Efficiency of cow dung based vermi-compost on seed germination and plant growth parameters of Tagetes erectus (Marigold)
Irsa Shafique,
Saiqa Andleeb,
Malik Saim Aftab,
Farrukh Naeem,
Shaukat Ali,
Summaya Yahya,
Fayaz Ahmed,
Tauseef Tabasum,
Tariq Sultan,
Beenish Shahid,
Abdul Hameed Khan,
Ghafoor ul Islam,
Wajid Arshad Abbasi
Affiliations
Irsa Shafique
Microbial Biotechnology and Vermi-technology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, King Abdullah Campus, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, 13100, Pakistan
Saiqa Andleeb
Microbial Biotechnology and Vermi-technology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, King Abdullah Campus, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, 13100, Pakistan; Corresponding author.
Malik Saim Aftab
Microbial Biotechnology and Vermi-technology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, King Abdullah Campus, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, 13100, Pakistan
Farrukh Naeem
First Biotech LLC, Lahore, Pakistan
Shaukat Ali
Department of Zoology, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan
Summaya Yahya
Microbial Biotechnology and Vermi-technology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, King Abdullah Campus, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, 13100, Pakistan
Fayaz Ahmed
Microbial Biotechnology and Vermi-technology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, King Abdullah Campus, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, 13100, Pakistan
Tauseef Tabasum
Land Resources Research Institute, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tariq Sultan
Land Resources Research Institute, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad, Pakistan
Beenish Shahid
Microbial Biotechnology and Vermi-technology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, King Abdullah Campus, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, 13100, Pakistan
Abdul Hameed Khan
Computational Biology and Data Analysis Lab, Department of Computer Science and Information Technology, King Abdullah Campus, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, 13100, Pakistan
Ghafoor ul Islam
Microbial Biotechnology and Vermi-technology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, King Abdullah Campus, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, 13100, Pakistan; Department of Biotechnology, King Abdullah Campus, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, 13100, Pakistan
Wajid Arshad Abbasi
Department of Biotechnology, King Abdullah Campus, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, 13100, Pakistan
Vermi-composting is an environmental friendly and economic process to decompose organic waste. The objective of this study was to produce vermi-compost using Eisenia fetida and to investigate the impact of vermi-compost (VC) and organic manure (cow dung) on seed germination, seedlings, and growth parameters of Tagetes erecta. Physio-chemical parameters of vermi-compost and organic manure were recorded. A potting experiment was designed, germination medium containing soil, sand, and various concentrations of vermi-composts. The composition of germinating media was: TO (Sand + Soil), TCC (Sand + Soil + Cow dung), 10% VC (Sand + Soil + 0.1 kg VC), 15% VC (Sand + Soil + 0.15 kg VC), 20% VC (Sand + Soil + 0.2 kg VC), 25% VC (Sand + Soil + 0.25 kg VC), 30% VC (Sand + Soil + 0.3 kg VC), and 35% VC (Sand + Soil + 0.35 kg VC). Seed germination, seedling, vegetative plant growth, and flowering parameters were evaluated in different germinating media. Pre and post-physio-chemical parameters of germination media were also recorded to check their stability and quality. Results showed that 20% VC was effective for the early initiation of seed germination (2.0 ± 0.0 days) and all growth parameters of marigold seedlings. The germination percentage at 20% VC was recorded as 87.5 ± 1.40 %. The best vegetative plant growth and flowering parameters of marigold plants were observed with 35% VC after transplantation. Findings showed that vermi-compost is the best-suited germination and growing media, which not only improved the soil health but also promoted seed germination and plant growth. Our study undoubtedly indicates that vermi-compost is a more encouraging and advantageous bio-fertilizer and can be used as a powerful and effective for immediate marigold production.
