The use of liquid organic fertilizers in improving soil chemistry and fertility without harming soil and the environment

This is to certify that the thesis entitled “THE USE OF LIQUID ORGANIC FERTILIZERS IN IMPROVING SOIL CHEMISTRY AND FERTILITY WITHOUT HARMING SOIL AND THE ENVIRONMENT” submitted by Bonifa

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY

… 

BONIFACIO B NATAG-OY

SOIL CHEMISTRY AND FERTILITY WITHOUT HARMING SOIL AND THE

ENVIRONMENT

Bachelor Thesis

Study Mode: Full-Time

Major : Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management

Faculty : International Training and Development Center

Batch : K42 - AEP

Thai Nguyen, 20/01/2015

This is to certify that the thesis entitled “THE USE OF LIQUID ORGANIC FERTILIZERS IN IMPROVING SOIL CHEMISTRY AND FERTILITY WITHOUT HARMING SOIL AND THE ENVIRONMENT” submitted by Bonifacio B Natag-oy

towards the fulfillment of the undergraduate degree of Environmental Science andManagement is based on his original research and study under the supervision of Dr.Dedik Budianta and Dr Nguyen The Hung The thesis in part or full is the property of

the Advanced Education Program of the Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry and thereof should not be used by any other public or private institution

without prior consent

Thai Nguyen, 23/ 01/ 2015

Dr Nguyen The Hung

Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture

and Forestry

DOCUMENTATION PAGE WITH ABSTRACT

Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry

Degree Program Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management

Student Name Bonifacio B Natag-oy

Student ID DTN1054140237

Thesis Title The Use of Liquid Organic Fertilizers In Improving Soil Chemistry and

Fertility Without Harming Soil and the EnvironmentSupervisors Dr Dedik Budianta and Dr Nguyen The Hung

Abstract

Soil has a very important role to the environment and if not manage well due to the overuse of some inorganic or chemical fertilizers may lead to soil degradation and soil destruction of the soil structure and the soil fertility However, with the proper use of liquid organic fertilizers (LOF) can bring back the life into the soil as it provides microorganisms and soil nutrients that improves the soil chemistry and fertility The study area was in the Soil Science Department greenhouse, Faculty of Agriculture, Sriwijaya University, Inderalaya Campus, South Sumatra Province The findings of the study are expected to help the farmers to have an idea on how to make and apply their own fertilizer that can costs much cheaper compared to some commercial fertilizers (Organic and Inorganic) The study analyzed the NPK of the LOF and pH, NPK of the soil after the experiment The study revealed that the best treatment for water spinach in

a histosol soil type was in treatment 2 with the rates of 7.5 L/ha but the results in statistical analysis was that all has no significant difference with each treatment except the K with significant difference Although, the soil type (histosol) used in this study affected the plants growth due to the compaction of the soil when wet or after watering.

Keywords Liquid organic fertilizer (LOF), Histosol (organosol),pH

and NPK, environment

Number of Pages Thirty four (34) pages

Date of submission January 22, 2015

33 3

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The author wishes to extend his grateful appreciation to the following peoplefor their valuable contribution in order to make this research possible First andforemost, to our Almighty God for giving the author wisdom, strength, courage andthrough Him everything was made possible To his family for their support andunconditional love necessary to fulfill the author’s dreams To the AdvancedEducation Program headed by Dr Duong Van Thao for their continuous support andassistance with their students To the lecturers at Sriwijaya University and TUAFespecially to Dr Dedik Budianta and Dr Nguyen The Hung, his thesis supervisors, fortheir excellent advices and for providing him good atmosphere and motivations for

doing the research To Dr Arinafril, without him the research in Sriwijaya University

would not be possible and for the recommendation for his supervisor To his friends inSriwijaya University, Faculty of Agriculture, ASEAN University Games Volunteersfor their kindness in helping him for his research and for the friendship that they builtduring his stay in Indonesia To his classmates in K42 and to all the Filipino studentsfor sharing the happy days and hard times in the last four years of his life in Vietnam

To Mrs Herminia Teh-op, for giving him a financial and moral support in the last fouryears of study in Vietnam To Dr Serafin L Ngohayon and the Ifugao StateUniversity (IFSU), for giving him the full support and for giving him the chance tostudy in Vietnam Lastly, the author offers his regards and blessings to all of thosewho supported him in any respect during the completion of the project

