Vegetative growth of Catharanthus roseus L. (chichirica) in the different garden soil and lahar combinations

• Main Author: Cruz, Cecilia Paz Bengco
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1994
• Subjects: Medicinal plants; Plants; Effect of soil moisture on; Plant physiology; Growth (Plants); Lahars; Fertilizers and manures
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/1256
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study was conducted to determine the comparative effects of different soil and lahar combinations on the vegetative growth of Catharanthus roseus L. for a period of three months. The different soil-lahar combinations included 80 percent garden soil-20 percent pig manure, 75 percent soil-5 percent lahar-20 percent pig manure, 60 percent soil-20 percent lahar-20 percent pig manure, 40 percent soil-40 percent lahar-20 percent pig manure and 20 percent soil-60 percent lahar-20 percent pig manure. Results showed that the different combinations affected the moisture content, initial and final pH, initial organic matter content and nitrogen content of the substrate at 1 percent level of significance. Moisture content (percent) was highest in 80 percent garden soil with 20 percent pig manure compared to those of the different soil-lahar combinations. These have lower and statistically similar mean moisture content. The initial pH of the substrate showed that the 20 percent soil-60 percent lahar-20 percent pig manure combination was the most acidic while the treatment with 80 percent garden soil and 20 percent pig manure had slightly alkaline pH. Final soil pH showed that the treatment with 80 percent garden soil and 20 percent pig manure had the lowest alkaline value as compared to that of the treatment with 40 percent soil-40 percent lahar-20 percent pig manure which was the most alkaline. Soil pH became alkaline for all substrates from the initial to the final phase of the experiment. The highest organic matter content (percent) was observed in 20 percent soil-60 percent lahar-20 percent pig manure. The lowest was observed in 80 percent garden soil with 20 percent pig mature. These different treatment combinations had no significant effect on the final organic matter. Nitrogen content (percent) of the 80 percent garden soil with 20 percent pig manure was tthe highest followed by that of the 75 percent soil-5 percent lahar-20 percent pig manure combination. The substrates with 40 percent soil-40 percent lahar-20 percent pig manure and 20 percent soil-60 percent lahar-20 percent pig manure had zero nitrogen value. Results showed that the different substrate combinations affected the chlorophyll and nitrogen content of the plant at 1 percent level of significance. No significant effect was observed for the average height increment (cm) in plant. Chlorophyll content (mg/g) fresh weight of sample) and nitrogen content (percent) was observed to be highest in plants grown in 80 percent garden soil with 20 percent pig manure.