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Abstracto

Effect of vermicomposts on the growth of amaranthus plants and soil fertility

S. Priya and S. Santhi

The present investigation cultured the two species of earthworms, namely Eudrilus eugeniae (epigeic) and Lampito mauritii (anecic) for vermicomposting. The effect of these two types of vermicompost were studied by growing three different amaranthus plants- Hibiscus cannabinus, Trigonella Foenum graecum and Solanum nigrum with respect to control soil. Comparative studies on growth (shoot length, wet weight, leaf area and root length) of the plants with relation to different types of vermicomposts and control soil were examined till the flowering period. The results revealed that the macro nutrients (N, P and K) and micro nutrients (Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu) were more or less higher in the vermicomposts in comparison to the control soil. The plants grown in Eudriluseugeniae compost showed a better result compared to Lampito mauritii with respect to control soil. Findings of the study confirm that Eudrilus eugeniae can be easily used for soil fertility improvement and vermicomposting