Growth Performance and Yield of Pechay (Brassica rapa L.) and Mustard (Brassicsjuncea L.) in Aquaponics System

Abstract

The growth rate in terms of height (cm), number of leaves produced and yield (g) of pechay (B. rapa)and mustard (B. juncea) were determined in the study. The following treatments were used in the study: T1-pechay(B. rapa)and T2-mustard (B. juncea)as experimental plants with 35 replicates in each treatment was cultivated in Aquaponics System. Results showed that there is a significant difference in the growth performance and yield (cm) of pechay (B. rapa)and mustard (B. juncea), in growth rate in terms of height (cm), number of leaves produced and yield (cm) of pechay (B. rapa)and mustard (B. juncea). The higher mean value in growth performance and yield (g) was obtained in T2-mustard (B. juncea) wherein the number of leaves produced, 9.00 (±2.10), plant height (cm) 21.34 (± 6.18) and yield (g) 148.57 (±90.45), respectively was significantly higher as compared to T1-pechay (B. rapa) that attained the lower growth performance and yield wherein the number of leaves produced 6.00 (± 1.65), growth rate in terms height (cm) 13.39 (± 2.31) and yield (g) 62.86 (± 21.38), respectively. The study revealed that there is a significant difference between the growth performance and yield of pechay (B. rapa)and mustard (B. juncea)in Aquaponics System. Also, the study emphasized that mustard (B. juncea) and pechay (B. rapa)can be grown in a soil-less agriculture, using the Aquaponics system. The study supports the advocacy of conserving the limited resources and can provide remedy to reduce utilization of synthetic fertilizer through Aquaponics system, which empowers households to have direct access to clean and safe foods.