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES 1

LIST OF TABLES 2

PART I INTRODUCTION 3

1.1 Reasearch Rationale 3

1.2 Research’s objectives 4

1.3 Research questions and Hypotheses 4

1.4 Limitations 5

PART II LITERATURE REVIEW 6

2.1 Organic fertilizers 6

2.1.1 The use and importance of organic fertilizers 6

2.1.2 The use of liquid organic fertilizers (LOF) 6

2.1.3 Advantages of liquid organic fertilizers 8

2.1.4 Disadvantages liquid organic fertilizers 10

2.2 Functions of lime in the soil 11

2.2.1 Importance of liming the soil 11

2.2.2 Neutralization of Soil Acids 12

2.2.3 The Influence of Calcium on Plant Growth 12

2.2.4 The effect of Lime on the Solubility of Soil Mineral Elements 12

2.2.5 Effect of Lime on Microbial Process of the Soil 13

2.2.6 The Effect of Lime on Soil Structure 13

2.2.7 The Influence of Lime on the Effectiveness of Fertilizers and Manure 13

2.3 Swamp area in South Sumatra, Indonesia 13

2.4 Histosol 14

PART III METHODS 16

3.1 Materials 16

3.1.1 Organic Materials, OM (Chicken Manure, Legume tree (Gliricidia sepium), Effective microorganisms EM4, Coconut Water) 16

3.1.2 Water, pots, soil, and lime 17

3.1.3 Water Spinach 18

3.1.4 Bucket 18

3.1.5 Laboratory room and equipments 18

3.1.6 Camera 18

3.1.7 Papers and pen 18

3.2 Methods 18

3.2.1 Experimental Process 18

3.2.2 Site Location 20

3.2.3 Experimental Design 20

3.2.4 Sampling and Analysis 20

3.2.5 Statistical Analysis 21

PART IV RESULTS 22

4.1 Liquid organic fertilizer (LOF) 22

4.2 Soil nutrients 22

4.3 Plants growth and biomass 26

PART V DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 30

5.1 Discussion 30

5.1.1 Liquid organic fertilizer (LOF) 30

5.1.2 Soil nutrients 31

5.1.3 Plants growth and biomass 31

5.1.4 The effects of Histosol on the Plants 32

5.2 Conclusion 32

REFERENCES 33

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 4.1 Effect of applied lime on Soil pH 23

Figure 4.2 Effects of applied LOF on Soil Nitrogen Contents 24

Figure 4.3 Effect of applied LOF on Soil Phosphorus Contents 24

Figure 4.4 Effect of applied LOF on Soil Potassium Contents 25

Figure 4.5 Effect of applied rates of LOF on height of the plants 27

Figure 4.6 Effect of applied rates of LOF on the number of leaves 27

Figure 4.7 Effect of applied rates of LOF on fresh weight of the plants 29

Figure 4.8 Effect of applied rates of LOF on dry weight of the plants 29

LIST OF TABLES

Table 2.1 Liquid Organic Fertilizer Results (Silalahi, 2014) 8

Table 2.2 Chemical properties of organic soil material as related to degree of decomposition 14

Table 2.3 The results of the soil analysis from lowland dry swamp area (Silalahi, 2014) 15

Table 4.1 Nutrient concentration of liquid organic fertilizer used in the study 22

Table 4.2 Some properties of soil sampled after harvesting the water spinach 22

Table 4.3 Effect of applied rates of LOF on plants growth 26

Table 4.4 Effects of applied rates of LOF on plants weight 28

PART I INTRODUCTION 1.1 Reasearch Rationale

Soils play a very important role in our life and in our environment It is thefoundation of all the buildings, houses, roads, plants for forestry and agriculture andothers It is where all living and non-living things standing including humans Soils are

a combinations and interactions of solids (organic and inorganic materials includingmicroorganisms), liquid (water) and gas (air) (Hyodo et al., 2006)

Soil is very important to all plants and a plant does not depend on only with soilbut also with soil fertility in order to grow properly The fertility or nutrients of the soilalready exists since the soil was developed from rocks through chemical processes andtime and the rocks contain all of the nutrients needed by plants Soil fertility depends

on soil chemistry as we need to know the soil chemistry to determine its fertility

