RESPONSE GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCE OF EGGPLANT (Solanum
melongena) APPLIED WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF VERMICOMPOST
A research study presented to the faculty of
Iloilo State College of Fisheries – San Enrique Campus
San Enrique, Iloilo
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement
for the degree Bachelor of Science in Agriculture
2023
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CHAPTER I
Introduction
This chapter consists of seven parts, specifically (1)
Background of the Study, (2) Objectives, (3) Statement of
the Problem, (4) Hypothesis, (5) Scope and Limitations of
the Study, (6) Significance of the Study, and (7) Definition
of Terms.
Background of the Study
Eggplant (long purple), scientifically known as Solanum
melongena, is one of the most profitable vegetable crops in
our country, particularly in our locality in Abra. Eggplant
is a short-lived perennial herb, 0.5-1.0 meter on height,
and branching inhabit. The stems are woody, especially at
the base, with hair, sometimes with a violet, tinge. The
leaves are simple, alternate, single or in pair. It bears a
flower in solitary or in 2-5 flowered cymes , It is
thickening as fruits develop. The fruits are large, have a
two locator variable in size and shape from 3-6 centimeters
in, 5-15 centimeters in long, shiny and purple, black, white
or. (Vegetables in the Tropics by H.D Tindall 1982). The
fruits are used as a common table dish prepared with eggs or
chicken, beef, pork, and other vegetables as stuffing. The
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fruits are the basic ingredients in cooking ‘pinakbet’ a
popular vegetable menu of the Ilocano. Eggplant is also used
as traditional medicine.
Maghfoer, Soelistyono, & Herlina (2015) describe that
eggplant could also be utilized as a medicine to reduce
cholesterol in the blood, and it is suitable as a diet to
regulate hypertension. Owing to the eggplant’s high nutrient
content, it is presumed is that the demand of eggplant will
increase so that the production should be increased (El-Goud
& Amar, 2020)
Eggplant remains as one of the major vegetable crops
planted in the Philippines, according to the Philippine
Statistics Authority. During the third quarter of 2022,
production of eggplant was observed at 38.63 thousand metric
tons. This was 2.3 percent higher than the 37.77 thousand
metric tons output in the same period of 2021. CALABARZON,
the leading producer of eggplant this quarter with 11.09
thousand metric tons, shared 28.7 percent to the country’s
total eggplant production. Cagayan Valley and Western
Visayas followed with 12.4 percent and 9.0 percent shares,
respectively.
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Vermicompost can be a product formed due to the
decomposition of several organic materials by the action of
worms (Nicole et Al., 1998). The predominant species that
can act on the organic waste are earthworms, white worms and
red worms. It is important to produce a mixture of
decomposing fruits and vegetable.(Sherman et al., 2018 and
Sundararsu et al., 2019). The vermicast and bedding
materials are very important in the process of
vermicomposting. The process of raining earthworms can be
called vermiculture (Astrid et al., 1985).
Growth and yield of every crop depends on different
factors like soil quality, weather and climatic condition,
fertilizer and pesticide application, crop management. Among
these factors, it is necessary to have an appropriate soil
and sufficient nutrients for the proper growth and
production of eggplant.
This research study will be conducted for the reason
that the researchers would like to know the response growth
and yield performance of eggplant applied with different
levels of vermicompost. And also, due to the lack of studies
related or similar to the topic.
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Objectives
This study will be conducted to assess the growth
performance of eggplant influenced with different levels of
vermicompost.
In particular, this study will be carry out to evaluate the
following:
1. Plant height (cm) of eggplant as influenced with
different levels of vermicompost.
2. Number of leaves of eggplant as applied with different
levels of vermicompost.
3. Number of fruits of eggplant as applied with different
levels of vermicompost.
4. Weight of fruits of eggplant as applied with different
levels of vermicompost.
Statement of the Problem
This study aims to determine the response growth and
yield of eggplant as applied with different levels of
vermicompost.
Specifically, this study aims to answer the following
questions:
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1. What would be the plant height of eggplant as applied
by different levels of vermicompost?
2. What would be the number of leaves of eggplant as
influenced by the different levels of vermicompost?
3. How many fruits would the eggplant have as applied with
different levels of vermicompost?
4. Would there be a significant difference in the growth
and yield performance of eggplant as applied with
different levels of vermicompost?
Hypothesis
1. There is no significant difference between the growth
and yield performance of eggplant and the application
of different levels of vermicompost.
Scope and Limitations of the Study
This study will focused in gathering data and information
about the response growth and yield of eggplant applied with
different levels of vermicompost.
This study will cover an experimental of 475m² that will
be laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD)
with three replications. There will be four plots in the
experimental field with 360 hills. There will be five
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treatments that the researchers will apply to evaluate the
growth and yield of eggplant.
This study is to be conducted for 15 to 22 weeks in Crop
Science Laboratory Field, Iloilo State College of Fisheries
San Enrique Campus, San Enrique, Iloilo.
Significance of the Study
The significance of this study is to give knowledge and
information to the following:
Students. This research study would give information and
knowledge about the response growth and yield performance of
lady’s finger as applied with different levels of swine
manure compost.
Professors. This study will help the professors to assess or
guide their students and future researchers in the field of
their study related to the commodity used.
Parents. This study will give information and knowledge to
the parents on how the growth and yield performance of
eggplant as applied by different levels of vermicompost.
Future Researchers. This study will serve and guide future
researchers in their similar kind of topic as the basis for
their study.
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Community. This study will serve as a source of information
for the community so that they will have knowledge regarding
the response growth and yield performance of eggplant as
applied with different levels of vermicompost. This study
could also help the community especially the local.farmers
in determining the significant level of vermicompost that is
suitable and should be use in order to produce a high yield
of eggplant.
Definition of Terms
Vermicompost. Is the product of the decomposition process
using various species of worms, usually red wigglers, white
worms, and other earthworms, to create a mixture of
decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and
vermicast. This process is called vermicomposting, while the
rearing of worms for this purpose is called vermiculture.
In this study, vermicompost refers to the treatment use
in the study to evaluate the growth and yield performance of
eggplant.
Growth. The act or process, or a manner of growing;
development; gradual increase.
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In this study, the word growth refers to the development
of the plant that will be measure through the plant’s height
and number of leaves.
Yield. Is a measurement of the amount of a crop grown, or
product such as wool, meat or milk produced, per unit area
of land.
In this study, yield refers to the amount of crop
produced that will be measure through plant’s weight and
number of fruits.
Performance. Refers to how successful an investment,
company, etc. is and how much profit it makes:
In this study, performance will be measure through the
growth and yield production of eggplant and the parameters
related to it.
CHAPTER II
This chapter presents the Review of Related Literature
and Review of Related Studies associated with this research
study.
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Review of Related Literature
Vermicompost
The conventional use inorganic fertilizers is expensive
and growers are looking towards alternative inputs such as
compost, manures, and crop residues to improve/maintain soil
fertility. There is a need to improve nutrient management by
eggplant growers to manage inputs more efficiently. The use
of vermicompost and worm juice is becoming popular issue as
part of integrated nutrient and pest management in
vegetables particularly in Solanaceous Crops. Eggplant
(Solanum melongena L.) is cultivated for the immature fruits
which are either roasted, fried, stuffed, cooked pickled or
processed. Young fruits are also eaten raw (Mercado,
Edralin, et al,)
In the study of Adhikary (2012), earthworm has caught
imagination of philosophers like Pascal and Thoreau. Yet,
its role in the nutrition of agricultural fields has
attracted attention of researchers worldwide only in recent
decades. Waste management is considered as an integral part
of a sustainable society, thereby necessitating diversion of
biodegradable fractions of the societal waste from landfill
into alternative management processes such as
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vermicomposting. Earthworms excreta (vermicast) is a
nutritive organic fertilizer rich in humus, NPK,
micronutrients, beneficial soil microbes; nitrogen-fixing,
phosphate solubilizing bacteria, actinomycets and growth
hormones auxins, gibberlins & cytokinins. Both vermicompost
& its body liquid (vermiwash) are proven as both growth
promoters & protectors for crop plants. We discuss about the
worms composting technology, its importance, use and some
salient results obtained in the globe so far in this review
update of vermicompost research (Adhikary S. 2012)
According to Pathma and Sakthivel (2012), Vermicompost is
a finely divided, peat like material with high porosity,
good aeration, drainage, water holding capacity, microbial
activity, excellent nutrient status and buffering capacity
thereby resulting the required physiochemical characters
congenial for soil fertility and plant growth. Vermicompost
enhances soil biodiversity by promoting the beneficial
microbes which in turn enhances plant growth directly by
production of plant growth-regulating hormones and enzymes
and indirectly by controlling plant pathogens, nematodes and
other pests, thereby enhancing plant health and minimizing
the yield loss. Due to its innate biological, biochemical
and physiochemical properties, vermicompost may be used to
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promote sustainable agriculture and also for the safe
management of agricultural, industrial, domestic and
hospital wastes which may otherwise pose serious threat to
life and environment.
In the book of Singh (2022), vermicast comprises worm
excreta, worm humus and worm castings. This can be a product
of the cleavage of organic matter with the help of
earthworms. These castings when analyzed reduced levels of
toxic substances and it was also reported that there is a
high level of nutrients saturation. Vermicast contains
nutrients that can be classified as water-solluble. It can
be used as organic fertilizer that is rich in nutrients. It
can be used as a soil conditioner. Vermicompost products can
be used in sustainable farming and organic farming at small
scales(Zhang et al.,2020).
