Potential Use of Hydroponics as an Alternative Way of Growing Sweet Potatoes

POTENTIAL USE OF HYDROPONICS AS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY

OF GROWING SWEET POTATOES (Ipomoea batatas)

GROUP 5

ALLEN BRENT ALEDO

JEFOURTHVIEN TABINO

JOHN KENNETH ENCARNACION

FLORENCE ECHON

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1 - The Problem and its Background

o Background of the Study

o Statement of the Problem

General Objective

Specific Objective

Hypothesis

o Significance of the Study

o Scope and Limitations of the Study

Chapter 2 - Review of Related Literature

o Related Literature

o Related Studies

o Justification and Relevance of the Study

o Reference List

Chapter 3 - Methodology

o Gathering of Materials

o Planting of Sweet Potato

o Research Design

o Statistical Treatment

o Materials and Documentation

Chapter 4 Results and Discussion

o Findings

o Analysis of Data

Appendix

Bibliography

CHAPTER 1

The Problem and its Background

Background of the study

As of today, many agricultural lands are turned into lands used in constructing commercial

buildings. In order to solve this problem, farmers must look for other areas to plant their crops just like

sweet potatoes. There could be no place in our lands but still there is more space available in our waters.

There is a way to grow plants in water. This method is called hydroponics.

Hydroponics is a subset of hydroculture and is a method of growing plants using

mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil. The soil itself is not the plants need on it, but plants just

only need the nutrients in the soil. This made hydroponics because the nutrients in the soil can also be

present in aquatic environment because it is possible that nutrients in the soil can be artificially placed in

water, making soil not required in growing plants. On the other hand, sweet potatoes require sufficient

amount of water in order to survive, so growing sweet potatoes in aquatic environment would be very

effective.

This study can be helpful, especially to the people who plan to grow sweet potatoes that do not

have a nice location for it. Instead of looking for nice spots, they could just plant it hydroponic medium

like plastics, wood, concrete, glass, metal, and vegetable solids.

Statement of the Problem

General Objective

This study aims to find out the potential use of hydroponics grow sweet potatoes.

Specific Objectives

1.) What will be the effect of the peelings of the sweet potato in terms of the

amount of nutrient/water it can absorb to grow?

a. Peeled

b. Not peeled

2.) Will the following factors have the same effect to the growth of peeled/not

peeled sweet potato?

a. Mass of sweet potato

b. Part of sweet potato in water

c. Length of the part of the sweet potato in water

Null Hypothesis

There is no significant difference between the quality of the sweet potato

produced in hydroponics or the common one.

Significance of the Study

This study aims to identify the possibility of growing sweet potatoes through hydroponics

with certain conditions, considering the peelings, mass, part that is submerged, and depth in the

water of the sweet potatoes. Also, many people can plant sweet potatoes without having a big

garden in their house.

Scope and Delimitations of the Study

This study will only focus to the use of sweet potatoes, and will only use

hydroponics system in growing sweet potatoes. This study may also show comparison between

the qualities of the sweet potato produced in hydroponics or in planting at the soil, but will not

show comparison in the money that will be used to perform the study, together with the materials

that are involved. This study will be conducted at Allen Aledos house in Zone III, Iba Zambales

from December 27, 2012 until December 27, 2013.

Chapter 2

Review of Related Literature

Related Literature

Hydroponics refers to the method of growing plants without the presence of soil. This is

done by artificially applying nutrients in the water that will be used in growing specific plants.

With the help of hydroponics, plants that will be produced from this method will be a healthier

plant, because the impurities and bacteria in the soil are eliminated. Date Accessed: 01-11-13

