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Department of Education
Francisco G. Nepomuceno Memorial High School
Citicenter, Pandan, Angeles City

Can Rice Husk (Oryza sativa) be used as an Additive in Fabrication of Plant Pots?

In partial fulfillment in Research 1

Submitted by:

Qwyncy T. Lacsina
Lorraine Chloe L. Salonga

9-STE

Submitted to:
Evangeline A. Goloya

Date:
March 2023
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Introduction

Lockdowns were enacted by governments across the world to stop the COVID-19 virus from

spreading, which has complicated social interactions and pushed people to move to their gardens and

yards. (Egerer, M., et al., 2022). Some of the lowest-value plastic resins are used in the production of

garden plastic pots, trays, flats, and cell packs. These resins are inexpensive to mold into containers

strong enough to support commercial plant movement, but they are not suitable for remanufacturing

into a new generation of useful items. Growing plants for landscape purposes and other horticultural

activities produce a lot of plastic waste from transplanting pots, which is rarely recycled (Ponzi, J.

2022). The use of biodegradable pots instead of plastic pots will have a great effect on improving the

protection of nature. This will help foster the idea of reducing, reusing, and recycling. Many plant

fibers are used to make biodegradable pots. Wood and bamboo are a couple of the environmentally

friendly materials used in the creation of biodegradable pots. Fibrous material, recycled paper, etc

(Tomadoni, B. et al., 2020). The pot has various benefits in addition to being biodegradable, such as

no root disease, no transplant tremor, and no downtime while roots quiet down.

To prevent environmental issues, the amount of rice residue in nations that produce rice, like the

Philippines, must be managed responsibly. Also, the continued use of inorganic fertilizers in these

agricultural areas has made the soil get worse faster. Simeon, L.M. (2016) mentions that husk makes

up about 20% of the weight of paddy, and that the Philippines produces an average of 2 million metric

tons of husk every year, of which more than 90% are burned outside or dumped into rivers and oceans

to get rid of them. Rice husk is made up of hollow fibers made of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin,

all of which are also found in wood (Tarasov, D. et al., 2018). This means that it could be used to

make biodegradable plant pots.

The main goal of this research is to find ways to lessen the use of plastic plant pots. It can help

with climate change and other environmental problems and cut down on plastic waste and pollution.

Also, we can stop using plastic plant pots and promote a lesser cost of biodegradable plant pots.

Objectives

This study aims to answer the following objectives:

1. To make use rice husk instead of letting it go to waste.

2. To encourage the majority to use biodegradable plant pots that can help and contribute to

preserving our environment.

3. To regulate the use of plastic plant pots.

Hypothesis

1. If we use rice husks (Oryza sativa) as an additive in the fabrication of plant pots, then we will

be able to make biodegradable plant pots.

2. If we use rice husks (Oryza sativa) as an additive in fabrication of plant pots, then we can

lessen the use in plastic plant pots.

3. If we use
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Conceptual Framework

Rice husk (Oryza sativa)

Rice husk is cut into small pieces

Combine the clay, Earthen minerals and water to create the plant pot

Add the small pieces of rice husk

Mix thoroughly

Mold

Dry

Use it as a plant pot

Figure 1. Process in making a biodegradable plant pot using Rice husk (Oryza sativa) adapted from
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Data Gathering

In recent years, agrochemicals are extensively applied to obtain higher yield. Intensive

application of agrochemicals leads to several agricultural problems and poor cropping systems.

Farmers use more chemical fertilizers than the recommended levels for many crops. Excessive use

of chemical nitrogen fertilizer not only accelerates soil acidification but also risks contaminating

groundwater and the atmosphere. The usage of biodegradable pots instead of plastic pots will have

a great effect on the protection of the nature. This will support our point of reduce, reuse and

recycle. Biodegradable pots are mostly made of fibers from plants. A research was conducted

regarding the effects of microplastic fibers and drought on plants, their findings demonstrated that,

at the community level, shoot and root mass rose with microfibers but decreased with drought, an

outcome that is probably related to increased soil aeration, reduced bulk density, and improved

root penetration. We also saw that the structure of the plant community was impacted by

microfibers.
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Theoretical Framework

According to Wang, X., et. Al. (2016) Rice husks can also be used to strengthen concrete. Due

to its porous nature, rice husk ash can be utilized as a catalyst carrier, in the manufacture of molecular

sieve materials, and as a low-cost adsorbent. The original rice husk (RH) was collected from Hubei

province and cleaned for 30 min in a deionized water and citric acid solution. It was then dried in a

stoving chest at 60 °C and heated at 300 °C for 30 min with an airflow rate of 100 mL/min.

microscopic image of RHIR and RHR were shown by SEM and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Thermal analysis of RH in mixed gas was measured using a differential scanning calorimeter. This

study explored the physical properties and pyrolysis characteristics of rice husks. Results showed that

the outer epidermis of combusted RHIR is well organized with papillae shapes and full, straight, high

ridges, while pyrolyzed RHR has ridges that are not as straight as for the RHIR and the top of the

papillae have small holes. XRD and XPS analysis showed that the surfaces of RHIR and RHR contain

carbon, oxygen, and silicon. DSC analysis showed that graphs have "camel peaks" and that an

increase in rate of heating leads to an increase in the exothermic peaks. Carbon content is the largest

when RH is up to 300 °C, and volatile minimum is about 0.33%.

Definition of Terms

Additive - a substance added to something in small quantities to improve or preserve it.

Agrochemicals - a chemical used in agriculture, such as a pesticide or a fertilizer.

Cellulose - an insoluble material which is the major ingredient of plant cell walls and of vegetable fibers

such as cotton. It is a polysaccharide composed of glucose monomer chains.

Earthen Minerals - any of a group of minerals that occur as colloidal crystals in clay. They are all

hydrated aluminosilicates having layered crystal structures.

Fabrication - the action or process of manufacturing or inventing something.

Hemicellulose - any of a class of substances which occur as constituents of the cell walls of plants and

are polysaccharides of simpler structure than cellulose.

Horticultural Activities - relating to the study or activity of growing garden plants.

Lignin - of a plant or its stem of the nature of or consisting of wood

Microplastic Fibers - very small thread-like fibers that can come from both synthetic and natural fabric.

Rice Husk - the coatings of seeds or grains of rice

Review of Related Literature

Rice husks (or rice hulls) are the tough coverings that protect rice grains; they are produced by

being separated from the grains during the milling process. Rice husk is an abundant waste material in

all rice-producing countries, containing approximately 30%–50% organic carbon. During a

conventional milling procedure, the husks are removed from the raw grain to reveal whole brown rice,

which can then be milled further to remove the bran layer to create white rice (Singh, 2018).

Rice husks can be used as a building material, fertilizer, insulation material, or fuel, in addition to

protecting rice during the growth season. In ancient China, a common daily meal was made from rice

hulls, wild vegetables, and soybean powder, leading to the idiom "meals of cereal, hulls, and

vegetables for half a year". In 1885, the modern rice hulling machine was invented in Brazil.

(Encyclopedia, 2016).
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