetic
fertilizers.
Furthermore, Ushi Fatma (2021), Banana stems have been known for a long period of
time, even to farmers for having a good water retention capacity. No wonder, a few farmers have
gone ahead to use the banana stems for planting short root crops inside the stems. That only
means that it’s very possible that banana’s charcoaled or burned stem is effective and has the
potential to be an organic fertilizer due to the water retention capacity, there is one more way in
which they can be used beneficially: banana stems after they are rotten can be used as fertilizers
and manures. Such an innovation also works while they are being used even in plantation crops.
This helps to ensure that they do not become a hiding place for insects. The wonderful concept
can go a long way in ensuring rural independence and can cut away at farmers’ over reliance on
monsoons for water.

Statement of the problem

The fundamental aim or objective of this study is to determine the efficacy of Banana’s
Charcoaled stem as an organic fertilizer. Specifically, it answered the following questions:

1. What are the effects of using Banana’s Charcoaled stem as an organic fertilizer with regards to
its:
a. Growth rate of the plants
b. Width of the leaves
c. Resistance to plants diseases hence, the survival
2. What are the advantage of Banana’s Charcoaled stem fertilizer in contrast to decayed banana
stem and unprocessed fertilizer?
3. What are the strategies to be considered in innovating the Banana’s Charcoaled stem as an
organic fertilizer?
Scope and Delimitation
The researchers of this study conducted an experiment. The researchers used banana’s
charcoaled stem as an organic fertilizer. There’s no other source of stem from fruits used in this
study. The researchers also used inorganic fertilizer for the other set-up. Other vegetables were
not used in this study except tomato (Solanum lycopersicum).

Significance of the Study

This study would be substantial significance to the following:
Farmers. This study would help lots of our farmers to encourage them to use bananas charcoaled
stem as an organic fertilizer or any other materials that can be used as an organic fertilizer so that
they can be able to to have lesser yet affordable expenses and can even help them increase their
production.

Teachers. This study would help teachers to have something that they can teach to their students
especially to those who are interested in farming or agriculture.

Students. This study would help them to have so many ideas of what they can do more through
discovering other materials that can serve as an organic fertilizer and would even help them
engage with their love to agriculture or farming.

Community. This study would help the community to work together as one or with harmony by
educating and raising awareness to certain causes like agriculture or farming to everyone that is a
bonifide member of the society.

Future Researchers. This study would help them to be their guide in finding other means or
materials in making studies as this.

Definition of Terms:
 To have a clear understanding of their use in this study. The following terms are defined
conceptually and operationally.

Organic fertilizer. Organic fertilizers are fertilizers that are naturally produced and contain
carbon © (Merriam-Webster).
Inorganic fertilizer. Inorganic fertilizer, also referred to as synthetic fertilizer, is manufactured
artificially and contains minerals or synthetic chemicals (https://homeguides.sfgate.com).
Farming. The practice of Agriculture (Merriam-Webster).
Nutrients. Nutrients are compounds in foods essential to life and health
(https://www1.health.gov.au).
Manure. Animal dung used for fertilizing land (oxford languages).
Propagate. Breed specimens of (a plant or animal) by natural processes from the parent stock
(oxford languages).
Depletion. To empty of a principal substance The lake was depleted of water (Merriam-
Webster).
Microorganisms. A microorganism, or microbe, is an organism of microscopic size, which may
exist in its single-celled form or as a colony of cells (Merriam-Webster).
Micronutrients. Micronutrients are essential dietary elements required by organisms in varying
quantities throughout life to orchestrate a range of physiological functions to maintain health
(Merriam-Webster).
Soil microbes. Broadly defined as a group of microscopic life forms that include bacteria,
archaea, viruses, and eukaryotes like fungi (https://www.sciencedirect.com).

Water retention. A nonspecific term meaning the accumulation of excess fluids in body tissues,
medically known as edema

(https://www.rxlist.com). Banana stem. Banana stems are botanically a part of the Musa genus
and are actually a flower stalk of a large, herbaceous plant belonging to the Musaceae family
(https://specialtyproduce.com).
 CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURES AND STUDIES

This chapter is a presentation of the review of related literature and studies that are found
from various sources of information. It also includes the synthesis of the state-of-the-art, gap
bridged by the study, and conceptual framework.

