Soil Analysis, Bio-fertilizer Treatment, and Management

Practices in Permaculture of St. Alphonsus Liguori

Integrated School

A Research Study presented to the Department of Senior High School,

STEM STRAND, Saint Alphonsus Liguori Integrated School

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for

Inquiries, Investigations, and Immersion

Presented to:

Sir Jerome Alan L. Natividad

Miss Nesel Dable

Presented by:
De Ramos, Lyka
Magnaye, Joselito
Nocum, Reginalyn
Pacheco, John Paul

December 12, 2018

 Introduction

The Problem and Its Setting (Background of the Study)

Throughout the years, people have a hard time planting plants that are

compatible with the soil in their gardens and backyards. Due to this, people were

able to know various processes that will help them determine the components of

the soil and how to treat them. The soil quality affects the essential nutrients that

the plants will receive; if the soil is more compact, then water and air won’t be able

to permeate the soil while the roots of the plants would not be able to explore. Plants

also needed certain nutrients from the soil such as Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and

Potassium. The quality of the soil determine whether the plant had gained what it

needed. (Kime, 2012)

The researchers aim to know the soil components in the Permaculture of

Saint Alphonsus Liguori Integrated School (SALIS) to be able to get a basis for

treating and restoring the quality of the soil in the permaculture. The use of compost

bio-fertilizer treatment will also be included in the study. Furthermore, the

researchers will also consider the management practices in permaculture to be able

to improve the soil management plan of the permaculture in SALIS.

Statement of the Problem

The researchers aim to know the soil components that will be a basis to treat

the soil in the Permaculture.

a. What are the physicochemical properties of the soil in the permaculture of

Saint Alphonsus Liguori Integrated School?

b. What are the variables that will be considered on choosing an area for the

compost pit and triangulation in the school’s permaculture?

c. What are the management practices in the school’s permaculture?

d. What are the recommendations of the researchers to improve the soil

management plan in the school’s permaculture?

Objectives of the Study

1. To analyze the physicochemical properties of soil in the Permaculture.

2. To know the effectiveness of the bio-fertilizer treatment to the soil in the

Permaculture.

3. To know the soil management practices in the Permaculture and the

possible ways to improve it.

Hypothesis of the Study

Ha: The researchers identified the physicochemical properties of the soil in

the Permaculture and knew what needs to be treated.

 H0: The researchers found very limited resources on what is needed

therefore lessening the percentage of doing the right procedure or treatment

on the soil.

Significance of the Study

The researchers will use the data gathered regarding the permaculture issues

to provide ways of proper management of soil. The research will also use the food

leftovers in the SALIS canteen which can help reduce the overall waste produced

by the community. Additionally, the bio-fertilizer will also help improve the soil

quality and plant growth in the permaculture.

The findings in the study will help the community considering that

individual analysis is not a common practice among small farmable lands including

gardens. Also it will greatly give the researchers knowledge on soil management

practices that will contribute on the permaculture of Saint Alphonsus Liguori

Integrated School.

Scopes and Limitations

The study will focus on soil components of permaculture in Saint

Alphonsus Liguori Integrated School (SALIS) as basis for its possible treatment

which includes present issues on soil in the SALIS permaculture.

 The subject of the study will be limited in one place (Saint Alphonsus

Liguori Integrated School) which means that there would be no other additional

subjects and comparing of data would not be done unless if the data is in SALIS.

Treatment and management is dependent on factors of the soil in SALIS

permaculture.

In determining the components and physicochemical properties of the soil

information would be limited to observation and way of soil sampling (kit

dependent)

Conceptual and Theoretical Framework

The researchers based their study on the concept of soil science specifically

its subfields, Pedology which is the study of soils, including their chemical and

physical properties as they are in their natural environment and edaphology which

is a study on how soils influence and interact on/with living things, especially those

of plants (Janssen, 2010). These studies point out the analysis that will be done in

the research.

Before analyzing the physicochemical properties of the soil there must be a

type of analysis used, in which the researchers used soil analysis. This type of

analysis will help determine the amount of available plant nutrients in the soil, also

the chemical, physical and biological soil properties important for plant nutrition,

or "soil health".
 For the analysis, the researchers will use the individual soil sampling

whereas they will not send samples to the laboratory but analyze soil properties

with a soil testing kit.

