THE USE OF COCONUT AS AN ALTERNATIVE STRONG POT AND FERTILIZER FOR

SOLANUM LYCOPERSICUM (TOMATO PLANT)

A Research Presented to the Faculty of

Senior High School
Emilio Aguinaldo College – Cavite

In Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for Senior High School 12

ELDRWISH, SHIVAN
BACOSA, LOVELY JESSICA
CANLAS, JAYCEE
DE MESA, LUIS RAFAEL
ERIBE, MARK ANTHONY
MIRANDA, JOBONIRIE
PEL, SHAN KENNETH
RODIL, REIANNE KATHLEEN
SANTIAGUEL, AICER JOHN
ZAMORA, KEM

October 2019
 INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study

Coconut is known as the "tree of life" in the Philippines because it is a very beneficiary

fruit and every part of the tree has a function (Ramos, 2013). Coconuts cover about more

than 10 million hectares in 92 countries in the world. Indonesia is the largest producer of

coconut trees worldwide wherein Philippines and India is considered to have 75% of world’s

coconut plantation combined (Zafar, 2019). Each part of it has a benefit in which different

countries use it in various ways (Ridgeway, 2018). The coir or the extracted fiber of

coconut’s husk can be used in such ways like flower pots, yarns, growth of plants,

mattresses, door mats and brushes (Tacio, 2010).

A coconut husk provides an excellent medium for the growth of plant, its ability to

absorb more water and retain makes it always wet for plants’ consumption, resistance to

bacteria and since soil is not used, it is free from soil borne pest that may harm the growth

of plant (Kumar, 2010). Coconut husk is recyclable that can turn to many functional uses

like for household and a pot for a plant. The coir absorbs more nutrients and has the ability

to retain water that will be helpful to conserve the resources we have. Instead of putting it

to waste, the coir can benefit the growth of plants naturally and make it healthy. Through

the use of coconut husk it can act as an alternative soil.

This study shows how coconut will be used as versatile material that can benefit to

lessen the waste of consumption and at the same time act as a fertilizer to improve a growth

of plant. This study’s goal is to help reuse the coconut wastes because of the abundance

of its plantation in our country and identify the development of using coconut as an

alternative fertilizer to plant.

Statement of the Problem

In this study, researchers will try to find out the advantages of using coconut as a

fertilizer for tomato plant, and how using it as an alternative pot good for the environment.

This study will also answer the following questions:

1. Is there a difference between the number of plant's leaves and the amount of coir

dust used?

2. Is there a difference between the amount of insect visit and the amount of coir dust

used?

3. is there a difference between the plant's durability and the amount of coir used?

Hypothesis

Null Hypothesis: There is no significant difference among the trials with respect to its

repetitions.

Alternative Hypothesis: There is a significant difference among the trials with respect to its

repetitions.

Scope and Delimitation

The main focus of the study is to determine the effectiveness of coconut as an

alternative pot. It will primarily encompass the growth of the plant as well as the differences

of the tomatoes.

It is not the goal of the study to have the plants reach its full growth as the basis of the

study's stand for the effectiveness of the coconut shells in preserving the plant's life. The

time allotted for the plants to go on observation for its growth is limited only for one week.
Significance of the Study

This study aims to benefit the following:

 Farmers

 Economy

 Future Researchers

Definition of Terms

 Solanum Lycopersicum - The plant used to test the coconut as an effective

alternative for standard pots and fertilizers.

 Coconut Shells – It is the outermost layer of coconut plant. In this study, the coconut

shell was changed into a pot as a substitute for regular pot.

 Coconut Husk – It is the dry outer covering of the coconut fruit. It was changed into

an alternative soil to promote as a soilless growing medium

 Coconut Coir - It is a natural fiber removed from the husk of coconut and was

converted into a fertilizer to determine its efficacy to the growth of tomato plant.

 Coconut pot – encompasses of coconut shell as the literal pot, coconut husk as the

soil and coir as the fertilizer

Review of Related Literatures and Studies

Local Literature

Current status of the coconut industry

Lapina and Andal (2017), reported that coconut is considered as a major export of the

Philippines because of its contribution of the country's gross value-added in agriculture (3.6

percent). This made the Philippines to be one of the top producer and exporter of coconut

making it one of the most important crops of the country.

