EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENT THICKNESSES OF CARBONIZED RICE

HULL MULCHING AS WEEDS CONTROL AND ITS EFFECT ON THE

GROWTH AND YIELD OF TOMATO (Solanum lycopersicum)
DIAMANTE MAX F1

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS PROPOSAL

Submitted to the Faculty of the College/School of Murtha

OCCIDENTAL MINDORO STATE COLLEGE
Murtha Campus

As Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURE

Date Submitted
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an economically significant crop that belongs

to the Solanaceae family. It ranks first in terms of world vegetables production with 189.13

million metric tons (Statista, 2021). In the Philippines, it ranks 10 th as the most profitable

vegetable to grow (Braganza, 2022) with 228,080 metric tons annual production in 2021

(ReportLinker, n.d). Production of tomato in the Philippines is usually done during dry

season crop but can also be planted year-round using suitable varieties.

One of the significant factors affecting yield loss of tomato is weed infestation (de

Oliveira, 2023). Weeds compete with crop for water, nutrients and sunlight and some

weeds can also increase pest problems by serving as hosts for insects, diseases, or

nematodes (University of California, Integrated Pest Management, 2023). The common

practice of farmers to control weeds is the use of chemical herbicide. This practice is

considered cost effective, however it has adverse effects to soil and environment. When

applied to weeds, some portion of it moves to the soil and percolates to the ground water or

flow to different bodies of water such as canals, rivers and lakes (Surendir, 2018). Some

studies show that prolong use of the same herbicides can results to development of

herbicide resistant weeds (Knezevic et al., 2017). Hence, continuous usage of herbicides

posited great environmental concerns.

The use of natural organic mulch is one of the environment friendly and sustainable

alternatives weeds control in crop production. Schonbeck (2012) reported that organic
mulching can suppress annual weeds and offer other important benefits on soil, such as

adding organic matter, nutrients, moisture conservation, erosion protection, and moderation

of soil temperature. Furthermore, mulches can suppress weeds in four ways. First, by

blocking seed germination stimuli by intercepting light, reducing soil temperature, and

greatly dampening day–night temperature fluctuations. Second, the mulch physically

hinders emergence of germinated weeds seeds. Third, some mulch materials have

allelopathic effect that inhibit growth of weeds. Lastly, organic mulch can enhance crop

growth and competitiveness against weeds by conserving soil moisture and moderating soil

temperature.

One of the natural organic mulch that can be used by farmers particularly in

vegetables production is the carbonized rice hull or husk (CRH). CRH is a charcoal from

partially burnt rice hull with high water retention, high air permeability, very light in

weight and slightly alkaline (Felipe, 2002). It has a water holding capacity of 3.49 to 3.70

times of the original weight (Belonio, 2001; Mila et al., 2013). Every year, the Philippines

is producing about 3.1 million metric tons of rice hull. Though rice hull is used as a fuel to

generate energy, disposal of its by-products CRH, still posited big environmental concern.

Improper disposal of this materials may result to clogging of water ways and air pollution

(Prasanaya, 23 May 2022). Hence, in this study, the potential of CRH as mulching

materials to control weeds in tomato will be explored.

Objective

The main purpose of this study is to determine the growth and yield of tomato as

affected by the different thickness of carbonized rice hull mulch (CRH).

The specific objectives of this study are:

 1. Determine the number of weeds emerged at 30 DAT under different

thickness of CRH mulching in terms of kinds such as:

a. Grass

b. Broad leave

c. Sedges

2. Determine the growth of tomato under different thickness of CRH mulch

in terms of:

a. plant height (cm) at 75 days after transplanting

b. number of lateral branches at 45 days after transplanting

3. Determine the yield of tomato under different thickness of CRH mulch in

terms of:

a. Number of fruits per plant

b. Diameter of fruits (cm)

c. Weight of 20 fruits

d. Fruit yield per plant (kg)

4. Determine if there is significant difference on the number of weeds grown

under different thickness of CRH mulch.

5. Determine if there is significant difference on the growth and yield of

tomato under different thickness of CRH mulch.

6. Determine the thickness of CRH mulch that can control weeds for tomato

production.

Significant of the study

 The study is both relevant and timely as it offers many benefits to rice farmers in

Occidental Mindoro. The potential of CRH as mulch offers an effective and environment

friendly weed control that will reduce soil and environmental degradation and cost of

production of crops.

Farming communities. The result of this study will give them insights on the proper use

of CRH as mulch to control weeds.

