Effects of Kappaphycus Drippings (KD) Foliar Fertilizer on the Growth and Yield Performance of Rice (Oryza sativa)

Abstract

Rice (Oryza sativa) is a vital staple food crop in more than 60 percent of the world, and around 430 million metric tons of rice are consumed worldwide. Moreover, to reduce synthetic fertilizer use while keeping rice production on track, the researchers decided to conduct a study on Kappaphycus drippings (K.D.) foliar fertilizer in rice production at Brgy. Mangayon, Compostela, Davao de Oro from July to December 2019 to determine the effects of different rates of synthetic fertilizer (S.F.) supplemented with Kappaphycus drippings (K.D.) foliar fertilizer on the growth and yield performance of rice and the return of cost production (RPC). Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used in the experiment, with six treatments replicated four times. The six treatments were as follows T1 - 100% SF (Control), T2 - 90% SF + KD, T3 - 80% SF + KD, T4 - 70% SF + KD, T5 - 60% SF + KD and T6 - 50% SF + KD. The experimental plot has a 4 x 4-meter dimension. The study results showed that K.D. foliar fertilizer positively impacted rice plants' growth performance, particularly on the plant height, leaf color index (LCI), and the number of tillers and productive tillers per hill and, at the same time, reduced the rice bug population. Furthermore, rice yield was positively influenced by K.D. foliar fertilizer and increased return on production cost despite the lesser rates of synthetic fertilizer (S.F.).