 Yet, the production of coconut in the country started to slow down at the year 2010 to

2013 because of strong typhoons and the presence of coconut pests called cocolisap

(Lapina & Andal, 2017). And even the country is one of the main exporters worldwide, Ani

and Aquino (2016) pointed out that there has been no improvement in the country's coconut

industry. In addition, the industry is still considered an orphan in the country’s agriculture

because of poor investments.

Foreign Literature

Coconut

Coconut or also known as Cocos Nucifera is a member of the palm tree family

(Arecaceae). Coconuts have an iconic tropical appearance, with tall, slim trunks topped

with green fronds and produces edible coconut fruits (Chinn, 2017). It is mainly harvested

for its white flesh, juice and husk (Lerner, 2007). After the important parts of the coconut

are extracted, the remaining part like shell, coir and husk can also be used for different

purposes.

Coconut as the tree of Life

Coconut is also called as the Tree of Life because of its multiple benefits (Fife, 2004).

Aside from the juice and flesh, the remains are also used in different ways. The outer part

of the coconut called shell, was used for buffing floors, fuel, drinking vessels, plant pot,

musical instrument, and burnt to ward off mosquitoes. It can also be used as bird feeders

(Ridgeway, 2018). Next, the husk can also be used in cosmetics as a skin exfoliant.

Coconut oil can also be use as medicine and is considered as the healthiest oil on Earth

(Fife, 2004). Coconut is not entitled as the tree of life for nothing. It is one of the most useful

resources the industry of agriculture has.

Studies

Coconut as a contributor of waste industry

Local

As the Philippine agriculture remained focused on the few traditional economic good

such as rice, corn, coconut, sugarcane and banana, in his 1996 study on the Aquaculture

feed and fertilizer resource atlas of the Philippines, Cruz claim that coconut as one of the

major contributor of agricultural waste in the country.

About 30 million hectares of the Philippines' total land is devoted to agricultural

production and urban development. Being an agricultural country growing crops such as

rice, corn, coconut, sugarcane, banana, bamboo, and jatropa, the Philippines produces

huge among of by-products and residues. Which is still considered as an untapped

resources of the country due to low utilization. (Baconguis, 2007)

As Baconguis (2007) stated, half a billion of coconut grows on the 3 million hectares

across the country's islands. The coconut shell (12%), coconut husks (35%) and coconut

coir dust are the three form of major coconut waste. In these three, coconut shell is the most

widely utilized but at a very low rate. It is commonly used as charcoal and is exported and

converted into activated carbon.

Foreign

A study of Salah and Romanova (2017) shows how coconut contributes in worldwide

waste industry. The coconut fruit is composed of the husk coat, husk (fiber and coir),

coconut shell, white flesh and coconut milk (Apse, 2017). However, coconut is mostly

harvested just for its flesh and juice, thus, making others part of the coconut waste industry.

According to Cimons (2017), 80 up to 90 percent of coconut husks creates pollution. The

abandoned and left empty fruit bunches, fibers, fronds, shells and trunks were abandoned

and left or burned in open air contributes to air pollution (Datar & Shinde, 2017)

Conceptual Framework

The diagram below shows the research paradigm of the proposed study:

Coconut husk Coir dust as an

as an alternative
alternative soil fertilizer

Growth of
tomato plant

Figure 1: The relationship of the coconut to the growth of tomato plant is to determine

whether coconut shells will be effective and active substitutes for traditional pots and

fertilizers in establishing a growth from the said plant.

Synthesis

The coconut wastes in the Philippines are coconut husk, coconut shell, and coconut

coir dust. Amongst the wastes, coconut shell is the most utilized but the utilization rate is

very low (Baconguis, 2007). Using coconut shell (if proven useful) will not only help in

agriculture, but will also reduce the amount of coconut waste. The study will determine

whether coconut will be effective for changing the time length of the plants and to help

people to prevent from waiting longer for their plants to grow.

 METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This study utilized quantitative experimental research design which suggests

manipulation over an independent variable. As Mitchell (2015) explains, Quantitative

Experimental Design requires effort in identifying and imposing manipulation over an

independent variable to be able to determine effects and results in a particular dependent

variable. In this study, the researchers applied manipulation over the amount of coir in

three different coconut pots wherein tomato plant is planted.

