Tuba-tuba (Jatropha curcas) seed extract effects on

Crabgrass (Digitaria ischaemum)

Proponent:

Lloyd P. Ondangan

IV-Einstein

Submitted as a Requirement for Research II

Agusan National High School

A.D Curato Street Butuan City

Mrs.Marie Lou Paler

Adviser

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

TABLE OF CONTENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

CHAPTER

1. INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study . . . . . . . .1

B. Statement of the Problem . . . . . . . .2

C. Statement of the Hypothesis. . . . . . 2

D. Statement of the Objectives . . . . . .2

E. Significance of the Study. . . . . . . .3

F. Scope and Limitation. . . . . . . . . . 3

G. Definition of Terms . . . . . . . . . . 4

2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE. . . . . . . . . .7

3. METHODOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

BIBLIOGRAPHY 17

i

Chapter I

Introduction

Background of the study

Crabgrass (D. ischaemum). This kind of plant is a

competitor for water supply, sunlight and other source of

nutrients of the other plants. It is not helpful for it

competes with the other, some lawn owners considered it as a

pest. This is an unwanted plant that needs to be controlled.

People used various products to control grass, but

some are harmful to the environment and quite expensive. The

researcher developed a natural herbicide that can kill grass

using the seed extract of tuba-tuba plant. Tuba-tuba is a

plant that grows in tropical and subtropical regions in the

world. This plant contains toxalbumin curcin that is a

highly poisonous chemical found in the seeds. Several cases

of poisoning are cited due to seed intake of the said plant.

In the study, the effects of tuba-tuba seed herbicide

is observed and compared to the effects of a commercial

herbicide to the weed crabgrass.

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Statement of the Problem

The following are the problems the researcher aims to

answer during and after the investigation process.

1. Is there a significant difference on the herbicidal

activity of tuba-tuba extract and commercial herbicide

in the weed crabgrass?

2. Is there a significant difference on the no. of weeds

present between the use of tuba-tuba extract and

commercial herbicide?

Statement of the Hypothesis

Null Hypothesis: There is no significant difference between

the herbicidal activity of tuba-tuba seed extract and

commercial herbicide in the weed crabgrass.

Alternative Hypothesis: There is a significant difference

between the herbicidal activity of tuba-tuba seed extract

and commercial herbicide in the weed crabgrass.

Statement of the Objectives

The following are the objectives the researcher aims to

achieve during and after the investigation:

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1. To be able to compare the herbicidal activity of

tuba-tuba seed herbicide and commercial herbicide in

the weed crabgrass.

2. To be able to give a clear conclusion whether the

tuba-tuba seed extract has herbicidal activity and

can be used as a herbicide.

Significance of the Study

The study can provide useful informations for searching

an alternative and organic herbicide. The study proposes a

product that is cheap yet having herbicidal activity and

environment-friendly. The study proposes a product that can

kill unwanted growth of weeds, giving opportunity to plants

to wield having no competitor for nutrients, water supply,

and sunlight. The study explores the uses of tuba-tuba

plant; this plant is commonly found in the locality.

Scope and Limitations

The study uses tuba-tuba seeds, which germinates 7-14

days in organic mix soil with good moisture, collection of

seed may take time.

The tuba-tuba seed is poisonous. Wrong usage of the

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product could poison the user and may lead to death. The

product has health risks, sniffing it can cause dizziness

and/or headache. Improper management of the product can

cause The accumulation of tuba-tuba seed is a hard task for

a plant of tuba-tuba does have only a few seeds. The lacking

seeds will lead to a lower concentration and may affect the

herbicidal activity of the product.

The study focus only to the weed crabgrass and not a

herbicide for all weeds.

Definition of Terms

1. Herbicide - A substance that is toxic to plants and is

used to destroy unwanted vegetation.

2. Crabgrass - a grass (Digitaria) that has creeping or

decumbent stems which root freely at the nodes and that

is often a pest in turf or cultivated lands.

3. Tuba-tuba - small tropical tree yielding purple dye and

a tanning extract and bearing physic nuts containing

purgative oil that is poisonous in large quantities.

4. Toxalbumin curcin – a highly poisonous chemical found

in the tuba-tuba seeds.

5. Weed - A wild plant growing where it is not wanted and

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6. in competition with cultivated plants.

7. Pest - A destructive insect or other plant that attacks

crops, food, livestock, etc.

8. Risky - Full of the possibility of danger, failure, or

loss.

9. Pollution – The presence in or introduction into the

environment of a substance or thing that has harmful or

poisonous effects.

10. Concentration – amount of a substance in a

specific space or substance.

11. Sniff – Draw in air audibly through the nose.

12. Residue – A small amount of something that remains

after the main part has gone or been taken or used.

13. Lung Problems – any problem in the lungs or that

prevents the lungs from working properly. 

14. Chemical – A compound or substance that has been

purified or prepared, esp. artificially.

15. Poison – A substance that, when introduced into or

absorbed by a living organism, causes death or injury,

esp. one that kills by rapid action

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16. Compete – Strive to gain or win something by

defeating or establishing superiority over others who

are trying to do the same.