The vermicompost can act as an effective soil
conditioner and can be attributed to several factors
governing the mechanisms of microbial assisted
decomposition. Vermicompost can be directly mixed into the
soil or it can be used as liquid fertilizers. The liquid
fertilizers that are produced using vermicompost derivatives
and products can be called worm tea. Vermicompost is used as
an effective input for sustainable agriculture. Owing to
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several potential benefits of vermicompost there were
several studies done in this direction.
The tropical soils are mostly deficient In the nutrients
that are required by the plants at large. Vermicomposting
can be classified as the easiest way to recycle agricultural
waste and otherwise generated from human populations. Most
of the eartworms can consume biomass and excrete worm
castings that can be called black gold. These castings are
rich in soil microflora growth- promoting substances and
nutrients. Vermicast can be considered as a table product
that can definitely improve the soil quality. This has
become a crucial part of the organic farming systems.
Eggplant
Eggplants grow best in compost-rich, fertile soil under
the full sun. Eggplant is a hot weather vegetable that you
can grow in small gardens or containers. Vegetable plants
produce the most when they have access to a lot of
nutrients. So, you should check the main fertilizer
ingredients that your plants thrive on. Let’s check out the
best fertilizer for eggplant.
Feeding eggplants during their growing and fruiting
stages improve the overall health of the plant. Healthy
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eggplants produce large fruits in large quantities. Also,
some types of eggplant can reduce bitterness due to pressure
from fertilizer plants while growing. Fertilizer is
important for eggplant, especially if you want to get as
much as you can from them. You should regularly fertilize
your eggplants to ensure they can grow to the best of their
ability. If you don’t give them the nutrients they need,
they will become weak and don’t produce eggplants.
According to Dr. Hoa (2011), in his study, four eggplant
(Solanum melongena L.) cultivars were grown in 2007 spring
cropping season at Hanoi University of Agriculture to
investigate their response to organic fertilizer (containing
0.37% N, 0.95% P and 1.8% K) in comparison with reduced
organic fertilization and traditional practice of fertilizer
application (completely inorganic) in terms of growth and
fruit yield and quality traits. Organic fertilizer was
obtained from microbial composting of organic agricultural
and domestic wastes. It was found that organic fertilizer
application for eggplant appeared to be superior to chemical
fertilizers in terms of vegetative growth, fruit yield and
quality attributes. Organic fertilizer slightly shortened
the days from planting to flowering and improved the yield
components and total marketable fruit yield in most of the
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cultivars investigated. Fruit dry matter content was higher
and the taste better in organic treatment in all cultivars,
particularly of local cultivar. Organic fertilizer can be
recommended as full substitute for chemical fertilizers in
eggplant production.
Summary
The related literature contained in this study presents
the efficacy of vermicompost applied in crops especially to
eggplant. The studies shown propose that vermicompost
application to crops is an effective way to promote organic
agriculture and farming in order to reduce the use of
synthetic or inorganic fertilizer. Application of
vermicompost increased growth, improved plants nutrient
content, and improved the quality of the fruits and seeds.
It also concluded the beneficial nutrients and minerals
found in vermicompost and its effect to the soil and the
crop. Also, these studies presents the importance of
eggplant, its nutritional benefits and value to human
health.
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CHAPTER III
Methodology
This chapter presents the research materials and methods,
experimental design and treatments, cultural management and
procedures, other practices, data to be gathered, and
statistical tools and analysis. The researchers carefully
choose the research instruments and methods that will be use
to produce a beneficial research. This chapter also presents
the process of how researchers will gather and collect data
regarding of this study.
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Materials and Methods
In order to evaluate the growth and yield performance of
eggplant applied of vermicompost, a research study with an
area of 475m² in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD)
with three replications will be conducted in Crop Science
Laboratory Field, Iloilo State College of Fisheries San
Enrique Campus.
The researchers will use the following materials or
instruments to gather and analyze data; vermicompost,360
eggplant seeds, seedling tray, trowels, spade, hoe, shovel,
pail, meter stick, weighing scale, sprayer, and sprinkler.
To collect and obtain the accurate data needed for the
study, the researchers will use Randomized Complete Block
Design (RCBD).
Experimental Design and Treatments
In conducting the study, the researchers will use the
Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) as an experimental
research design. RCBD is a standard design for agricultural
experiments in which similar experimental units are grouped
into blocks or replicates. It is used to control variation
in an experiment by, for example, accounting for spatial
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effects in field or greenhouse. The defining feature of the
RCBD is that each block sees each treatment exactly once
(Grant, 2019).
