Soil characterization and productivity of organic and inorganic rice farms in Magsaysay, Occidental Mindoro / by Arleen S. Upod.

Thesis (Master of Science in Agriculture major in Farming Systems) Cavite State University.

Graduate School and Open Learning College (OGS).

UPOD, ARLEEN S., Soil Characterization and Productivity of Organic and Inorganic Rice Farms in Magsaysay, Occidental Mindoro. Master's Thesis. Master of Science in Agriculture major in Crop Science, Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite. January 2020. Adviser: ANALITA dM. MAGSINO, PhD. The study aimed to characterize the soil of organic and inorganic rice farms in Magsaysay, Occidental Mindoro. Specifically, this study aimed to determine the characteristics of organic and inorganic rice farms, in terms of soil physical and chemical characteristics and productivity in the last three years, test the difference between organic and inorganic rice production method in terms of soil characteristics, and test the difference between organic and inorganic method of rice production in terms of soil productivity in kg basis. This study employed a mix of descriptive and quantitative methods of research utilizing pre-constructed questionnaire administered to twenty farmer respondents. Ten organic rice farms under organic agriculture and ten neighboring inorganic rice farms practicing conventional were identified the specific study sites. Rice yields in the years 2016, 2017 and 2018 were asked during the interview. Soil laboratory analyses were done to determine the physico-chemical characteristics of the soil in all farms identified. Mean and standard error were used in describing soil characteristics and productivity. Independent t- tests were used to determine the significant difference of organic and inorganic soils in terms of soil characteristics and productivity. Organic rice farms were found in two barangays of Magsaysay, Occidental Mindoro, six organic and inorganic farms from Nicolas Magsaysay and four organic and inorganic farms from Población Magsaysay. Farm size of both organic and inorganic farming possess an average farm area of 1.6 ha devoted to organic rice farming. Thirty percent (30%) of them were producing crops organically for three years; followed by 20 percent who had been farming organically for eight years. Fifty percent of them had been farming organically for four to thirty-four years while inorganic farming have been practice for eight to 20 years with an average of fifteen years. Twenty percent (20%) of them were producing crops inorganically for twenty years. Soil of organic and inorganic rice farms in Magsaysay are silty clay loam, loam, silty clay, silt, and clay loam texture. The farms have soil pH ranging from 5-7 and have sufficient N, P and K. Organic matter content of organic farms ranged from 1.74 to 4.15 percent while 2.02 to 5.17 percent in inorganic farms. Organic farms has increasing yield during the first cropping. On the other hand, both organic and inorganic farms has decreasing yield in second cropping within three years and considered also as low yield. Organic farms has an average mean yield of 3,865. Inorganic rice farms yielded high, but the first cropping and second cropping were decreasing every year within three-year period. There is significant difference between organic and inorganic farms planted to rice in terms of soil pH, depth of topsoil, bulk density, porosity, aggregate stability, OM, P, K and yield of rice both first cropping and second cropping within three-year period.

Submitted copy to the University Library. 03/10/2020 T-8793