Research Instrument

In this study, the researchers utilized observation as their research instrument to be

able to investigate the similarities and differences between two or more trials. As

described by Barrot (2017), observation is a technique in collecting and gathering data

where in researchers examines a subject's particular trait such as its weight, temperature,

cost and speed. Having the three subjects, the researchers examined the plant's

production of leaves, insect visit, and durability.

Data Gathering Procedure

First, the researchers prepared the necessary materials such as tomato seeds,

coconut shell, coconut husk, and coir. Experiments were conducted in order to investigate

the effectiveness of coconut plant as an alternative growing medium. The use of coconut

shell as a pot and coconut husk as soil was observed. Tomato seeds were planted on

three coconut husk in a coconut shell with different amount of coir in it. In gathering the

said data, the number of leaves produced, insects visit, and durability were measured in

all planting pot. The observations were recorded each day wherein the researchers let

one week for the plant to grow.

Data Analysis Procedure

The researchers used a one-way ANOVA to understand whether the use of

coconut plant as a growing medium for tomato plant is effective, dividing the experiments

into three different coconut pot. Laerd Statistics (2018), affirms that the one way analysis

of variance (ANOVA) is utilized to decide if there are any statistically significant differences

between the methods for at least two autonomous group

 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Interpretation of Results
Trials Counts of leaves Insect Visits Durability
Trial 1 10 5 10
Trial 2 15 3 15
Trial 3 20 1 20

This table shows the data collected during one week, in trial 1 the researchers put

5 grams of coir dust and the result was it has the lowest count of leaves, it has highest

insect (ants) visits, and it also has the lowest durability. In trial 2 the researchers put 10

grams of coir dust and the result was it has the second highest count of leaves, it has the

second most insect (ants) visits, and it also was the second most durable plant. And last

but not the least, the trial 3 has the most coir dust (15 grams), the highest count of leaves,

it has the least insect (ants) visits, and the most durable among the other plants.

Summary of findings

Table 2: Statistical Results of the Experiment

Tools Count Sum Average P – Decision/Hypothesis

value

Count of 3 45 15

leaves Reject: Null Hypothesis

Insect Visits 3 9 3 0.02 (Ho)

Do not Reject: Alternative

Hypothesis (Ha)
Durability 3 45 15
 1. Is there a difference between the number of plant’s leaves and the amount of coir

dust used?

- There is a difference between the number of plant’s leaves with regards to the

amount of coir dust used in the alternative coconut pot. This has been supported

by Reynolds (1971), as coir fibers acts as a capable medium of growing plants for

its similarity to peat moss. This includes excellence in drainage, physical resilience,

wettability, and renewability (Creswell, 1992)

2. Is there a difference between the amount of insect visit and the amount of coir

used?

- There is difference between insect visit and the amount of coir used because the

amount of insect visit was inversed depending on the amount of coir used which

was proven by the researches of the American Society for Horticultural Science

(n.d.)

3. Is there a difference between the plants durability and the amount of coir used?

- There is a difference between the plant’s durability and the amount of coir used on

the plant. This was shown in the study by the Company of Advanced Nutrients

(2018), where coir dust makes the soil hold the plant stronger.

Conclusion

The researchers concluded that:

1. There is a distinction between the quantity of plant’s leaves with respect to the

measure of coir residue utilized in the elective coconut pot.

2. There is a distinction in the light of the fact that the measure of insect visit was

inversed relying upon the measure of coir utilized in the elective pot.
 3. There is a distinction between the plant’s sturdiness and the measure of coir

utilized on the plant.

4. After all the conducted experiments, the researchers arrived at the idea of rejecting

the null hypothesis and not rejecting the alternative hypothesis.

Recommendation

The researchers recommend the study to the following:

• Future Scholar – this research may help expand the future researcher’s knowledge

about agriculture and it might help in their study.

• Farmers – this study may will help the farmers utilize different parts of coconut in

farming plants.

• Economy – this research may spread awareness to lessen the waste of coconut

by reusing it as an alternative soil and pot for plants.