Sheenah N. Domingo,
Hannah Jane Bendejo, and Maria Danesa S. Rabia, from the different institute of
the Philippines. wrote a research article about, Horticultural Assessment of
Pechay (Brassica rapa) Grown with Fish Waste-Based Organic Fertilizer Fermented
with Molasses. entitled, The
horticultural characteristics assessment of Pechay (Brassica rapa) using fish
and fish waste based-organic fertilizer fermented with molasses. This research
paper published by the International Journal of Biosciences (IJB). an open
access scholarly research journal on Biosciences. under the affiliation of
the International Network For Natural Sciences | INNSpub. an open
access multidisciplinary research journal publisher.
Abstract
Nowadays, great amount of waste is being produce in the fish markets and processing industries. This study aims to find out the effect of using fish and fish waste as organic fertilizer on the growth of pechay. The study was arranged in a randomized setup with three (3) treatments and three (3) replications, each treatment has 30 samples. Among the treatments are T1– 50g/5g, T2-150g/10g and T3– 200 g/15 g). The study uses the one-way ANOVA. Results showed that T3 has the highest total mean growth of 16.4 cm and 15.77 cm in length compared to T2 and T1. The size of the leaves recorded with 14.37 cm and 7.96 cm wide. A 100% survival rate was obtained in all treatments. Significant difference was observed in the size of the leaves, other showed not significant results. The result is a good potential for adoption, especially it would benefit to the local farmers.
Introduction
In recent years, the
fish industry has generated a substantial amount of fish waste. Depending on
the level of processing or type of fish, 30–70% of the original fish is fish
waste. Circular economy and organic farming concepts were used to evaluate the
potential of producing fertilizers from captured fish. Fertilizers produced
from captured fish promote the recycling of nutrients from the sea and back to
terrestrial environments. The nutritional composition of fish waste is assessed
to determine the potential to supply plant nutrients such as nitrogen, or a
combination of nitrogen and phosphorous, or to enrich a compost. In the
research of Kenhudoy (2017) on the benefits of using fish and animal wastes as
fertilizer, fish waste as soil fertilizer offers an organic solution and
effectively provides nutrients to the soil for a blossom harvest. Even though
some of the fish products have an unpleasant smell, they do have a lot of
benefits for the crop, making them a healthy food source. Native Americans
showed pilgrims how to use fish to fertilize their crops. From current
findings, it is proven that the Native Americans were right about the benefits
of using fish fertilizer.
Production and
information about processing the fish waste were illustrated in the Organic
Materials Review Institute (OMRI), indicating also the fishbased fertilizers
industry and research in Europe. Converting fish waste like fish entrails into
liquid fertilizer can be used to water or drench the plants. This liquid
fertilizer could last for up to a year. The liquid produced in the fermentation
process is called fish emulsion. The two main ingredients to make the emulsion
are fish guts (entrails) and molasses. If molasses is not available, brown
sugar is a good substitute. It is a sucrose product with a distinctive brown
color due to the presence of molasses. The methods used in the processing of
fish waste to produce fish emulsion, fish hydrolysate/fish silage, fish
compost, and digestate from anaerobic digestion or co-digestion are presented
in the study of Ahuja et al. (2020). The accumulation of fish waste should be a
source of concern because it can pollute the water (Kusuma et al., 2019). It
can be turned into organic manure, which is beneficial to fish farmers and
sellers who discard fish waste (Jayvardhan, 2020). It is essential to treat
fish waste to minimize the environmental effects (Kusuma et al., 2019). If we
can properly dispose of it so that it can decompose, we can create jobs and
make money by selling the manure.
On the other hand, the
culture of pechay (Brassica rapa) in the Philippines is one of the
fastest-growing vegetable industries. It is an important vegetable crop and has
nutritional value as well as good commercial value. One of the most popular
vegetables among consumers is always available in the market at any time of the
year. It is known as one of the oldest vegetables in Asia; it therefore plays
an important role in the Philippines’ economy as well as in the nutrition of
the Filipino people. Pechay is used mainly for its immature, but fully
expanded, tender leaves. The succulent petioles are often the preferred part.
It is used as the main ingredient for soups and stir-fried dishes. In Chinese
cuisine, its green petioles and leaves are also used as a garnish (Gonzales et
al. 2005). On the other hand, our government agencies like the Department of
Agriculture encourage Filipino farmers to switch to an alternative and healthy
way of marketing high-value crops to have a higher income. Several practices
are being taught, like going back to basics and using organic fertilizers
rather than inorganic or synthetic ones. Fermented fish entrails are another
alternative medium used as a substitute for economically important and easy
growing vegetables like pechay and sweet pepper in this study.
There are several
studies using fermented fish entrails mixed with fish molasses (Rabia, 2022),
and even decomposed seaweeds and the bark of pine trees have been documented.
In the study conducted by Diaz et al. (2011) on the growth and yield response
of bell pepper to fish fertilizer and fermented fish juice as organic
fertilizer, they found that fish gill emulsion fertilizer is comparable to
commercial or synthetic fertilizers. It may be one of the best fertilizers to
utilize for growing bell peppers. The compost made from fish waste has the
added benefit of containing potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Composting is a
biotransformation process that involves microorganisms converting organic
materials into stable and complex macromolecules. It can be used as a soil
enhancement to increase the texture and fertility of the soil, reducing the
need for synthetic fertilizers (Maja et al., 2019). This waste can be helpful
and valuable fertilizer in agriculture (Jayvardhan, 2020). No foul odors were
detected in the fish waste fertilizer (Maja et al., 2019).
Molasses is a primary
by-product in the fermentation industry and can be used in the food industry,
such as in distilleries, sugar production, and yeast production (Li et al.,
2020). It was high in calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium. It also contains
sulfur and a host of micronutrients (Susan Patterson and Master Gardener).
Molasses has been used in the past as fertilizer on sandy soil and soil with
poor structure (Pyakurel et al., 2019). Using molasses as a fertilizer provides
plants with a quick source of energy and encourages the growth of beneficial
microorganisms. When molasses is added to organic fertilizers, it provides food
for the healthy microbes in the soil (Susan Patterson, Master Gardener).
Molasses supplies carbohydrates and alters the C:N ratio, which affects soil
microbial ecology, lowers plant parasitic nematodes, and provides other
favorable effects on plant growth (Hilty et al., 2021). Molasses improves soil
aggregation and reduces surface crusting in hard-setting soils (Wynne and
Meyer, 2002). Molasses plant fertilizer is a great way to grow healthy plants,
and as an added benefit, using molasses in gardens can help fend off pests. The
fermentation process converts the solid substrates into simple molecules with
the help of microbes. It is one of the promising technologies that converts
fish waste into useful organic manure, an expensive resource for agriculture,
without the formation of a fusty smell.
One of the problems
encountered by some farmers nowadays is their inability to harvest crops on
time and the low quality of the produce, particularly some leafy vegetables.
Some fishermen also encountered challenges in the disposal of fish waste, which
is very abundant in the locality. Many factors cause distractions in our world
today, like pollution, inadequate solid waste disposal, global warming, climate
change, and many others that affect our economic and environmental aspects. Our
agricultural sector is widely affected by these problems. So, most of our
farmers in the country use inorganic or synthetic fertilizers to boost plant
resistance and improve or multiply their yield compared to the usual or natural
cycle.
Fish are consumed as
food in fresh conditions. Some of them are also utilized after the
preservation. During preservation and processing, some materials from fish and
prawns are discarded as waste. Similarly, some trash and distasteful fish are
unsuitable for human consumption. These waste materials and the above fish
become an important source for producing fish by-products, which in turn are
used to produce different useful fish by-products. Organic agriculture or
organic farming seeks to provide good quality and healthy foods while not
harming the environment, maintaining soil fertility, and using synthetic
materials. There is a growing demand for organic products in both local and
global markets that is likely to be significant in the future. Fertilizers
produced from captured fish promote the recycling of nutrients from the sea and
back to terrestrial environments. The nutritional composition of fish waste is
assessed to determine the potential to supply plant nutrients such as nitrogen,
or a combination of nitrogen and phosphorous, or to enrich a compost. Methods
used in the processing of fish waste to produce fish emulsion, fish
hydrolysate/fish silage, fish compost, and digestate from anaerobic digestion
or co-digestion are presented.
With these, siganids
are the most abundant fish in the locality; with the common name of
rabbitfishes, they are essential to reef herbivores that browse individually or
in schools over the reef or feed on plankton within the water column (Nelson,
1994; Kenhudoy, 2017). Siganids' fish waste weighs from 10 to 20 grams per
fish, depending on the size of the fish. It contains the nutritional contents
found in rabbit fish, which are amino acids, fatty acids, protein, vitamins,
and other essential minerals. According to the International Food Research Journal
in Indonesia, samples of fish filleted without skin contained 77.79% moisture,
15.93% protein, 1.01% ash, and 0.93% fat. Rabbit fish also contained nine (9)
essential and seven non-essential amino acids. Glutamic acid was the most
abundant amino acid with a level of 1.983 mg/100 g. The eicosatetraenoic acid
(EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and arachidonic acid (ARA) quantities were
0.54%, 6.45%, and 1.21%, respectively. So, these ideas trigger the researchers
to use the fish waste as fertilizer in the culture of vegetables, particularly
the pechay, which is considered an economically important crop because it is
easy to grow, is available throughout the year, and is both an excellent source
of different nutrients. This research study aims to determine the performance
of pechay (Brassica rapa) grown in a container using fermented siganid entrails
as organic fertilizer. This study also aims to determine the effects of using
fish waste as organic fertilizer on the productivity of vegetable production. These
could also have the potential for the replacement of other dried poultry manure
from conventional farming in organic farming.
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