Carbonized rice hull increases garlic and mungbean yield

The application of carbonized rice hull (CRH) in farms can increase garlic and mungbean yield, researchers at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Batac, Ilocos Norte revealed in one of their studies.

In their experiment, researchers, Mr. Noel Ganotisi and Dr. Reynaldo Castro recorded increases in yield of mungbean by as much as 715.47 kg/ha and of garlic by as much as 3.62 kg/ha as a result of using CRH.

Farmers closely watch experts prepare carbonized rice hull.

The experiment on garlic, which ran from November 2005 to February 2006, applied varying amounts (9, 6 and 3 t/ha) of CRH on test plots. Results from these were compared with non-CRH plots as controls.

Plots applied with CRH produced the tallest plants (64.60 cm) and higher yields (3.620 t/ha). Highest moisture content was observed on the soil applied with 6 and 9 t/ha CRH.

The CRH technology was also found viable in mungbean production. In an experiment conducted during the dry season of 2004-2005 in Currimao, Ilocos Norte, a PhilRice-Batac Palayamanan project site, mungbean farms applied with CRH posted higher yields.

Different levels of CRH (30, 20, 10 and 0 t/ha) were applied on test plots. The crops were irrigated every four days during the seedling stage; every five days during the vegetative stage; and every seven days during the reproductive stage.

The tallest plants were observed in plots applied with 30 t/ha of CRH (48.67 cm) and the shortest were observed in plots without CRG (36.50 cm). The highest yield of 715.47 kg/ha was obtained from the plot with 30 t/ha of CRH. Results also showed that plots with increased amount of CRH can hold more water. (ILARRDEC, S&T Media Service)