Government. This study is significant for the government agencies concerned on the

management of agricultural waste and contribute to the promotions of organic agriculture

to their locality as well as to the Country.

Rice farmers. The result of this study will help Rice farmers on how to Reused the Rice

husk and Proper disposal.

Future researchers. The findings may also serve as guide to their related research

projects and on organic farming system.

 CHAPTER II

RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter presents the related literature both of foreign and local origin, and

re-published in books, journal, magazines and even online forum. These are use to

enrich framework of the present study.

Uses and importance of tomato

Tomato is a widely cultivated fruit vegetables in the Philippines for its

various culinary applications . This crop is rich in antioxidants, particularly lycopene,

which is known to reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The crop is

also a good source of vitamins A, C, and E, as well as minerals such as potassium

and folate (Juan Magsasaka, n.d.).

Agro-morphological Characteristics of Tomato

Tomato is a warm-season crop that can be grown in a wide range of soil types

and climatic conditions. According to East West Seed (2023) Diamante Max F1 is a

high yielding heat tolerant hybrid tomato with intermediate resistance to "kulot" or

Tolcy and bacterial wilt. Fruits are red, high round, firm with excellent

transportability and stability. Harvesting can start 60-65 DAT.

Liberato (2017), reported that tomato plant thrives well in soil with organic

matter content at least 1.5% and pH at 4.3 to 8.7, however, growth is optimum at pH

5.5 to 6.5. Further, in terms of agroclimatic requirements, the crop requires 460 mm
of rainfall per cropping season, but sensitive to water logging; and tolerate water

logging for less than 7-8 hours. The Food and Agriculture Organization (n.d.),

reported that under conditions when maximum evapotranspiration (ETm), the crop

water uptake 5 to 6 mm/day to meet full crop water requirements and growth and

yield is affected when more than 40 percent of the total available soil water has been

depleted. Ichwan et.al., (2020) study on the water requirements of tomato in North

Sumatera province Indonesia showed that forecast-potential evapotranspiration

(ETo) were 3.36 – 6.89 mm/day during January until July, 2020. The water

requirements of tomato plant showed 3.141 mm/day in the early phase, 6.02 mm/day

in the middle phase, and 4.188 mm/day in the final phase. The conclusion showed

that the water requirement of tomato plants for all of growth phase was increase as

high as crop coefficient of tomato plants.

Effectiveness of CRH as mulching materials

In a field experiment of Nalundasan and Legaspi (2018) testing the effect of

different mulching materials on the growth and yield quality of tomato in four wet

seasons in Ilocos Norte revealed that CRH mulch was significantly inferior in terms

of growth and yield compared to other organic mulches such as dried grasses, rice

straw, rice hull, and saw dust. However, the researchers did not mention the

thickness of CRH they used in their experiment.

Gomonet and Cagasan (2018) study on the effectiveness of rice hulls as

mulching on peanut revealed that fresh and dry weight of weeds at 4 weeks after

planting significantly reduced when mulched with rice straw at 2 inches thick. It
resulted in greater number of pods of peanut per plant, highest pod yield of 2.64 tons

per hectare.

Plant height

The study of Liberato on 2017, revealed that the height of tomato plant was

not significantly affected by the different mulching materials which include 1-inch

thick CRH at 14 DAT and at maturity.

In the study of Gomonet and Cagasan (2020) on the effectiveness of rice hull

on the growth and yield of peanut results revealed that application of rice hull and

rice straw mulch at different thickness significantly affected the plant height (cm),

leaf area index, fresh straw yield (tons per hectare), number of seeds per pod and

fresh pod yield (tons per hectare) of peanut

Number of Lateral branches

Liberato (2017) reported that the number of branches produced per tomato

plant mulched with CRH produced a greater number of branches with a mean of 3.61

branches per plant and differed highly significant from tomato plants mulched with

plastic mulched and other mulching materials.

Number of fruits

Liberato (2017) study of different mulching materials on tomato revealed that

the different mulching materials have no significant effects on the number of flowers,

number of fruits developed and percentage of fruits produced per tomato plant.

Conceptual Framework
 The conceptual framework of the study is illustrated in the paradigm depicted

on Fig. 1. The first box contains the independent variables of the study which are the

five treatments or the different thickness of CRH. The second box contains the

dependent variables which are the growth and yield parameters use to measure the

effect of different thickness of CRH which includes plant height, stem girth, number

of fruits, weight of fruits and diameter of fruits. This is connected to the first box to

show the relationship of the different thickness of CRH to the growth and yield of

tomato.

