Compost-Based Growing Media Improved Yield of Leafy Lettuce in Pot Culture

Compost-based media were examined for effects on plant growth of leafy lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in pot culture. Four types of locally sourced composts were created using different proportions of wood chips from untreated pallets and mixed tropical tree debris, food waste from restaurants, and chicken manure. Compost-based media were prepared by mixing each compost with a commercial peatmoss to create 25, 50, and 100% compost-peatmoss mixtures (by volume). In Trial One, cv. Starfighter had the greatest shoot (leaves/stems) biomass when grown in 100% compost containing wood chips, food waste, and chicken manure. In Trial Two, cvs. Starfighter and New Red Fire were examined. Growing media affected all plant growth parameters including fresh and dry shoots and roots, shoot and root length, and number of leaves. Cultivar affected all except fresh root weight. Interaction effects of growing medium and cultivar type were found for fresh shoot weight, dry root weight, shoot, and root length. Regression analyses indicated increases in amount of compost in growing media increased dry shoot and root weights. Composts containing recyclable organic materials can be an alternative to commercial media in pot culture.

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Optimizing hydroponic culture media and NO3−/NH4+ ratio for improving essential oil compositions of purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea L.)

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-87391-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Fatemeh Ahmadi ◽

Abbas Samadi ◽

Ebrahim Sepehr ◽

Amir Rahimi ◽

Sergey Shabala

Keyword(s):

Particle Size ◽

Essential Oil ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Plant Height ◽

Growth Parameters ◽

Echinacea Purpurea ◽

Peat Moss ◽

Root Weight ◽

Total Biomass ◽

Growing Media

AbstractMedicinal plants represent a valuable commodity due to beneficial effects of their natural products on human health, prompting a need for finding a way to optimize/increase their production. In this study, a novel growing media with various perlite particle size and its mixture with peat moss was tested for hydroponic-based production of Echinacea purpurea medicinal plant under greenhouse conditions. The plant growth parameters such as plant height, total fresh leave weight, fresh root weight, total biomass, total chlorophyll, leaf area, and essential oil compositions were assessed. Perlite particle size in the growing media was varied from very coarse (more than 2 mm) to very fine (less than 0.5 mm), and the ratio between perlite and peat moss varied from 50:50 v/v to 30:70 v/v. In addition, two nitrate (NO3−) to ammonium (NH4+) ratios (90:10 and 70:30) were tested for each growing media. The medium containing very fine-grade perlite and 50:50 v/v perlite to peat moss ratio was found to be most optimal and beneficial for E. purpurea performance, resulting in maximal plant height, fresh and dry weight, leaf surface area, and chlorophyll content. It was also found that an increase in NO3−/NH4+ ratio caused a significant increase in plant growth parameters and increase the plant essential oil content. The major terpene hydrocarbons found in extract of E. purpurea with the best growth parameters were germacrene D (51%), myrcene (15%), α-pinene (12%), β-caryophyllene (11%), and 1-Pentadecene (4.4%), respectively. The percentages of these terpene hydrocarbons were increased by increasing of NO3−/NH4+ ratio. It can be concluded that decreasing the perlite particle size and increasing the NO3−/NH4+ ratio increased the plant growth parameters and essential oil compositions in E. purpurea.

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Isolation, identification and characterization of native plant growth promoting bacteria and their plant growth promotion in Zea mays

Research Journal of Biotechnology ◽

10.25303/168rjbt7521 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (8) ◽

pp. 75-80

Author(s):

