AZOLLA (Azolla caroliniana Wild) PRODUCTION AS AFFECTED BY DIFFERENT TYPES OF ORGANIC SOURCES (Chicken Manure, Cow Manure, Goat Manure, Vermicompost) UNDER SOIL AND SOILLESS CONDITION

Azolla is a water fern that belongs to the family of Azollaceae. It hosts Anabaena azollae, a blue-green alga that is almost invariably present in the dorsal cavity of its leaves. It was studied in terms of production and cultivation as affected by soil and soilless condition as well as the different types of organic sources. Chicken manure, Cow manure, Goat manure, and Vermicompost organic materials were used to determine the effect on the growth and development of Azolla, in terms of root length, number of leaves, plant length, plant weight, and plant color distinction. Root length, plant length, number of leaves, and plant weight were significantly affected by the growing medium used. The study showed that it is preferred to grow Azolla in soil conditions mixed with 5% organic materials as compared to soilless and 100g of organic materials. Overall, Chicken manure holds the highest average plant weight across the treatments even in soil and soilless conditions, in plant canopy cow manure and chicken manure hold the highest average width among the treatments in soil and soilless conditions. In terms of the number of leaves, cow manure has the highest averages among all treatments whether the Azolla is cultivated in soil or soilless condition. The lowest production is gathered from control which also has the highest average root length, however, longer roots indicate that the Azolla plant is struggling to find and absorb nutrients. Moreover, the visual appearance of Azolla cultivated with goat manure under soil conditions is the most appealing while under the soilless condition, vermicompost has the brightest green in color. The production of Azolla is important since it has great potential of being a substitute for chemical fertilizer and it could be utilized as a sustainable fodder feed for livestock and its other uses in agricultural production. However, in the Philippines, the Azolla study is limited and conservation of this fern must be given importance, it is a highly adaptable plant and a good choice as a biofertilizer and alternative feed for livestock.