Republic of the Philippines

Silliman University
Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental
Philippine

LEARNING CONTRACT

Name of Student

: JANMARK E. AHIG

For the Degree of

: BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURE

(Agronomy)

Title of the Study

: Growth and Yield performance of Radish

(Raphanus sativus L.) Under Basal and Foliar
Fertilizer Application

Approved:

MS. MERLYN G. BUSCATO

Facilitator

Date

GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCE OF RADISH

(Raphanus sativus L.)
UNDER BASAL AND FOLIAR FERTILIZER APPLICATION

Learning Contract Manuscript

presented to
the faculty of
SILLIMAN UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
Dumaguete City, Negors Orental

In fulfilment of the requirement

for Soil Science 22

JANMARK E. AHIG
MARCH, 2015

TRANSMITAL

The learning contract manuscript attached here entitled GROWTH AND

YIELD PERFORMANCE OF RADISH (Raphanus sativus L.) UNDER
BASAL AND FOLIAR FERTILIZER APPLICATION, prepared and
submitted by JANMARK E. AHIG, in fulfilment of the requirements of
SOIL SCIENCE 22, is here by accepted.

MS. MERLYN G. BUSCATO

Facilitator
.

Accepted in fulfilment of the requirements of SOIL SCIENCE 22.

PROF. JOSE EDWIN C. CUBELO

Dean, College of Agriculture

Date

Dedication

I would like to dedicate this research to everyone I love. All of my

hard work and dedication has finally paid off. Finishing this learning
contract has been the dream of mine for a couple of months now, and
I would like to thank those who have helped me along the way. First
and foremost. I would like to thank God for giving me this opportunity.
Next I would like to thank my parents for their emotional support and
for the funds they provided for me to finish this experiment. I want to
thank my cat Rosette, for being really fat and always there for me. I
would also like to thank my pet tadpole for surviving against all odds
for over a week. Next I would like to thank the mouse that lives in the
dorm for cutting through the wall because it gives me the inspiration
that I need to get through the day. I also want to thank Aaron for
keeping me distracted on making my papers. This is a special moment
in my life and I would like to thank any of my unmentioned friends and
family that have helped me along the way. This moment will be a
moment that I will never forget. I just remembered a few other people
I would like to thank; google and who ever invented copy and paste,
the fish I caught in third grade, the light in my room because I
wouldnt be able to see the keyboard without it, the internet for letting
me go on alljapanesepass.com and javsin.com to keep me awake, our

dorm because without it I would be homeless, and last but not least I
would like to thank all the people out there that actually took time out
of their day to read this. I cannot stress how much of a big deal to me
this is. I have been trying to finish this experiment for months, but
that has not been possible until this amazing day. Hopefully my good
luck will continue, but this is undoubtedly a rare occasion. If you asked
me how I did this, I would say, you can achieve anything you set your
mind on. To all the kids out there reading this, I would like to tell them
to follow their dreams. Being able to finish what you want is amazing,
thank you everyone.

GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCE OF RADISH

(Raphanus sativus L.)
UNDER BASAL AND FOLIAR FERTILIZER APPLICATION

JANMARK E. AHIG

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted in order to know the effect of basal and
foliar application of fertilizer in the growth and yield of radish.
The result has revealed the foliar feeding is a better way of applying
fertilizer in radish. The result has shown that foliar feeding is 8.25 g higher
when compared to the weight of basal application of fertilizer. The foliar
fertilizer has an average tuber weight of 71.75 g and the basal application
has an average tuber weight of 63.5 g. In terms of plant height there is no
significant difference between the two application of fertilizer. There is also
no significant difference in the number of leaves.

GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCE OF RADISH

(Raphanus sativus L.)
UNDER BASAL AND FOLIAR FERTILIZER APPLICATION
Janmark E. Ahig

INTRODUCTION

Radishes are a hardy, cool-season vegetable. Radishes can be planted

in any season, except during warmer months. They are a very easy
vegetable to grow. The radish is an edible root vegetable of the Brassicaceae
family that was domesticated in Europe in pre-Roman times. Radishes are
grown and consumed throughout the world, being mostly eaten raw as a
crunchy salad vegetable. They have numerous varieties, varying in size, color
and the length of time they take to mature. They are sometimes grown as
companion plants and suffer from few pests and diseases. They germinate
quickly and grow rapidly, smaller varieties being ready for consumption
within a month while larger daikon varieties taking several months. Some
radishes are grown for their seeds: oilseed radishes, for instance, may be
grown for oil production. Others are used for sprouting and both roots and
leaves are sometimes served cooked (Wikiepdia, 2014).
Radishes are crops grown for their swollen tap-roots which can be
globular, tapering or cylindrical. The root skin color ranges from white
through pink, red, purple, yellow and green to black but the flesh is usually
white. Smaller types have a few leaves about 13 cm (5 in) long with round
roots up to 2.5 cm (1 in) in diameter or more slender, long roots up to 7 cm