Pitchaiah Pelapudi ◽

Sasikala Ch ◽

Swarnabala Ganti

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Plant Growth Promotion ◽

Root Length ◽

Growth Promotion ◽

Shoot Length ◽

Root Weight ◽

Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria ◽

Plant Growth Promoting ◽

Growth Promoting ◽

Shoot Weight

In the present rapid growing world, need for a sustainable agricultural practice which helps in meeting the adequate food demand is much needed. In this context, plant growth promoting bacteria were brought into the spot light by the researchers. Though the plant growth promoting bacteria have several beneficial applications, due to some of the disadvantages in the field conditions, they lagged behind. In the current research work, native PGPR were isolated from the rhizosphere soil samples of maize with an aim to isolate the nitrogen fixing, phosphate solubilising and potash solubilising bacteria. Out of the several isolates, potent PGPR isolates viz., Paenibacillus durus PCPB067, Bacillus megaterium PCBMG041 and Paenibacillus glucanolyticus PCPG051 were isolated and identified by using the 16 S rRNA gene sequencing studies. Genomic DNA sequences obtained were deposited in the NCBI Genbank and accession numbers were assigned as MW793452, MW793456 and MW843633. In order to check the efficacy of the PGPR isolates, pot trials were conducted by taking maize as the host plant. Several parameters viz. shoot length, shoot weight, root length, root weight and weight of the seeds were tested in which PGP treatment showed good results (shoot length - 187±3.5 cm, shoot weight - 31±4 g, root length - 32±3.6 cm, root weight - 17±2 g, yield- 103.3±6.1 g) when compared to the chemical fertilizer treatment (shoot length - 177±3.5 cm, shoot weight - 25±3.6 g, root length - 24±3.5 cm, root weight - 14.6±1.52 g, yield- 85.6±7.6 g). Based on the results, it can be stated that these native PGPR isolates can be effectively used in the plant growth promotion of maize.

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Synergism of citrus nematode (Tylenchulus semipenetrans Cobb.) and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides plays a major role in citrus dieback

The Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences ◽

10.21162/pakjas/21.399 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 58 (04) ◽

pp. 1291-1299

Author(s):

Muhammad Usman Afzal

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Colletotrichum Gloeosporioides ◽

Growth Parameters ◽

Shoot Length ◽

Root Weight ◽

Rough Lemon ◽

Tylenchulus Semipenetrans ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Shoot Weight ◽

Citrus Nematode

Citrus is known as a major fruit due to its high nutritional value and adaptability in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Among diseases, citrus dieback is one of the most threatening diseases in which overall plant growth is reduced. Major causes are Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and citrus nematode (Tylenchulus semipenetrans) with 15-35% losses all over the world. Plant material was established adopting sanitary measures in earthen pots (12-inch diameter). Fresh culture of C. gloeosporioides and T. semipenetrans was prepared for the inoculation by following the standard procedures. In the first set, rootstocks were inoculated with 200mL of water having spore suspension of C. gloeosporioides while in in the second set, inoculation of T. semipenetrans was done by using 45 mL of water suspension having 2000 freshly hatched juveniles per pot, while at the rate of 1 × 107 spores/mL per plant. In the third set, the interaction of C. gloeosporioides and T. semipenetrans was studied by inoculating selected citrus rootstocks by both pathogens. After four months of inoculation, data were recorded on plant disease index (PDI) along with plant growth parameters (root weight, shoot weight, shoot weight, shoot length and number of leaves). Trifoliate orange and cox mandarin hybrid showed resistance against the development of T. semipenetrans while rough lemon, C-35 Citrange and sour orange were found susceptible. There was a significant difference in plant growth parameters between inoculated and healthy plants. Root weight and shoot weight decreased by 8.98g and 11.53g, while root length and shoot length decreased by 7.29cm and 13.5cm respectively as compared to control treatments in most susceptible rootstocks. Per cent Branch Infection (PBI) and per cent Disease Index (PDI) were maximum (71.52, 37) per cent on rough lemon respectively. Results regarding combined inoculation of C. gloeosporioides and T. semipenetrans showed that there was a significant difference in plant growth parameters between inoculated and healthy plants. In rough lemon, Root weight and shoot weight decreased by 13.86 and 20.57g respectively in diseased and healthy plants. Root length and shoot length decreased by 8.37 and 20.04cm respectively as compared to control treatments in most susceptible rootstocks. Overall results depicted that inoculation of both pathogens reduced plant growth more severely as compared to their individual application.

