Home⇛Scientific Augustinian⇛vol. 15 no. 1 (2025)

Effects of Fe?O?–Enhanced Chlorella Nano-Biofertilizer on Early Growth Parameters of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Althea T. Alojipan | Justin S. Basea | Jrexzyhl Mhyrq P. Clarito | Khianne S. Piansay | Kevin Craig D. Silorio | Rhain Lorenz G. Vicera | Princess Kyla B. Yllano | Christy Ann G Banguanga

Discipline: Pharmacology

 

Abstract:

Rice production in the Philippines, which plays a critical role in national food security and rural livelihoods, continues to face increasing challenges arising from environmental stressors, pest outbreaks, and land-use changes. In Western Visayas, palay production declined by 2.52% in 2023, highlighting the need for sustainable and cost-effective agricultural innovations. This study investigated the potential of iron oxide (Fe?O?)–enhanced Chlorella as a nano-biofertilizer for improving the early growth parameters of rice (Oryza sativa L.) seeds. Fe?O? nanoparticles were synthesized through co-precipitation using FeCl?·4H?O and FeCl?·6H?O in a 1:2 molar ratio, followed by precipitation with NaOH at approximately pH 12 under mild heating conditions (60–70 °C). The resulting nanoparticles were washed with deionized water and ethanol until neutral pH was achieved, dried at 50–60 °C, and dispersed into a 5 g/L Chlorella suspension to produce the nano-biofertilizer after 24–72 hours of incubation under controlled conditions. A true experimental design employing a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was utilized, consisting of treatments containing 50, 100, and 150 ppm nano-biofertilizer and a distilled-water control. Germination rate, root length, and vigor index were evaluated using the ragdoll method. Data were analyzed using one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Pearson’s correlation analysis in JASP software at a significance level of α = 0.05. All nano-biofertilizer treatments exhibited descriptively higher germination rates than the control group, with the highest mean germination observed at 150 ppm. Root length and vigor index showed their highest mean values at 100 ppm, suggesting a potentially favorable concentration under the conditions of the study, whereas the 150 ppm treatment exhibited greater variability. One-way ANOVA revealed no statistically significant differences among treatment groups (p > 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated strong positive relationships between nano-biofertilizer concentration and germination rate (r = 0.91, p = 0.012) as well as vigor index (r = 0.87, p = 0.023), although no significant relationship was observed for root length (r = 0.42, p = 0.197). The findings preliminarily suggest a possible non-linear relationship between nano-biofertilizer concentration and early seedling performance. Although statistically significant treatment effects were not detected under controlled laboratory conditions, Fe?O?–Chlorella nano-biofertilizer demonstrates preliminary potential as a sustainable agricultural input for rice cultivation. Further field-based investigations are recommended to evaluate its performance under more variable environmental conditions and longer exposure periods.



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