FIELD GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF MANDARIN (Citrus reticulata)

USING THE DIFFERENT ORGANIC FERTILIZER

An undergraduate Proposal Presented to the College of

Agriculture and Forestry Kalinga State University,
Bulanao, Tabuk city, Kalinga, in partial fulfillment of
the requirement for the degree course

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN FORESTRY

Baggas,Christy B.

Nov. 2018
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Citrus are flowering plants in the family,

Rutaceae that are believed to originate from the tropical
and subtropical regions of South East Asia, particularly
India and China. The generic name originated in Latin,
where it specifically referred the plant now known as
Citron (Citrus) Scora, 1975). It comprises number of
species including, sweet orange, lime, lemon, grapefruit
and mandarin. The taxonomy and systematics of the genus
is complex and the precise number of natural species is
unclear. Many of the named species are clonally
propagated (hybrids) and there is genetic evidence that
even some wild, true-breeding species are of hybrid
origin. Cultivated Citrus may be derived from four
ancestral species. Natural and cultivated origin hybrids
include commercially important fruit such as the oranges,
grapefruits, lemons, some limes, and some tangerines.

Mandarin tree are low woody shrubs commonly

measuring between 3.6 to 4.5 m in height. However, this
spiny tree is can sometimes grow up to 8m tall. The back
is rather thick and brownish- yellow in color. Older
twigs tend to be dark brown while younger ones are dark
green. Young twig are also smooth and flattened at their
ends. The Leaves are lanceolate or elliptic, of a yellow-
green under surface. The Margins of the leaves are
toothed from the apex to the middle of the leaf. The leaf
stalks do not normally have wigs. But it present, they
are narrow. Flowers are white and small with five petals.
They grow singly or in a group of two to three flowers in
a stalk at leaf corners. Mandarin fruits are globose to
oblate in shape it a shiny skin that comes in a range of
colors from green, green wish yellow, yellow to golden.
Their skin is thin, peels easily and encloses flesh that
can separate into nine to 15 edges, The segments are
covered with a very thin, edible transparent skin. The
fruit is flesh is pale orange in color and juicy. Seed,
are small oblong and inedible. A good source of vitamins
and minerals, the fruit is often consumed fresh. It can
also be canned in syrup or made into juice. The fruit and
rind are used to flavuor cakes, pastries, gelatines,
puddings, chewing gum, bakery products, and tea. Mandarin
oil is used to flavour carbonated beverages.
(http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/ infopedia/articles/SIP-
205-2005-01-28.html )

Mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) is the second most

citrus crop worldwide. A total of 25 mandarin accessions
collected from North, Central and North -Eastern regions
of India, were evaluate for phenotypic and genotypic
variations using morphological and random amplified
polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter-simple sequence repeats
(ISSR)markers. Significant variability was observed in
the selected mandarin accessions by the analysis of
eleven quantitative morphological characters of leaves,
fruits and seeds (Malik et al., 2013).

Mandarin are a diverse group of thin-skinned easy

peeling fruits that includes popular citrus types such as
satsumas, clementine and tangerines. Mandarins are
becoming increasingly popular with consumers, largely due
to the ease with which they can be eaten as compared to
other types of citrus that are more difficult to
peel.(boughendjioua 2017)