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Improving Essential Oil Compositions of Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea L.) Medicinal Plant Using Novel Growing Media and Nutrition Pattern in Hydroponics

10.21203/rs.3.rs-146246/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Fatemeh Ahmadi ◽

Abbas Samadi ◽

Ebrahim Sepehr ◽

Amir Rahimi ◽

Sergey Shabala

Keyword(s):

Particle Size ◽

Essential Oil ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Medicinal Plant ◽

Plant Height ◽

Growth Parameters ◽

Echinacea Purpurea ◽

Peat Moss ◽

Root Weight ◽

Growing Media

Abstract Medicinal plants represent a valuable commodity due to beneficial effects of their natural products on human health, prompting a need for finding a way to optimize/increase their production. In this study, a novel growing media with various perlite particle size and its mixture with peat moss was tested for hydroponic-based production of Echinacea purpurea medicinal plant under greenhouse conditions. The plant growth parameters such as plant height, total fresh leave weight, fresh root weight, total biomass, total chlorophyll, leaf area, and essential oil compositions were assessed. Perlite particle size in the growing media was varied from very coarse (more than 2 mm) to very fine (less than 0.5 mm), and the ratio between perlite and peat moss varied from 50:50 v/v to 30:70 v/v. In addition, two NO3-/NH4+ ratios (90:10 and 70:30) were tested for each growing media. The medium containing very fine-grade perlite and 50:50 v/v perlite to peat moss ratio was found to be most optimal and beneficial for E. purpurea performance, resulting in maximal plant height, fresh and dry weight, leaf surface area, and chlorophyll content. It was also found that an increase in NO3-/NH4+ ratio caused a significant increase in plant growth parameters and increase the plant essential oil content. The major terpene hydrocarbons found in extract of E. purpurea with the best growth parameters were germacrene D (51%), myrcene (15%), α-pinene (12%), β-caryophyllene (11%), and 1-Pentadecene (4.4%), respectively. The percentages of these terpene hydrocarbons were increased by increasing of NO3-/NH4+ ratio. It can be concluded that decreasing the perlite particle size and increasing the NO3-/NH4+ ratio increased the plant growth parameters and essential oil compositions in E. purpurea.

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Comparative study of impact of Azotobacter and Trichoderma with other fertilizers on maize growth

Journal of Maize Research and Development ◽

10.3126/jmrd.v3i1.18915 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 1-16 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sanjay Mahato ◽

Srijana Neupane

Keyword(s):

Root Length ◽

Zea Mays L ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Growth Parameters ◽

Root Weight ◽

Minimal Impact ◽

Randomized Design ◽

Number Of Leaves ◽

Completely Randomized Design ◽

Shoot Weight

Biofertilizers may be a better eco-friendly option to maintain soil fertility. The study was conducted to investigate the effect of Azotobacter and Trichoderma on the vegetative growth of maize (Zea mays L.) plants. The experiment was carried out in medium sized pots, at IAAS, Lamjung (Feb 2017 - May 2017) in completely randomized design (CRD), consisting eight treatments and three replications. Treatments were namely T1 (control), T2 (Azotobacter), T3 (Trichoderma), T4 (Azotobacter + Trichoderma), T5 (NPK), T6 (Azotobacter + Trichoderma + FYM), T7 (Azotobacter + Trichoderma + FYM + NPK), T8 (FYM). Azotobacter showed a positive increase in plant height, stem girth, dry shoot weight, root length and width, and root weight while Trichoderma displayed either negative or minimal impact. Effect of FYM was lower than Azotobacter but considerably higher than Trichoderma. Trichoderma seriously inhibited the expression of Azotobacter when used together. Trichoderma even suppressed the outcome (except shoot weight) of FYM when used together. Root length was the longest in Azotobacter inoculation. The highest number of leaves was in T7 followed by Azotobacter (T2) and NPK (T5). Unlike leaf width, Azotobacter showed a negligible increase in leaves length while Trichoderma wherever present showed the negative impact. Minimum chlorophyll content was found in Azotobacter or Trichoderma after 73 days. Azotobacter treatment showed early tasseling than Trichoderma. The association of Azotobacter and Trichoderma increased the biomass. Azotobacter has significant effects on growth parameters of maize and can supplement chemical fertilizer, while Trichoderma was found to inhibit most of the growth parameters.

