PERFORMANCE OF BAT GUANO AS ORGANIC FERTILIZER ON

THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF GARLIC (Allium sativum)

Submitted by:

JESSA MHAY B. SILAYA

BSA-2A- CROPSCIENCE

Submitted to:

MR. PEDRO P. RAMOS

March 2020

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Introduction

Garlic, scientifically known as Allium sativum is one of the most important food

seasoning in the world. However, because of its many other uses, demand of this crop is

continuously increasing. Aside from being an indispensable recado (ingredient), garlic is

also used to cure athlete’s foot and hypertension. It is used in preparation of drugs,

insecticide and explosives.

The crop is widely cultivated in the Ilocos, Southern Tagalog and central Luzon

regions. All varieties grown in the Philippines are of native origin. These are batangas

white, Ilocos white and Batanes white.

Garlic is dry season crop because it is harvested during the hot summer months.

However, the crop is more productive during cool months when the days are shortest

since bulb formation occurs at this period.

The best soil types for its cultivation are clay alluvial and sandy loam. Cool

weather is needed by the crop during its early stage of growth. During ripening stage, a

comparative dry soil, dry atmosphere and moderately high temperature are important.

Garlic is a relatively good source of calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. Its

leaves are sources of protein and of Vitamins A and C. In the Ilocos Region and in many

parts of the country, the green tops are used for pinakbet, an Ilocano delicacy. Garlic is

said to contain antibiotic substances that inhibit the growth of certain bacteria and fungi.

People in the rural areas use garlic to treat wounds, toothache, epilepsy, and fungal skin

diseases. Scientific experiments in Germany, for instance, have shown that certain

compounds in garlic block the blood platelets from forming into blood clots, which could

cause heart attacks (coronary thrombosis) and strokes.

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 Organic manures improve chemical, physical and physiochemical properties of

soil. Also, excessive amounts of inorganic fertilizers are applied to vegetables in order to

achieve a higher yield (Stewart et al., 2005) and maximum value of growth.

Bat guano, or feces, has a long history of use as a soil enricher. It is obtained from

only fruit and insect-feeding species. Bat dung makes an excellent fertilizer. It’s fast-

acting, has little odor, and can be worked into the soil prior to planting or during active

growth. There are several uses for bat dung. It can be used as a soil conditioner, enriching

the soil and improving drainage and texture. Bat guano is a suitable fertilizer for plants

and lawns, making them healthy and green. It can be used as a natural fungicide and

controls nematodes in the soil as well. In addition, bat guano makes an acceptable

compost activator, speeding up the decomposition process.

Bat guano provides a high concentration of nutrients to plants and the surrounding

soil. According to the NPK of bat guano, its concentration ingredients are 10-3-1. This

NPK fertilizer analysis translates to 10 percent nitrogen (N), 3 percent phosphorus (P),

and 1 percent potassium or potash (K). The higher nitrogen levels are responsible for fast,

green growth. Phosphorus aids with root and flower development while potassium

provides for the plant’s overall health. (Tilley, 2019)

Availability of Nitrogen and Phosphorous is of prime importance for growing

garlic plants as it is a major and indispensable source of protein and nucleic acid

molecules. It is also an integral part of chlorophyll molecules, which are responsible for

photosynthesis. Sulfur also an essential plant nutrient with role in balanced fertilization

and consequently in crop production is being increasingly appreciated. Sulfur performs

many physiological functions like synthesis of sulfur and methionine (Baird, 1991).

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Sulfur application in garlic also enhances the uptake of N, P, K, and Ca by the crop

(Hossain, 1997).

Bat guano is a very rich fertilizer, due to its high content of carbon and the three

vital primary macronutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (N-P-K) as well as

important secondary minerals such as calcium and magnesium that help control soil pH

(Buliga, 2010; Shetty et al, 2013). Bat guano is superior to bird guano in higher nitrogen

and potassium, moreover, live micro bacterial flora is another essential content in bat

guano for plants which helps absorb the nutrients in bat guano and helps in resistance to

plant diseases and fungi, so it is widely used in agriculture for fertilization of plants.

(Buliga, 2010; Shetty et al, 2013).

Objectives of the Study

The general objective of the study is: to determine the potential of Bat Guano as

organic ferlizer and its performance to the growth and yield of Garlic ( Allium sativum)

Scope and Delimitation

This study only focused on the performance of Bat Gauno as organic fertilizer on

growth and yield of Garlic (Allium sativum). The researchers focused on the natural

component of Bat Guano which is the NPK. And it’s effect on the growth of Garlic. This

will be conducted at St. Kalayakan, Brgy. Kalawakan, Dona Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan

area.

