Agroecology and Organic Agriculture ORIGINAL SCIENTIFIC PAPER Effect of vermicompost from cow manure on seed production of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) Tsvetanka Dintcheva, Hriska Boteva, Ivan Dimov Maritsa Vegetable Crops Research Institute, Plovdiv, Bulgaria,(tdintcheva@gmail.com) Abstract The aim of this research was to determine the effect of vermicompost on seed production of tomato under field conditions. There were four varieties of determinate tomatoes included in the study. It was established that vermicompost is suitable for organic production of seeds. The aplication of this organic manure resulted in increase of seed yield from 24.03 % in a variety Trapezitsa up to 45.9 % in variety Dofin. Germination of seeds was increased to 96.5 % (max) in variety Rio Grande and to 90.5 % (min) in variety Olga as a result of manuring with vermicompost. Key words: vermicompost, organic agriculture, seed production, tomatoes Introduction The ability of some species of earthworm to consume and breakdown a wide range of organic residues such as sewage sludge, animal wastes, crop residues and industrial refuse is well known (Dominguez at al., 1997; Kaushik and Garge, 2003). The use of organic amendments such as traditional thermophilic composts has been recognized generally as an effective means for improving soil aggregation, structure and fertility, increasing microbial diversity and populations improving the moisture- holding capacity of soils, increasing the soil Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) and increasing crop yields (Marinari et al., 2000). Vermicompost contains most nutrients in plant available forms such as nitrates, phosphates, exchangeable calcium and soluble potassium (Orozco et al., 1996). There is accumulating scientific evidence that vermicompost can significantly influence the growth and productivity of plants (Edwards, 1998). Various greenhouse and field studies have examinated effects of a variety of vermicompost on a wide range of crops including cereals and legumes (Kaushik and Garge, 2003), vegetable (Tomati et al., 1990; Wilson and Carlile, 1989; Sulber et al., 1998) and field crops (Arancon et al., 2004). Material and methods The experiment was conducted in the period 2005-2007, in Maritsa Vegetable Crops Research Institute, Plovdiv, to determine the effect of vermicompost on seed production of tomato in field conditions. In this study were included four determinate tomato varieties for fresh consumption and processing: Trapezitsa, Olga, Dofin large-fruited, round; Rio Grande small-fruited, oblong. To achieve that, investigation was carried out in dark alluvial meadow soil with the variants: 1. Control without fertilizers 2. Manuring with vermicompost 1500 L/ha 3. Mineral fertilization N 20 P 20 K 20 The mineral fertilizers K 2 SO 4 (440 kg/ha) and P 2 O 5 (400 kg/ha) were applied in soil with delicately bed forming; NH 4 NO 3 (580 kg/ha): twice with first earthing up after hold of tomatoes, and in the beginning of fruit formation. Vermicompost was applied with first earthing up of tomatoes.
Agroekologija i ekološka poljoprivreda Vermicompost is organic material resulting from nutrition California red worms (Lumbricus rubellus and Eisenia foetida) with organic residues. That material is uniform, odorless and rich in organic matter. Vermicompost from cow manure contains: N 2.20 %, P 0.40 %, K 0.90 %, Ca 1.20 %, Mg 0.25 %, Mn 0.02 %. Dark alluvial meadow soil is characterized by relatively heavy mechanical structure, containing mineral nitrogen (NH 4 -N+NO 3 -N) 2.1 mg/100g soil (defined by distillation), mobile forms of Р 2 О 5 (by Egner-Riehm Domingo method (Paige, 1982) and K 2 O (flame photometric) 20.5 mg and 18.2 mg/100g soil respectively, soil pн (H 2 O) 7.5 (potentialmetric), humus content 2.1 % according by Tyurin. Seeds for seedlings were sown in the second half of March in unheated glasshouse. Tomato plants were transplanted in the field 51 days after sowing, in the middle of May, in double row high bed, under a scheme: 100 +/30 cm. The experiment was set by the method of long plots in four replications on 9.6 m 2 experimental plot, total area was 38.4 m 2. Parameters of research: Yield of seeds - fruits with true-to-type typical color, shape, size, and internal fruit characteristics were chosen in selection for seed production. Ten fruits from each variant were used. Seed production was done according to Murtazov et al (1984). Germination in four replicates consisting of 100 seeds (Spasov et al., 1995). Germination energy - was determined according to Doikova et al., 1993. Statistical data is processed (Lakin, 1990). Results and discussion Using of vermicompost increased yield of seeds in comparison with the control. The significant effect was observed on seed production in variety Dofin with 45.90%. Varieties Olga and Trapezitsa were higher with 44.93 % and 24.03 %, respectively. In previous research