Yield Attributes Of Brinjal Plant Supplied With Earthworm Processed Different Leaf Litter: A Comparative Study

Research Article
Kanchilakshmi.M., Arockiam Thaddeus and Suthandiralingammal
DOI: 
http://dx.doi.org/10.24327/ijrsr.2017.0810.0970
Subject: 
science
KeyWords: 
Earthworm, nutrient status, leaf litter, vermicomposts, chlorophyll content, relative water content, physico chemical factors, Solanummelongena plant.
Abstract: 

Earthworms are soil invertebrates that play a key role in recycling organic matter. Vermicompost is potential organic manure and is a rich source of major and minor nutrients to plants. In the organic process, earthworms feed on the organic wastes to produce more earthworms. The earthworm Perionyx excavatus have been widely used for vermicomposts. The present investigation was carried out to assess the nutrient status of the vermicomposts from three groups of leaf litter substrates, namely orchard leaf litter, tree and herb leaf litter and were compared with control. The effect of water stress was examined on each of this leaf and also this study examined the relationship of chlorophyll content, nitrogen with relative water content are found in this present investigation. The result showed the nutrient content of the vermicomposts raised from the following plants; Psidium gujava, Annona squamosa, Musa paradisica, Mangifera indica, Ficus bengalensis, Ficus religiosa, Tectona grandis, Acalypha indica Alium cepa, Ocimum sanctum ,Cassia auriculata and were compared with the control. It was found that the maximum plant growth and yield was observed with the application of vermicomposts raised from the substrates Tectona grandis and Psidium gujaiva and physico chemical factors such as N, P, K, Mg, C, and Ca were found to be comparatively high, out of the eleven substrates studied in the present investigation. The effects of the aforesaid vermicomposts have been studied on the Solanum melongina - height of the plant, number of fruit per plant and weight of the fruits. Hence, it was concluded that these chlorophyll content and relative water content are strongly related to nitrogen concentration, and vermicomposts have higher nutrient content in turn higher yielding in Psidium gujava of orchard leaf litter, tree and herb leaf litters have higher nutrient and higher yielding in Tectona grandis, Ficus bengalensis and Ficus religiosa.