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Chapter II

Review of Related Literature

Tuba-tuba

In an article entitled Higher Plant Genera and their

toxins (2008), tuba-tuba plant is a large coarse shrub or a

small tree which can grow 3.5 to 4.5 meters tall. It has

thin, often greenish bark which exudes copious amounts of

watery sap when cut. The leaves are dark green, simple ovate

to slightly lobed with 3-5 indentations, and widens up to 15

cm. The fruit are small capsule-like, round fruit; about 2.5

to 4 cm in diameter. These are green and fleshy when

immature, becoming dark brown when ripe and splits to

release 2 – 3 black seeds each about 2 cm long. The meat of

the seeds is white and oily in texture.

Moreover, in an article entitle Floral Boilogy and

Hybridization Potential of Nine Accessions of Physic Nut

(Jatropha curcas L.) Originating from Three Continents

(2012), Jatropha curcas is a shrub which has an important

economic and medicinal role in tropical and subtropical

zones of the world. The oil of its kernels can serve as

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fuel feedstock to produce diesel, indicating its

potential as a renewable source of energy.

From the article entitled Promoting the conservation

and use of underutilized and neglected crops (2010), the

physic nut is a drought-resistant species which is widely

cultivated in the tropics as a living fence. Many parts of

the plants are used in traditional medicine. The seeds,

however, are toxic to humans and many animals. Considerable

amounts of physic nut seeds were produced on Cape Verde

during the first half of this century, and this constituted

an important contribution to the country’s economy. Seeds

were exported to Lisbon and Marseille for oil extraction and

soap production. Today’s global production is, however,

negligible. Preparations of all parts of the plant,

including seeds, leaves and bark, fresh or as a decoction,

are used in traditional medicine and for veterinary

purposes. The oil has a strong purgative action and is also

widely used for skin diseases and to soothe pain such as

that caused by rheumatism. A decoction of leaves is used

against cough and as an antiseptic after birth. Physic nut

is well adapted to marginal areas with poor soils and low

rainfall, where it grows without competing with annual food

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crops, thus filling an ecological niche. It is widely

distributed in the tropics and is already used to a certain

extent. Any further promotion of its use would, therefore,

be facilitated by this. The species has numerous uses and in

their combination lies the potential of this crop. The most

important is the combination of erosion control and oil

production. The use of the oil as a substitute for diesel

fuel and for soap production in rural areas would improve

the living conditions of the people and would offer

additional income.

In a news article of Inquirer entitled Tuba-tuba

poisoning justifies tree cutting (2013), 30 children (aged 3

to 12) fell ill after eating tuba-tuba seeds in Barangay San

Nicolas, Pampanga. The victims complained of abdominal pain,

several of them suffered from severe dehydration due to

vomiting. One of the victims mistook the tuba-tuba seed as

small apple that tasted like peanuts; he shared it to his

friends for them to taste.

Another news article from PhilStar entitled

Poisonous plant downs 14 kids in Tondo (2008), 14 children

were rushed in the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center

because of poisoning. The children took and ate the seed of

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tuba-tuba, after ingesting, the children experienced stomach

pain. According to the doctor, the fruit of the plant

contains acid which irritates the lining of the stomach and

is not advisable for ingestion. The patients were given

activated charcoal that magnetized the poisonous substance.

When they moved their bowels, the toxin were naturally

discharged along with the charcoal. The doctor added that

while the sap, juice and oil from the stems and leaves of

tuba-tuba are known purgative, anti-rheumatic and anti-

helminthic, the seeds are highly toxic. He warned the seeds

contain curcin, a toxic substance that cause hemorrhagic

gastroenteritis or bloody diarrhea. It could be fatal if the

condition progressed into dehydration and circulatory

collapse.

Toxalbumin curcin

In an article entitled Handbook of Energy Crops, it is

a poisonous toxin found in the tuba-tuba seeds. The

poisoning is irritant, with acute abdominal pain and nausea

about ½ hour following ingestion. Diarrhea and nausea

continue but are not usually serious. Depression and

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collapse may occur, especially in children. Two seeds are

strong purgative. Four to five seed are said to have caused

death, but the roasted seed is said to be nearly innocuous.

Bark, fruit, leaf, root, and wood are all reported to

contain HCN. Seeds contain the dangerous toxalbumin curcin,

rendering them potentially fatally toxic.

Herbicide

An article entitled HERBICIDE USE: BENEFITS FOR SOCIETY

AS A WHOLE (2010), Herbicides are one of the crucial factors

in a worldwide increase in agricultural production.

Herbicides contribute effectively and profitably to weed

control, environmental protection, and, in the same time,

saving labor necessary for weed control practices, reduced

soil erosion, saved energy, increased crop production,

reduced the cost of farming. Therefore, herbicides benefit

society as a whole. But, use of herbicides has created

considerable concern for human health and environment.

