IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2016) 7-1

Research articleerd

The Comparison of Liquid Bio-slurry and Rice Husk Biochar
Application on the Production Yield of Dai Neang Chili Pepper(Capsicum annum L)
SOTH HONG*
Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Royal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
E-mail: hongmorhousoth@yahoo.com

LYTOUR LOR
Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Royal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

NARETH NUT
Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Royal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

DYNA THENG
Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Royal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

VARY VUN
Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Royal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

VANNARY UNG
Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Royal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

LYHOUR HIN
Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Royal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

DARA PHUONGNational Biodigester Programme(NBP), Department of Animal Production and Health, PhnomPenh, Cambodia
Received 21 December 2015

Accepted 11 April 2016(*Corresponding Author)

Abstract In Cambodia, Dai Neang chili pepper (Capsicum annum L) has mostly grown in areas
around Tonle Sap Lake and some other provinces such as Prey Veng, Kandal, Kampong Cham,and Kampong Thom. However, farmers keep practicing conventional methods, which do not
get high yield. Liquid bio-slurry and rice husk biochar which obtained from biodigester and riceproduction residues, could be applied to improve soil fertility for the chili production. The key
objectives of this study were (1) to analyze the fertility compositions [nitrogen (N),phosphorous (P), and potassium (K)] contents in the liquid bio-slurry and rice husk biochar and(2) to investigate the effects of liquid bio-slurry and rice husk biochar on yield of Dai Neangchili pepper. In the research, different proportions of combination of liquid bio-slurry and ricehusk biochar were applied on Dai Neang chili pepper in a total quantity of 1.4kg/m2. Data of
total yield, plant height, plants diameter, roots length, number of branches, leaves area, fruit
length, and fruit weight per plant, good fruits and damaged fruits were collected as the primarydata. As the results, the percentages of N-P-K compositions in the liquid bio-slurry and in thebiochar were 0.52%, 1.22%, 0.30% and 0.78%, 0.73%, 3.00%, respectively. The treatmentusing liquid bio-slurry 25% and rice husk Biochar 75% obtained highest yield and more numberof branches compared with other treatments and the control. In conclusion, liquid bio-slurry, awaste of biogas and rice husk biochar could improve the soil fertility and yield of Dai Neangchili pepper.
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Keywords liquid bio-slurry, rice husk biochar, Dai Neang chili pepper, fertilizer

INTRODUCTION
Currently, 80% of Cambodia’s population lives in rural areas and 60% depend on agriculture, whichmakes the government determined that the development of the agricultural sector is a key priority toreduce poverty and contribute to increase macroeconomics (MoP, 2014). The agricultural sectors havecontributed 31.6% of Gross Demonstrate Products in 2013 (MAFF, 2013). In the Cambodia, vegetable
crops are the most important after rice crop as foods for human consumption. Dai Neang chili pepper is
one of a supplementary vegetables which favored by consumers countrywide. It contains high vitamin
C. which helps to prevent oxidation and many other nutrients that are importance to human (LPI, 2011).
In general, fertilizer application is a common practice of farmers in crop cultivation in order toadd nutrients into soil for growing crops. Most of agricultural production often uses chemical fertilizers
and pesticides. As a result, substances of these chemicals remain in fruits and vegetables, which makemost products to be tainted and to affect the human’s health. Meanwhile, long term of chemicalfertilizers application resulted in soil degradation, soil pH fluctuations and losing soil microbes which
improve the soil fertility (Kim, 2003). Hence, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries inCambodia has urged farmers to produce crops by applying natural fertilizer to improve soil fertility,
obtain high yield and less effect on human’s health as well as environments (MAFF, 2013).
Rich husk biochar is one of the natural fertilizers, a coal derived from burning rice husk (pyrolysiscondition). Its function is to help improve soil quality by increasing the pH, phosphorus, and, porosity
in the soil to let plant roots absorb minerals and water easier. In addition, to increase shift level
between potassium and magnesium to have a strong valid for making photosynthesis. The core of ricehusk biochar contains small holes that absorb liquids well. It helps to increase micro-organs in the soil,reduce the number of insects and other harmful diseases to crops. The rice husk biochar contains otherminerals that plants can absorb into subsistence for rapid growth and healthy. Especially, it helps toneutralize the acid and alkaline substances stable in the soil, which contains chemicals that thesefeatures have made the convenience for farmers’ cultivation (Oyetola, and Abdullashi, 2006).
Meanwhile, considering agricultural waste management, National Biodigester Programme,
Cambodia has suggested a liquid bio-slurry, which is fertilizer that obtained from stocking cattle
manures in anaerobic conditions of biodigester that animal wastes were kept under high temperaturesin the biodigester for 40 days at least (NBP, 2013).
Considering the availability of liquid bio-slurry and rice husk biochar in rural areas of Cambodia,
farmers should pay attention to apply these natural fertilizers to their crops instead of chemicalfertilizers. However, the nutrients component and the suitable amount of liquid bio-slurry and rice husk
biochar apply in agricultural crops are needed to be determined.
OBJECTIVE
The objectives of this study are: (1) to analyze the composition [nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), andpotassium (K)] in liquid bio-slurry and rice husk biochar and (2) to investigate the effects of liquid bioslurry and rice husk biochar on yield of Dai Neang chili pepper.
METHODOLOGYThe Dai Neang chili pepper was grown at faculty of Agricultural Engineering in Royal University ofAgriculture, Cambodia from May to September 2015. The experiment was designed in a randomized
block design with applying liquid bio-slurry and rice husk biochar at different proportion following theⒸ ISERD

