​Efficiency of Biocomposted Agroindustrial Wastes and Their Response in the Growth and Yield of Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp

Abstract

Background: Agroindustrial by-products of cocoa shell and jack fruit peels generally considered as organic waste have almost no economic value and create a big problem in disposal time. A significant amount of biocomposted cocoa shell and jack fruit peel waste is used as organic manure that enhances growth in Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. Methods: This research work was conducted in the period of 2019 in the Department of Botany, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu (India). A large amount of cocoa shell and jack fruit peel waste was used for the biocompost preparation using Pleurotus eous, Pleurotus florida spawns and Eudrilus eugeniae. After 90 days, biocompost were taken and sieved used as manure for plant study. Eight different treatments were carried out for the cultivation of Cowpea. Plant samples at various stages (25, 35 and 45 DAS) were analyzed for shoot and root length, number of leaves, flowers, nodules /plant, fresh weight and dry weight of plant. On 65th day yield parameters like number of pods/plant, length of the pod, number of seeds/pod, weight of seeds/pods, pod fresh weight and pod dry weight were analyzed. Result: The experimental results showed that the application T8 (Raw jackfruit peel + 10 g Pleurotus eous + 10 g Pleurotus florida + Eudrilus eugeniae 5 t/ha-1) recorded maximum root (20.63 cm, 32.73 cm and 39.23 cm), shoot length (70.73 cm, 167.50 cm and 175.83 cm), number of leaves/plant (26.46 cm, 33.53 cm and 37.50 cm), number of flowers/plant (12), number of nodules (14, 21.20 and 11.34), fresh weight (10.076 g, 12.146 g and 14.047 g) and dry weight (1.744 g, 1.854 g and 2.827 g) are closely followed by T4 (Raw cocoa shell+ 10 g Pleurotus eous + 10 g Pleurotus florida + Eudrilus eugeniae 5 t/ha-1). A significant increase in the yield parameters such as number of pods/plant (21), length of pod (16.50 cm), number of seeds/pod (20), weight of seed/pod (1.68 g), fresh weight (5.711 g) and dry weight of pod (2.398 g) was observed in treatment T8 as compared to the other treatments (T1, T2, T3, T5, T6 and T7) and control respectively.