Source: http://www.mixph.com/2007/07/basic-guide-to-hydroponics-technology.html

In hydroponics, the plants are grown in a medium, with a perfectly balanced and adjusted

nutrient solution, delivered to the roots in a highly soluble form. This method of growing plant

allows the plant to uptake its food with less effort compared to the effort it uses to uptake its food

from the soil, where the roots must search the nutrients from the soil and extract them. This is

true, even when using rich, organic soil and top of the line nutrients. The energy applied in the

searching and extraction of the nutrients in the soil is better to be used on vegetative growth of

the plant, which is done in hydroponics. Date Accessed: 01-11-13

Source: http://www.simplyhydro.com/whatis.htm

Sweet potato (Ipomoea Batatas) is a tender, warm weather vegetable/root crop that

requires a long frost free season to mature large, useful roots. Sweet potato is one of the most

important food crops in tropical countries like in the Philippines, where both the roots and tender

shoots are eaten as a vital source of nutrients. Date Accessed: 01-11-13

Source: http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/sweetpotato.cfm

Related Studies

According to Steven Carruthers, a recent study has shown that the commercial

hydroponics industry is successful and rapidly expanding. According to the report, it dominates

the production of a limited number of crops, and is probably the fastest growing sector in the

Australian horticultural industry. Date Accessed: 01-11-13

Source: http://hydroponics.com.au/free-articles/issue-63-hydroponics-as-an-agricultural-

production-system/

As reported by Penny Johnson, hydroponics has healthy benefits compared to other

growing methods, provided that the fertilizer program is well managed. Professor Ron Wills, an

expert in hydroponic products, was approached by industry groups to carry out research on the

nutritional value of hydroponically grown product. However, he turned the project down,

because he believes that the health benefits of a particular hydroponic product will be the same to

the non-hydroponic product provided that there is adequate care and fertilization during

growth. Based on this theory, he believes that research funding would be better spent in other

areas. Date Accessed: 01-11-13

Source: http://hydroponics.com.au/free-articles/issue-55-nutrition-hydroponics/

As stated by Tao Zhengping Li and Mengling Bian Mingdi, by circulating the hydroponic

culture technique to soilless culture of vegetables on the roof platform of buildings, we could get

higher economic and social benefit. Date Accessed: 01-11-13

Source: http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-ZNTB200101003.htm

Related Legal Bases

Republic Act Number 7900

The republic act number 7900 or the High-Value Crops Development Act of 1995 have a

goal to accelerate the growth and development of agriculture in general, enhance productivity

and incomes of farmers and the rural population, improve investment climate, competencies and

efficiency of agribusiness and develop high-value crops as export crops that will significantly

augment the foreign exchange earnings of the country, through an all-out promotion of the

production, processing, marketing, and distribution of high-value crops in suitable areas of the

country. Date Accessed: 01-11-13

Presidential Decree Number 1107

The presidential decree number 1107, an act establishing the Philippine root crops

research and training center in the Visayas State College of Agriculture Baybay Leyte have a

goal to improve the process of planting root crops including sweet potato. This law is made to

enhance the quality of the method used in growing root crops especially in Visayas region, and

also to develop high yielding, good quality and pest resistant varieties of sweet potato, cassava,

gabi and other root crops. Date Accessed: 01-11-13

Chapter 3

Methodology

The main goal of this chapter is to indicate the materials that will be used in performing

this study and also to show the process on how to grow sweet potato in hydroponics. The

procedure that will be discussed in this chapter may be similar to the traditional process involved

in planting another plant or root crop in hydroponics. This chapter will solve the issues about the

problems that may be encountered in performing the steps in planting sweet potato in

hydroponics.

Gathering of the Materials

In order to start growing sweet potato in hydroponics, all materials needed to perform this

must be acquired. The first thing that is needed will be the root crop itself, the sweet potato; it

can be in different sizes or varieties. The next item would be sticks, or if possible, bamboo sticks.

These sticks will be used as the holder of the root crop. Finally, the last material will be the

hydroponic medium, a transparent container, or if possible, glass containers. This will be used as

the container of the root crop, stick, and the water to be used in the process.

Planting of Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes aren't started by seed like other vegetables but from slips. Slips are shoots

that are grown from a mature sweet potato. In order to have a slip, mature sweet potato bought

from a store is needed. But be sure to find out if the sweet potato is a bush type or a vining type.

To start your slips, several clean and healthy sweet potatoes are needed.

Each sweet potato can produce up to 50 slip sprouts. To create sprouts, carefully wash

your potatoes and cut them either in half or in large sections (if the sweet potato is too big). Place

each section in a transparent container half-filled with water having half of the potato below the

water and half above. Use sticks to hold the potato in place.

