The Effectiveness of Saba Banana (Musa Balbisiana L.) Peels as an Organic Fertilizer for Eggplant (Solanum Melongena L.)

Abstract

In Batac, most of its production comes from agriculture. One of its produce, eggplants, is one of the most vulnerable crops to insects. Overproduction is also inevitable. As a result, it has become one of the cheapest. These and many other circumstances endanger the quantity and quality of the eggplants in the city.

In our research, we recognized the call for development to increase both the quantity and quality of the crops. We investigated the effectiveness of dried banana (Musa balbisiana L.) peels as an organic fertilizer for eggplants (Solanum melongena L.).Six treatments were used, namely: 1) Positive Control 1 (100% organic); 2) Positive Control 2 (100% inorganic); 3) Treatment 3 (70% organic and 30% inorganic); 4) Treatment 4 (50% organic and 50% inorganic); Treatment 5 (30% organic and 70% inorganic), and; 6) Negative Control (no fertilizer). The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design with four replications. The data were gathered and were analyzed using only three replications chosen by the researchers from each treatment. The evaluated parameters were: colour of leaves, number of leaves, plant height, and biomass. Results show no significant differences among the six treatments. However, the results consistently show that numerically, Positive Control 1 was the most effective, followed by Treatment 4. Positive Control 1 gave the greenest and greatest number of leaves, tallest plants in centimetres, and the highest biomass in grams. Treatment4 was the most effective among the three treatments (Treatments 3, 4 and 5) that used both organic and inorganic fertilizers. The results indicate that using the dried banana peels as an organic fertilizer is effective. It has the properties to boost the chlorophyll production within the plant, to provide additional nutrients and microbes to the soil, and to increase the crop productivity. Indeed, it has the capability to improve the quantity and quality of eggplants.