Evaluation of “Penshibao” foliar
fertilizer for flue-cured tobacco
Tested by:INSTITUT PENYELIDIKAN
DAN KEMA JUAN PERTANIAN MALAYSIA
MALAYSIAN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
Add: Ibu Pejabat MARDI
Peti Surat 12301
Pejabat Pos Besar
50774 Kuala Lumpur
Project Number: NP/0055/10
Project Leader: WAN AZMAN BIN WAN ISMAIL
Collaborator: DR.KHAIRUDIN YAACOB
Project objective:
To evaluate the effect of Penshibao multifunctional nutritive foliage fertilizer on growth, yield and quality of flue-cured tobacco .
Project methodology:
Field experiment was conducted in year 1999 and 2000 on bris sandy soil ( Rusila series) under sprinkler system at Kampong Pintu Gerbang, Bachok, Kelantan to study the effect of Penshibao foliar fertilizer for flue-cured tobacco. The same experiment was also conducted on alluvial soil at Kampong Sungai Keladi, Tanah Merah, Kelantan. The trial was based on two levels of basic recommended fertilizer (standard with sidedress and standard without sidedress ) for both soil types.
The standard fertilizer for tobacco under sprinkler system was 75kg N/ha., 165kg P2O5/ha, 126kg K2O/ha and 80kg MgO/ha for basal application. Additional sidedress fertilizer was at 30kg N/ha applied 21 days after transplanting using potassium nitrate.
On alluvial soil, the standard fertilizer used was 40kg N/ha, 80kg P2O5/ha and 120kg K2O/ha. Additional sidedress fertilizer was at 10kg N/ha using calcium nitrate.
Three levels of Penshibao foliar treatments ( No foliar spray; foliar spray up to 7th week and foliar up to 11th week with the first spray at 7 days followed by 10 days interval after transplanting).
The experimental design was 3 X 2 factorial layout in RCBD with 4 replications using variety TAPM 26. Each treatment plot consisted of three rows with 32 plants per row. The middle rows were used as experimental rows. The spacing was 102cm X 56cm giving a total population 17507 plants per hectare.
Leaves from individual plots were harvested at ripening and curing was conducted immediately after each harvest. The cured tobacco leaves were assessed for yield and quality. All other cultural practices such as topping and desuckering, weed control, pest and disease control, harvesting, curing and grading of the cured leaves were carried out as recommended.
Result and discussion ( Achievements):
Growth
The effect of Penshibao on growth were measured separately in terms of increase in dry weights of leaves, stem and root. Plant treated with Penshibao showed consistent increase in canopy dry weight. However, the effect of Penshibao was more pronounced in the plants that received adequate sidedressing. The increase in dry weight for the total canopy was marginal when the plants were not given sidedressing. Hence, the more pronounced increase in dry weight occurred when the plants were applied with sidedressing and Penshibao.
In term of stem, the trend was similar with Penshibao applied after sidedressing was given. The lowest increase in stem growth occurred when the plant was only basal fertilizer. The application of Penshibao increased stem growth significantly provided the plants received sidedressing.
The effect of Penshibao on root growth was also more pronounced in plants receiving sidedressing. The two highest increase in dry wight of roots were observed in plants which were applied with sidedressing and Penshibao.
Yield and quality
Results on Poenshibao foliar fertilizer application showed that there was highly significant treatment effect on yield of tobacco leaf produced ( Table 1 and Table 2 ). Seven foliar spray on adequately fertilized tobacco improved yield ( treatment 6 ) up to 17% in year 1999 and 12% in year 2000 as compared with adequately fertilized tobacco without foliar spray (treatment 4). There was a trend of increasing yields on those treatments which had foliar spray either in the adequately fertilized or basal fertilizer without sidedresser. Foliar spray with Penshibao did not effect leaf physical quality and chemical compositions of the tobacco cured leaves on both year 1999 and? 2000.
On alluvial soils, the same result was obtained as on bris soil on year 2000 (Table 3). Adequately fertilized tobacco crop produced about 3% higher yield as compared with adequately fertilized tobacco without Penshibao.
Based on these particular trials, supplemental effect of Penshibao occurred when the plants were adequately fertilized. Secondly, the effect of Penshibao was more pronounced in the plants when sidedress were applied.
Conclusion
The experiment showed that the effect of Penshibao was more pronounced on yield when adequate fertilizer was applied to the flue-cured tobacco. Trials on both years 1999 and 2000 consistently improved yield. Penshibao had no significant effect on the physical quality and chemical compositions of the flue-cured tobacco. Although there was no significant effect on quality, the leaf produced gave higher grade index as compared with plants without penshibao.
Recommendation
Based on the above trials it is recommended that Penshibao be introduced as a foliar plant growth regulator for tobacco cultivation on both bris and alluvial soils. The use of Penshibao will imporove the growth enhancement and would be expected to make favourable contribujtion to the poroduction of flue-cured tobacc. The yield of tobacco increase on the average of 14% and 3% o bris and alluvial soils, respectively. This means that, application of Penshibao as a foliar growth regulator should increase the net returns to the tobacco producers.
