1Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology, Lagangilang, Abra2802, Philippines
*Corresponding Author: Nero M. Paderes, Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology, Lagangilang, Abra2802, Philippines. Email: npaderes@asist.edu.ph
Cardava banana (Musa spp.) production in the Philippines is constrained by slow multiplication rates and disease transmission associated with traditional sucker propagation, as well as the high cost and limited accessibility of tissue culture. Macropropagation offers a low-cost alternative, particularly when combined with locally available farm waste substrates. This study evaluated the effects of five farm waste-based media on shoot emergence and early growth of macropropagated and traditionally propagated Cardava bananas under greenhouse conditions, assessed field growth and yield performance and examined the educational outcomes of integrating macropropagation activities into science instruction.
A factorial experiment in a completely randomized design compared soil (control), soil amended with coconut husk, compost, mung bean pod hull and rice hull. Field trials compared the growth and yield of macropropagated and traditionally propagated plants. Educational outcomes were evaluated using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design involving hands-on propagation activities.
Macropropagated plants exhibited significantly faster shoot emergence and greater early growth than traditionally propagated plants across all media (p<0.001). Among substrates, soil amended with mung bean pod hulls produced the fastest emergence and greatest plant height, followed by compost and coconut husk-amended soils, while rice hull-amended soil performed the poorest. Field evaluation showed significantly higher yields in macropropagated plants, with an average increase of 7.10 kg per plant (p<0.001). Educational results indicated substantial improvements in posttest scores, student engagement, interest in agriculture and knowledge retention compared with theory-based instruction. The findings demonstrate that macropropagation supported by farm waste-based substrates provides a flexible and sustainable approach to improving Cardava banana production while enhancing experiential learning in agricultural education
Cardava banana, Experiential learning, Farm waste substrates, Macropropagation, Musa spp., Yield performance
