Chapter I

INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Marine algal seaweed species are often regarded as an underutilized bioresource. Many have been used as a source of food, industrial raw materials,
and in therapeutic and botanical applications for centuries.
Several of the 12,000+ varieties of seaweed in the ocean have been
shown to be valuable additions to the organic garden and can be abundantly
available free for those living near the coast. There are also legal implications
relating to gathering seaweed, and concerns about sustainability. A perhaps less
serious potential problem with seaweed is its salt content. While it is unlikely to
add sufficient seaweed to seriously upset the balances of salt in the soil, it is not
liked by worms, who will not live in it. It can be hosed down before adding to the
soil to reduce the salt content, or left to be desalinated by rainwater. Rinsing
seaweed is risky as valuable alginates are potentially lost to runoff. Seaweed can
be either applied to the soil as a mulch or can be added to the compost heap,
where it is an excellent activator. In terms of soil structure it does not add a great
deal of bulk, but its jelly like alginate content helps to bind soil crumbs together,
and it contains all soil nutrients and amino acids.
The researcher chooses this project because she is fond of making
experiments about plants. This project also gives the researcher and the reader
additional knowledge about how seaweed extract could affect the growth of
mung beans.

B. Objectives of the Study

The researcher wishes to attain the following objectives:
1. To test if seaweed extract has enough nutrients for the mung beans
health.
2. To test if seaweed extract fertilizer would make the growth of mung beans
fast and healthy.
3. To find out which is better, seaweed extract fertilizer or just basic water.

C. Statement of the Problem

The study focuses on comparing the effectiveness of seaweed extract as
plant fertilizer. It seeks to answer the following questions:
1. Does seaweed extract have enough nutrients for the mung beans health?
2. Would seaweed extract fertilizer make the growth of mung beans fast and
healthy?
3. Which is more effective in the growth of mung beans? Seaweed extract
fertilizer or water?

D. Hypotheses
The researcher formulates the following hypotheses:
1. Yes, seaweed extract have enough nutrients for the plants health. It
contains

sodium,

copper,

magnesium,

manganese,

potassium,

phosphorous, iron and zinc.

2. Yes, because it contains a lot of nutrients that would make the plant
healthy.
3. Seaweed extract fertilizer because it has more nutrients than water.

E. Significance of the Study

The researcher believes that the study will be beneficial to the following
groups:
To plant lovers. The study will be beneficial to them because the result will
help them decide to use seaweed extract as plant fertilizers.
To fishermen. The study will benefit them because it will add to their source
of income. There will be more people that will buy seaweeds.
To gardeners. The study will help them save money by making their own
organic fertilizer than the commercial ones that are expensive.

F. Scope of Limitation

The investigatory project focuses on the effects of seaweed extract as a

fertilizer to mung beans. It focuses on the nutrients that seaweed has that would
make the growth of the plant fast and healthy. The researcher has to observe the
length, width, height of leaves and overall condition of the plant. This study would
approximately take one to weeks because mung plants grow fast. The analysis
uses both qualitative and quantitative data.