Impact of Vermicompost as a Base Fertilizer for Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) Cultivation

Abstract

Higher dosages of chemical fertilizers and other plant growth regulators increased the crop yield, but at the same time cause detrimental effects for human beings and environment. Usage of organic fertilizers has come forward to minimize the usage of synthetic fertilizers. A pot experiment was carried out in Crop farm, Eastern University, Sri Lanka in between February to July in 2019 to analyze the effect of vermicomposting on growth and yield of radish. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with five treatments and four replicates. The experiment was comprised with treatments; planting radish in soil with synthetic fertilizers at recommended rate (T1), planting radish in soil mixed with vermicomposting in the rate 10 t/ha (T2), 8 t/ha (T3), 6 t/ha (T4) and 4 t/ha (T5). Variety Beeralu was used for the experiment. T4 gave maximum plant height and fresh weight of leaves at 2nd and 4th WAP. Number of leaves was maximum in T4 at 2nd WAP. Tuber length and fresh weight of tuberous root was superior in T4 at 2nd and 4th WAP. Dry weight of leaves was not significantly varied with different levels of vermicomposting while dry weight of tuberous roots gave higher values in T4 at 6th WAP which was not significantly differed with control. T4 gave superior total yield of radish/pot at each weekly interval. As most of the growth and yield parameters are superior in T4, the study concludes that, the better rate of vermicomposting that can be used to plant radish in sandy regosol is 6 t/ha for the better performance of radish.

Keywords: Vermicomposting, organic fertilizers, synthetic fertilizers, tuberous root, base fertilizer