Effect of nipa bioethanol waste effluent on the growth performance of hybrid rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Ethanol distillation from nipa sap generates a huge volume of bioethanoldistillation. It is high in organic matter and contains a significant amount of potassium (K), a macronutrient that is advantageous in rice cultivation. This led to the conduct of the present study with the objective of determining the effect of nipa bioethanol wastewater effluent (NBWE) on the growth response of hybrid rice (Oryza sativa L). Physico-chemical analyses of the effluent show a high level of potassium (2.6 g/L), and high chemical oxygen demand (COD). The high amount of COD in the effluent accounts for the high organic load of the effluent which is essential in improving the organic matter in the soil. NBWE collected from the MMSU-NBERIC bioethanolproduction set up in Cagayan was tested in the open rice field at 18×9 square meters plot, side by side with those treated with inorganic fertilizer and the control (no fertilizer).The NBWE-treated set up showed an increase number of tillers that correspondingly increase yield by 0.5 t/ha over the control but significantly lower compared to the inorganic- treated set up.The chlorophyll content and leaf area index (LAI) readings also increased during the tillering and the flowering stage as compared with the untreated setup. These values, however, was not significantly different from those treated with inorganic fertilizer. The data show the high potential of NBWE for use as fertigation in the rice field. It can be deduced from the results that yield performance of rice plants can be attained by combining NBWE with inorganic fertilizer.