This kind of analysis would provide sufficient data for the researchers to

provide management practices that would result to a probability of increase in

productivity due to the identified soil nutrients or soil chemical factors that are

limiting plant growth, the increase in fertilizer use efficiency by indicating

appropriate rate for soil, and also identifying the polluted or contaminated soils in

the area (Laliberte, 2012).

As for the management practices in agriculture the researchers would ask

the school administrators and the people in charge of the permaculture on what

practices they do managing the permaculture.

Research Paradigm

INPUT

 Identify space that will be needed for the compost pit and spaces for
the triangulation which will be tested.
 Gather food wastes in the school canteen, cow manures, and dry leaves
for the bio-fertilizer.

Know the soil

 PROCESS

 Conducting of soil tests in the SALIS’ permaculture using soil sampling

and triangulation

 Analysis of the data gathered from the soil testing

Conducting of interviews with the administrators and people in

charge of the management of SALIS permaculture.

Know the soil

OUTPUT

 Proposal of the improved soil management plan for the Saint Alphonsus
Liguori Integrated School Permaculture

Research Paradigm
Figure 1

The space that will be needed in the study plays an important role for the

soil testing to take place. The space for the compost pit will also determine the

amount of materials that the researchers will use. The outcome of the study is yet

to be established but its aim is to know the soil components of the soil in the

permaculture and to treat it. It also includes the furthermore, it also aims to know

the management practices in order to improve the soil management plan in the

permaculture of Saint Alphonsus Liguori Integrated School (SALIS).

Definition of Terms

 Bio-fertilizer - as preparations containing living cells or latent cells of

efficient strains of microorganisms that help crop plants' uptake of

nutrients by their interactions in the rhizosphere when applied through

seed or soil.

 Compost - a mixture that consists largely of decayed organic matter and

is used for fertilizing and conditioning soil.

 Physical Chemistry - blends the principles of physics and chemistry to

study the physical characteristics, or properties, of molecules. By

understanding these properties, you learn more about the way in which

molecules are put together, as well as how the actual structure of a

chemical is impacted by these properties.

 Physicochemical – relating to physics and chemistry or physical

chemistry.

 Triangulation – a method of finding a distance or location by measuring

the distance between two points whose exact location is known and then

measuring the angles between each point and a third unknown point.
Review of Related Literature

On the first part of the study, the researchers will conduct soil analysis to

know its physicochemical properties and components. Because of this the

researchers must know the most basic way of soil sampling in order to do the

analysis. According to Spectrum Analytic Inc, the purpose of soil testing is to

identify the soil fertility that the plants or crop, in a given area will experience. The

soil area and volume could be a large field, a small garden, or simply the root zone

of a single tree or shrub. The most difficult step in soil testing is accurately

representing the desired area of soil. A laboratory cannot improve the accuracy of

a sample that does not represent the area. (2010)

For the universal basics; (1) Soil samples can be taken with a professional

soil probe, or simply using a shovel, spade, or garden trowel. (2) Each sample

should be composed of from 10 to 15 cores each core is composed of 6 inches of

soil in height. (3) As you take cores of soil, put them into the plastic bucket. Mix

the soil thoroughly in the bucket (galvanized buckets will contaminate the sample

with zinc), breaking up all cores. Then, fill the soil bag to the green line (about 1

cup of soil). Discard any extra soil. (4) The cores should be taken in a random

pattern that is uniform across the area being sampled (grid sampling may require a

specific pattern).

For the tools; (1) A chrome plated or stainless steel soil probe or auger.

Shovels and spades may be used (2) A plastic bucket mix the "cores" of soil in. Do
not use equipment made of galvanized metal. The soil sample will be contaminated

by the zinc in the galvanized metal. (3) A pen or marker with waterproof ink for

labeling the soil bags. (4) A clipboard or notebook and, if possible, field maps to

record how the field was sampled. (Spectrum Analytic Inc, 2010)

On the second part of the study, the researchers will make a compost bio-

fertilizer that will be used in treating the soil. With this. The researchers needed to

know the materials needed in making a compost and the procedures of doing it.

According to Edward and Araya, a compost should have a good balance of carbon

and nitrogen. The nitrogen-containing materials should be less than the carbon-

containing materials to be able to have a good compost. Furthermore, dry materials

and green materials are needed in a compost; dry materials make the structure of

the compost as they provide space for air to circulate that can activate micro-

organisms and therefore, produce heat while green plants provide moisture for

compost making as they give water and nutrients to the micro-organisms so that

they can multiply and breakdown the organic materials into humus (2011).

There are three types of methods to put together a compost; the indore,

NADEP method and Bangalore method. An indore method can be prepared in a pit

or in a pile above the ground. It can be done in less than a week and is composed

of three layers; (1) dry plant materials, (2) green plant materials, and (3) animal

manure and some soil. NADEP method is done with the use of a tank where it will

be filled for one or two days. It always include animal manure and should be sealed
after being filled to produce a high quality mature compost. Bangalore, however, is

prepared in areas where resources are limited to make a compost. The materials

will be collected for one week or more until the heap or the pit is full. It normally

uses only two layers; dry materials and green materials (Edwards & Araya, 2011).

On the third part of the study, after making a compost bio-fertilizer the

researchers will having a soil management or the researchers will treat the soil of

SALIS Permaculture. As a stated by Osmond & Line, the Best Management

Practices (BMPs) are farming methods that are designed to minimize adverse

environmental effects while maintaining agricultural production. Nutrient BMPs,

referred to as the 4Rs. Right rate, Right timing, Right source, and Right placement

should be used on all cropping systems and is the first line of defense. Additional

BMPs should be used to control nutrients as they move from application area to the

water resource. Put together, these BMPs form a system to avoid, control, and trap

nutrients(2017).

The first one in the 4Rs is Right Rate. The Right Rate is a soil test report

indicates the amount of nutrients (except nitrogen) that the soil can supply and

recommends the amount, if any, needed from other sources to produce the indicated

crop. Soil testing is no better than the quality of the sampling, so ensure that a

random sample is taken to the correct depth. The second one is Right Source. In

Right Source the most farmers use liquid nitrogen as urea ammonium nitrate

although there are other sources, such as urea and organic sources. The third one is
Right Placement. In Right Placement are needed to apply Nitrogen and Phosphorus

correctly. Nitrogen tends to move down into the soil as rainwater infiltrates, so the

application method (surface applied or banded) has little effect on losses of nitrogen

by leaching. However, nitrogen and particularly phosphorus applied to the soil

surface are more susceptible to being transported by runoff and less likely to

become attached to soil particles or be taken up by plant roots. The last one is Right

Timing. In Right Timing the farmers need to apply Nitrogen and Phosphorus when

needed only. The timing of application is more important with nitrogen than with

any other nutrient because nitrogen is applied in large amounts to many crops and

is highly mobile. Phosphorus is stable when it is mixed into the soil and can be

applied when most convenient (Osmond & Line, 2017).

 Methodology

This chapter shows the specific methods and procedures that are used in the

study. This contains the specific methodologies used, such as the research design,

sample selection, the respondents of the study, data gathering procedure used, the

ethical consideration aligned to the respondents, the validity and reliability of the

study, and the how the data was analyzed.

Research Design

This study will be using Quantitative method of research for the first part of

the study. It will be in a form of an experimental design. Thus, the soil in the

permaculture will be tested before and after the bio-fertilizer treatment. It will be

using graphs and tables to present the data that will be gathered.

This method will be the most appropriate to use as it will provide and

support the data effectively in a systematic manner as it involves statistical analysis.

On the second part of the study, the researchers will be using qualitative

method of research. This includes conducting interviews to the person in charge of

the school’s permaculture. The data will be presented in a descriptive manner to

further state the processes and practices that the staffs follow in managing the

permaculture.

According to Creswell, this method will help the researchers to explore,

interpret, and describe a situation. It can be used when the researchers are not
certain of which variables to control; in this study, these variables are management

practices.

Sample Selection

The researchers will be choosing the respondents with the use of purposive

sampling, which is a non- random sampling method that encompasses a limited

sample. Whereas the respondents are specifically chosen because of their

information or the data that they have about the study.

Criteria for provided by the researchers for the subjects of interview:

People who mainly has the knowledge on the management of the

soil in the permaculture of Saint Alphonsus Liguori Integrated School

(SALIS):

a. The institution’s administrators who manage the people in charge of

maintenance of the permaculture.

b. The staff of SALIS that manages the maintenance of permaculture.

Respondents of the Study

The respondents of the study are the people in charge of the SALIS

Permaculture. There will be at least three (3) respondents to be able to gather data

about the soil management practices in the school’s permaculture effectively. They
will be asked about the management practices in the soil and the measures they

were able to consider.

Data Gathering Procedure

The data was gathered in two different procedures; (1) experiment and (2)

interview.

