Author(s): Ugeeta Devi Boodhram, Yunita Arjune, Ferial Pestano, Bissessar Persaud, Lacram Kokil and Lakhnarayan Kumar Bhagarathi

Abstract: The present investigation aims to investigate the effects of vermicompost and other fertilizers on the vegetative and reproductive parameters of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum) plants. The plants were treated with four fertilizers; Synthetic fertilizers - 15-15-15 (T2), Poultry manure (T3), Cow manure (T4), Vermicompost (T5), and a control medium (T1), which had no fertilizers. The experimental design was in a complete randomized design and there was five experimental units for each treatment. The physicochemical soil analysis and microbial analysis was done for each treatment used and the plant parameters were recorded during the experiment. In the physicochemical analysis results, T3 had the highest available NPK for the initial soil samples, while T5 had the highest NPK for the final soil samples. The pH results showed that there was a decrease in the final soil sample from the initial soil samples, while T5 had the lowest electrical conductivity for both initial and final soil samples as compared to the other soil samples. Results obtained for the microbial analysis showed that T3 had the highest total microbial count for the initial and final soil samples, while T5 had the lowest for the initial soil samples and T2 for the final. Results obtained showed that T3 and T4 had a significant effect on the vegetative and reproductive growth parameters of the sweet pepper plants, along with the control medium (T1). Experimental units treated with this treatment produced plants with better plant height at maturity, leaf surface area at maturity, dry shoot and root biomass, yield productivity, fresh and dry fruit weight, and fruit diameter. There was a relatively high level of pest and diseases in plants treated with chemical fertilizer affecting plant growth and productivity, also, a delay in plant growth, flowering and fruiting period were experienced with plants grown in vermicompost (T5) due to weather conditions.

DOI: 10.22271/27893065.2025.v5.i2c.159

Pages: 175-184 | Views: 188 | Downloads: 70

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