Independent variable Dependent variable

Treatment: Parameter:
T0 = No mulch CRH mulch effectiveness as weed
control:
T1=1-inch Carbonized Rice
a. Number of weeds emerged
Hull
T2=1.5 inches Carbonized Rice Effect on the growth and yield of tomato
Hull Growth of tomato:
a. Plant height
T3=2 inches Carbonized Rice
b. Stem girth
Hull
T4=2.5 inches Carbonized Rice Yield of tomato:
Hull a. Number of fruits per plant
b. Diameter of fruits
c. Weight of 20 fruits
d. Fruit yield per plant

Fig. 1. Conceptual framework of the study.

Operational Definition

To help the readers of this study easily understand the important terms used in

this study, the following terms are operationally defined.

Carbonized Rice Hull. This refers to the partially burnt rice hull. In this study it will

be used as mulch for weed control for tomato.

Number of weeds emerged. This refers to the quantity of weeds grown at the plot

area covered by CRH at 30 DAT.

Plant height. This refers to the measure of growth of plant from the base to the

highest tip of the plants in centimeter.

Number of branches. This refers to the number of functional branches of tomato at

75 DAT.

Number of fruits per plant. This refers to the quantity of marketable tomato fruits

harvested from the sample plants.

Diameter of fruits (cm). This refers to the average diameter of the fruits taken up

across from the widest part of the fruit.

Weight of 20 fruits. This refers to the weight of 20 randomly selected fruits.

Fruit yield per plant (kg). This refers to the weight of tomato fruit at harvest per

plant.

Hypothesis and Assumptions

This study will test the no significant difference on the effectiveness of

different thickness of CRH mulch on the number of weeds emerged and the growth

and yield of tomato.

 CHAPTER III

MATERIALS AND METHOD

This chapter presents the materials and methods, study design, data gathering plan

and data analysis of this study.

Study Design

This study is an experiment to be conducted using the Randomized Complete

Block Design with three replications. Each treatment (the different thickness of CRH) will

randomly distributed using simple random sampling technique by means of draw lots.

Study Setting

This study will be conducted on November 2023 to January 2024 at OMSC Murtha

Campus San Jose Occidental Mindoro.

Materials

The materials that would be used in this study are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Materials needed in the conduct of the study.

Items Quantity
Carbonized Rice Hull 10 bags
Tomato seeds 200 pcs
Seedling tray 2 pcs
Digital weighing scale 1 pc
Meter stick 1 pc
Calculator 1 pc
Plastic straw 1 roll
Shovel 1 pc
Pail 2 pc
Dipper 2 pc
Drip irrigation hose 50 meters
 Plastic drum (200 L) 1 pc
Valve (1/4 “) 15 pcs
Sprinkler 1 pc
Experiment labels 15 pcs

Method

Experimental Design

This study is a field experiment comprising of five treatments with three

replications. This will be laid out following the randomized complete block design

(RCBD).

Treatments of the Study

The five treatments of the study are the different thickness of CRH. The details of

each treatment are shown below:

Treatment 0. No mulch, but will receive recommended cultural management

such as amount and kind of fertilizer and amount of water.

Treatment 1. Mulch with 1-inch thick CRH and will receive the same cultural

management.

Treatment 2. Mulch with 1.5 inches thick CRH and will receive the same cultural

management such as amount and kind of fertilizer and amount of water.

Treatment 3. Mulch with 2 inches thick CRH and will receive the same cultural

management such as amount and kind of fertilizer and amount of water.

Treatment 4. Mulch with 2.5 inches thick CRH and will receive the same cultural

management such as amount and kind of fertilizer and amount of water.

Experimental layout

The experimental layout of the study following the randomized complete block
design is shown in the following figure.
 ` BLOCK 2 BLOCK 3
BLOCK 1

T3R1 T4R2 T3R3

T1R1 T1R2 T0R3

T3R1 T0R2 T1R3

T0R1 T3R2 T2R3

T2R1 T2R2 T4R3

Figure 1. Experimental layout of the study.

Summary of the experiment

Number of treatments: 5

Number of replications: 3

Number of plots: 15

Number plants/plot 11

Total number of plants: 165

Total area (square meter): 80

Cultural Management Practices

Land Preparation
 The study requires 80 m2 land area. The experimental area for the study will be

prepared by clearing and digging manually using cutting tools, shovels and hoes. The soil

will be dug and pulverized until the desired tilth is attained. Then 15 plots with dimension

of 1 x 4m will be prepared. The plot distance will be 1m apart. This will be used to

facilitate trellising, harvesting and lessen overcrowding of branches between plots.