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standard of organic fertilizer application of 1.4 kg/m2 or 14 t/ha. There were six treatments in this study.
Each treatment was conducted in four replications. The size of one experimental plot was 2 m2 and allplots of this experiment covered 80.75 m2.
Treatment- 1.T1: RHB (100%) 14 t/ha
- 2.T2: RHB (75%) with LBS (25%) 14 t/ha
- 3.T3: RHB (50%) with LBS (50%) 14 t/ha
- 4.T4: RHB (25%) with LBS (75%) 14 t/ha
- 5.T5: LBS (100%) 14 t/ha
- 6.T0: Control (No Fertilizer)
Note: RHB=Rice Husk Biochar, LBS=Liquid Bio-slurry.

Fig. 1 Liquid bio-slurry (left) and rice husk biochar (right)
Table 1 Total fertilizer allied for chili pepper
Treatments

RHB
(kg)

LBS
(kg)

Rep.

Surface(m2)Total RHB
Quantities (kg)

Total LBS
Quantities (kg)

Total(kg)

T0

0.00

0.00

4.00

2.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

T1

1.40

0.00

4.00

2.00

11.20

0.00

11.20

T2

1.05

0.35

4.00

2.00

8.40

2.80

11.20

T3

0.70

0.70

4.00

2.00

5.60

5.60

11.20

T40.35

1.05

4.00

2.00

2.80

8.40

11.20

T50.00

1.40

4.00

2.00

0.00

11.20

11.20

Total

3.50

3.50

24.0012.00

28.00

28.00

56.00

(RHB=Rice Husk Biochar, LBS=Liquid bio-slurry, Rep= Replicates)

After 25 days of seeds sowing, chili pepper seedlings were transplanted with 0.5 m X 0.5 m
between rows and plants.
The soil in experimental plots was sandy with silt, with pH 7.5, humus 0.8%, containing total
nitrogen (0.035%), total phosphorous (0.0197%), total potassium (0.12%), total carbon (0.156 mil/100
g soil), a C/N = 5, with organic matter 0.26% (Bona, 2007).
In order to get rice husk biochar, rice husk has burned in pyrolysis apparatus for 6 hours. Liquidbio-slurry and rice husk biochar was determined for some compositions and nutrients such as pH, N-PⒸ ISERD

