Mindanao school converts seaweed into fertilizer

True to its status as an agribusiness, marine and aquatic institution, a school in Southern Philippines has explored one of the many benefits of seaweed by converting it into an organic foliar fertilizer.

Developed by the Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology ( SPAMAST), the fertilizer is derived from the drippings of Kappaphycus

alvarezii, a species of red algae. Kappaphycus Drippings or KD Foliar fertilizer, which is 100 percent organic, has proven to increase the yield of rice, baby corn, soybean, mungbean, sweet pepper, cauliflower, mango, pechay, and orchid.

This fertilizer has also been proven to promote enhanced growth in terms of height and diameter as well as enhance seed germination. When used for pechay, it increased the number of its leaves and leaf area index.

A kilo of Kappaphycus seaweed can yield up to 650ml liquid fertilizer. It contains nutrients that contribute to soil fertility, including nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, iron and manganese.

The recommended rate of application is 20ml of KD per liter of water, which can be sprayed directly and gener- ously to the plant early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Drippings of the Kappaphycus seaweed contain nutrients that contribute to soil fertility, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, iron, and manganese.

Foliar fertilizers are directly applied on the plant’s leaves, which absorb nutrients through its stomata and epidermis.

“KD Foliar fertilizer can provide fisherfolk with additional livelihood,” said Graciella Caballero of SPAMAST.

“With a kilo of seaweed, a large plastic bag, and direct sunlight, a fisherfolk can generate 650ml of liquid fertilizer, which can be sold for P75 a liter,” Caballero added.

SPAMAST is a member of the Southern Mindanao Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium, one of the consortia established by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology ( DOST- PCAARRD).

The KD foliar fertilizer technology is one of those on display at the Davao Agriculture Trade Expo featuring Mindanao’s golden crops.

The forum is packaged to cover the basic aspects of a successful agriculture extending beyond production to cover financing, processing, marketing, and even exporting.