Table 1:Effect of Penshibao foliar fertilizer on flue-cured tobacco under sprinkler system on bris soil, 1999 (Kampong Pintu Gerbang, Bachok, Kelantan)
Treatments |
Yield(kg/ha) |
Grade index |
Sugars(%) |
Nicotine(%) |
Chl.(%) |
1 |
1147c |
46.2a |
18.8a |
1.9a |
0.4a |
2 |
1265bc |
44.4a |
18.8a |
2.1a |
0.4a |
3 |
1389b |
46.0a |
20.2a |
1.8a |
0.5a |
4 |
1380b |
45.2a |
16.2a |
2.3a |
0.4a |
5 |
1404b |
44.1a |
16.5a |
2.4a |
0.4a |
6 |
1612a |
46.4a |
18.8a |
2.0a |
0.4a |
Mean |
1364 |
45.3 |
18.2 |
2.1 |
0.4 |
C.V. (%) |
8.2 |
3.2 |
12.8 |
14.0 |
27.5 |
Table 2: effect of Penshibao growth regulator on yield and quality of flue-cured tobacco on bris soil, 2000 ( Kampong Pintu Gerbang, Bachok, Kelantan)
Treatments |
Yield (kg/ha) |
Grade index |
Sugars(%) |
Nicotine(%) |
Chl.(%) |
1 |
1350c |
41a |
5.0a |
2.6a |
0.9a |
2 |
1391c |
41a |
6.7a |
2.5a |
1.0a |
3 |
1586bc |
43a |
7.3a |
2.6a |
1.4a |
4 |
1712ab |
42a |
5.5a |
2.5a |
0.6a |
5 |
1822ab |
45a |
5.3a |
2.5a |
0.7a |
6 |
1910a |
43a |
6.3a |
2.7a |
0.8a |
Means |
1628 |
42 |
6.0 |
2.6 |
0.9 |
C.V.(%) |
11 |
7 |
28 |
9 |
70 |
Table 3:Effect of Penshibao growth regulator on yield and quality of fule-cured tobacco on alluvial soils, 2000 (Kampong Sungai Keladi, Tanah Merah, Kelantan)
Treatments |
Yield (kg/ha) |
Grade index |
Sugars (%) |
Nicotine (%) |
Chl .(%) |
1 |
1056b |
41a |
8.0a |
2.1a |
0.3a |
2 |
1046b |
40a |
5.6ab |
2.0a |
0.3a |
3 |
1100ab |
38a |
5.3a |
2.0a |
0.3a |
4 |
1297ab |
42a |
5.1a |
1.9a |
0.2 |
5 |
1357a |
42a |
4.1b |
1.8a |
0.3a |
6 |
1337a |
39a |
5.2b |
2.1a |
0.3a |
Means |
1199 |
38 |
6.6 |
1.9a |
0.3a |
C.V. (%) |
14 |
6 |
40 |
10a |
24 |
Note:
Treatment 1 = Basal + NO sidedress + NO Penshibao
Treatment 2 = Basal + NO sidedress + Penshibao (up to 7th week –5 spray)
Treatment 3 = Basal + NO sidedress + NO Penshibao(up to 11th week –7 spray)
Treatment 4 = Basal + NO sidedress + NO Penshibao
Treatment 5 = Basal + NO sidedress + Penshibao(up to 7th week –5 spray)
Treatment 6 = Basal + NO sidedress + Penshibao(up to 11th week –7 spray)
- First spray at 7 days after transplanting and then followed by 10th days interval.
Special note:
The above trial was conducted on crop transplant in September 2000 and harvested in November 2000. Frequent heavy rainfall during this period measuring 298mm (September), 94mm (October ) and 406mm (up to 19 November) could have affected the effectiveness of foliar spray.
Table 4: Effect of Penshibao foliar fertilizer on flue-cured tobacco under traditional system on bris soil,1999 ( Kampong Rekang, Bachok, Kelantan)
Treatments |
Yield(kg/ha) |
Grade index |
Sugars(%) |
Nicotine(%) |
Chl.(%) |
1 |
967a |
33.3a |
2.9a |
2.8a |
0.6a |
2 |
1077a |
32.5a |
2.4a |
3.1a |
0.4a |
3 |
873a |
33.4a |
4.1a |
3.1a |
0.6a |
4 |
726a |
31.6a |
1.9a |
2.6a |
0.5a |
5 |
870a |
30.4a |
2.3a |
3.2a |
0.4a |
6 |
952a |
32.5a |
2.8a |
3.0a |
0.4a |
Mean |
911 |
32.3 |
2.72 |
3.0 |
0.5 |
C.V. (%) |
29.7 |
5.6 |
42.0 |
12.0 |
22.2 |
?Note:
Treatment 1 = Basal + NO sidedress + NO Penshibao
Treatment 2 = Basal + NO sidedress + Penshibao (up to 7th week –5 spray)
Treatment 3 = Basal + NO sidedress + NO Penshibao(up to 11th week –7 spray)
Treatment 4 = Basal + NO sidedress + NO Penshibao
Treatment 5 = Basal + NO sidedress + Penshibao(up to 7th week –5 spray)
Treatment 6 = Basal + NO sidedress + Penshibao(up to 11th week –7 spray)
- First spray at 7 days after transplanting and then followed by 10th days interval.
Special note:
The above results probably are not reliable due to over-fertilized because the area was fertilized twice after it was hit by flood before. In addition, the result showed that nicotine level was too high and lower in sugars content ( the characteristic of over fertilized tobacco crop).
Report verified by
DR. HJ. MD JUSOH BIN MAMAT
Director
Food &industrial Crops Research Centre |
