The Effect of Mango Peel on the Growth of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus)

• Main Authors: Belmonte, Krista D., Calpo, Rachel Ashley A., Filipino, Aris Mateo T., Montales, Edrante Thaddeus S.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2021
• Subjects: mango peels; okra; fertilizer; plant height; number of leaves
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/conf_shsrescon/2021/poster_see/3; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/conf_shsrescon/article/1721/viewcontent/Belmonte_et_al.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

Fertilizers are substances containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. They supply nutrients to the soil to improve plant growth and plant productivity. While they may have helped the agriculture sector better their crops, recent studies suggest that common fertilizers adversely affect the environment and human health. Aside from common fertilizers, fruit peels, such as mango peels, also pollute the environment since their accumulation leads to waste disposal issues. To alleviate these issues, researchers proposed the utilization of fruit peels as fertilizers. In this study, mango peels were utilized as fertilizers to identify their effects on the growth of the okra plants by measuring the plant height and comparing the number of leaves. Five (5) pots with two okra seeds were assigned specified amounts of mango peels: 0 g, 1 g, 3 g, 5 g, and 7 g. Plant height and number of leaves were measured every two weeks for two months. The results suggest that varying amounts of applied mango peels affect the growth rate of okra, with 7 g yielding both the highest plant height and highest number of leaves. The results can be attributed to the nutrients of the mango peels, such as potassium and phosphorus, which are included in the three primary nutrients found in common fertilizers.