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Evaluation of Organic Amendments against Rice Root-KnotNematode at Seedling Stage of Rice

Nepal Journal of Science and Technology ◽

10.3126/njst.v9i0.3160 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. 21-27 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nabin Kumar Dangal ◽

D. Sharma Poudyal ◽

S. M. Shrestha ◽

C. Adhikari ◽

J. M. Duxbury ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Block Design ◽

Organic Amendments ◽

Severity Index ◽

Rice Root ◽

Chicken Manure ◽

Root Weight ◽

Root Knot Nematode ◽

Meloidogyne Graminicola ◽

Shoot Weight ◽

Lesion Severity

Pot experiment was conducted during July-September 2006 to evaluate some organic amendments such as sesame (Sesamum indicum) biomass, buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) biomass, neem (Azadirachta indica) leaves, chinaberry (Melia azedarch) leaves and chicken manure @ 1, 2 and 3 t ha-1 each against the rice root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne graminicola Golden & Birchfield) in direct seeded rice. The treatments were replicated five times in a randomized complete block design. The number of second stage juveniles (J2) of M. graminicola was significantly low in chicken manure @ 3 t ha-1. The root knot severity index was significantly low in sesame @ 3 t ha-1, chinaberry @ 3, 2 or 1 t ha-1, neem @ 3 t ha-1 and chicken manure @ 2 or 3 t ha-1 amended soil but root lesion severity index was lower only in chicken manure @ 2 t ha-1 treated plots. The fresh shoot weight and length were significantly high in chicken manure amendment @ 2 or 3 t ha-1 at 45th day after seeding. However, the fresh root weight, length, number of leaves and number of J2 recovered from the roots were non-significant. Key words: biomass; juveniles; Meloidogyne graminicola; root-knot severity index; root lesion severity index DOI: 10.3126/njst.v9i0.3160 Nepal Journal of Science and Technology 9 (2008) 21-27

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Impacts of different salt source and concentrations on germination and seedling growth of many pumpkin seeds used as rootstoch in Iran

Genetika ◽

10.2298/gensr1202235d ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 44 (2) ◽

pp. 235-250 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ahmad Dadashpour

Keyword(s):

Electrical Conductivity ◽

Seed Germination ◽

Seedling Growth ◽

Root Length ◽

Germination Rate ◽

Shoot Length ◽

Root Weight ◽

Pumpkin Seeds ◽

High Concentrations ◽

Shoot Weight

The effects of different salt sources (C Cl2, NaCl, and KCl) and concentrations, as measured by electrical conductivity, (0, "control", 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 dS m-1) on seed germination and seedling growth of ?Ferro?, ?Obez?, ?RS 841? and ?Strong Tosa F1? pumpkin varieties used as rootstock were investigated in this study. The results showed that germination rate, root length, shoot length, fresh root weight, dry root weight, fresh shoot weight and dry shoot weights tend to decrease when the electrical conductivity of the solution is higher than 5 dS m-1, independent of salt sources and in all of the varieties. Three days after seeding, a germination ratio of 5 % was obtained from RS 841 variety in all salt source and concentrations, while a germination ratio over 50 % was obtained in ?Strong Tosa? variety for the same conditions except CaCl2 salt source. Nevertheless, seeds germinated in medium having high concentrations of CaCl2 had lower germination rate and poor seedling growth, compared to media having the same concentrations of NaCl and KCl. It was concluded that all of the varieties studied were more sensitive to the concentrations prepared using CaCl2 than that of the KCl, and NaCl.

