Asia Pacific Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, Vol. 3, No. 4, November 2015 Part V _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 9 P-ISSN 2350-7756 | E-ISSN 2350-8442 | www.apjmr.com Production and Characterization of Organic Fertilizer from Tubang-Bakod (Jatrophacurcas) Seed Cake and Chicken Manure Maylen G. Eroa College of Industrial Technology, Batangas State University Philippines milesgen@yahoo.com Date Received: October 1, 2015; Date Revised: November 10, 2015 Asia Pacific Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Vol. 3 No. 4, 9-13 November 2015 Part V P-ISSN 2350-7756 E-ISSN 2350-8442 www.apjmr.com Abstract –The processing of Jatrophacurcas (tubang-bakod) to produce biodiesel entails wastes in the form of seedcake which can be converted into valuable product that can help nurture and improve soil properties. The College of Industrial Technology and the Chemical Engineering Department of Batangas State University (BatstateU) conducted an experimental study which includes the composting of the combination of Jatropha Seed-Cake(JSC) and Chicken Manure(CM) , formulating ratios of JSC and CM andcharacterization of the organic fertilizer produced. Generally, this study aimed to promote proper waste disposal by producing an organic fertilizer from the waste of biodiesel production which uses Jatropha plant and proving the feasibility of making the fertilizer as the main source of nutrient for plants. Specifically, the nutrients that were considered were Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K) and the Carbon: Nitrogen (C:N) ratio. Composting lasted for 6 weeks, three formulations were used, 30(CM):70(JSC), 50(CM):50(JSC) and 70(CM):30(JSC). The result implies that theorganic fertilizers produced can be a good substitute to the commercially available fertilizers. Keywords –composting, C: N ratio, Jatropha seedcake, organic fertilizer, plant nutrients INTRODUCTION In agricultural productivity, fertile soil is the basis for crop production because it is where the nutrients vital for the growth of plants come from. Through the correct use of fertilizer, soil fertility and agricultural productivity can be improved, restored and maintained. Several factors contribute to the continuous decline in agricultural production nowadays. In the Philippines for instance, 13.5 million hectares or 45% of the total arable lands is affected by soil erosion and about 12 million hectares or 40.8% of the total land area is affected by low fertility. The most common deficient nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur and zinc as indicated in the National Academy of Science and Technology- Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development NAST-PCARRD Industry Strategic Plan for Environment Services [1]. With these figures, there is an urgent need to find ways and means to abate such problems. Among the common practice in improving soil fertility is the application of fertilizer of different levels of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K), which improves vegetable production. Aside from chemical fertilizers, organic substrate such as animal manure and green manure are considered good potential source of macronutrients and micronutrients for the plants. Chatuverdi [2] reported the relatively high NPK content of Jatrophacurcas seed cakebesides sufficient organic matter content. Moreover, the addition of the composted organic wastes improves availability ofcalcium as well as key micronutrients such as iron, copper, and manganese in the soil. Jatrophacurcas is a drought-resistant perennial, growing well in marginal or poor soil. The Jatrophacurcas seed cake which is the waste by- product of the biodiesel transesterification process can be used as a rich organic fertilizer as reported in the study of Srinophakun et al. [3]. Though Jatrophacurcas is known to contain phorbol esters, a toxic chemical to human and animals, the study of Devappa, Makkarand Becker proved that no residue