Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources

Restoration of Mined-Out Soil using Carbonized Rice Hull and Rice Hay Compost

Alejacel P. Bernardo, David Joy C. Gamilong, Henry James B. Saldajeno

Abstract

Mining activities contribute significantly to land degradation, resulting in nutrient–deficient and unproductive soils that require effective rehabilitation strategies. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Rice Hay Compost (RHC) and Carbonized Rice Hull (CRH) as organic amendments to restore the productivity of mined–out soil collected from the mining area of Berong Nickel Corporation at Quezon, Palawan. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was used consisting of nine treatments with varying proportions of RHC and CRH amendments applied to mined–out soil, each replicated eight times. Growth and yield parameters, including leaf length, leaf width, number of leaves, fresh weight, and biomass, were measured over a 59–day growing period. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT) Post Hoc analysis at 1% level of significance. Results showed highly significant differences (P < 0.01) among treatments for all measured parameters. Treatment 9 (60% mined–out soil + 20% RHC + 20% CRH) consistently produced the highest growth and yield values, while the control (100% mined–out soil) and treatments with low amendment levels (T2–T5) exhibited the poorest performance. The combined application of RHC and CRH at higher proportions significantly enhanced plant growth and biomass production. The study concludes that the combination of 20% RHC and 20% CRH is the most effective treatment for enhancing the growth and yield of Pechay in mined–out soils. These findings highlight a sustainable and cost–effective approach for rehabilitating degraded mining areas using agricultural waste materials.