THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT SOIL TYPE AND VERMICAST

INTEGRATION ON THE GROWTH IN YIELD OF LETTUCE

(Lactuca sativa).

Undergraduate Thesis
Submitted to the Faculty of the
College of Agriculture, Food, Environment, and Natural Resources
Cavite State University

In partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree
Bachelor of Science in Agriculture

Bredito Jr. J. Megallen

2021
 An undergraduate thesis submitted to the faculty of the Department of Animal
Science, College of Agriculture, Food, Environment, and Natural Resources, Cavite
State University, Indang, Cavite in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

degree of Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (major in Soil Science) with contribution

No. __________. Prepared under the supervision of Ma. Cecille N. Basa

INTRODUCTION

In today's era, we need a good vegetable production and to achieve this its

need a high quality of fertilizer inputs and affordable. Instead of buying some

synthetic fertilizer with high price why don’t we introduced organic fertilizer that will

give an assurance to produce a good quality of product. Introducing a vermicasting or

vermicomposting as a fertilizer might give a good quality result.

Vermicasting or vermicomposting, by using earthworm it convert organic matter into

compost. It is an odorless, natural, aerobic process that differs greatly from traditional

composting. Earthworms consume waste and excrete casts, which are dark, odorless,

nutrient- and organically rich soil mud granules that work well as a soil conditioner

(Chaoui, 2010).

The appearance of plant growth-stimulating subtances such as plant growth hormones

and humic acids has also been proposed as a practicable component contributing to

increased plant growth and yields (Papathanasiou, 2012).

Vermicompost enhances soil microbial activity, increases oxygen supply, maintains

normal soil temperature, increases soil porosity and water infiltration, strengthens

nutrient content, and increases plant growth, yield, and quality (Arora et al. 2011).

Statement of the problem

The aimed of this study is to know the effect of different soil type and vermicast

integration onth growth in yield of lettuce.

1. What are the effect of applying vermicast to a different soil type (silt, clay,

loam, sandy) in terms of;

a. soil pH

b. soil characteristic

c. soil temperature

d. soil porosity

e. infiltration of water

f. yield and quality of the plant.

2. What are the effect of applying vermicast to the growth of lettuce in yield.

3. What are the effect of vermicast to the biological properties of lettuce.

a. Plant height(cm)

b. diameter(cm)

c. root length(cm)

d. number of leaves

e. length of leaf (cm)

f. weight

Significance of the study

Some of farmers, uses synthetic fertilizer for the growth of the plant and they do not

notice the effect of synthetic fertilizer to the soil, it may decrease the soil fertility due

to the chemical content. To make it understandable the problem of this study would

be a big help to the farmers because it will discover the effect of vermicast to the

different soil type by planting lettuce. This study will make the different soil type

increase the fertility of soil in able to produce a good growth of lettuce.

Objectives of the study

this study seeks to determine the effect of different soil type and vermicast integration

to the growth of lettuce in yield.

Specifically this study aims to achieve the following objectives.

1. To enhance the soil nutrient by applying vermicast.

2. To develop the

Time and place of the study

This study will be conducted at St. Gregory the great Parish Church, Indang from

May 2021 to June 2021.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The principal point of this study is to identify the effect of vermicompost on some

biological properties of lettuce plant and effect of vermicompost application on

different soil type and the effect of different soil type to the lettuce(Lactuca sativa).

Plant height(cm), diameter(cm), root length(cm), no. of leaves, length of leaf (cm),

plant fresh weight, soil structure, soil characteristic, soil temperature, soil porosity,

infiltration of water, and yield and quality of the plant.

Definition of terms
Organic fertilizer- Organic fertilizers are fertilizers that are naturally produced and

contain carbon. Fertilizers are materials that can be added to soil or plants, in order to

provide nutrients and sustain growth. Typical organic fertilizers include mineral

sources, all animal waste including meat processing, manure, slurry, and guano, plant

based fertilizers, such as compost, and biosolids.[

Soil type- a taxonomic unit in soil science. All soils that share a certain set of well-

defined properties form a distinctive soil type. Soil type is a technical term of soil

classification, the science that deals with the systematic categorization of soils.

Soil conditioner- a product which is added to soil to improve the soil’s physical

qualities, usually its fertility (ability to provide nutrition for plants) and sometimes its

mechanics. In general usage, the term "soil conditioner" is often thought of as a subset

of the category soil amendments (or soil improvement, soil condition), which more

often is understood to include a wide range of fertilizers and non-organic materials.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Materials

Lettuce will be the subject of this study. It will be planted into four plot in a different

soil type and vermicast, each plant will have a 100 pcs. of lettuce seedling and a total

of 400 lettuce seedling in four plot. Weighing scale, ruler, soil tester and

vermicompost where also utilized in the conduct of this study.

Methods

Expiremental design- The lettuce were randomly distributed into four treatments

using the Completely Randomized Design (CRD. Each treatment was replicated three

times with two plot of lettuce per replication. Total experimental area was 5m2 per

plot.

The vermicompost was applied to the plants;

Treatment 1 – Control 0g/m2 of vermicast to silt

Treatment 2 – 200 g/m2 of vermicast to loam soil

Treatment 3 – 600 g/m2 of vermicast to clay soil

Treatment 4 – 800 g/m2 of vermicast to sandy soil

This treatment will be applied right after the sowing.

Land preparation. Each one of Four(4) plot in a different soil stype which is silt,

loam, clay and sand with a length of 5 m2 and 1 m2 of width will be till, harrow and

leveling the field to be ready for transplanting lettuce. The seed of lettuce will be sow

into seedling tray 2-3 weeks before the land preparation. After 2-3 weeks of sowing

into seed tray the lettuce will be ready for transplanting to the plot, right after the

transplanting treatment I, II, III and IV will be applied.

Fertilizer application. Broadcasting method will be the used in this study. The day

of transplanting vermicompost will be applied to their respective ration. The

production of lettuce is 25 to 30 days before harvesting, in four week treatment will

be applied every week and the last week will be the resting of soil and plant and ready

for harvesting.

Table 1.1 loam soil and ratio of vermicopost application

1st day 1st week 2nd week 3rd week Total of

fertilizer

apllied in 4

week
200g/m2 200g/m2 200g/m2 200g/m2 800g/m2

Table 1.2 clay soil and ratio of vermicompost application

1st day 1st week 2nd week 3rd week Total of

fertilizer

apllied in 4

week
600g/m2 600g/m2 600g/m2 600g/m2 2.4kg/m2
Table 1.3 sandy soil and ratio of vermicompost application

1st day 1st week 2nd week 3rd week Total of

fertilizer

apllied in 4

week
800g/m2 800g/m2 800g/m2 800g/m2 3.2kg/m2

Care and management. Before the transplanting of lettuce the soil will be watered 2

times a day morning and afternoon it is to condition the soil moisture. After the

transplanting of lettuce it will be watered 4 to 5 times a day to meet the water

requirements of lettuce plant. Within four weeks the application of water and fertilizer

should be complete and not deficient or excess. Beside from the treatment, some of

the proper care will be monitored like insect management, weed and diesease, every

day morning and afternoon ater the water management will do.

Gathering of data. The data gathered in this study were as follows: