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Effects of thinning and fertilization on the growth, yield, biomass, and soil properties in a Bamboo-agricultural Crop Agroforestry System
Dissertation Abstract:
This study was conducted at the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) Bamboo Experimental Station located at Barangay Mabaleng, City of Batac, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. It aimed to evaluate the change in microclimate and canopy cover due to thinning application, assess the soil fertility of the site and nutrient content of ginger and corn under various treatments, determine the effects of thinning and fertilization on the growth performance, yield and dry matter yield of ginger and corn as intercrop, and determine the most appropriate thinning and fertilization regimes for both seasons and their economic profitability.
The study was laid-out in a 4x3 Factorial in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The two factors considered were Factor A: Thinning, BT1- control (no thinning), BT2- 20 poles, BT3, 16 poles and BT4- 12 poles, Factor B: fertilization, FT1- control (no fertilization), FT2- vermicompost, FT3- mykovam.
Result shows that thinning significantly affects the microclimate parameters such as light intensity, temperature, and relative humidity in the experimental site for the dry and wet season periods. On the other hand, control (no thinning) had the highest recorded canopy cover percentage (80.6%).
Moreover, results revealed that soil chemical properties such as OM (%), N (%) and P increased during the dry season while N declined during the wet season after the integration of agricultural crops and the application of biofertilizers.
Growth characteristics revealed that for ginger height, thinning was only significant at 3 months after planting (MAP) during the wet season while fertilization showed a highly significant effect on the height of ginger at 2 and 3 MAP (wet season). For corn plant, fertilization revealed a highly significant effect at 3 MAP during the wet season with vermicompost application (29.0 cm). Moreover, thinning revealed a highly significant effect on corn yield where 12 poles registered the highest yield for both seasons. Also, fertilization significantly affect the number of tillers, rhizome length and ginger yield in seasons.
Dry season production of ginger had the highest income through thinning (20 poles) and vermicompost application while 16 poles and vermicompost for wet season. For corn production, 12 poles and vermicompost application are highly encouraged for both seasons.