Seaweed Fertilizer

Chapter I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study Marine algal seaweed species are often regarded as an underutilized bioresource. Many have been used as a source of food, industrial raw materials, and in therapeutic and botanical applications for centuries. Several of the 12,000+ varieties of seaweed in the ocean have been shown to be valuable additions to the organic garden and can be abundantly available free for those living near the coast. There are also legal implications relating to gathering seaweed, and concerns about sustainability. A perhaps less serious potential problem with seaweed is its salt content. While it is unlikely to add sufficient seaweed to seriously upset the balances of salt in the soil, it is not liked by worms, who will not live in it. It can be hosed down before adding to the soil to reduce the salt content, or left to be desalinated by rainwater. Rinsing seaweed is risky as valuable alginates are potentially lost to runoff. Seaweed can be either applied to the soil as a mulch or can be added to the compost heap, where it is an excellent activator. In terms of soil structure it does not add a great deal of bulk, but its jelly like alginate content helps to bind soil crumbs together, and it contains all soil nutrients and amino acids. The researcher chooses this project because she is fond of making experiments about plants. This project also gives the researcher and the reader additional knowledge about how seaweed extract could affect the growth of mung beans.

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B. Objectives of the Study The researcher wishes to attain the following objectives: 1. To test if seaweed extract has enough nutrients for the mung bean’s health. 2. To test if seaweed extract fertilizer would make the growth of mung beans fast and healthy. 3. To find out which is better, seaweed extract fertilizer or just basic water.

C. Statement of the Problem The study focuses on comparing the effectiveness of seaweed extract as plant fertilizer. It seeks to answer the following questions: 1. Does seaweed extract have enough nutrients for the mung bean’s health? 2. Would seaweed extract fertilizer make the growth of mung beans fast and healthy? 3. Which is more effective in the growth of mung beans? Seaweed extract fertilizer or water?

D. Hypotheses The researcher formulates the following hypotheses: 1. Yes, seaweed extract have enough nutrients for the plant’s health. It contains

sodium,

copper,

magnesium,

manganese,

potassium,

phosphorous, iron and zinc. 2. Yes, because it contains a lot of nutrients that would make the plant healthy. 3. Seaweed extract fertilizer because it has more nutrients than water.

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E. Significance of the Study

The researcher believes that the study will be beneficial to the following groups: To plant lovers. The study will be beneficial to them because the result will help them decide to use seaweed extract as plant fertilizers. To fishermen. The study will benefit them because it will add to their source of income. There will be more people that will buy seaweeds. To gardeners. The study will help them save money by making their own organic fertilizer than the commercial ones that are expensive.

F. Scope of Limitation

The investigatory project focuses on the effects of seaweed extract as a fertilizer to mung beans. It focuses on the nutrients that seaweed has that would make the growth of the plant fast and healthy. The researcher has to observe the length, width, height of leaves and overall condition of the plant. This study would approximately take one to weeks because mung plants grow fast. The analysis uses both qualitative and quantitative data.

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