Abstract
Two sets of pot experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of different compost types (market compost, home compost and vermicompost) and their rates on growth of pot grown tomato. During the first experiment, two compost types (market and home composts) each applied at four rates (0, 200, 400 and 800 g/pot) were evaluated while during the second experiment all the three compost types including vermicompost each applied at five rates (0, 200, 400, 600 and 800 g/pot) were evaluated. The chemical compositions of the composts were analyzed using appropriate laboratory procedures. Results revealed that market compost had the highest available P, exchangeable K and total S content whereas vermicompost had the highest organic matter and total N content followed by market compost. Growth parameters increased with increasing rates of home compost and vermicompost, but decreased with increasing rate of market compost. Shoot nutrient content varied much between compost types than compost rates. Shoot nitrogen and potassium concentration was higher with the application of market compost; phosphorus concentration was higher with the application of vermicompost while sulphur concentration was the highest with the application of home compost. Growth reduction at the highest market compost application could be ascribed to higher pH and total soluble salt content, especially chloride and potassium. Key words: Compost, salt stress, tomato, toxicity, vermicompost.
Highlights
Disposal of organic waste is a serious challenge, especially in big cities due to absence of appropriate disposal sites and utilization of these wastes through composting is, a days, given due attention as an alternative solution to the difficulties of organic waste disposal
Vermicompost is richer in organic matter (OM) and total N content than the other composts while market compost is richer in available P and exchangeable K as well as total sulphur content
With both home compost and vermicompost, increasing the rate from 0 to 800 g/pot resulted in increased shoot fresh and dry weights, root fresh and dry weights, plant height and leaf number per plant
Summary
Disposal of organic waste is a serious challenge, especially in big cities due to absence of appropriate disposal sites and utilization of these wastes through composting is, a days, given due attention as an alternative solution to the difficulties of organic waste disposal. Vermicomposts (VC), which are produced by the fragmentation of organic wastes by earthworms, have a fine structure and contain nutrients in forms that are readily available for plant uptake (Atiyeh et al, 2000). Vegetable wastes and non-edible portions that are usually discarded during harvesting, marketing and processing can be used as very good composting materials. Both composts and vermicomposts are being used in agricultural/horticultural production to improve soil fertility as they significantly enhance soil organic matter content (Nguyen et al, 2012). The P and K contents of vermicompost were 2 and 3 times higher, respectively than that of composts
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