The set-ups will be placed inside a room or a box for one week. This is needed in order to

allow the root formation on the different set-ups made. During this period, daily observation of

the root formations must be done. After a week, the set-ups will be exposed to the sunlight.

Again, the root formations per set-up must be observed daily for one week. Then, the succeeding

observations will be done weekly. Also, it is important for the water in the containers to be

replaced every week.

Research Design

To identify if the sweet potato could possibly grow using hydroponics, two set-ups are

made, having same amount of water, but set-up A will have the sweet potatoes not peeled, and

for the set-up B, having peeled sweet potatoes. All of the sweet potatoes will be approximately

200g in mass; the part of sweet potato in water is the rounded part, and length of the part of the

sweet potato in water is 10 cm.

Statistical Treatment

The statistical treatment that will be used is the T-test, because the data that are being

tested is best fitted to T-Test. In that way, there will be lesser chance of having type 1 error.

Materials

Knife

Sticks

Measuring Cup

Transparent Containers

Sweet Potatoes

Documentation

Prepare the container

Place the potato using the sticks

Measure the amount of water

Pour water

Chapter 4

Results and Discussions

Findings

This study used two set-ups in order to identify the effect of the peelings of sweet

potatoes to its growth that are planted using hydroponics. Both set-ups A and B will use the same

amount of water, the difference would be one of the set-ups are not peeled, while the other is

peeled.

Table 1 Tabular Presentation of each set-up

Set-ups Peeled Remarks

Set-up A Yes Expected to form roots slower

Set-up B No Expected to form roots faster

Level of Significance

The level of significance will be 0.5 and two-tailed test will be applied, because if the

following level of significance and two-tailed test will be used, lesser chance of having type 1

error may be encountered.

Findings

Setup A

Length of Root

Replicate

Number

Setup B

Length of Root

0.5 cm 1 0 cm

5 cm 2 5 cm

1 cm 3 0 cm

1.5 cm 4 0 cm

2 cm 5 0.2 cm

1.5 cm 6 2.5 cm

2.5 cm 7 10.5 cm

1 cm 8 0 cm

3 cm 9 0 cm

2 cm 10 0 cm

Pictures

Computation

=( )

2

+2

=( )

2

10 +2

10

Appendix

Cost Analysis

Items Cost Quantity

Sweet Potato 72 pesos 24 pieces

Containers 240 pesos 20 pieces

Barbeque stick 15 pesos 1 stack

Folder 9 pesos 1 folder

Printing 52 pesos 15 pages

Transportation 338 pesos NA

TOTAL: 726 pesos NA

This is the approximate cost for all the materials in this study.

T-Test Formula

=( )

2

+ 2

Where:

= sample mean of the x-group (Average length of roots in all replicates of set-up A)

= sample mean of the y-group (Average length of roots in all replicates of set-up A)

= sample standard deviation of the x-group

= sample standard deviation of the y-group

= size of the x sample group (10 replicates)

= size of the y sample group (10 replicates)

Bibliography

Porter, Penny. Basic Guides to Hydroponics Technology >> EntrePinoys Atbp.

o Source: http://www.mixph.com/2007/07/basic-guide-to-hydroponics-technology.html

o Date Accessed: January 11, 2013.

Pirsig, Robert.What is Hydroponics

o Source: http://www.simplyhydro.com/whatis.htm


Tate, Marcy. Sweet Potato - University of Illinois Extension

o Source: Source: http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/sweetpotato.cfm


Carruthers, Steven. Hydroponics as an agricultural production system.

o Source: http://hydroponics.com.au/free-articles/issue-63-hydroponics-as-an-

agricultural-production-system/


Johnson, Penny. Nutrition & Hydroponics.Available at:

o Source: http://hydroponics.com.au/free-articles/issue-55-nutrition-hydroponics/


Mingdi, Mengling Bian. Studies on Hydroponics Design and Its Effect of Vegetables on

the Roof Platform of Buildings

o Source: http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-ZNTB200101003.htm


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Potential Use of Hydroponics as an Alternative Way of Growing Sweet Potatoes