MANILA – A research on seaweeds extract funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has been found to be an effective fertilizer alternative to increase mungbean (monggo) yields.
A funding on the research on carrageenan plant food supplement (PFS) recorded an average of 494 percent yield increase for three mungbean varieties Labo, Pag-asa 7, and Pag-asa 19.
Carrageenan PFS is extracted from seaweeds and was found to promote plant growth, seed germination, shoot elongation, root growth, flower production, and suppression of heavy metals, among others.
The carrageenan PFS underwent further process by degradation through irradiation.
The research showed that three varieties treated with carrageenan produced 1.2 to 1.5 tons per hectare (t/ha) compared with other fertilizers, which only produced 0.15 to 0.31 t/ha.
The research was funded by DOST’s Philippine Council for Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD).
Aside from the total yield, the research also found that using carrageenan PFS, the number of pods per plant and the number of seeds per pod increased.
A preliminary field trial in Pampanga State Agricultural University (PSAU) produced 12 to 15 pods per plant compared with the normal 6 to 7 pods per plant. The number of seeds per pod also doubled from 6 to 12 seeds.
Studies showed that carrageenan, when subjected to modified irradiation technology, can elucidate growth promotion of plants.
Studies also showed that it can strengthen rice stem, improve rice resistance to lodging, and develop rice resistant to rice tungro virus and bacterial leaf blight./PNA/FPV/MSN/PJN