EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT AIR PUMP PRESSURE AND WATER DEPTH

COMBINATIONS ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF WHITE

CABBAGE - WONDERBALL VARIETY (Brassica oleracea
l. var. capitata cruciferae) USING DEEP
WATER CULTURE SYSTEM

GENESARET T. ABARCAR
IVY LORRAINE V. HUERA

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF

THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL AND BIOSYSTEMS
ENGINEERING, COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, BENGUET
STATE UNIVERSITY, LA TRINIDAD, BENGUET,
PHILIPPINES, IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
THE DEGREE

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL AND BIOSYSTEMS

ENGINEERING

MAY 2022
BSU-CE Undergraduate Thesis No. _______

This Undergraduate Thesis Outline Entitled, EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT AIR PUMP

PRESSURE AND WATER DEPTH COMBINATIONS ON THE GROWTH AND
YIELD OF WHITE CABBAGE - WONDERBALL VARIETY (Brassica oleracea l.
var. capitata cruciferae) USING DEEP WATER CULTURE SYSTEM, prepared and
submitted by GENESARET T. ABARCAR and IVY LORRAINE V. HUERA, in
partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN
AGRICULTURAL AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING, is hereby accepted.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

ERYL KATE L. RAFAEL MARY JOYCE B. TAD-O

Member Member
___________________ ___________________
Date Signed Date Signed

MILAGROS B. ONALAN
Chair
___________________
Date Signed

Accepted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of BACHELOR OF

SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING.

EDITHA D. CARLOS
Department Chair
___________________
Date Signed

LEONARDO D. DUMALHIN
College Dean
___________________
Date Signed

2022
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

TITLE PAGE i

APPROVAL PAGE ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iii

LIST OF TABLES v

LIST OF FIGURES vi

LIST OF APPENDIX TABLE vii

LIST OF APPENDIX FIGURE viii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT x

ABSTRACT xi

INTRODUCTION 1

Background of the Study 1

Statement of the Problem 2
Significance of the Study 4
Objectives of the Study 4
Scope and Limitation of the Study 5
Time and Place of the Study 5

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 6

Cabbage 6
Pest and Diseases 7
Deep Water Culture System 12
Methods of Aeration 14
Water Depth 15

METHODOLOGY
MATERIALS 17

Material for the Reservoir and Oxygen Supply 17

Nutrient Solution 17
Planting Materials and Growing Media 17
Light Source and Temperature 18

METHODS 18
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 Experimental Procedures 18
Data Gathered 20
Formula Used 21
Statistical Analysis 22

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 24

Final Plant Height of the Cabbage 24

Circumference of Cabbage 26
Heading 27
Marketable Yield 29
Survival/ Mortality Rate 31
Simple Cost Analysis 32

SUMMARY 34

CONCLUSION 36

RECOMMENDATIONS 37

LITERATURE CITED 38

LIST OF TABLES
TABLE PAGE
iv
 1 Treatment components of deep water culture system 22