Organic fertilizers are different from inorganic fertilizers Organic fertilizersprovide food and nourish the plants while helping forming the structure of the soil.Inorganic fertilizers do the same thing but will soon destroy the soil and according to(Puma, 2010), the carbonic acid which is present in the soil, combines with the sodiumfrom chemical fertilizers to form sodium carbonate This sodium carbonate act as abonding agent causing soil particles to bind together and compact That process causedthe soil becomes hard, difficult to work, and plant roots can't penetrate it

Farmers most likely to use inorganic fertilizers because it gives the nutrients thatare needed by plants faster than organic fertilizers which are slower According toHadad and Anderson, 2004, inorganic fertilizers are generally simple to use, because it

is easy to determine the fertilizer concentration with the use of a conductivity meter

1.2 Research’s objectives

To know how to prepare liquid organic fertilizer (LOF) that can be prepared athome and apply in the field, study the effects of LOF in soil chemistry to see theimprovements after the applications, to find an alternative way to improve soil fertility

in an environmental friendly way which has a similar or close to the effective time ratelike inorganic fertilizers

1.3 Research questions and Hypotheses

This study aims to give information to farmers and help or guide them with thehelp of this following research questions:

1 How does soil chemistry affects soil fertility?

2 What are the advantages and disadvantages of using liquid organic fertilizer interms of economic and time value in comparison to inorganic fertilizer?

3 How to prepare and apply liquid organic fertilizer?

4 What are the effects and benefits of using organic fertilizer to soil and theenvironment?

The researcher was expecting good results for the Nitrogen contents from the mainingredients of the LOF which is from the legume tree leaves (Gliricidia sepium) Forthe Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) are also expected to provide good results fromthe chicken manure (dry) as one of the main ingredients of the LOF as it is a goodsource of P and K nutrients Chicken Manure is also a good source of N contents of thefertilizers and it is expected to add or contribute in Nitrogen contents of the LOF.The researcher was also expecting to get good results for the soil and plant analysis after theapplications of the lime and LOF in the experiments The rates of the LOF applicationsincreases from the control, 5, 7.5, and 10 liters per hectare, the results of the plants growthshould be better as the rates of the LOF per treatments increased.

1.4 Limitations

This study aims to test the effect of different rates of liquid organic fertilizer on soilproperties and crop growth of water spinach The study only analyzes macro nutrientsneeded by plants such as Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K) It also analyzessoil pH and the growth measurement including the number of leaves per crop, plants height

PART II LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Organic fertilizers

2.1.1 The use and importance of organic fertilizers

Organic fertilizers are products obtained from the decomposition of organic matter; inthis process effective microorganisms are important because they break down the organicmatter thus realizing nutrients for plant growth Organic fertilizers can be prepared on thefarm at a low cost using crop residues, animal dung and other plant materials (Agro EcoLuis Institute, 2010)

The following are the importance of organic fertilizers according to (Agro Eco LuisInstitute, 2010)

• Organic fertilizers reduce the dependence on artificial chemical products ondifferent crops

• They improve the soil, physical structure (soft and loose soil), chemical (increasenutrients), and biological (high population of beneficial microorganisms) composition

• Improve yields and the quality of products

• Source of food for soil organisms

2.1.2 The use of liquid organic fertilizers (LOF)

The use of liquid organic fertilizer could greatly improve the health of plants andtheir yield within the production area Biol liquid fertilizer is made by the anaerobicdecomposition (fermentation), of organic materials, producing a nutrient richsource of humus and living culture to stimulate such physiological activities in plants

as root formation, stimulation of flower and fruit growth, and overall plantdevelopment Applied in small amounts, Biol promotes the lives of microorganismswhich improve soil structure when applied in the ground and reduce fungal and

bacterial infections when applied to leaves Users of biol fertilizers report a noticeablegreening in the leaves of treated plants and an increase in harvest quantity and quality.The overall health of the plant is improved (Dorner, 2013).