we found that this organic manure had a positive influence on the weigh of the fruit from these varieties (Dintcheva et al., 2009) The organic manure has no effect on production of seeds from variety Rio Grande (Table 1). Vermicompost contains most nutrients in plant available forms such as phosphates, exchangeable calcium and soluble potassium. High levels of phosphorus and calcium are necessary for plants to produce good yields and good quality of seeds (Orozco et al., 1996). Moreover, vermicompost consists huge quantity of beneficial microorganisms, vitamins and hormones which influence on the growth and yield of plants. It keeps the soil moisture and improves it s aeration (Dimitrov, 2003). These conditions are very suitable for high yield of fruits and of seeds, respectively. It was found that organic manure and mineral fertilizers had almost the same influence. The increase in yield of tomato seeds after using vermicompost compared with mineral fertilization varied from 2.24 g in Olga variety to 0.62 g in variety Dofin. Differences between variants in tomato varieties Trapezitsa and Rio Grande are unsignificant (Table 1). The statistically significant diference was proven only for Olga variety whit the use of vermicompost. Table 1 Yield of seeds from tomato (g/ 10 fruits) Variants Average for period n n-1 С V Trapezitsa Control 3.62 1.45 1.77 40.06 Vermicompost 4.49 1.01 1.24 22.49 Mineral fertilization 4.44 0.80 0.98 18.02 GD 5.0% = 1.18 45. hrvatski i 5. međunarodni simpozij agronoma 61
% Agroecology and Organic Agriculture GD 1.0% = 1.96 GD 0.1% = 3.67 Olga Control 4.94 1.16 1.42 23.48 Vermicompost 7.16 * 2.30 2.82 32.12 Mineral fertilization 4.92 1.70 2.09 34.55 GD 5.0% = 1.87 GD 1.0% = 3.10 GD 0.1% = 5.80 Dofin Control 4.40 0.51 0.63 11.59 Vermicompost 6.42 2.08 2.55 32.40 Mineral fertilization 5.80 1.82 2.23 31.38 GD 5.0% = 2.72 GD 1.0% = 4.51 GD 0.1% = 8.44 Rio Grande Control 2.61 1.18 1.45 45.21 Vermicompost 2.62 0.51 0.63 19.47 Mineral fertilization 2.83 0.30 0.36 10. GD 5.0% = 1.45 GD 1.0% = 2.41 GD 0.1% = 4.51 *GD >5 % The results showed that vermicompost increased germination energy of tomato seeds to 94.0 % in Dofin variety, Rio Grande variety to 90.5 % and Olga variety to 81.5 %. Germination energy of seeds from Trapezitsa variety was without differences between different types of nutrition (Graph 1). Organic manure increased germination of tomato seeds from Rio Grande variety to 96.5 %, Dofin variety to 96.0 %, Trapezitsa to 95.5 % and Olga to 90.5 %. Mineral fertilizers increased germination to 86.5 % in variety Olga and to 97.5 % in variety Dofin (Graph 2). Germination energy 120 100 80 40 20 0 Variety Trapezitsa Olga Dofin Rio Grande Control Vermicompost Mineral fertilization Graph 1 Germination energy of tomato seeds 62
% Agroekologija i ekološka poljoprivreda Germination 120 100 80 40 20 0 Variety Trapezitsa Olga Dofin Rio Grande Control Vermicompost Mineral fertilization Graph 2 Germination of tomato seeds Conclusions It was established that vermicompost is suitable for organic production of seeds. The aplication of this organic manure results in increase of seed yield from 24.03 % in a variety Trapezitsa up to 45.9 % in variety Dofin. Germination of seeds increases to 96.5 % in variety Rio Grande and to 90.5 % in variety Olga as a result of manuring with vermicompost. Germination energy of seeds increases to 94.0 % in variety Dofin and to 59.0 % in variety Trapezitsa as a result of manuring with vermicompost. Acknowledgement This document was created with the financial support of Human Resources Development Operational Programme, co-financed by the European Union through European Social Fund under grant no. BGPO001/07/3.3-02/30 Initiatives to attract, stimulate and promote young human resources in priority areas of horticultural science. References Arancon N.Q., Edwards C.I., Bierman P., Welch C. and Metzger T.D. (2004). Influences of vermicomposts on field strawberries: 1. Effect on growth and yields. Bioresour. Technol, 93: 145-153. Dimitrov D. (2003). A bases for organic agriculture. Production of bioproduct from Red Californian worms: 447 Dintcheva Ts., Boteva H., Dimov I. (2009). Influence of biofertilizers on productivity of tomatoes, midearly production in open field, International Scientific Conference "Development of economy and society based on knowledge, 4-5 June 2009, Stara Zagora Doikova M., Boshnakov P., Cholakov D. (1993). Handbook for practices in vegetable growing and seed production:181 Dominguez J., Edwards C.A. and Subler S. (1997). A comparison of vermicomposting and composting methods to process animal wastes. Biocycle, 38: 57-59 Edwards C.A. (1998). The Use of Earthworms in the Breakdown and Management of Organic Wastes. In; Earthorm Ecology. Edwards, C.A. (Ed.).CRC press LLC, Boca Raton, FL, ISBN 084931819X: 327-354. 45. hrvatski i 5. međunarodni simpozij agronoma 63
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