THE INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT RATES OF FERMENTED FISH AMINO ACID (FFAA) ON THE YIELD OF SWEET CORN UNDER THE NALIL SOIL AND CLIMATIC CONDITION

Corn (Zea maize, Linn.) is cultivated and produced as staple food next to rice in the Philippine regions for human consumption because of its reach in Vitamin A and carbohydrates which is higher than ordinary rice. The researchers focused only on growing sweet corn as it is the most popular variety. To develop a reflective development of corn, commercial fertilizers are used by most farmers but local farmers in Tawi-Tawi are not yet fully informed of the important contributions of Fermented Fish Amino Acids in corn production.

Fermented Fish Amino Acids (FFAA) are developed organic acid used as fertilizer supplement containing important substances influential to plant growth and development. It is applied to crop in most of the tropical regions like Indonesia, Thailand, India, Lao, and other Asian regions and in some agricultural institutions in the northern Philippines to enhance production. FFAA is in the form of concentrated liquid added to water that is applied to the base and other vegetative parts of the plant. In this study, FFAA was treated with extensive attention as it was used as direct fertilizer to corn. FFAA is a nitrogen source of plants; however, the right amount of concentration and the accurate time of application should be done well in order to attain better output in terms of yield potential of plants. This study was designed to determine the influence of the different rates of Fermented Fish Amino Acid on the yield of sweet corn per plot; identify which of these rates would give best result in terms of yield of sweet corn; and to compare the significant differences among the treatments means per plot. This was conducted at the Tawi-Tawi Regional Agricultural College Researcher Area, Barangay Nalil, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, Southern Philippines. A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) having four treatments replicated three times was employed. Treatment-1 control without FFAA; Treatment-2 treated with concentration of six tablespoons of Fermented Fish Amino Acid (FFAA) per 5 gallons of water; Treatment-3 treated with concentration of nine tablespoons of (FFAA) per 5 gallons of water, and Treatment-4 treated with concentration of 12 tablespoons of (FFAA) per 5 gallons and water. The data were tested at 5% and 1% levels of significance. Results revealed Treatment-4 excelled the highest mean yield of sweet corn. Further, as the rate of Fermented Fish Amino Acid increased from 6-12 tablespoons in every 5 gallons of water per plot, the yield also increased from 7.33 kilograms to 15.12 kilograms/plot. Furthermore, the researcher concluded the higher the rate of FFAA applied to corn plant the higher the yield could be obtained. The 12 tablespoons of Fermented Fish Amino Acid for 5 gallons of water per plot was recommended for corn production. Further, recommended for next study to increase the rate of FFAA application since FFAA classified as organic and non-chemical fertilizer, non-hazardous to corn pant and to human consumption.