Liquid organic fertilizers are environmentally friendly fertilizers obtained fromplant and animal origin They are formulated from botanical extracts into liquids thatare readily absorbed in soluble state, and are usually fortified with nutrient elementsthat promote healthy plants growth and development (Danbala and Green Planet,2003) Liquid organic fertilizer gives plants added nutrients in a faster-acting formthan granular fertilizer Health-related benefits accrue from application of liquidorganic fertilizer Bockrnan et al (1990) reported that a desire for quality food is part

of the market acceptance of organic produce which have little or no chemical residue.Some advocates or organic farming believe that food produced with liquid organicfertilizers is more nutritious than food produced by conventional farming (Schupan,1974) However, the price of organic products are more expensive compared toinorganic products, thus, this organic products are not popular in daily needs and alsothis organic products are difficult to find in the market

Liquid organic fertilizer has the advantages that contain certain substances such asmicroorganisms that are rarely found in solid organic In dry form somemicroorganisms die and cannot be active substances If the liquid organic fertilizermixed with solid organic fertilizer, it can enable the microorganisms present in thesolid organic fertilizer Liquid organic fertilizers have largely remained in thebackground of mainstream scientific literature and what little knowledge exists aboutthem is mainly confined to biodynamic farming literature (Divers, 1999)

Table 2.1 Liquid Organic Fertilizer Results (Silalahi, 2014)

(NSI) Liquid Organic Fertilizer

Note : Analyzed in the Soil Science Department Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture Sriwijaya University Inderalaya 2014.

The table above is the results of the liquid organic fertilizer (LOF) made fromWater Hyacinth

2.1.3 Advantages of liquid organic fertilizers

• Homemade liquid fertilizers are often costs much cheaper than commercialinorganic fertilizers, because the material can be found in the vicinity of the house.Information from the document of Agro Eco Luis Institute: A Practical Manual forSmall Holder Farmers, 2010 indicated that:

• Better nourishment for plants resulting into healthy and strong plants

• It is a microbial soup which permits the re-establishment of microbial equilibrium

in the ecosystem

• They reduce incidences of plant pests and diseases making them more resistant

• They do not permit growth of plant pathogenic microorganisms on plants byworking in a way to prevent and eliminate diseases

The information from Eco Green, (2015) indicated that:

Economic advantage

• Cost effective: Improve the economic wellbeing of growers and farmers inparticular and the society in general

Social advantage

• No toxic effect: there is no any health hazard effect to human beings because there

is no any toxicity effect

Crop Productivity advantages

• Controlled growth: does not over- stimulate to exceptional growth which can causeproblems and require more work

• Enhance/ speed up the crops maturity date: it expedites new bud initiation and alsomaturity of plants by up to 10 days

• Other quality improvements on the crop: it improves head size and color/texture ofleaves while also increasing vase life after flowers are cut

• Stronger plants and grass: a multipurpose liquid concentrate that promotes vigorousgrowth, increased root development and improved stress and disease tolerance

• For rapid uptake: Their small particle size and liquid formulations also allow forrapid uptake when applied directly to leaves (foliar feeding)

Soil related advantages

• Better for the soil: provides organic matter essential for microorganisms It is one

of the building blocks for fertile soil which is rich in humus

• Nutrient release: slow and consistent at a natural rate that plants are able to use.Since microbes must break down the material no danger of over concentration of anyelement can be caused; and also it constitutes full of both macro and micro nutrients

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• Trace minerals: typically present in a broad range, providing more balancednutrition to the plant

• Open up the soil pores so that the soil microbes will multiply and begin to releasenutrients, as crops use them

• Will not burn: safe for all plants with no danger of burning due to saltconcentration

• Long lasting: doesn’t leach out since the organic matter binds to the soil particleswhere the roots have access to it

• Encourages soil life: Microbes convert the organic matter to the form of nutrients thatplants need Earthworms feeding on organic materials are eaten and loosen the soil

• Specific formulas: formulated in liquid form which enables it to percolate easily tothe soil and can adapt to any application by changing the ingredient blend Pre-blendedformulas or individual items allow flexibility for plant preferences or needs

Environmental advantage

• Beneficial to the environment: it is free from any harmful residues or it will notcause pollution due to runoff from irrigation or rain It is environmentally friendly and

it addresses the requirements of eco friendly

• Organic wastes or garbage in the house would be easier to manage and organizethose wastes because it could be used for home made organic fertilizers and it provides

a healthy life style

2.1.4 Disadvantages liquid organic fertilizers

• Usually, commercial liquid organic fertilizers are often more expensive than

• Home made liquid organic fertilizers are much cheaper than inorganic fertilizersbut it takes time to produce as organic fertilizers for the plants.