Citrus species contain a wide range of active

ingdrients and research is still underway in finding uses
for them. They are rich in vitamin C, flavonoids, acids
and volatile oils. They also contain coumarins such as
bergapten which sensitizes the skin to sunlight.
Bergapten is sometimes added to tanning preparations,
since it promotes pigmentation in the skin, though it can
cause dermatitis or allergic responses in some people.
Some of the plants more recent applications are as
sources of anti-oxidants and chemical expoliants in
specialized cosmetics. The fruit is antiemetic
aphrodisiac, astringent, laxative and tonic. The flowers
are stimulant. The pericarp is analgesic, antiasthmatic,
anticholesterolemic, anti-inflammatory, antiscorbutic,
antiseptic, antitussive, carminative, expectorant,
stomachic It is used in the treatment of dyspepsia,
gastro – intestinal distention, cough with profuse
phlegm. The unripened green exocarp is carminative and
stomachic. It is used in the treatment of pain in the
chests and hypochondrium, gastro-intestinal distention,
swelling of the liver and spleen and cirrhosis of the
liver. The seed is analgesic and carminative. It is used
in the treatment of hernia, lumbago, mastitis and pain or
swellings of the testes. (www.pfaf.org/database
/plants.php?(Citrus +reticulata)
 Citrus trees are grown throughout the world in
tropical and subtropical areas, but they achieve the best
quality under subtropical conditions, with an optimum
temperature ranges between 20C and 28C (Chang and
Petersen, 2003). Low rainfall and plenty of sunshine is
good for citrus trees as it promotes good flower
differentiation, flower and fruits development as well as
fruit quality. Citrus is well adapted to deep, well-
drained soils. Loamy soils are preferred to heavy clays
and poorly-drained soils which often result in poor
growth and production as well as shorter life. Citrus
trees can’t perform well under light and sandy soil
conditions. In general most citrus trees prefer the soil
Ph of between 5.5 and 6.5 (FFTC, 2003).

Objectives of the Study

Generally, the study aims to evaluate the effect of

the different organic fertilizer on the field growth
performance of Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) in Pinococ,
Pinukpuk Kalinga.

Specifically, the study aims to:

1. Compare the shoot length, stem diameter and leaf

count of Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) grown under
the effect of the different organic fertilizer.

2. Determine the organic fertilizer applied on the

field growth performance of Mandarin (Citrus
reticulata)
Scope and delimitation of the study:

The study focuses on the field growth performance

of Mandarin applied with the different fertilizer.

Time and place of the study:

The study will be conducted from May 2019 to

December 2019 at Pinococ, Pinukpuk Kalinga.

Definition of terms:
 Manure. It refers to the decomposed solid waste
from farm animal used to enhance soil for growing plants.

Organic fertilizer. This refers to plant litter

and animal waste or combination that are decomposted
added to or spread onto the soil to increase its ability
to support plant growth. It is any material of natural
origin that is applied to soils to supply nutrients
essential in plant growth.

Vermicomposting. Is an organic fertilizer

containing nitrogen phosphorus, potassium, Sulphur,
organic carbon, sulfur, hormones, enzymes, etc. If used
over the period of time, the soil becomes extremely
fertile and all the lost nutrients are restored back to
the turf and the soil remains fertile.

Growth. This refers to the to the irreversible

development of plant in the form of height increase and

enlargement of stem as affected by the soil, climate,

vegetation, water, food and other factors.

 CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter presents the review of literature and

studies which have relation to the study.

Citrus reticulata

suitable for: medium (loamy) and (clay) soils and

prefers well- drained soil. Suitable Ph: acid, neutral
and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow acid and very
alkaline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers
most soil. (www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Citrus-
reticulata)

Soil

Citrus trees prefer deep, well-drained, sandy loam

soils. They will not tolerate poorly drained soils, which
can cause devasting root rot disease. Improve heavy soils
by incorporating large amounts of compost and a few
buckets of gypsum into a planting area at least 2m wide.
Mound the soil to approximately 30-40cm deep in the
center to improve the drainage. The preferred Ph. is 6-
6.5. If your soil is acid, add lime when preparing the
soil to bring it up to the preferred
Ph.(https://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/2012 /09/06/How-
grow-citrus)

Slope
 Slopes of up 15% are suitable provided the farm is
designed to minimize soil erosion. Steeper slopes present
a major erosion risk and make it difficult to operate
machinery safely. Avoid these wherever possible.

Climate

Citrus will tolerate high temperature provided the

trees are well supplied with soil moist. Trees are
sensitive to frost, but this varies with variety, tree
age health. A young tree or a tree with a recent growth
flush will be damaged by even light frosts. A mature tree
that has hardened off may tolerate temperatures down to -
5C for a short time without being seriously affected.
Leaf, branch and fruit damage can occur. Trees under any
stress, such as trees with a crop, will suffer greater
damage internally, but show no external symptoms. Lemons
(except the Meyer) are more sensitive to frost than
oranges. Mandarins vary widely in their frost tolerance.
In general, citrus is not recommended in areas where
there are heavy regular frosts.
(www.pfaf.org/plants.php?Citrus+reticulata)

Organic fertilizer

have a more balanced range of important minerals and

nutrients than artificial fertilizers. These supporting
ingredients help your soil continue to function as a
healthy life-giving medium for your plants and for soil
organisms.