Fortunately, the health and environmental risks associated

with herbicide use are largely a manageable problem. In most

cases, herbicide

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misuse is a human health and environmental risks. The use of

herbicides has created considerable controversy in the world

wide. It is widely believed by the public that herbicides

pose substantial dangers to the population at large through

residues on food and ground-water contamination, to farm

workers through occupational exposure. In our industrialized

society, the common feeling about herbicides is often

unreasonably hostile. Statistical studies made by herbicides

manufacturers revealed that more than 90% of the

interviewed, even without contact with agriculture, consider

herbicides dangerous for man and for the environment. This

poor social acceptance is probably due to the poor

communication existing between the scientific world and the

society. Scientist and researchers have to give objective

and scientific explanations for developing herbicides.

Crabgrass

In an article entitled Crabgrass Control (2010),

Crabgrass is a summer annual weed (one that germinates in

the spring or summer, flowers, sets seed, and dies during a

single growing season). In regularly mowed lawns it grows

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prostrate and spreading. It dies in autumn with the first

killing frost. It has the ability to survive in poor, dry

soil conditions, but easily tolerates soil conditions of

most kinds. In lawns it is often found where the soil and

maintenance practices are poor. Crabgrass reproduces from

seed that can germinate from mid-spring to late summer. All

crabgrass seed in the soil does not germinate each year.

Research has shown that less than 50% of the seed produced

the previous year will germinate the following spring. Lawns

infested with crabgrass for several years in a row will have

a large bank of viable seed during the spring due to the

high level of seed production over the years. If crabgrass

seed production is prevented, you will significantly reduce

the seed present in the weed seed bank in your lawn.

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Chapter III

Methdology

This section shows the materials and tools needed and

how will be the experimentation done.

Collection of Tuba-tuba seeds

Find the nearest tuba-tuba plant in the locality. The

seeds will be gathered using a long stick (gather as many

seeds as possible for greater production of the herbicide).

The dried seeds will be put in a closed container while the

green will be put in a separate container. The dried seeds

will be set aside; the green seeds will be sundried for 5-7

days until the seed will obtain a black color.

Extraction of Tuba-tuba seed

Prepare a pot, 1 liter of water, strainer, container,

and the sundried tuba-tuba seeds. Put the water and the

sundried tuba-tuba seeds into the pot. Make a fire, and then

place the pot (with water and sundried tuba-tuba seeds) into

it. Boil it for 30 minutes, maintain the fire. After this,

set aside the pot and put out the fire. Using

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the potholder, carefully pour the substance into the

strainer and the container catching the liquid. Close the

container and set it aside.

Prepare mortar and pestle. Use gloves and mask for

safety. The boiled tuba-tuba seeds will undergo

pulverization using mortar and pestle. Boil the pulverized

tuba-tuba seeds for 15 minutes using 1 cup of water. Then,

strain it to the container (use the same container). The

container will be left aside until the crabgrass is ready

for operation.

Preparation of Crabgrass

Make 8 ½ by ½ meter plot. Plant two stems of crabgrass

in each plot, watering it twice a day for 10-20 days (if

sunlight is always present). If it rains, the watering of

the plants will be stopped until the sunlight returns. The

plants will be ready after it reached its adult size. The

plants will now ready for the experimentation.

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Treatment of Tuba-tuba seed herbicide

Prepare the tuba-tuba seed herbicide, commercial

herbicide, gloves, mask, and spray bottle. Put the extracts

of tuba-tuba seed in the spray bottle. For safety, wear the

gloves and mask (use pants and sweatshirt if possible). For

each of the 4 plots, spray it with the tuba-tuba seed

herbicide with 20mL evenly. For each of the rest of plots,

use the commercial herbicide and spray it evenly. Record the

time in minutes, the time does the crabgrass withered. After

1 hour, measure the area of effect of the each herbicide in

centimeter. The observations will be recorded in a notebook.

Waste Disposal

The crabgrass will be uprooted and will be put in a

garbage bag. The remaining substance of commercial herbicide

will be stored and used. The remaining tuba-tuba seed

herbicide will be put in a container labeling it as

poisonous. After 1 month, it will be collected by the

government dumptruck to the Amparo dumpsite.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kingsbury, J. M.(2008). Higher Plant Genera and their

toxins. Washington, D.C.: Scientia Press

Ahoton, L.E.,& Quenum, F. (2012).Floral Boilogy and

Hybridization Potential of Nine Accessions of

Physic Nut (Jatropha curcas L.) Originating from

Three Continents. Benin: TROPICULTURA

Heller, J. (2010).Promoting the conservation and use of

underutilized and neglected crops. Rome:

International Plant Genetic Resources Institute.

Orejas, R. (2013, February 19). Tuba-tuba poisoning

justifies tree cutting. Inquirer

Etolle, N. & Crisostomo, S. (2008). Poisonous plant downs 14

kids in Tondo. PhilStar

Pacanoski, Z. (2010). HERBICIDE USE: BENEFITS FOR SOCIETY AS

A WHOLE. Retrieved October 17, 2013,

http://www.wssp.org.pk/131216.htm

Duke, J. (n.d). Handbook of Energy Crops. United States:

Purdue University Publications

17

Cornell University (2010). Crabgrass Controll. Retrieved

October 17, 2013,

http://www.maine.gov/agriculture/pesticides/gotpes

ts/weeds/factsheets/crabgrass-cornell.pdf

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