• Incomplete composting can leave certain pathogens in the organic matter Thesepathogens can enter the water system or the food crops, causing human health andenvironmental problems (Gore, 2006)

• The certain nutrients that are presents in the ingredients of organic materials werenot known

• Usually, nutrients that come from the organic materials were slow to release for theplants consumptions

2.2 Functions of lime in the soil

2.2.1 Importance of liming the soil

Liming is an important practice in scientific soil management Too frequently soilfertility is regarded chiefly as a matter of supply of nitrogen, phosphorus, andpotassium, and insufficient emphasis is placed on calcium which performs manyindispensable functions in plant growth and in modifying soil conditions The liming

of soils should be accepted by all as a fundamental and essential practice; it isfrequently referred to as the “backbone” of permanent agriculture in humid regions(Millar & Turk, 1943) Agriculturally, lime may be said to be any compound ofcalcium or of calcium and magnesium capable of counteracting the harmful effects of

an acid soil, they also added

These materials are effective in neutralizing all types of soil acids and have nodetrimental effects on the physical properties of soils and are not toxic to plants inamounts normally applied Liming materials are used to bring about in the soil chemical,

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lime, then, is caused by the loss of the basic constituents, calcium and magnesium,through leaching and cropping and is aggravated by other processes or practices whichadd acid constituents to the soil although as pointed out a need for lime may exist eventhough no loss of bases occurs during soil formation (Millar and Turk, 1943)

2.2.2 Neutralization of Soil Acids

Since the accumulation of hydrogen ions in acidic soils is accompanied by the loss ofbasic elements, calcium, an addition of lime will correct the calcium deficiency and thesame time neutralize soil acidity (Millar & Turk, 1943) They also stated that lime in theforms of oxide, hydroxide, and carbonate reacts rather rapidly with moist, acid soils

2.2.3 The Influence of Calcium on Plant Growth

Calcium is indispensable element for growth of all crops It appears to be essentialfor cell-wall construction and perhaps aids in neutralizing organic acids within theplant or in regulating the acid-base balance in plants (Millar & Turk, 1943) Calcium

in general is not only good for the growth of the crops but it also helps in neutralizingthe soil pH

2.2.4 The effect of Lime on the Solubility of Soil Mineral Elements

According to Millar and Turk, (1943), Soil phosphorus is generally most readilyavailable to plants in neutral or slightly acid soils, and with increasing acidity itsavailability decreases Liming acidic soils has a tendency to make the phosphatecompounds in the soil more available When soils become deficient in bases, thesolubility of aluminum, iron, and manganese increases; in strongly acid soils, the highconcentrations of these elements may be toxic to crop plants Caution is thereforenecessary in the use of lime A normal application may prevent toxic concentrations ofthese substances; yet too much lime may create an iron and manganese deficiency

2.2.5 Effect of Lime on Microbial Process of the Soil

Millar and Turk, (1943), stated that calcium is closely associated with certainimportant microbial processes The more important effects of calcium on the soilpopulation may be grouped as follows:

• Promoting the decomposition of organic matter

• Making conditions favorable for nitrification and sulphofication

• Providing favorable conditions for growth and functioning of both symbiotic andnon-symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria

2.2.6 The Effect of Lime on Soil Structure

According to Millar and Turk, (1943), a soil with a high content of lime is morelikely to remain in good tilt than one low in lime The presence of sufficient lime aids

in making soils loose and friable, permitting better aeration assists in drainage and isimportant in plowing and seedbed preparation

2.2.7 The Influence of Lime on the Effectiveness of Fertilizers and Manure

The full benefits of fertilizers and manures are realized only after ample supplies oflime have been provided Fertilizers and manures are more effective when all soilconditions are favorable Lime is not a substitute for fertilizers and manure, but when lime

is needed its application will greatly increase their effectiveness (Millar & Turk, 1943)

2.3 Swamp area in South Sumatra, Indonesia

Lowland swamp areas in Indonesia are quite wide and it is estimated to 13.28 million

ha of the area of which have been exploited and distributed in Borneo, Sumatra andPapua On the island of Sumatra, the largest lowland swamp area located in SouthSumatra Province which is about 2.98 million hectares (Suparwoto & Waluyo, 2009).Potential lowland swamp area in South Sumatra reached 2.28 million hectares or 27

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percent of the area of South Sumatra (Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, 2011).Ogan Ilir is one of the Districts of the said province where in this study located It belongs

to the lowland swamp area in the province but during the dry season, they use the soil tocultivate some crops by the local people But some factors that has been the problem inthe soil from the swamp area like low in pH and low soil fertility

2.4 Histosol

Table 2.2 Chemical properties of organic soil material as related to degree of

decomposition

Note: This image was captured from the “Handbook of Soil Science” (Summer, 1999).

