Chapter I

A. Background of the Study

Rice is a common staple food for Filipinos. However, the process of producing
rice grains has left us with a part that is often discarded: the rice husks. Being a tropical
country, there are many opportunities to plant crops here.
Rice husk was long considered a waste from the rice milling process and was
often dumped and/or burned. But because it can be easily collected and is cheap, some
amount of rice husk has always been used as an energy source for small applications,
such as for brick production, for steam engines and gasifiers used to power rice mills,
and for generating heat for rice dryers.
With this, the researchers decided to investigate the feasibility of different
amounts of rice husk powder as a liquid-based fertilizer on the growth of pechay. The
researchers intend to conduct this study to find out if rice husks can be used as fertilizer,
and propose it as an alternative source for fertilizer, due to the abundance of rice being
milled in the country.
Rice is the seed of the grass species Oryza sativa (Asian rice) or Oryza
glaberrima (African rice). It is a common staple food in Asian dishes, especially since it is
consumed alongside other dishes. In fact, it is the most widely consumed staple food for
a large part of the world's human population. Rice plants are similar in growth habit and
anatomy to other grasses and grains such as oats and wheat except that they grow in
standing water or in very wet soil.
The seeds of the rice plant are the grain for which the plant is cultivated. They
take about 35 days to ripen once the flowers have been pollinated. Once ripe, the seeds
are harvested and dried. Like most grains, the seeds have to be threshed to remove the
hulls.
The rice husk, also called rice hull, is the coating on a seed or grain of rice. It is
formed from hard materials, including silica and lignin, to protect the seed during the
growing season. Each kg of milled white rice results in roughly 0.28 kg of rice husk as a
by-product of rice production during milling. Common products from rice husk are: solid
fuel (i.e., loose form, briquettes, and pellets), carbonized rice husk produced after
burning, and the remaining rice husk ash after combustion.
.Some characteristics of rice husk include:

 Husk makes for good insulation material since it does not burn easily till
air is blown through it. It is highly resistant to the penetration of moisture
and fungal decomposition.
 Rice husk decomposes slowly due to the rich silica content, and can
therefore not be considered for use as fodder.
 When rice husk is burned, its ash content of 17 – 26 % is far higher than
that of wood and coal. This explains the need for much larger volumes of
husk when utilized for power generation.
 Its high calorific value makes it a good source of renewable energy.

Fertilizers are natural or artificial substances containing the chemical elements

that improve growth and productiveness of plants. Fertilizers enhance the natural fertility
of the soil or replace the chemical elements taken from the soil by previous crops. If any
of the macronutrients are missing or hard to obtain from the soil, this will limit the growth
rate for the plant. In nature, the nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium often come from
the decay of plants that have died. In the case of nitrogen, the recycling of nitrogen from
dead to living plants is often the only source of nitrogen in the soil.
Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa, subspecies pekinensis and chinensis) can
refer to two groups of Chinese leaf vegetables often used in Chinese cuisine: the
Pekinensis Group (napa cabbage) and the Chinensis Group (bok choy).
These vegetables are both variant cultivars or subspecies of the turnip and
belong to the same genus as such Western staples as cabbage, broccoli, and
cauliflower. Both have many variations in name, spelling, and scientific classification,
especially bok choy cultivars.
The researchers intend to pursue this study in order to produce natural fertilizer
as a substitute for chemical-based fertilizer. They also intend to see the feasibility of the
product as an effective fertilizer.

B. Statement of the Problem/s

The researchers’ null hypothesis states that rice husk powder has no effect on
the growth of pechay and it cannot be used as fertilizer. In terms of the amounts of rice
husk powder, the different amounts of rice husk powder have no difference on the
growth of pechay.
For the researchers’ alternative hypothesis, they say that rice husk powder has
an effect on the growth of pechay and it can be used as fertilizer. In terms of the different
amounts of rice husk powder, the different amounts of rice husk powder have a
difference on the growth of pechay.
In order to confirm either of these hypotheses, the researchers would like to
determine the effects of different amounts of rice husk powder (Oxyza sativa) as a
natural fertilizer for the growth of pechay (Brassica rapa). Specifically, the researchers
would like to ask the following questions:
Specifically, the researchers would like to ask the following questions:

1. Is Oryza sativa (Rice) husk powder an appropriate material for producing liquid-
based fertilizer?
2. Which of the following amounts of rice husk powder will make the pechay grow
faster in terms of:
 Height of growth in the span of 3 and a half months
 Growth rate of plant
3. Is there a difference between using standard liquid-based fertilizer and the liquid-
based fertilizer made of rice husk powder in terms of:
 Height of growth in the span of 3 and a half months
 Growth rate of plant
4. What are the perceptions of the respondents about the product in terms of:
 Effectiveness
 Smell

C. Significance of the Study

The study is focused on the effects of different amounts of rice husk powder
(Oryza sativa) on the growth of pechay (Brassica rapa). The study aims to find a
possible source of fertilizer from our most consumed food staple, rice. Its contribution to
society will allow further investigation on the possible uses of rice husks, the thrown
away part of our rice.
The study aims to find a possible source of fertilizer from the waste of the
Filipinos’ most consumed food staple, rice.
 Its contribution to society will allow further investigation on the possible uses of
rice husks, the thrown away part of rice.
This will help gardeners to realize that rice husk can be used for enriching their
crops instead of wasting them. This study will serve as an opening for future researchers
to investigate the feasibility of rice husk powder as a fertilizer. This will help farmers to
realize that rice husk can be used for enriching their crops instead of wasting them.

D. Scope and Limitations

The researchers covered 30 gardeners, which will be suitable for testing a

product such as this.
In the span of three and a half months, the study focuses on the feasibility of
Oryza sativa (Rice) husk powder as a source of producing liquid-based fertilizer for
growing Brassica rapa (Pechay).
The researchers utilized quantitative research as well as experimental research
methods.
The study would be more comprehensive and far researching if it covered more
respondents (i.e. more gardeners as well as farmers), which would have provided more
data for analysis. However, this would entail more time, money, manpower, and
respondents, which the researchers have little of.