Alternative Growth Ehancers for Rice Production: Usefulness of Wood Vinegar (PA) in Irrigated Rice (PSB Rc18)

Abstract

This study was conducted at the MinSCAT Main Campus Rice Production Area, Alcate, Victoria, Oriental Mindoro from June to November 2017 to determine the usefulness of varying dilution of wood vinegar such:1% (1L wood vinegar:100L water); 0.5% (1L wood vinegar:200L water); and, 0.33% (1L wood vinegar:300L water) on irrigated rice (PSB Rc18 variety).

Results of the study revealed that 1% dilution could be an alternative vegetative growth enhancers of rice considering that in all growth parameters studied such as plant height, tiller counts both productive and non-productive, length of panicles and flag leaf, plants sprayed with 1% dilution produced significantly the tallest plants with 93.47cm, the most number of productive tillers with 14.54 but with the least non-productive tillers with only 0.83 and produced the longest panicles and flag leaf with 24.08 and 34.42cm, respectively. The untreated plants on the other hand, reached only the height of 87.51cm, produced only 10.42 productive tillers, had a shortest flag leaf and panicles with 29.83cm and 20.03cm but with the most number of non-productive tillers with 1.42.

With regards to the yield components; wood vinegar of 1% dilution could be a yield booster and enhancer considering that the yield per plot and per hectare of the treated and untreated plants varied significantly with margins of 1594.5grams and 1.76tons. As to the net income per hectare and return on investment, the same trend were noted with plants supplied with 1% dilution produced a net income of PhP87,653.00 and 206.36% ROI, while the untreated plants had only PhP38,934.00 and 100.8%, with differences of PhP48,719.00 and 105.56%, respectively.

On the occurrence of insect pests, dilution of wood vinegar of varying levels could be an effective pesticides considering that the treated plants showed resistance to the common insect pests in the locality such as, rice bug; and stemborers that caused whiteheads and deadhearts with numerical ratings of only 1-2.

Resistance of the treated plants to the common rice diseases such as; rice blast and bacterial  leaf blight was also recorded with the rating of  1 and 2, while the untreated plants was moderately resistant to intermediate  with rating of 3.

Keywords: wood vinegar, vermicompost, vermitea, organic farming, growth enhancer