The organic parent materials of Histosols are a major source of acidity Acidsproduced by the partial decomposition of organic matter cause the organic horizons ofHistosols to be highly acidic unless they have been neutralized by bases that weredissolved from mineral soils or rocks and transported into the peat by groundwater.There are different types of Histosols like Fibric, Hemic and Sapric soil materials Thetype of Histosol used in this study was Fibric with an original soil pH of 4.5 Theimage above showed the different pH of the three different types of Histosol

Table 2.3 The results of the soil analysis from lowland dry swamp area (Silalahi, 2014)

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PART III METHODS 3.1 Materials

3.1.1 Organic Materials, OM (Chicken Manure, Legume tree (Gliricidia sepium), Effective microorganisms EM4, Coconut Water)

This are the materials that were used to prepare and make liquid organic fertilizer.The brief descriptions of materials used in the study are as follows:

Chicken Manure

Chicken manure is rich in Nitrogen contents as well as Phosphorus and Potassium.For this ingredient, you can buy or purchase in poultry production area or in someorganic fertilizer store If you have your own small or large poultry productionbusiness is much better and can save money Fresh manure is the best ingredients touse in making LOF as compared to dry manure as some nutrients will evaporate to theatmosphere In this study, we used dry chicken manure and was purchased in poultryproduction area

Madre cacao (Gliricidia sepium)

Madre cacao is a leguminous tree that rich in Nitrogen and a nitrogen fixation tree.You can find these plants and add in making LOF as one of the source on nitrogencontents In this study, we used fresh leaves in making the LOF

Effective microorgansims (EM4)

These ingredients contained microorganism as decomposer to be used to help incomposting the materials and make the nutrients as a ready for fertilizer applications.These ingredients can be purchased in agricultural farm supplies or organic fertilizersupplies

Coconut water

These ingredients used to provide foods for the microorganisms aside from thechicken manure This ingredient is more possible to use in a small amount of LOF or

in small scale farms Sugar or molasses can be used as a replacement in large amount

of LOF or large scale farms

3.1.2 Water, pots, soil, and lime

These materials are needed for potting soil and amended soils in the pots with lime.Water is used to moisturize the soil Water was used also to dilute the liquid organicfertilizer The insecticide represented as soil pollutants The soil that was used in theexperiment is Organosol

Water

This used to add also in making the LOF to add more liquid and helps in thefermenting or composting the LOF ingredients It also used for everyday watering ofthe plants and soils It used also in diluting the LOF to minimized its concentration toavoid plant damage

Pots

It used in potting the soil to grow the plants These materials can be purchased ingardening supplies in markets

Soil (Organosol or Histosol)

This type of soil was used in this study to test the LOF effectiveness This type ofsoil can be found on dried swamp area

Lime

This used to raise the pH of the soil as organosol has low pH even though it wasmade from organic materials The amount of lime used to raise the pH of the soil was4.6 grams per 5 kilograms of soil

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3.1.3 Water Spinach

Water Spinach is the plant that was used for the experiment to test the effectiveness

of the liquid organic fertilizer The seed can be purchased in any Agricultural FarmSupply

3.1.4 Bucket

Bucket was used for fermenting or mixing the organic matters for a month

3.1.5 Laboratory room and equipments

This is where the samples will be analyzed using some laboratory equipments andchemicals to determine pH, N, P, K

3.1.6 Camera

This was used for documentation during the experiment to take photos of thematerials and the making of liquid organic fertilizer

3.1.7 Papers and pen

This was used to record all the data and results of the experiment and others

3.2 Methods

3.2.1 Experimental Process

Liquid organic fertilizer (LOF) was prepared in this study using pure organicmaterials (OM) including 1 kg of chicken manure, 1 kg of Madre cacao leaves(Gliricidia Sepium), 1 L EM4, 1 L of coconut water and 1 L of water that were used inthe fermentation of the LOF Organic materials were mixed together in a bucket for 1month (30 days) and stirring it every three (3) days After the preparation of the LOF,while waiting for 30 days to be fermented, soil was prepared and amended with limeand need to wait for the soil to absorb the lime within 2 weeks (14 days) There are 5

kg (dry soil) of top soil (Organosol) that were used in every pot Before applying the