The N-P-K content (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium)

is the key to every good fertilizer. Nitrogen is
specially importance because it is probably the element
that is most likely to be lacking in your garden. This
nitrogen deficit is because nitrogen is greedily consumed
by plants for growth and nitrogen also rapidly leaches
from soil.

However, fertilizers that release nitrogen too

quickly can cause plants to grow too rapidly becoming
spindly and weak.

Organic fertilizers, especially those made from plant

materials, tend to release nitrogen more slowly than fish
or animalbased products or chemical fertilizers.
Phosphorus is important for good flower, fruit, and root
health. And potassium plays a critical role in developing
plant strength but its overuse can be fatal.
(https://www.Ozbreed. Com.au/organic-fertilizer)

Organic fertilizer

is a material that contains carbon and one or more

elements beside hydrogen and oxygen that are required for
plant growth (Meister,2002). Alimi, Olubode Awosola, and
Idowu, (2006) define organic fertilizers as oil
amendments that are mainly from natural organic sources
or manufactured using organic materials. Compared to
mineral fertilizers, the composition of organic
fertilizers are usually more complex and variable. There
are several researches and studies that highlighted the
beneficial effects of organic waste application for crop
production. These effects can be due to the intrinsic
properties of the organic amendments (direct effect) or
as a consequence of the beneficial effect of the organic
amendments on the physical, chemical and biological
properties of the soil (Stewart, Dibb, Johnston, and
Smyth, 2005; Tejada, Garcia, Gonzales, and Hernandez,
2009). In the study of Hernandez, Chocano, and Garcia,
(2014), it was stated that organic waste does several
things to benefit the soil that synthetic fertilizer
cannot do. They add organic matter which improves the way
water interacts with the soil. And organic waste also
inoculate the soil with vast numerous of beneficial
microbes that promote the biological activity of the
soil.

Bio-organic fertilizers

The Davao Research Center/Coconut Extension Training

Center (2003) cited in their Techno Guide Sheet that bio-
organic fertilizers (BOF) is a processed inoculated
compost from any organic materials that has undergone
rapid decomposition by the introduction of homogeneous
microbial inoculants. Microbial inoculation hastens the
decomposition from three months 3-4 weeks. Inoculants are
commercially available in selected areas in the country
but could be easily accessed.

This methodology is different from KSU organic

fertilizer production where composting relies on natural
decay process which is brought about by the action of
heterogenous microbes present in the organic matter.

Soil microbes play an important role in many critical

ecosystem processes, including nutrients cycling and
homeostasis, decomposition of organic matter, as well as
promoting plant health and growth as bio fertilization.

Vermicompost
 Vermicompost are fine-divided mature peat-like
materials with a high porosity, aeration, drainage, and
water-holding capacity and microbial activity, which are
stabilized by interactions between earthworms and
microorganisms in a non-thermophilic process.
Vermicompost contain most nutrients in plant-available
forms such as nitrates, phosphates, and exchangeable
calcium and soluble potassium.

Vermicompost have large particulate surface areas that

provide many microsites for microbial activity and for
strong retention of nutrients. Also, they are rich in
microbial populations and diversity, particularly fungi,
bacteria and actinomycetes. Vermicompost contain plant
growth regulators and other plant growth-influencing
materials produced by microorganisms including humates.
Vermicompost also contain large amounts of humic
substances and some of the effects of these substances on
growth have been shown to be very similar to the effects
of soil-applied plant growth regulators or hormones.

