Report on Completed Efficacy Test on SAMPI Liquid Organic Fertilizer for Corn

1. Introduction

   The SAMPI liquid fertilizer is an extract from tuna fish and is composed of essential macro and micro nutrients needed for plant growth. Being of organic origin it fits the need of today's generation of people who are concerned with the environment and thus are turning to organically grown foods and farm inputs that will not pollute the environment and harm their health.
   The organic liquid fertilizer is not only environment-friendly but also offers other benefits, namely: increase in growth and yield of crop by up to 100%, increase on resistance to pest and diseases and increase in soil population of beneficial organisms.
   As a source of plant nutrients, SAMPI fertilizer is quick-acting being directly assimilated by plants upon application. When nutrients are applied to soil various chemical reactions subject the nutrients to losses or fixation into unavailable forms. Thus, in the long run only smaller amount of SAMPI fertilizer may be needed to match the conventional chemical fertilizer to produce the same yield due to greater efficiency of utilization by plants.

2. Objectives

   1. To determine the effectiveness of SAMPI liquid organic fertilizer in increasing yield of corn.
   2. To determine the best treatment of corn with SAMPI fertilizer alone or in combination with conventional fertilizer that will produce optimum corn yield.

3. Researcher

   Dr. Wilfredo C. Cosico
   Associate Professor
   FPA Accreditation No. PNT-074-96
   

4. Materials and Methods

   1. Test crop: Corn
   2. Duration of the study: January to April, 2008
   3. Location of the study: Central Experiment Station, U.P. Los Baños
   4. Reference fertilizers:
      • Complete fertilizer (14-14-14)
      • Urea (46-0-0)
      Rate: 120-30-30
   5. Test fertilizer: SAMPI liquid organic fertilizer
   6. Composition

      Nitrogen (N)	3.1 %
      Phosphorus (P205)	0.64%
      Potassium (K2O)	0.34%
      Calcium (Ca)	0.18%
      Magnesium (Mg)	0.05%
      Sulfur (S)	0.34%
      Zinc (Zn)	43.9 ppm
      Manganese (Mn)	2 ppm
      Iron (Fe)	184 ppm
      Boron (B)	37.5 ppm
      Molubdenum (Mo)	0.08 ppm
      Copper (Cu)	26 ppm

   
   
   7. Formulation and Application
      One liter of SAMPI emulsion was mixed with 200 liters of water. About ½ liter of the mixture was sprayed per meter of the soil before plowing.
      Another spraying at the same rate was done before planting. Henceforth spraying was done on the plants every 10 days up to peak vegetation stage.
   8. Planting distance:   75 cm x 20 cm
   9. Plot size:   5M x 4M
   10. Treatment and experimental design:
       
       • T1 - control (no fertilizer)
       • T2 - recommended rate of inorganic fertilizer (RRIF)
       • T3 - ½ RRIF
       • T4 - ½ + recommended rate of SAMPI liquid fertilizer (RRSF)
       • T5 - recomended rate of SAMPI fertilizer (RRSF)
       • T6 - RRIF + RRSF
       
       Treatments were replicated four times and arranged in randomized complete block (RCB) design. Treatment comparisons were made by Duncan's multiple range test (DMRT). Yeild was estimated from fresh weight of ears and whole plants in the inner rows of each plot, which measured 20 sq M per plot.



5. Data gathered

   1. Weight of grains (tons/ha)
   2. Stover yield or biomass (tons/ha)
   3. Average plant height at 30 and 60 days after planting
   4. Incidence of pests and diseases
   5. General vigor and appearance of plants
   6. Initial soil fertility status
   7. Climate (rainfall)

   Field Layout
   SAMPI Liquid Organic Fertilizer for Corn

   REP 4	T4	T1	T3	T6	T2	T5
   REP 3	T3	T5	T4	T2	T1	T6
   REP 2	T1	T4	T2	T5	T6	T3
   REP 1	T5	T3	T6	T4	T1	T2
   Plots are 5 meters x 4 meters with 1 meter between rows.

6. Results and Discussion

   Table 1 shows that when combined with the full rate of conventional fertilizers at the rate of 120-30-30, SAMPI markedly increased corn ear yield by nearly 1 ton/ha or by 13.7% (T2 vs T6). When applied on unfertilized plants SAMPI increased corn ear yield by 1.22 tons/ha or by 37.4%. This indicates that SAMPI can supplement and partly substitute conventional fertilizers for corn.
   SAMPI increased the number of corn ears harvested regardless of whether the plants were applied with no fertilizer, half the rate of recommended fertilizer (½ RRCF) or the full rate of recommended fertilizer (RRCF). In the unfertilized plots, SAMPI increased the number of corn ears by 2,334 (36.8%) per hectare, in the half rate fertilized plots (½ RRCF) by 5,333 ears/ha (31.4%) and in the fully fertilized plots by 4,500 ears/ha (17.2%). Thus, it appears that in terms of number of ears produced SAMPI was most effective when no fertilizer or only a little amount of fertilizer is applied. Therefore, SAMPI is a good substitute for conventional fertilizers.
   Table 4a shows that at the 1^st month of growth SAMPI appears to be starting to have a positive effect on height of corn plants which received either no fertilizer or which were applied with the full rate of fertilizer (T1 vs T5 and T2 vs T6). At 60 days after planting plants treated with SAMPI whether unfertilized or fully fertilized were distinctly taller than those not treated with SAMPI.
   Table 4c also shows that whether the plants were not fertilized with conventional fertilizer, only half fertilized or fully fertilized, height of the ear of SAMPI treated plants were higher. This means that ears of SAMPI treated plants received more photosynthates from the upper leaves which can enhance ear yield.
   
