Sawdust As A Medium for Growing Pechay (Brassica Rapa)

ABSTRACT Have you ever tried cutting wood? If not, have you ever seen anyone cutting wood with a saw? Did you notice those tiny particles that fall on the ground as wood is being cut? Those particles are called sawdust. Sawdust has many known uses and has been proven to be a good fertilizer. The researchers wanted to find out if sawdust can serve as an alternative medium to soil and thus the study was begun. For this experiment the researchers tested the following mixtures: pure soil (A), pure sawdust (B), 90% soil (C), 90% sawdust (D), 80% soil (E), 80% sawdust (F), 70% soil (G), and 70% sawdust (H). Each set-up was planted with five seeds. The set-ups were observed for a period of five weeks. Once a week, the researchers would measure the length and the width of the leaves of each sprout from every set-up. Measurements were recorded in a notebook. After all data were gathered it was found that the sprout with the biggest leaf was from set-up A. The set-up with the most sprouts at the end of five weeks was F. Set-up B had two sprouts, D and G each had one, while the other set-ups, C, E, and H, did not grow any. After further analysis, the researchers had concluded that indeed sawdust can serve as an alternative to soil since it can support plant growth.

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study All plants grow on an organic material called a medium. This serves as a base for plants and is where several organisms are attached to and grow. Plants are geotropic that is why their roots grow towards the ground.
Soil is commonly used as a medium in growing plants. It is rich in minerals that aid in the growth and development of vegetation. There are different kinds of soil such as sand, silt, clay and loam-which was found most suitable for the plant growth. Aside from soil, there are other mediums being used today. Among these is gravel. Sawdust is remnants of lumber when cut into different sizes with the use of a saw or planed to make its surfaces