2 Final Plant Height of the Cabbage (cm) 24

3 Final circumference of harvested cabbages in centimeters (cm) 26

4 Heading percentage of the cabbage plant per treatment 27

5 Weight of harvested cabbage (g) 29

6 Survival/ Mortality Rate of the Cabbage Plant 31

LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE PAGE

v
 1 Experimental setup of deep water culture system 20

2 Experimental lay-out of the study 23

3 Break-even point 33

LIST OF APPENDIX TABLE

APPENDIX PAGE
TABLE

vi
 A-1 ANOVA for Height of Cabbages 43

A-2 ANOVA for Circumference 43

A-3 ANOVA for Percentage Heading 43

A-4 ANOVA for Yield 43

A-5 ANOVA for Survival / Mortality Rate 43

B-1 Total cost of materials used in deep water culture system 44

B-2 Total cost of medium used and Wonderball cabbage 44

B-3 Total cost of nutrient solution and insecticide 44

B-4 Miscellaneous fees 45

B-5 Cost of materials used in constructing crop shelter 45

B-6 Cost of labor in constructing crop shelter 45

B-7 Cost of Electrical Wiring 46

B-8 Power and Water Consumption 46

B-9 Total cost incurred during the study 46

B-10 Total cost of system is treatment 7 was employed 46

B-11 Benefit – Cost Analysis 47

B-12 Break Even Analysis 48

LIST OF APPENDIX FIGURE

APPENDIX PAGE
FIGURE

vii
1 Weeding and cleaning of crop shelter 48

2 Installation of Electricity for the crop shelter 48

3 Setting up the stand for the reservoir 49

4 Measuring the spacing and cutting the styroboard 49

5 Setting the net pots and clay pebbles 49

6 Assembling the 80 L container, air pumps and air tubes 50

7 Transplanting the cabbage on the clay pebbles and net pots 50

8 Placing the air stone on the air tube 50

9 Measuring the nutrient solution 51

10 Final set up of the study 51

11 Monitoring the nutrient solutions pH level 51

12 Changing of nutrient solution after 2 weeks 52

13 One week of the plant after transplanting 52

14 Second week of the plant after transplanting 52

15 Third week of the plant after transplanting (Treatment 7) 53

16 Fourth week of the plant after transplanting (Treatment 7) 53

17 Fifth week of the plant after transplanting (Treatment 7) 53

18 Sixth week of the plant after transplanting (Treatment 7) 53

19 Seventh week of the plant after transplanting (Treatment 7) 54

20 Eight week of the plant after transplanting (Treatment 7) 54

21 Ninth week of the plant after transplanting (Treatment 7) 54

22 Tenth week/a week before the harvesting of the cabbage plant. 55

23 Measuring the final height of the plant using a standard ruler 55

24 Harvesting the cabbage 55

viii
 25 Cleaning and trimming of harvested cabbage head 56

26 Weighing the harvested cabbages using a weighing scale 56

27 Measuring the circumference of the cabbage head using a 56

tailor’s tape measure

28 Wilting of Treatment 4 Replicate 1 prior to the implementation 57

of the treatment’s assigned depth

29 Wilting of Treatment 9 Replicate 3 after the implementation of 57

the treatment’s assigned depth

30 Presence of green peach aphids on the cabbage 57

31 Philippine National Standards for Vegetables – Cabbage 58

(Brassica oleracea var, capitata L.) – Grading and
classification

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The researchers would like to express their profound gratitude and appreciation to

the following individuals, whose significant contributions made the study possible.

ix
 Engr. Milagros B. Onalan, Research Adviser for the study, for sharing her

knowledge, providing timely advice and directing the researchers in their study;

To the panelists, Engr. Eryl Kate L. Rafael and Engr. Mary Joyce B. Tad-o for

their expertise and technical assistance in the development of the study;

Sir Onofre Tonged, Farm Aide, for assisting us in the preparation of crop shelter

and for his knowledge and guidance during cabbage harvesting.

Families, most especially their parents, for the encouragement and immense

support;

Friends, for the extended help in the conduct of the study; and

Above all, thanks be to Almighty God for the strength, guidance, knowledge and

wisdom.

ABSTRACT

The most common growing medium for plants is soil. However, the pests and

diseases it harbors, as well as the deterioration caused by continuous farming, can result

x
in low crop yield and poor crop quality. Deep water culture system employs water mixed

with a nutrient solution to promote plant growth without the use of soil. The goal of this

study is to find the best combination of air pump pressure and water depth to achieve the

highest cabbage (Brassica oleracea l. var. capitata Cruciferae) yield possible in a deep

water culture system. A completely randomized design was used in the study, with three

replications and nine treatments (95% depth & 18 kPa; 85% depth & 18 kPa; 40% depth

& 18kPa; 95% depth & 20 kPa; 85% depth & 20 kPa; 40% depth & 20 kPa; 95% depth &

25 kPa; 85% depth & 25 kPa; 40% depth & 25 kPa). The findings revealed that some of

the treatments differed significantly from one another. Treatment 9 (40% depth, 25 kPa)

had the lowest total yield, final height, final circumference, and heading percentage.

Treatment 7 (95% depth, 25 kPa) had the highest total yield, final height, heading

percentage, and final circumference.

Keywords:

Deep water culture system, Brassica oleracea l. var. capitata Cruciferae, air pump

pressure and water depth combination, total yield, final height, percentage of heading,

and final circumference.

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