Vermicomposting
Global movement for the second “Green revolution”
ought to emphasize on composting, particularly vermi
composting (Buchanan et al., 1988). Vermicompost are
produced through the interactions between earthworms and
microorganisms in the breakdown of organic wastes and to
convert into nutritional rich humus. The organic fraction
from municipal solid wastes, farm, forest, poultry, dairy
and market wastes contain plenty of NPK and other
micronutrients which is good source of soil nutrients
(Getnet and Raja, 2013).
Vermicompost is an organic fertilizer containing
nitrogen phosphorus, potassium, Sulphur, organic carbon,
sulfur, hormones, enzymes, etc. if used over the period
of time, the soil becomes extremely fertile and all the
lost nutrients are restored back to the turf and the soil
remains fertile.
www.agriculturalproductsindia.com/fertilizers/fertilizers
-bio-fertilizer.html
Getnet and Raja (2013) concluded in their studies
that vermi compost has a plant growth promoting effect
and pest suppression activity. The production of
vermicomposting is easily acceptable and adoptable by
small scale farming community without much input cost.

They also cited that vermicompost production is very

much useful to make use of solid waste and other organic
wastes to make nutrient rich humus. The application of
vermicompost is surely effective alternative nutrient for
resource poor farming community to grow their crops
without polluting the environment.

Composting Manures

The use of cattle manure, or cow dung, in the garden

is a popular practice in many rural areas. This type of
manure is not as rich in nitrogen as many other types;
however, the high ammonia levels can burn plants when the
fresh manure is directly applied. Composted cow manure,
on the other hand, can provide numerous benefits to the
garden.

Cow manure

Cattle manure is basically made up of digested grass

and grain. Cow dung is high in organic materials and rich
in nutrients. It contains about 3 percent nitrogen, 2
percent phosphorus, and 1 percent potassium (3-2-1 NPK).

In addition, cow manure contains high levels of

ammonia and potentially dangerous pathogens. For this
reason, it’s usually recommended that it be aged or
composted prior to its use as cow manure fertilizer.

Cow manure has several benefits by mixing this

compost into the soil, you can improve its moisture-
holding capacity. This allows you to water less
frequently, as the roots of plants can use the additional
water and nutrients whenever needed. Additionally, it
will improve aeration, helping to break up compacted
soils.
(https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/manure/cow-
manure-compost.htm)

CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY
 This chapter presents the materials, methods to be
used and data gathering processes.

Materials

The Materials to be used in the study following:

Mandarin seedling as planting materials, using different
organic fertilizer for plant nutrients, bolo and shovel
for site preparation, meter stick for height measuring,
Vernier caliper for diameter measuring, record book for
data gathering and camera for documents.

Methods

Source of planting materials

Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) seedlings will be

produced from the Nursery at Balantoy, Balbalan kalinga.

Site selection

The study area will be conducted at Pinococ, Pinukpuk,

kalinga to ensure plant security and to facilitate
monitoring and data gathering,

Field Preparation

The experimental site will be free with unwanted

plants and

materials. The removal of weeds will undertake to

maintain the

sanitation of the area. Clearing of 1meter radius will be

done

in each plant.

Preparation of ORGANIC fertilizers

The treatments used in the study were as follows:

T₀ =top soil

T₁ =20% bio organic+80% top soil

T₂ =20% vermi compost+80% top soil

T₃ =20% caw manure+80% top soil

Growth Monitoring

The shoot length, stem diameter and leaf count of the

sample

seedlings will be gathered. The height will be measured

with the

use of a 24-inch ruler, while the stem diameter will be

measured

with Vernier caliper. The diameter, height and leaf count

will

be recorded monthly after planting the seedlings for five

months.

Data to be Gathered

Height. Initial height and monthly height until the

termination

of the study will be taken. Marking the stem with paint

will be
made following the tip level of the polyethylene bag. The
height

of the seedling will be measured from the stem base

markings up to the tip of the apical bud.

Stem Diameter. Initial diameter and monthly diameter

until the

termination of the study

Leaf count. The leaves of each plant will be counted and

recorded monthly.

Survival rate. Data on percent survival of potted

seedlings were

taken at the end of the study period. Survival was

presented as

the percentage of surviving seedlings in a treatment base

from

the total number of seedlings planted per treatment

Statistical Analysis

All the data collected was organized and subjected to

analysis

of variance(ANOVA) following the Randomized Completely

Block

Design(RCBD). The Least Significant Differences(LCD) will

be

employed to separate the treatment means when F-value is

significant.