Related Literature

Organic fertilizers have great help in improving a soil because they increase some elements
needed by the plant as well as the organic matter, the biological activity and of course improve
the physical-chemical characteristics. There are types of fertilizers, chemical, organic and
biofertilizer. However, farmers prefer to used the cheapest and most effective. In some part of
our country we see commonly farmers that uses charcoal on their plants as an alternative for
commercial fertilizers.
According to Paul Barbano March (28, 2012),charcoal increases the soil’s ability to hold
onto plant nutrients and beneficial soil microbes by slowing or reducing the leaching of nutrients
by rain or watering. The low density of charcoal lightens heavy soils, which allows better root
growth, increasing drainage and allowing air into the soil.
It was determined in this study that the foliage of banana stem contained 38.03% carbon,
0.42% nitrogen, and 5.46% hydrogen, meanwhile the stem juice contained 33.42% carbon,
0.49% nitrogen, and 6.17% hydrogen. Elemental analysis of banana stem, banana stem juice, and
comparison with other natural coagulants,.Shayessteh Dadfarnia (February 26, 2013).
According to William S. Utley, in Encyclopedia of Toxicology Second Edition (2005),
Charcoal helps plants by improving the structure and chemistry of the soil. Evidence: Charcoal
increases the amount of water a soil can hold, and it improves soil pH, so the plant can get more
nutrients from the soil.
According to Shevam Dwivedi (2021), wood ash is good at repelling pests as the presence of
salt in the ash deters snails, slugs and a few soft-bodied insects like aphids. Cultivated tomato
belong to the Solanaceae family and the genus Solanum. They are not only the most popular
vegetable crop but also the most cultivated vegetable worldwide (4.7 Million ha). Moreover,
tomato is one of the most studied fleshy fruits because it is easy to grow, often used to explore its
characteristics, or used as a model plant. Recently the genome was published (Sato et al., 2012)
and many insertion line collections and mutants exist, making the use of tomato as an
.experimental plant even more promising
The offer in different tomato is huge (Van der Knaap et al., 2013) and thus, the selection of
suitable plants for experimental aims might be difficult. Symptoms in tomato plants are the
upward curling of leaves, yellow (chlorotic) leaf margins, smaller leaves than normal, plant
stunting, and flower drop. If tomato plants are infected early in their growth, there may be no
fruit formed. Infected plants may appear randomly throughout the garden Joey Williamson (May
.26, 2021)
According to George Silva(May 20,2021) organic fertilizer has to essentially decompose
before the nutrients are available to plants. This process can take 2 to 6 weeks depending on
many factors including soil temperature and moisture levels.
Charcoal is really good at absorbing various virus, bacteria, fungus and all other toxins which
are present in the water and there by helping in the filtration of the water Christina Lopez(2022).
Rice husk is an organic waste and is produced in large quantities. It is a major by-product of
the rice milling and agro-based biomass industry. Rice husk is a cellulose-based fiber and
contains approximately 20% silica in amorphous form (Hu et al., 2008; Mansaray & Ghaly,
1998; Nair, Fraaij, Klaassen, & Kentgens, 2008; Ndazi, Karlsson, Tesha, & Nyahumwa, 2007).

Related Study

Organic fertilizers comprise a variety of plant-derived materials that range from fresh or
dried plant material to animal manures and litters to agricultural by-products (Wohlfarth and
Schroeder, 1979; Das and Jana, 2003; Kumar et al., 2004).
According to Koenig and Johnson (2011), many organic materials are produced around the
home, or can be obtained at little or no cost from livestock operations, municipal green waste
collection centers, and local landfills. Moreover, organic fertilizers are better for certain
situations than others. Also, bananas are rich in minerals including potassium, phosphorus,
calcium, and others.
Potassium is the most important element that is used as fertilizer. It is essential for
promoting general plant vigor, build up, and resistance to pest and disease; necessary to help
fruit grow; involved in regulating around 50 enzymes in a plant; and literally hang onto tree
trunks in nature and vertical vegetables (DIY Fertilizers 2012).
The signs of potassium deficiency in plants can be seen as the older leaves have brown
veins. Potassium content in banana peels is about 200 mg of the fruits or 40%. Using banana
peels in the garden provides nutrients that plants need to thrive, and it acts also as a pest repellent
(Haider 2013; Hulbert 2014).
Banana peel has been used to induce significant effects on various biological aspects in
plants (Bakry et al. 2016). One of these biological aspects is increasing seed germination rate due
its high content of potassium, amino acids (i.e., L-tryptophan), and growth promoters as
indicated in previous investigations (Lee et al. 2010; Emaga et al. 2007).
The organic carbon content of organic fertilizer can be of equal or greater importance than
its nitrogen and phosphorus contents. Application of organic fertilizer promotes increases in
heterotrophic bacterial biomass, which stimulates other secondary productivity and mineralizes
nutrients to stimulate primary productivity (Schroeder, 1978; Anderson, 1987; Colman and
Edwards, 1987; Qin et al., 1995; Barkoh et al., 2005.