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K, and moisture content. nitrogen has determined by Kjeldahl method, phosphorus measured byspectrophotometer, and potassium determined by flame photometer (Latiff et al, 1996).
Chili fruits were harvested manually when they had reached maturity in 3 stages. Data collection
was conducted on 50% flowering day, 100% flowering day, branch of plants, leaves area, fruit length,roots length, plant diameter, height, weight per plant, good fruits weight, bad fruits weight, and total
fruit weight. Data subjected and to analyze of variance in Statistic 8. If interactions were significant,they used to explain all of data. If interactions were not significant, means have separated with Tukey
test.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The results showed that the N-P-K percentage of LBS and RHB were 0.52%, 1.22%, 0.30% and 0.78%,0.73%, 3.00%, respectively (Fig. 2). Furthermore, total chili pepper yield was shown in Fig. 3.
Moreover, plant growth parameters such as plant height, plants diameter, roots length, number ofbranches, leaves area, fruit length, fruit weight per plant, good fruits and damaged fruits weight wereshown in Table 2.
3.5

3Quantitities (%)

32.5
21.22

1.5
10.52

0.5

0.78

Liquid Bio-slurry

0.73
0.3

Rice Husk Biochar

0NPK

Fig. 2 Quantities of N-P-K substance in both fertilizers
Table 2 Means of plant growth parameters and yield of Dai Neang chili pepper
Treatment
50% flowering day
100% flowering day
Plant Height (cm)Plant Diameter (mm)Branch/Plant
Leaf Area (cm2)
Fruit Length (cm)
Root Length (mm)Fruit weight per plant (g)Bad fruit weight (t/ha)
Good fruit weight (t/ha)
Total fruit weight (t/ha)

T0
29.00
35.75
58.05
6.28
6.66
13.72
5.18
26.20
95.45
0.18
2.43
2.60

T1
29.25
36.75
62.90
6.89
8.35
19.48
5.83
31.65
106.35
0.11
3.44
3.55

T2
28.50
36.00
69.45
8.23
9.35
20.39
5.39
35.40
129.85
0.19
4.58
4.76

T330.00
36.50
64.20
7.23
8.34
19.90
6.32
30.60
107.75
0.11
4.02
4.13

T4
28.50
35.50
65.50
7.56
8.72
18.31
5.77
31.50
117.20
0.14
3.94
4.08

T5
28.00
35.00
74.55
8.23
7.28
25.06
5.44
31.75
113.00
0.17
4.33
4.50

The result obtained from counting days of 50% flowering showed that the treatment thatexperienced first flowering was T5=28 days in Table 2, and T3 was the treatment in which 50%
flowering appeared the latest because it used 50% of RHB and 50% of LBS. The difference in 50%Ⓒ ISERD

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Total Weight(t/ha)

flowering days was highly significant (p-value < 0.01, CV = 1.70%). Days of 100% flowering werealso counted, and the result indicated that the treatment which first reached full flowering was T5,
which took 35 days, whereas T1 took the longest time until flowers fully appeared. This difference in
100% flowering days was significant (p-value = 0.05, CV = 2.03%). In addition, plant diameters
measured in each treatment were significantly different (p-value < 0.01, CV = 6.21%), and the largest
diameter was 8.23 mm both in T2 and in T5. Moreover, fruit length in each treatment was significantly
different (p-value < 0.01, CV = 2.86%), and the treatment which had the longest fruit length (6.23 cm)
was T3 and T0 had the shortest fruit length (5.18 cm). Fruit weight per plant in each treatment differedsignificantly (p-value < 0.01, CV = 4.71%), and the treatment that had the heaviest fruit weight (129.85g/plant) was T2, while T0 had the lightest fruit weight (95.45 g/plant). Furthermore, the weight ofdamaged fruit in each treatment did not differ (CV = 34.03%), but the difference in weight of goodfruit was significant (p-value < 0.01, CV = 2.16%), and the maximum weight of good fruit was 4.58
t/ha in T2 and 2.43 t/ha in T0.
As shown in Table 2, plant height, leaf area, branch of chili plant, and root length were also
detected. As a result of the ANOVA test, plant height in each treatment differed significantly, and T5
had the greatest plant height (74.55 cm), followed by T2 with plant height of 69.45 cm, whereas T0
was the shortest in height (58.05 cm). Leaf areas in each treatment were significantly different, and thebiggest leaf areas were 25.06 cm2 in T5 and 20.39 cm2 in T2, and the smallest leaf size (13.72 cm2) was
found in T0. Branches per plant in each treatment differed significantly. T2 had 9.35 branches per plant,
but T0 had the fewest branches (6.66 branches). Furthermore, the lowest plant diameter was T0, andthe difference in root length measured in each treatment was very significant. Among all of thetreatments, T2 had the longest root length (35.40 mm). In addition, shortest roots length was T0=26.20
mm.
5.00
4.50
4.00
3.50
3.00
2.50
2.00
1.50
1.00
0.50
0.00