Experiment:

The researchers will conduct soil testing to know the soil

components of the soil in the school’s permaculture. The data gathered from

the soil test will be utilized to analyze and treat the soil. Soil testing refers

to a series of tests in order to determine the physicochemical composition

of the soil. This includes the pH value, the fertility, elements, and

compounds present in the soil. This will become optimal for collecting data

on the SALIS permaculture soil composition.

Interview:

The researchers will use comprehensive and thorough interview to

gather data necessary for the research. Comprehensive analysis will be an

effective data gathering procedure as it can obtain detailed information

about an individual’s perceptions, opinions, and understanding. It is also a

useful method to deepen understanding on how will the researchers improve

the management of the SALIS permaculture. Before conducting the

 interviews, the researchers will send letters to the people in charge of

managing the school’s permaculture to ask consent to be the respondents.

Also, the researchers will be recording the interview to effectively capture

the response of the respondents.

Ethical Consideration

The researchers will send a letter of consent to the administrator to be able

to conduct a study in the SALIS permaculture. The study will also need the

cooperation of the people in charge in the SALIS Permaculture to ask permission

for them to become the respondents of the study. Also, the people in charge of the

SALIS Permaculture will sign the letter of consent as a proof that they agreed to

become the respondents of the study.

Validity and Reliability

The researchers will be using a standard soil kit to know the soil components

in the school’s permaculture. The soil test will be validated with the use of the

DENR (Department of Environment and National Resources) standards for soil

testing. Also, the researchers will be conducting face-to-face interview in knowing

the management practices in the permaculture. The interview questions that will

used by the researchers will be validated by the members of panel and the thesis

adviser of the researchers.

Method of Data Analysis

The method of analysis of the study is statistical and conversational analysis.

Statistical Analysis

The researchers will be using statistical analysis in the first part of the study

since they will conduct a series of tests in the SALIS permaculture. Statistical

analysis is a procedure of performing varieties of statistical operations. It seeks to

quantify the data gathered when the researchers conducted tests. Also the

researchers will use descriptive statistics as a tool to analyze the data gathered from

the testing. Descriptive statistics are used to describe the basic feature of the data

in a given study. This helps to provide summaries about the samples and measures.

Conversation Analysis

The researchers will use conversational analysis in the second part of the

study since they will be conducting an interview with the people in charge of the

SALIS permaculture. Conversational analysis is the dominant contemporary

method for the analysis of social interaction (Sacks, 1992). Since interview was

used as a method of gathering data, conversational analysis helps the researchers

analyze the interaction between the interviewer and interviewee during the

interview and the transcribe version of it.

Bibliography

Kime, L. ( 2012, AUGUST 28). Soil Quality Information. Pennsylvania.

Edwards, S., & Araya, H. ( 2011). http://www.fao.org. Retrieved November

30, 2018, from http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/i2230e/i2230e14.pdf

A Guide to Soil Sampling. (2010). Retrieved from

http://www.spectrumanalytic.com/support/library/ff/Soil_Sampling_Instru

ctions.htm

Osmond, D., & Line, D. (n.d.). Best Management Practices for Agricultural

Nutrients Soil Facts. Retrieved from https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/best-

management-practices-for-agricultural-nutrients

Plant Nutrition and Soil Fertility Manual. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=dU7RBQAAQBAJ&printsec=front

cover&dq=ideal soil management practices in

Philippines&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwifvtDdgvneAhVMMt4KHS5O

Dzs4KBDoATAFegQIARAd#v=onepage&q&f=true
POWOH, T. V. (2016, July 3). researchgate. Retrieved December 9, 2018,

from www.researchgate.net:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305215626_Research_Methods-

Quantitative_Qualitative_and_Mixed_methods

LaLiberte, K. (2018). Organic Garden Soil: Use Organic Compost +more |

Gardeners.com. [online] Gardeners Supply. Available at:

https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/building-healthy-soil/5060.html

[Accessed 10 Dec. 2018].

Soiltesting.okstate.edu. (2018). Benefits of Testing — Soil, Water and

Forage Analytical Laboratory (SWFAL). [online] Available at:

http://soiltesting.okstate.edu/benefits-of-testing/ [Accessed 10 Dec. 2018].

Janssen, D. (2018). What is Pedology? - Definition from WineFrog. [online]

WineFrog.com. Available at:

https://www.winefrog.com/definition/1799/pedology [Accessed 10 Dec.

2018