Wood Vinegar Increases Rice Yields by 68% in Field Study
Study Overview
Rice production faces challenges such as pest resistance, declining yields, and soil degradation. A 2018 study at the Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology (MinSCAT) in the Philippines evaluated wood vinegar—a byproduct of organic material pyrolysis—as a growth enhancer for irrigated rice, specifically the PSB Rc18 variety.
Experimental Design
The study tested three dilutions of wood vinegar:
- 1% (1L wood vinegar:100L water)
- 0.5% (1L wood vinegar:200L water)
- 0.33% (1L wood vinegar:300L water)
These treatments were compared against a control group over a five-month period. Key growth parameters measured included plant height, tiller count, and panicle length.
Key Findings
Enhanced Growth Metrics
- Plants treated with 1% wood vinegar solution reached an average height of 93.47 cm, surpassing the control group's 87.51 cm.
- The same treatment resulted in 14.54 productive tillers per plant, compared to 10.42 in untreated plants.
- Treated plants exhibited longer flag leaves (34.42 cm) and panicles (24.08 cm) than the control group.
Increased Yield and Economic Benefits
- Fields treated with 1% wood vinegar yielded 4.34 tons per hectare, significantly higher than the control's 2.58 tons.
- This increase translated to a net income of PHP 87,653 ($1,550) per hectare, more than double the return on investment (206.36%) compared to untreated fields.
Improved Pest and Disease Resistance
- Treated plants showed greater resistance to common pests like rice bugs and stem borers.
- There was a notable reduction in diseases such as bacterial leaf blight and rice blast among treated plants.