4.76

4.50

4.13

4.08

T3T4

3.55
2.60

T0T1T2

T5Fig. 3 Total yield from each treatment
Figure 3 showed that total weight of chili from each treatment. The highest yield was T2=4.76t/ha followed by T5=4.50 t/ha and the lowest yield was T0=2.60 t/ha. However, yield of each treatment
were different from previous research as Kbal Koh vegetable research station mentioned that nonfertilizer application on chili can gain the yield from 2.5 to 2.70 t/ha same as the experiments in Royal
University of Agriculture (KKVRS, 2000).
Furthermore, considering other factors that might affect chili pepper growth that can be observedin this experiment include soil type in experimental plots, mulching for weed controlling or keeping
moisture, ditching for crop’s irrigation or fertilizer application (burying, spraying and etc.).

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CONCLUSION
According the rice husk biochar (RHB) and liquid bio-slurry (LBS) application on Dai Neang chili
pepper, it can be concluded that the fertilizers improved the chili pepper yield effectively. The results
showed that the N-P-K percentage of LBS and RHB were 0.52%, 1.22%, 0.30% and 0.78%, 0.73%,3.00%, respectively. And according to the results, where the criterion for fertilizer selection and its
application rate is based on total chili pepper yield, then the following fertilizer application can berecommended: T2= rice husk biochar 75% add liquid bio-slurry 25% which obtained the highest yieldof 4.76 t/ha in this experiment and next suitable was T5= liquid bio-slurry 100% that obtained yield of
4.50 t/ha.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank my advisor, Mr. Lor Lytour, and my assistants for advising and guiding on myresearch. Also many thanks to the People in Need Organization (PIN) whose provided financial
support for my bachelor thesis. Besides that, I also express my gratitude to National Biodigester
Programme (NBP) for providing the research documents and for helping in consultation. My respective
teacher, who has always been sincere and helpful in making me, understanding the different system oflegal research and conceptual problems in my manuscript.
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Kim, S. 2003. The effect of chemical fertilizers using in Kean Svay district, Kandal. Bachelor Thesis, Faculty ofAgronomy, Royal University of Agriculture, Cambodia, 46-47.
KKVRS, 2000. Vegetable species and crop production. Kbal Koh Vegetable Research Station, Cambodia.
LPI. 2011. Annual report of data analysis center and research. Linus Pauling Institute, India.
MAFF. 2013. Cambodia annual report on agriculture, water, and food. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry andFisheries, Cambodia.
MoP. 2014. Annual report of national strategic development plan. Ministry of Planning, Cambodia.
NBP. 2013. Biodigester using techniques for farmers. National Biodigester Programme, Cambodia.
Olfati, J.A., Peyvast, G., Qamgosar, R., Sheikhtaher, Z. and Salimi, M. 2010. Synthetic humic acid increased
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Oyetola, E.B. and Abdullash, M.I. 2006. The use of rice husk charcoal in low-cost sandcrete block production.
Leonardo Electronic Journal of Practices and Technologies, 8, 58-70.

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