CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Chapter one, discusses the background information about the study, including

the statement of the problem and its basis. Significance of the study is also given

emphasis in this chapter; the objective of the study is elaborated as well as the scope

and limitation of it.

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

1.1.1 Agricultural Waste in the Philippines

In our country, Agriculture has given as massive opportunities to our fellow

countrymen for their daily needs from salaries to foods that were gathered from fields.

But in every field that was being harvested, they produced not only fruits or vegetables

but also waste that can affect us or the environment.

According to our research about agricultural waste, the most common

agricultural wastes here in the Philippines are mainly from rice, like rice husk, rice straw,

and also other waste like coconut husk, shell, and bagasse which is from crushed sugar

cane. Higher volume of agricultural waste being produced gives higher supply to our

biomass power plants, but having only four operating biomass power plants in our

country, the demand is too low to use all of the existing supply given by our fields from

the harvested crops.

According to Engr. Santiago R. Baconguis, Chief Science Research Specialist,

said that due to abundance of abandoned Agricultural Waste in the country, various

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conversion of technologies using Agricultural waste as a biomass have been developed

and should be develop. But there are so many existing obstacles to achieve that goal,

such as difficulty in sourcing out of fund for biomass utilization projects especially for the

rural communities where the biomass resources are available in abundance. Today,

much Agricultural waste has been still scattered around our environment being

produced especially when demand is increasing, like rice and limited machines or even

power plants to use them as a biomass.

Table 1.1.1 Residue Volumes of Major Crops in Philippines, 2016

7,281,612 Rice Corn

12,581,447
6,113,450

Coconut Sugarcane
16,289,258

https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/unosd/documents/37656.Philippines-

Power%20Point%20Presentation-2-21-18.pdf

1.1.2 Rice Production Waste in the Philippines

50,000 rice grains can only produce 1 kilogram of rice that can be sell from the

market [1], imagine the waste being separated, Rice straw is one of the common waste

being removed by the thresher or combined harvester. Each kilogram of milled rice

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produced results in roughly 0.7 to 1.4 kilogram of rice straw [2]. The Philippines was cited

as producing 15.2 million tons of rice that leave behind 11.3 million tons of rice straw a

year [3]. Rice husk is also common waste from milling machine to create rice, each kg of

milled white rice results in roughly 0.28 kg of rice husk as a by-product of rice

production during milling [4]. And lastly, the rice bran, One hundred kilogram (100 kg) of

paddy rice will generate approximately 5−10 kg of bran [4].

Figure 1.1 Rice Straws, Husk and Rice Bran

1.1.3 Rice Production Waste in Central Luzon

Central Luzon produces enough products to sustain needs of the People in the

country. Central Luzon is known for contributing massive amount of Rice in the

Philippines, in first quarter of 2019 at total of 729,873 or 16.5 percent to the total rice

production, making it still the rice granary of the Philippines [5]. From the statements that

we researched above about the Rice Production Waste, and the value of Rice

production in Central Luzon, We can determine that Central Luzon also generates

massive amount of Waste from harvesting to milling rice for the market, limited biomass

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power plants or also machines that can uses agricultural waste especially from rice can

affect our environment, not only in Central Luzon but in the Philippines, improper

disposal can also be seen around especially in empty fields, burning of rice straw, rice

husk and rice bran is common and it affects the environment, in short and long term.

Table 1.1.2 Volume of Palay Production in the Philippines First quarter of 2019

http://rsso03.psa.gov.ph/article/volume-palay-production-central-luzon-first-quarter-2019

1.1.4 Rice Production Waste in Bataan

Agricultural productions are major sources of income for the people of Bataan,

but all of the Agricultural Production available here, they are focused producing rice and

on first quarter of 2019, Bataan produced 32,089 Metric tons of rice grain placing 5 th

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Place in Central Luzon [6]. While producing much higher supply of milled rice, Waste

from rice production is also getting higher. Limited machines or a device that use

agricultural waste such as from rice grains to create product does not exist here in

Bataan. We can also see from fields around Bataan, Burning of Rice waste is being

implemented.

Table 1.1.3 Volume of Palay Production in the Central Luzon First quarter of 2019

1.1.5 Understanding Effects of Improper Disposal Rice Production Waste

Improper disposal of waste from producing rice can affects us short and long

term. In short term, burning of rice waste such as rice straws and husk causing air

pollutants such as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur dioxide

and can be inhaled by people living near the open fields, in can also produce diseases

that can leads to long term effect, such as asthma and many more. Massive amount of

Agricultural Waste can only be vanished or use in positive way if certain machines or

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power plants will be developed, but lack of ideas and funds can make them impossible

to create. Burning of Rice production waste is not the only one that affects the

environment, abandoning rice stalks or husk in the field can also damage the soil by

contaminating them, it also kills the organism that helps the plant to grow well or to

prevent pests. In Province of Bataan, Wastes from producing rice is being abandoned

or sometimes being burned because of lack of technologies that are suitable for reusing

and recycling it. Studies have shown that it has a potential to be a source of an extra

income for the rice farmers, because rice bran is functional and versatile, but currently

in Bataan, it is still being underutilized. Bataan rice production has been rising, which

also accounts for the tons of rice production waste that is being disposed, and is usually

being burned. Burning agricultural waste such as rice bran and rice straw has been a

common practice in every rice farm, which threatens our environment because it

contributes more to air pollution [7}.

1.1.6 Rice Bran Hydraulic-type Compression Molder for Rice Bran Pot Production

Rice Bran Hydraulic-type Compression Molder is a machine that designed for

creating high value product from Rice bran that generates from milling rice grains.