(3 in) long. Both of these are normally eaten raw in salads. A longer root
form, including oriental radishes, daikon or moolI and winter radishes, grows
up to 60 cm (24 in) long with foliage about 60 cm (24 in) high with a spread
of 45 cm (18 in). The flesh of radishes harvested timely is crisp and sweet,
but becomes bitter and tough if the vegetable is left in the ground for too
long. Leaves are arranged in a rosette. They have a lyrate shape, meaning
they are divided pinnately with an enlarged terminal lobe and smaller lateral
lobes. The white flowers are borne on a racemose inflorescence. The fruits
are small pods which can be eaten when young (Hyde, Wursten and Balling,
n.d).
There are different methods of applying fertilizers on radish. One of
the most common application is basal application and foliar application of
fertilizer. As the name implies, basal application is a type of fertilizer
application that applies fertilizer from the base of the plant or from the soil.
Foliar application on the other hand, is a method of fertilizing plants directly
on the leaves and stems of the plant. It involves directly spraying nutrients
onto the plants leaves and stems where they are absorbed and used. It is
considered an almost immediate way to feed the plants. It is becoming very
common especially among small gardeners and lawn owners. In this
experiment, radish will be chosen because it has large leaves surface area
suitable for foliar application as well as large root system suitable for basal
application.

Objective of the Study

This study is going to compare which among the method of application
would increase the growth and yield of radish under the same condition but
with different types of fertilizer application.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Foliar Application
Nutrients are applied in the form of dilute solution on standing crop
over the leaves of the plants. Since there is the direct application of nutrient
to the site of metabolism the nutrient use efficiency is increased and quick
response is observed by plants.
Foliar method of fertilizer application is more fruitful (convenient,
economic and quick responsive) when: small quantity of micronutrient is
needed to apply. It cannot be applied effectively through root or soil. There is
need to apply partial quantity of nitrogen in the form of urea. It is not
possible to give the total requirement of major nutrients through foliar
feeding because higher concentration causes leaf scorching, and if frequency
of sprays is increased, it increase cost of cultivation. Foliar application has a
number of advantages and disadvantages which include the following. Foliar
feeding produces an almost immediate effect on the plants. For example, if
used on green leafy plants like kales, they will have larger and fleshier leaves
within a shorter period of time compared when other fertilizing methods are
used. The reason for this is that the nutrients provided are already in the
form that the plant needs. After absorption, all the plant has to do is utilize
these nutrients. Foliar feeding is the best way to grow plants in places where
there isnt enough water. This is because the plant will absorb water through
its roots. Were fertilizing through the soil is to be used, the nutrients in the
soil will most likely leach resulting in a nutrient deficient plant. It is however
recommended the use of it alongside with other fertilizing methods to get the

best results. Many of these are environmentally friendly. The disadvantage is

it can be an expensive method of fertilizing the plants in the long run. As the
plants will almost immediately absorb all the nutrients applied, one will have
to apply more fertilizers frequently for the best yields. If the fertilizer is not
applied appropriately, it might end up damaging the plant. There are times
when the concentration is focused on one part that it ends up burnt. This is
especially the case for chemical based liquid fertilizers. They can only be
applied during the morning and evening hours. This is because it is during
these times that the plant stomata are open. If it is applied during the day,
especially when its hot, then it is likely that it would not be absorbed into the
plant (Pandey, 2010).

Basal Application
In basal application, there also some advantages and disadvantages.
In here, the effects of granular fertilizer last longer because the solid is
absorbed at a slower rate. The release period of granules can vary from a
month up to nine months. An advantage of slow-release granular fertilizer is
that application would not be often. Organic granular fertilizers are those that
does not contain chemicals and is also commercially available. Using slowrelease organic granular fertilizer significantly decreases the chances of
damaging lawns and plants. The disadvantages though is granular fertilizers
do not immediately affect plants, it may take a long time for positive results
to show. Plants may not receive nutrients fast enough to help them recover
from deficiencies. Granular fertilizers also need moisture and warm
temperatures to act. The pH of soil may also adversely influence their

effectiveness. As with liquid fertilizer, inappropriate application of granular

fertilizer will leave telltale streaks and spots of burned grass on lawns (Miller,
and Media, n.d.).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Planting Material
Radish seeds are needed. The seed must have high germination rate.