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Adaçayı ve Dağ Çayında Tuz Stresi Üzerine Selenyum Uygulamalarının Etkileri

Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology ◽

10.24925/turjaf.v7isp2.29-35.3098 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (sp2) ◽

pp. 29

Author(s):

Mahmut Çamlıca ◽

Gülsüm Yaldız ◽

Ferit Özen ◽

Abdurrahman Başol ◽

Halit Aşkın

Keyword(s):

Plant Height ◽

Root Length ◽

Root Weight ◽

Fresh Leaf ◽

Leaf Weight ◽

Number Of Leaves ◽

Shoot Weight ◽

Different Doses ◽

Number Of Branches ◽

Fresh Root

Sage and mountain sage belong to Lamiaceae family which have commercial importance from medicinal and aromatic plants in Turkey. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different doses of selenium in salinity conditions on the morphological characteristics of sage (Salvia officinalis L.) and mountain tea (Sideritis sp.). Four different doses of selenium (5, 10, 20, 40 mg/l) were applied in without salinity (0) and salinity (250 mM NaCl/l) medium. The experiment was carried out in the split plot design with three replications in the climate chamber room of the department of field crops. When the examined properties were evaluated; plant height changed between 15.56-23.85 cm, number of branches 10.50-12.78 number/plant, number of leaves 52.78-92.00 number/plant, fresh leaf weight 2.48-7.51 g/plant, dry leaf weight 0.48-3.32 g/plant, fresh root weight 1.52-7.16 g/plant, dry root weight 0.19-1.24 g/plant, root length 26.18-36.07 cm, fresh shoot weight of 1.13-7.15 g/plant and dry shoot weight 0.13-0.38 g/plant. In mountain tea, the properties were determined for plant height as 3.26-5.93 cm, for number of branches as 2.50-6.33 number/plant, for number of leaves as 28.22-91.14 number/plant, for fresh and dry leaf weights as 2.42-11,03 and 0.45-1.91 g/plant, for fresh and dry root weights as 0.71-3.97 and 0.18-0.74 g/plant, for root length as 14.78-33.26 cm, for fresh and dry shoot weights as 0.29-2.28 and 0.12-0.41 g/plant were determined. As a result of this study, 5 mg/l selenium application in salinity conditions in both plants has reached high values in terms of fresh leaf weights. In addition to this, it was found that selenium applications in salinity conditions had positive effects on dry leaf weight in sage and fresh root and fresh shoot weights in mountain tea. As a result of correlation analysis, positive correlations were found between dry leaf weight and other characteristics especially in mountain tea in terms of traits examined in both plants.

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Effects of Combined Application of Cow Manure And Inorganic Nitrogen Fertilizer on Growth, Yield and Nitrogen Uptake of Black Rice

Akta Agrosia ◽

10.31186/aa.21.2.27-32 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 55-60

Author(s):

Marwanto Marwanto ◽

Nasiroh Nasiroh ◽

Bambang G. Mucitro ◽

Merakati Handajaningsih

Keyword(s):