   
   

   Table 1. Ear yield of sweet corn (tons/ha) as affected by SAMPI, 2008 DS.

   Treatment	REPLICATION				MEAN
   	1	2	3	4
   T1 control	3.25	2.71	3.33	3.75	3.26	B
   T2 RRCF	6.46	7.04	5.27	7.14	6.48	A
   T3 ½ RRCF	6.19	7.35	5.52	5.74	6.2	A
   T4 ½ RRCF + S	6.67	5.14	6.21	6.86	6.22	A
   T5 S	4.47	4.72	4.38	4.35	4.48	B
   T6 RRCF + S	7.15	7.82	7.36	7.14	7.37	A
   RRCF = Recommended Rate of Conventional Fertilizer, 120-30-30 S = SAMPI

   
   
   
   

   Table 2. Plant biomass of corn (tons/ha) as affected by SAMPI, 2008 DS.

   Treatment	REPLICATION				MEAN
   	1	2	3	4
   T1 control	32.00	30.67	38.67	26.67	32.00	B
   T2 RRCF	38.67	33.33	30.67	52.00	38.67	B
   T3 ½ RRCF	38.22	38.67	36.00	40.00	38.22	B
   T4 ½ RRCF + S	41.33	36.00	38.89	39.33	38.89	B
   T5 S	32.89	21.33	42.67	34.67	32.89	B
   T6 RRCF + S	60.00	53.33	54.22	49.33	54.22	A
   RRCF = Recommended Rate of Conventional Fertilizer, 120-30-30 S = SAMPI

   
   
   
   

   Table 3. Number of corn ears/ha as affected by SAMPI, 2008 DS.

   Treatment	REPLICATION				MEAN
   	1	2	3	4
   T1 control	6332	8000	7000	4000	6333	D
   T2 RRCF	26168	31000	21000	26500	26167	A
   T3 ½ RRCF	17000	19500	16000	15500	17000	BC
   T4 ½ RRCF + S	16500	29500	22332	21000	22333	AB
   T5 S	8668	6500	7000	12500	8667	CD
   T6 RRCF + S	30668	39000	32000	21000	30667	A
   RRCF = Recommended Rate of Conventional Fertilizer, 120-30-30 S = SAMPI

   
   
   
   

   Table 4a. Plant height (cm) of corn at 30 DAP as affected by SAMPI, 2008 DS.

   Treatment	REPLICATION				MEAN
   	1	2	3	4
   T1 control	74.2	77.7	73.1	71.9	74.2	B
   T2 RRCF	99.1	109.5	98.7	100.4	101.9	A
   T3 ½ RRCF	108.7	114.3	98.4	94	103.9	A
   T4 ½ RRCF + S	106.5	101.5	87.5	93.6	97.3	A
   T5 S	91.9	72.2	79	75.1	79.5	B
   T6 RRCF + S	106.7	105.4	113.1	101.8	106.8	A
   RRCF = Recommended Rate of Conventional Fertilizer, 120 - 30 - 30 S = SAMPI

   
   
   
   

   Table 4b. Plant height (cm) of corn at 60 DAP as affected by SAMPI, 2008 DS.

   Treatment	REPLICATION				MEAN
   	1	2	3	4
   T1 control	186.0	196.3	188.2	172.0	185.6	C
   T2 RRCF	209.2	213.3	210.0	212.8	211.3	AB
   T3 ½ RRCF	199.2	220.0	203.0	205.8	207.0	B
   T4 ½ RRCF + S	197.3	213.3	210.0	203.3	206.0	B
   T5 S	181.7	187.3	199.0	196.0	191.0	C
   T6 RRCF + S	217.5	211.2	225.8	220.0	218.6	A
   RRCF = Recommended Rate of Conventional Fertilizer, 120 - 30 - 30 S = SAMPI

   
   
   
   

   Table 4c. Ear height (cm) of corn at 60 DAP as affected by SAMPI, 2008 DS.

   Treatment	REPLICATION				MEAN
   	1	2	3	4
   T1 control	97.3	91.5	89.5	87.8	91.5	B
   T2 RRCF	115.5	125.3	113.7	121.7	119.0	A
   T3 ½ RRCF	109.2	123.0	106.5	115.8	113.6	A
   T4 ½ RRCF + S	114.8	117.5	122.7	118.3	118.3	A
   T5 S	92.8	99.5	103.0	112.0	101.8	B
   T6 RRCF + S	134.2	118.7	131.7	116.2	125.2	A
   RRCF = Recommended Rate of Conventional Fertilizer, 120 - 30 - 30 S = SAMPI

   
   
   
   
   
   

   Corn plots

   T1. Control T2. Rec. Rate inorg. Fert (120-30-30) T3. ½ RRIF T4. ½ RRIF + Rec. Rate of SAMPI Liquid Fertilizer T5. RRSF T6. RRIF + RRSF
   Figure 5. Growth of sweet corn treated with SAMPI at 60 DAP.

   
   
   

   Corn plots

   T1. Control T2. Rec. Rate inorg. Fert (120-30-30) T3. ½ RRIF T4. ½ RRIF + Rec. Rate of SAMPI Liquid Fertilizer T5. RRSF T6. RRIF + RRSF
   Figure 6. Growth of sweet corn treated with SAMPI at 60 DAP.

   
   
   

   Corn plots

   T1. Control T2. Rec. Rate inorg. Fert (120-30-30) T3. ½ RRIF T4. ½ RRIF + Rec. Rate of SAMPI Liquid Fertilizer T5. RRSF T6. RRIF + RRSF
   Figure 7. Growth of sweet corn treated with SAMPI at 60 DAP.