Container
The soil should be equally divided in each pot about 8 kg of soil each.
The pot should at least be 24 cm deep so that the radish tuber will grow to
its fullest.

Planting Method
In this experiment their is gonna be 3 treatments and in each
treatment there are 5 replicates. In each pot the seeds should be direct
seeded, so that the root will not be disturb. The disturbance of the root may
cause it to split. In each pot must contain at least 3-4 seeds, to have high
germination rate. The plant should also be planted not more than 3-4 seed
size deep, because this may reduce aeration and thus decrease the rate of
germination.

Application of Basal Fertilizer

In the recommendation of the seed company the fertilizer for basal
fertilizer is 60-90-60 in every 1 hectare. That is about; 8.5 bags of T-14 and
3 bags of 0-18-0. In every hectare about 60,000 radish is planted. The
application of basal fertilizer should only be once a week and should be apply

3-4 inch away from the plant.

Calculation per plant:
T-14 = 8.5 x 50 kg/1bg = 425 kg
0-18-0 = 3.5 bg x 50 kg/1bg = 150 kg
Per plant ratio:
T-14: 525 kg/1hectare x 1 hectare/60,000 plants = 0.0070833333 kg/plant
Kg - g:
0.0070833333 kg/plant x 1000g/1kg = 7.0833333/plant
Per plant ratio:
0-18-0: 150 kg/1 hectare x 1 hectare/60,000 plants = 0.0025 kg/plant
Kg to g:
0.0025 kg/1plant x 1000 g/1 kg = 2.5 g/plant

Application of Foliar Fertilizer

In foliar fertilizer in every 1L of water 1 1/2 table spoon of foliar
fertilizer is needed. The foliar fertilizer is sprayed about 12 inch away from
the plant so that the mist is divided evenly through out the leaves.

Data Gathering
The following data should be gathered every week; Height of each
plant and number of leaves. During harvesting the following data should be
gathered; plant height, total herbage yield, number of leaves, diameter of
tuber, weight of tuber and the length of tuber.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Vegetative Growth Potential

Plant Height. Figure 1 exhibit the weekly increment if the height of

radish as influence by basal and foliar application of fertilizer, 6 weeks after
treatment. The data suggested that the plant height of radish was greatly
enhanced by the application of foliar fertilizer (T2) reaching up to 27.305 cm
as compared to basal application of fertilizer (T1) 25.781 cm. Also, the height
of the plants that has been treated with fertilizer is higher as when compared
to control treated (T3) that has a height of 21.386 cm. Although the numeric
value present on the plant height of radish differed slightly but still, there is
not much difference in the height of T1 and T2.

Number of Leaves. Likewise, there is not much difference in the

weekly production of leaves of radish treated with basal and foliar application
of fertilizer as shown in Figure 2. During the weekly data gathered the basal
application of fertilizer (T1=9.64) has moderately higher number of leaves,
which is then followed by control (T3=9.30), and then followed by foliar
application of fertilizer (T2=8.18).

T1 - Basal

T2 - Foliar

T3 - Control

Plant Height (cm)

28

21

14

Number of Weeks
Figure 2. Plant height of radish as influence by basal and foliar application of
fertilizer (cm).

T1 - Basal

T2 - Foliar

T3 - Control

Number of Leaves

20

15

10

0
1

Number of Weeks
Figure 2. Plant height of radish as influenced by basal and foliar
application of fertilizer.

Herbage Yield - The application of basal basal fertilizer (T1)has shown

some significant difference when compared to foliar application of fertilizer
(T2) and control (T3) as shown in Table 1. The average herbage yield of basal
application is 135 g which is 36.5 higher compared to foliar application of
fertilizer (98.5 g) and also 30.8 g higher when compared to control (104.2
g).

Table. Total Herbage of radish as affected by basal and foliar application of

fertilizer (g).

Total Herbage
Treatment
Treatment

REPLICATION
1

Total

Mean

T1 - Basal

119 g

83 g

130 g

0g

208 g

540 g

135 g

T2 - Foliar

65 g

85 g

110 g

0g

134 g

394 g

98.5 g

T3 - Control

113 g

60 g

99 g

99 g

150 g

521 g

104.2 g

Reproductive Growth Potential

Num

LITERATURE CITED
Hyde, M., Wursten B. and Balling, P. (n.d). Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Radish
Miller, L., & Media, D. Granular Vs. Liquid Fertilizers for Plants. Retrieved from
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/granular-vs-liquid-fertilizersplants-41903.html
http://www.almanac.com/plant/radishes
Reinders, G. 2014. Philippine Farming and Organics. Dumaguete City
Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radish