Creating pots that can fertilize the sprouts that will be planted inside. The research also

aims to help not the environment from existing situation that we encounter due to lack of

solutions that should be developed. The researchers proposed the research and design

a machine that can minimize the abandoned rice bran existing in rice mills. The

machine is designed intended for the users especially farmers, making it easy to use

and to function.

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1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

One of the existing problems of the rice farmers and our community especially in

Bataan is the improper disposal of waste from Milling Rice Production, Insufficient or

limited demands of Machines that uses rice waste affects them and forces to burning or

sometimes scattered them in the field, There is a need for our farmers to help them

conserve our environment while doing their Jobs, a machine that uses rice waste to

reduce their activities of burning them and also give them extra income from the product

that being created by the Machine. These problems are to be solved throughout the

research and designing process of the machine.

1.3 OBJECTIVES

1.3.1 General Objective

The General Objective of the Study are to design, create, fabricate a quality,

reliable and effective machine that will able to solve problem being encountered by our

farmers and give them extra income, also our objective is to make it accessible to small

industries, making them capable of recycling rice waste to a highly valued product.

1.3.2 Specific Objectives

1. To design an easy to use, hydraulic type molding machine that uses Rice Bran, as a

raw material for making of Fertilizer Pot.

2. To accomplish the research’s goal, to help our farmers from their current improper

disposal situation.

3. To create a highly valued product, a Fertilizer Pot from Rice Bran and can be used

instead of Traditional Clay pots and plastic pots.

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1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study will be undertaken to help conserve our environment, by designing and

fabricating a suitable machine for creating a highly valued product from Rice Brans that

can minimize agricultural waste generated from milling of rice grains, and to test the

efficiency of the designed and fabricated hydraulic molding machine. The results of the

study will be of great benefit and help to the following:

1.4.1 Rice Farmers

This type of machine will greatly benefit the rice farmers. From their current

situation of decreasing the price of rice grains, they are forced to create more than the

demand and the rice waste that is being generated can be increase also. By providing

them a machine that uses their rice waste as a raw material, they can help conserving

our environment and give them income. The hydraulic molding machine comes with a

compact design and relatively low cost to make them affordable by our farmers.

1.4.2 Community

The Community in Bataan will surely benefits from this study, it will surely lessen

the rice wastes accumulated across the land of province. This study will affect in our

environment positively, by preventing the activities of burning massive amount of rice

waste and reduce air pollution being produced by that activity. We all know that climate

change is a serious issue in our environment so we need to make studies that will help

to protect our environment and our study will definitely help in big issue of climate

change

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1.4.3 Environment

The environment can also greatly benefit from this study for the product of which

will serve as an alternative for “pots” made from plastics that where made from toxic

materials and also traditional pots created from clay that are being harvested

underground and can cause soil contamination or irritation. Lesser usage of such pots

will contribute on lessening the existing pollution that may cause an unfavorable impact

on the environment. The study will also help on decreasing the amount of waste from

rice production as rice brans will be used on producing the “pot”. Also the “Rice Bran

pot”, itself, will serve as the fertilizer to help on the growth of the plant potted on such.

1.4.4 Students

The students are also beneficiaries of this study. The design of the Rice Bran

Hydraulic-type Compression Molder for Rice Bran Pot Production can further be

enhanced and developed to improve its capability and efficiency. This study is an

advantage for the students because it improves the understanding of the students about

recycling agricultural waste such as rice bran.

1.4.5 Agriculture

This study has a significant contribution to the agricultural sector of the Philippine

economy. It contributes on lessening the agricultural waste rice bran, and considering it

as a valuable output, and increasing its economic value for producing a rice bran pot.

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1.5 SCOPE AND LIMITATION

This study is focused on developing a possible method in decreasing amount of

Agricultural waste in our environment, especially in Bataan which is being generated

from milling of rice grains, such as providing a machine that uses Rice Brans as a raw

material to create a Fertilizer Pot. Also, to introduced an idea and possible solution on

preserving our environment, and to decrease the activities from improper disposal of

waste that contributes to Air pollution. The study is directed towards the testing of

Hydraulic Molding machine from different condition of the raw material such as Rice

bran to provide correct information about the materials that should be use to achieved a

perfect product that will be produced by the machine. To provide an easier

understanding about the functions and process of the machine, The main parts and

components of the machine, as well the raw material used to produce the Fertilizer Pot

are readily available in local markets as well as in environment. Conditions of the main

parts and components, and also the raw material will be evaluated before proceeding to

the test of produced product. However, certain situations can affect our knowledge and

development to provide a perfect machine for our study. This study is limited only for a

period of 7-8 months. Further improvement or optimization can only be done in a longer

period of time. Also, the related studies connected to creation of Rice bran hydraulic

molding machine is limited. Thus, our knowledge for this study is limited. Our

understanding about the connections of electronic parts and wiring that will be use in

our machine is also limited. Considering the design of the machine, the parts or

components that will be used for fabrication of the Hydraulic molding machine should be

readily in market or locally. In addition to the limitations, the machine is not expected to

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be very representable or in perfect design because of the funds for this study is

insufficient to make it more unique in terms of design also the certain period of time

given for the creation of this study. In terms of the size of machine, it will also affect from

the limitations, it will be semi-portable, because of its parts and components being used,

it can’t be easily transfer to another place. In terms of functions, our machine does not

have an ability to create or record any data. Lastly, the product that will be produced by

our machine can only be used in a span of 20-30 days depending on the situation,

because of the characteristic of raw materials especially Rice Bran, also on the

insufficient time given to perform further research on how to extend the life span of the

product. Lack of knowledge about additives or substances that can be mixed on the raw

materials also affects the researchers forcing them to provide a simple design of the

product.

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