Raising of seedling

Tomato seedlings for this study will be raised in seedling trays using sterilized

growing media comprising of compost, sand and garden soil at 1:1:1 ratio. The soil media

will mix thoroughly to attain uniformity. The tomato seedling will be sowed 21 days before

transplanting (DBT). The seedlings will be hardened by exposing the seedlings to full

sunlight a week before transplanting.

Installation of drip irrigation lines

Prior to transplanting of experimental plants, installation of drip irrigation hose will

be done. Two drip irrigation hose will be installed on top of the plots following the

recommended planting distance.

Transplanting of seedling

The seedling of tomato will be transplanted 21 days after sowing. Transplanting

will be done at 3 o’clock in the afternoon to lessen transplanting shock on seedlings.

Triangular or zigzag method at 70 cm plant distance will be used. Watering of the newly

transplanted seedlings will be done after transplanting by opening the drip irrigation lines.

The period of irrigation after transplanting up to 3 days after transplanting (DAT) is 2

hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon.

Placing of CRH mulch

 Placing of CRH mulch on top of the plots will be done at 5 DAT. The amount of

CRH to be placed is based on the thickness required for each treatment.

Irrigation

The experimental crops will be irrigated using drip irrigation system. The number

of hours of drip irrigation per day depends on the needs of the plants. As the plants grow

the rate of irrigation increases.

Pests and Diseases Control

The experimental crops will be protected from insect pests and diseases using

different methods. Daily monitoring and inspection of plants will be done to spot pests and

diseases. Physical control will be used by hand picking for cutworms. Spraying of

insecticides will be done only at severe insect pests’ infestation and disease control.

Fertilizer application

The experimental plants will be fertilized following the East West Seeds Company

Tomato Fertilizer guide. However, in this study fertigation system will be used but the

recommended amount and kind of fertilizer materials will be followed. An elevated drum

will be utilized for the purpose of fertigation.

Harvesting

Based on the East West Seeds Company, the Diamante Max F1 variety start

fruiting at 25 DAT and first harvest can be done at 55 DAT. For this study harvesting of

tomato will be done when the fruits have tinged yellow color at the bottom of the fruit.
Data Collection Procedure

The different parameters needed to measure the effectiveness of CRH to control

weeds and its effects on the growth and yield of tomato will be collected using a data

gathering sheet. The data for all the parameters will be collected as follows:

Growth parameters

Number of weeds emerged at 30 DAT

Data on this parameter will be taken at 30 DAT. All the weeds emerged from the

mulched will be counted and classified into types. ed on the kind of parameters to be

gathered.

Growth parameters:

Plant height. Data for this parameter will be collected from five randomly selected plants

at 75 DAT from each plot by means of measuring the vertical distance from the base to the

highest tip of the plant using a meter stick in centimeter.

Number of functional branches. Data for this parameter will be collected at 45 DAT

from five randomly selected plants from each plot by counting the number of branches

with flowers and/or fruits.

Yield parameters:

Number of fruits per plant. Data for this parameter will be taken from five randomly

selected plants from each plot for 10 harvest.

Diameter of fruit (cm). This parameter will be collected every after harvest from 20

randomly selected sample fruits harvested from each plot. To determine the diameter of the

fruit, the widest part of the fruit will be measured using a Vernier caliper in centimeter.
Weight of 20 fruits. This parameter will be determined by taking the weight of 20

randomly selected fruits from each plot.

Fruit yield per plant (kg). This parameter will be taken by weighing the fruits harvested

from five randomly selected plants from each plot for ten harvest then divided by five.

Data Processing and Analysis

The collected data for each parameter will be collated, tabulated and encoded in

Microsoft Excel program following the arrangement requirements for data processing

using the Statistix 10 statistical analysis.

Scope and Limitation

This study is limited to the effectiveness of four thickness (1, 1.5, 2, and 2.5 inches)

of CRH mulch applied on tomato plant as weed control strategy. The effectiveness CRH

mulch as weed control will be determined by the number of weeds emerged from the

mulched at 30 DAT. Meanwhile, the effect on the growth will be determined using

parameters such as plant height and number of branches. The yield parameters are: number

of fruits per plant, diameter of fruits, weight of 20 fruits, and fruit yield per plant. The

study will be conducted in the dry season.

Statistical analysis

The data will be analyzed using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) set at 5% level

of significance. Comparison of means will be done for ANOVA with significant difference

among treatment means using Tukey Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) test at 5%

level of significance.
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