An experimental area of 475m² will be laid out in a RCBD
with three replications. There will be four plots in the
experimental field with 360 hills. Each plot measures 25 m²,
and an alleyway
between plots and blocks that both measures 1 m. The
treatment will be designated as follows:
T⁰- Control (without application of vermicompost)
T¹- 2.5 tons ha–¹ vermicompost
T²- 3.0 tons ha–¹ vermicompost
T³- 3.5 tons ha–¹ vermicompost
REPLICATION
I II III
B C D
D A B
18 A D C
C B A
Figure 1. The Experimental Layout of the Study
Cultural Management Practices and Procedures
This section includes the preparation of soil media,
sowing of seeds, hardening of seedlings, transplanting,
collection of vermicompost, application of vermicompost,
weeding and cultivation, water management, pest control,
harvesting and weighing.
Preparation of Soil Media. Soil media will be prepared by
mixing one part garden soil, one part mudpress and one part
of rice straw. Soil media will be sterilized to kill soil
microbes, and then will be place in seedling tray and ready
for sowing.
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Sowing of Seeds. Sowing of seeds will be done in a
seedling tray using the soil media, one seed per hole.
Watering will be done immediately to keep the soil moist.
Care and management of the seedlings will be observe until
ready for transplanting.
Hardening of Seedlings. Hardening of seedlings will be
done by gradual exposure to sunlight for a week before
transplanting to avoid or lessen the stress during
transplanting.
Transplanting. Transplanting of eggplant seedlings will
be done 30 to 35 days after sowing, during late afternoon to
minimize transplanting shock. Thirty (30) seedlings will be
planted per plot. Proper care and management will be follow.
Collection of Vermicompost. The researchers will collect
67.5 kg or 1.35 sack of vermicompost from a vermicomposting
farm.
Application of Vermicompost. Application of vermicompost
will be done on the plant’s soil medium after one week of
transplanting. Vermicompost will be applied depending on the
treatment. Each treatment will have different amount of
vermicompost based on kilograms.
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Weeding and Cultivation. Cultural method will be applied
such as hand weeding which will be done as often as
necessary to control destructive and fast growing weeds. The
first hand weeding will be done one week after seedlings are
transplanted which allow them already to establish in the
soil.
Water Management. Watering will be done in the morning
and in the afternoon with the use of the sprinkler. This
will be done everyday or as need arises.
Pest Control. Pest control will be done with the use of
combination of dishwashing liquid soap and vinegar to
control pests and insects. This will be diluted in water and
spray to the plants during the pest occurrence, and at the
same time, hand picking will be practice.
Harvesting. Harvesting be done as soon as the fruits are
ripe, already in desirable size, firm, glossy and shiny
skin. Harvesting will be after 70 to 85 days after
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transplanting tge seedlings. Post-harvest management will be
observe as well as weighing and counting of fruits.
Data to be Gathered
Plant Height. The plant height will be determined by
measuring the plant from its base up to the tip most part of
the highest leaf. This was done one week after transplanting
and was repeated with seven day interval until flower
initiation.
Number of Leaves The number of leaves that will develop
from the main stem of the representative plant samples per
treatment will be counted. This will be taken one to three
weeks after germination.
Total Number of Fruits Harvested. The total number of
fruits harvested will be determined by counting the number
of fruits per treatment every harvest until the end of the
study and was summed up after the termination of the study.
Weight of Harvested Fruits. The weight of harvested fruits
per treatment will be determine by weighing the fruits per
harvest and summed up after the termination of the study.
Weight of Marketable Fruits. The weight of marketable
fruits per harvest will be determine by weighing the
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saleable fruits after separating from the rejected fruits
with the used of a digital weighing scale, and was summed up
after the termination of the study.
Statistical Tools and Analysis
The data on the response growth and yield of eggplant
applied with different levels of vermicompost will be
analyze systematically using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
for Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD).
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References:
Rajesh Singh. 2022. Fertilizer Application to Crops. Page
150-155. Retrieved on December 2022.
Jubert S. Gannapao. 2022. Different Rates of Vermicast
Application in Eggplant (Solanum melongena) Supplemented
with Golden Apple Snail (Pomacea canaliculata). Retrieved on
December 2022, from
https://www.aseanresearch.org/downloads/iamri/publication/2/
ART%202%20GANNAPAO.pdf.
Zabrina J. Bugnosen. 2022. Philippines Approves Bt Eggplant
for Commercial Cultivation. Retrieved on December 2022, from
https://www.isaaa.org/blog/entry/default.asp?
BlogDate=10/26/2022#:~:text=During%20the%20second%20quarter
%20of,quarter%20of%20the%20previous%20year.
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Philippine Statistics Authority. Major Vegetables and Root
Crops Quarterly Bulletin, July-September 202. Retrieved on
December 2022, from https://psa.gov.ph/vegetable-root-crops-
main/eggplant
Vermicompost. Retrieved on December 2022 from
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermicompost
Crop Yield. Retrieved on December 2022 from
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crop_yield
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