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 This study will only limit on the efficiency of Bat Guano as Organic Fertilizer on

the growth and yield of Garlic (Allium sativum).

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 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter presents the related literature, and foreign and local related studies,

the conceptual framework used in the research

The recent study was conducted by Gautum et al. (February, 2019 ) was a Bat

guano: a rich source of macro and microelements essential for plant growth. The results

of the present study revealed that the guano of bats contained a wide range of mineral

constituents including macronutrients and micronutrients. A total of 12 elements such as

aluminium, calcium, chlorine, iron, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorous, sulfur,

silicon and titanium were found in different species ofbat guano Beside these

elements, boron, manganese, copper, zirconium and zinc were also found but in trace

amounts, the current study reflects similar outcome. The percentage of nitrogen varied

among six insectivorous bat guanos. Guano of R. microphyllum showed highest

percenrage of nitogen while a least quantity was observed in the guano of R.

hardwickii. Nitrogen percentage in the guano of S. kuhlii, S. heathii and T.

nudiventris were almost constant, not much he abundant source of macro-nutrients

in the bat guano and the presence of higher amount of nitrogen and

phosphoroussuggest its suitability as organic manure. The results of the study showed

the presence of wide range of elements in the guano of different species of bats.

Along with its higher fertilizing value, use of guano as a fertilizer can become popular

like other non-conventional organic.manures in agriculture. It is known fact that

varying amount of nitrogen and phosphorus in the guano of bats can be used for

differential of plant parts. It prompted a novel suggestion to use of guano from

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selected groups of bats as fertilizer in selective crops to enhance the production and

quality.

Another study from Jayasvasti (2018) say that Bat guano deposit is another choice

of seeking phosphorus for use as fertilizer in agricultural sector to produce food in global

scale, owing to its natural availability and has high phosphorus content. Management of

health safety and security of zoonotic diseases from bat guano collection by developing

the policies such as cave zone management, guano collection training, veterinary services

establishment as well as exposure reduction can help this choice to be the most

sustainable way suits for the situation that phosphorus from apatite rock reserve is now

lacking all over the world and will finally deplete. Furthermore, the integrated

collaboration from all parties such as research teams, government and agencies should be

made to manifest the safety act, to avoid added time and cost of treating disease and to

promote safe guano collection that give tremendous benefits of using guano as fertilizer

along with answer the question of traceability and credibility of guano harvest, otherwise

inadequate phosphorus source or ineffective using guano as fertilizer will be occurred

According to the study of Ezekiel Zaroni (2017) An investigation into the

suitability of Guano fertilizer on farming, The researcher was pushed by the then current

state of the economy, poor yields obtained by farmers in Chireya and health hazards

caused by chemical fertilizers to carry out this study. The study strove to find the

suitability of guano fertilizer on farming in Chireya. Government, farmers, teachers and

the researcher were the key beneficiaries of the research. In chapter two, the researcher

found that chemical fertilizers had devastating health effects that were haunting the whole

world. It was also established that the world was turning organic in order to curb the

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disaster caused by the use of chemical fertilizers. Moreover, guano fertilizer was found to

be the most nutritious form of fertilizer that had an estimated nitrogen content of about

46% to 47%. Effectiveness of guano fertilizer made it a dependable form of fertilizer in

Chireya. The soils in Chireya were clay and needed some kind of fertilizer that changed

clay soils to become loam soils which were good for farming.

And last the study of Shetty et al. (march 2013 The present study was conducted

to study the effect on the growth of Vigna radiata seedlings using M. lyra guano from two

different geographical locations ( Yennehole and Varanga) in different quantities and in

two type of soil (Autoclaved and Nonautoclaved). The results clearly indicated that the M

lyra guano is rich in phosphorus content and comparing the guano from two locations the

Varanga guano is higher in its nitrogen content. Plant growth assay indicated that guano

from Yennehole is better as manure compared to that from Varanga which may be

possibly due to the differences in microflora of the guano. .Likewise bat guano is

required in a very small quantity to increase the efficiency of plant growth. Although the

guano obtained were from same species of bat M. lyra but the differences in their effects

on plant growth is due to the differences in the microbial community that has a lot of

influence on the growth promoting activity of the guano. Hence a better insight on guano

microflora can give a better idea on these differences observed.