Growth Parameters ◽

N Uptake ◽

Fertilizer Application ◽

N Fertilizer ◽

Root Weight ◽

Cow Manure ◽

Black Rice ◽

Inorganic N ◽

Yield Attributes ◽

Shoot Weight

The beneficial effects of manure on soil properties, growth, and crop productivity have promoted its use for replacing the application of N fertilizer. However, it is not well understood to what extent N fertilizer was able to be substituted by cow manure. Accordingly, this pot experiment aimed to compare the effect of inorganic N fertilizer application alone with that of the combined use of inorganic N fertilizer with cow manure based on the same amount of total N on growth parameters, yield attributes, and nitrogen (N) uptake of black rice. The experiment was conducted under a screen house condition in Agriculture Faculty, Bengkulu University located at 15 meters altitude above sea level during the summer season of 2015. There were six treatments viz. T1 = 100% N from urea + 0% N from cow manure (0.52 g N + 0.00 g cow manure) pot-1, T2 = 80% N from urea + 20% N from cow manure (0.42 g N + 9.55 g cow manure) pot-1, T3 = 60% N from urea + 40% N from cow manure (0.31 g N + 19.10 g cow manure) pot-1, T4 = 40% N from urea + 60% N from cow manure (0.21 g N + 28.65 g cow manure) pot-1, T5 = 20% N from urea + 80% N from cow manure (0.10 g N+ 38.20 g cow manure) pot-1, and T6 = 0% N from urea + 100% N from cow manure (0.00 g N + 47.75 g cow manure) pot-1. The amount of inorganic N fertilizer in the form of urea and cow manure applied was calculated based on the recommended rate of 115.00 kg ha-1 for N fertilizer and 10.50 ton ha-1 for cow manure. These treatments were arranged in a Completely Randomized Design and repeated three times. The results showed that the treatments significantly (P ?0.005) affected growth parameters as measured by plant height, the number of leaves, fresh shoot weight, fresh root weight, dry shoot weight, dry root weight, yield attributes as determined by the total number of tillers, the total number productive tillers, grain yield per pot, and N uptake. The highest values for all these variables were obtained in the treatment receiving recommended rate of urea only (100% N from urea + 0% N from cow manure as equivalence) and the lowest in the treatment receiving a100% N from cow manure (0% N from urea + 100% N from cow manure). However, combined treatments of cow manure and inorganic N fertilizer such as 80% N from urea + 20% N from cow manure, 60% N from urea + 40% N from cow manure 40% N from urea + 60% N from cow manure showed a parity statistically with the treatment receiving 100% N from urea only in maintaining the values for all these variables. Overall, the combined use of inorganic N fertilizer (urea) and cow manure as an equivalence promoted growth and yield of black rice by improving N uptake. Keywords: integrated nutrient management, soil chemical property, Nitrogen uptake, combined fertilizer application, black rice

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Bioconversion of Non Edible Vegetables from Market into Biofertilizer for Crop Improvement

Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.5539/jas.v8n6p71 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (6) ◽

pp. 71

Author(s):

Geetha Karuppasamy ◽

Michael Antony D'Couto ◽

Anant Achary

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Root Length ◽

Growth Parameters ◽

Crop Improvement ◽

C:N Ratio ◽

Value Added ◽

Fold Increase ◽

Shoot Length ◽

Germination Index ◽

Vigour Index

The fruits and vegetables lost due to spoilage in the market can be converted to nutrient rich organic biofertilizer, vermicompost and worm tea. In this study, non-edible vegetables from market [French beans (S1), Lady’s fingers (S2) and Brinjal (S3)] were used for production of vermicompost and worm tea using Eisenia fetida for environmental friendly management and recycling, as value added product for crop production. Vermicomposting was carried out in four bins. Three bins (S1, S2 & S3) consisted of individual pre-digested vegetables and the fourth bin (S4) was set up with a mixture of all three pre-digested vegetables in equal proportions. Physico-chemical properties and essential nutrients like pH, temperature, moisture content, total organic carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P) and exchangeable potassium (K) of the pre-digested vegetables and/or compost were analysed at regular time intervals. There was around 6-10 fold increase in earthworm count at the end of vermicomposting. During vermicomposting, the N and P content of the compost showed 2 to 4 fold increase whereas 10 to 15 fold increase in K content was noticed. Low C:N ratio (4 to 9) was obtained for vermicompost VS4. The worm tea (vermi wash) and vermicompost collected were used for plant growth studies on Vigna radiata (Green gram). Growth parameters like germination percentage, vigour index, germination index (GI), shoot length (cm), root length (cm) and leaf length (cm) were studied. There was noticeable improvement in germination % (1.7 fold), vigour index (2.7 fold) and germination index. A 20 fold increase in shoot length was also seen in test plants when compared to control (2 fold). Statistical analysis of various growth parameters like root length and plant height indicated that vermicompost made with waste brinjal has a significant response with p ≤ 0.05. Based on the results obtained, waste brinjal, which is abundantly available locally can be economically converted to organic biofertilizers and used for soil and crop improvement. Through this study, a cost effective and environment friendly method for efficient utilization of market waste vegetables has been proposed for promoting plant growth and development.

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