Synthesis of the State-of-the-Art

The related literature and studies stated will provide understanding about organic fertilizers.
The related literature and studies further discuss the uses of organic fertilizers to the plants. The
related literature and studies also explained the advantages of using organic fertilizers and how
would it benefited the farmers. Based on the stated related literature and studies, the farmers
should use organic fertilizers on their plants. Thus, when using organic fertilizers, it improves
soil fertility and plants growth that may produce quality and yields.

Gap Bridged by the Study

The review of related literature and studies give an information which is the gap bridge to the
study. This research aims to determine the effectiveness of Banana's charcoaled stem as an
organic fertilizer for farming vegetables. Therefore, this research bridged the gap that no study
has been made for innovating the Banana's charcoaled stem as an organic fertilizer here in
municipality of Juban in the Province of Sorsogon.

Conceptual Framework
The conceptual diagram shows input, process, and output are interconnected. The input of the
study is the effectiveness of using the Banana's charcoaled stem as an organic-commercial
fertilizer in planting vegetables; the process is experimenting, documentation, analyzing data,
and use of statistical treatment; the output of the study will be the organic-commercial fertilizer
from banana's charcoaled stem.
 INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

1. What are the effects of

using Banana’s Charcoaled
stem as an organic fertilizer
with regards to its:

a. Growth rate of the

tomato (Solanum
lycopersicum).

b. Width of the leaves.

c. Resistance to plants
Process
diseases hence, the survival. Expirement
Organic
2. The benefits of processed Observation
organic fertilizer compared Fertilizer
to rotten stalk and
unprocessed fertilizer.

3. The methods can be done

to innovate the banana’s
charcoaled stem as an
organic processed fertilizer.

Figure 1.
CONCEPTUAL PARADIGM
 CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the methodology used by the researchers in the Completion of the
study. The research design, instrument used, the data gathering procedure, data analysis
procedure and the statistical treatment of data used by the researchers in conducting this study
are also discussed and presented.

Research Design
The researchers used experimental research type of study. This research is a study that
strictly adheres to a scientific research design. It includes a hypothesis, a variable that can be
manipulated by the researcher, and variables that can be measured, calculated and compared.
Most importantly, experimental research is completed in a controlled environment. Any research
conducted under scientifically acceptable conditions uses experimental methods. The success of
experimental studies hinges on researchers confirming the change of a variable is based solely on
the manipulation of the constant variable.

Research Instrument
The researchers conducted an experiment within their allotted time for this study. They used
to visit their venue every other day and one member of the researchers was regularly checking
the progress by doing a journal every day and through taking pictures and videos to his mobile
device sent to his co-researchers. From the moment that they first conducted their experimental
research they were all present and aware of everything that happened all throughout the process.
Data Gathering Procedure
The researchers used the experimental design in this study. The researchers made 3 set-ups.
The first one was the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) without fertilizer the second one, tomato
(Solanum lycopersicum) with rotten stalk and the last set-up was tomato (Solanum
lycopersicum) with organic processed fertilizer. All tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) were placed
in a sack with the same amount of soil and fertilizer. The assigned one researcher has recorded
the progress everyday while the others are their observations in every visit. The researchers
came up with statistical treatment of data by means of ranking the 3 set-ups to finally come up
with the final results.

Data Analysis Procedure

The researchers of this study analyzed the gathered data through statistical treatment. They
interpreted each progress in every set-up and had tabulate the results through applying statistical
ranking of the three from the less effective, more effective, to the most effective.

Chapter 4
THE EFFICACY OF BANANA’S CHARCOALED STEM AS AN ORGANIC
PROCESSED FERTILIZER
This chapter discusses the effectiveness of Banana’s Charcoaled Stem as an organic
processed fertilizer. It also presents the analysis and interpretation of data guided by the
statement of the problem and the conceptual framework of the study.

Growth rate of the tomato

The bar graph below shows the growth rate (height) of tomato under 3 set-ups. After more than a
month of observation,the Tomato with banana charcoaled stem had 12.75 cm. The tomato with
rotten banana stalk had 14cm. The tomato without fertilizer had 15cm. In terms of growth rate
the tomato with no fertilizer ranked 1st , the tomato with rotten banana stalk ranked 2nd, the
tomato with charcoaled banana stem ranked 3rd.