Evaluation of Suitable Rate of Organic Fertilizer in Combination with Different Plant-based Fermented Extracts for Aromatic Rice Grown in a Certified Organic Area

Ellen S. Romero, Melchor P. Pascua and Fe L. Porciuncula Ramon Magsaysay Center for Agricultural Resources (RM-CARES) Central Luzon State University

ABSTRACT

The research was conducted in four cropping seasons in a in a certified organic area to determine the suitable rate of organic fertilizer (OF) in combination with plant-based fermented extracts in CL-1 variety of aromatic rice. Rates of 4 t/ha, 6 t/ha and 8 t/ha OF were used in mainplot and combinations of plant-based fermented extracts of subplots. Verification trials were also undertaken, comparing the suitable rate with 8 t/ha OF alone.

Yield of 2.83 t/ha – 2.89 t/ha was obtained regardless of the rate of OF applied, indicating that at 4 t/ha, the optimum level of nutrient requirements of CL-1 was reached. Mixture of plant-based fermented extract applied, out yielded other treatments, with 3.17 t/ha, indicating positive interaction effect, that OF performs best when combined with the extracts.

Verification trials in two cropping season showed that application of 4 t/ha with mixture of plant-based fermented extracts applied weekly until tillering, produced higher yield (3.1 t/ha) than application of 8 t/ha OF alone (2.5t/ha). The results implies that the suitable rate of 4 t/ha with mixture of plant-based fermented extracts is sufficient in the certified organic ares, thus not only supplying the required nutrients in CL-1, but also reducing cost of production.

KEYWORDS: organic fertilizer, fermented extracts, certified organic area, organic aromatic rice