Browsing by Author "Prabhakumari, P"

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Effect of Vermicompost on the yield and quality of tomato (lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)
(Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1996) Pushpa, S; Prabhakumari, P
An investigation was carried out at the Instructional Farm, attached to the College of Agriculture, Vellayani to evaluate the Effect of vermicompost on the yield and quality of tomato. The experiment was laid out in Randomised Block Design with ten treatments and three replications. Biometric observations viz. height of the plant, number of leaves and number of floweres were greately influenced by the application of vermicompost compared to farm yard manure. Yield attributes like mean fruit weight and girth of fruits were also found to be significantly influenced by the vermicompost application. Vermicompost application has got a significant influence on the yield of tomato. Plants receiving 25t vermicompost along with full dose of inorganic fertilizers produced maximum yield followed by the plants receiving 25 t farm yard manure along with full dose of inorganic fertilizers. Germination count and viability was maximum when vermicompost was used as the organic source. Maximum germination count and viability was observed when 100t ha-1 vermicompost was used. Vermicompost application has also got a significant influence on fruit qualities. Protein, and carbohydrate content were more in vermicompost treated plants compared to farm yard manure application. Chemical properties of the soil was significantly influenced by the application of vermicompost. pH, organic carbon, available N, P2O5, K2O, Ca and Mg was maximum when 25t vermicompost along with full dose of inorganic ferilizers was used. However availability of micronutrients Mn, Cu, Zn was more in 100t vermicompost applied plots. Application of vermicompost increased the uptake of nutrients by plants. Maximum uptake of all nutrients viz. N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Cu and Zn was found in plants treated with 25t vermicompost along with full dose of inorganic fertilizers. Correlation studies showed that nutrient uptake was significantly and positively correlated with availability of nutrients. Yield and nutrient uptake of plants were significantly and positively correlated with availability of nutrients and so vermicompost can be effectively used for increasing the fruit yield and quality of fruits in tomato.
Efficiency of vermicompost on growth and yield of summer crop Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus moench)
(Kerala Agricultural University, 1999) Ushakumari, K; Prabhakumari, P; Padmaja, P
Low cost technology for the collection of vermiwash in homesteads
(Kerala Agricultural University, 1998) Padmaja, P; Ushakumari, K; Prabhakumari, P
Microflora associated with earthworms and vermicompost
(Kerala Agricultural University, 1997) Nair, S K; Naseema, A; Meenakumari, K S; Prabhakumari, P; Peethambaran, C K
Nutrient economy through seed coating with vermicompost in cowpea
(Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1998) Meera, A V; Prabhakumari, P
An investigation was carried out at the Instructional Farm, attached to the College of Agriculture, Vellayani to evaluate "Nutrient economy through seed coating with vermicompost in cowpea". The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomised Design with nine treatments and three replications. The variety used was Kanakamoni. The treatments include coating of seeds with Rhizobium, vermicompost and a combination of both and also uncoated seeds supplied with either farmyard manure or vermicompost as organic source. Biometric observations like height of plant, number of leaves, seedling girth and number of fruiting branches were not significantly influenced by any of the treatments. However, root characters like root length, root spread and number of effective nodules were found to be significantly influenced by the different treatments. Coating of seeds with vermicompost significantly influenced the grain yield of cowpea and also the number of pods plant-l. Coating seeds with vermicompost combined with the application of full inorganic fertilizers and farmyard manure as organic source recorded the highest grain yield. From the analysis of grain samples, it is inferred that only K and Ca content of grain was significantly influenced by the different treatments. Phosphorus solubilisation capacity of soil was not significantly influenced by any of the treatments. N fixing capacity of soil was significantly influenced by the vermicompost coating of seeds during 30 DAS and 45 DAS. Soil analysis for available nutrients revealed that the different treatments had significant influence on the Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu and Mn content in soil. Use of vermicompost coated seeds produced the maximum uptake of N, P and K at maximum flowering stage and at harvest. Soil application of vermicompost recorded the highest uptake of Ca, Mg, Cu and Mn during maximum flowering stage. Plant analysis for nutrient content indicated that the content of all the nutrients except P was significantly influenced by the different treatments during maximum flowering stage. Yield was positively and significantly correlated with the height of plant, root characters and availability and uptake of nutrients. In the present study, a superiority is shown by vermicompost inoculated plants where farmyard manure was given as the organic source indicating that at times of scarcity of vermicompost, seed treatment could serve the purpose.
Vermicomposting of vegetable garbage
(Department of soil science and agricultural chemistry, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1995) Anina Susan Zachariah; Prabhakumari, P
An economically feasible method of composting, utilizing earthworms and beneficial micro organisms was standardized to produce an enriched organic manure and its efficiency was tested on a vegetable crop (Chilli). Comparison of the biomass production potential of earthworms and the composts produced by them were carried out in an experiment in CRD with three treatments and seven replications. The efficiency of the epigeic earthworm species, Eudrilluseugeniae in composting was well established. They had a greater biomass production potential and produced 11 cocoons and 22 young ones per 100g of compost in 41 days, Eudrilluseugeniae reduced the time required for composting and increased the rate of degradation and degree of humification. Eudrillus composts had a reduced oxidisable organic carbon content and increased humic acid and alkali soluble carbon content. HA : FA ratio was increased in Eudrillus compost and C:N ratio was narrowed down to a greater extent. Carbon content of humic acid and fulvic acid fractions of the three composts were found to be had comparable values. Vermicomposts showed a pH ranging from neutral to alkaline. Eudrillus compost showed a higher percentage of N, P, K, Mg, Mn, Zn and Cu in them. But Ca content was more in local earthworm compost. Inoculation of beneficial micro organisms increased nutrient levels of vermicomposts to a greater extent. Inoculation of both Azospirillum and P solubilising organisms along with one per cent rock phosphate gave maximum N, P, K and micro nutrients. Ca and Mg were highest in composts treated with P solubilising micro – organisms and one per cent rock phosphate. Various growth parameters were increased due to the application of Eudrillus compost enriched with both Azospirillumand P solubilising organisms. Application of Eudrillus compost increased the uptake of nutrients by plants. Uptake of N, P, Mg, Mn, Zn and Cu were higher for plants treated with Eudrillus compost enriched with both Azospirillum and P solubilising organisms. Yield was maximum for plants treated with Eudrillus compost enriched with both Azospirillum and P solubilising organisms. Yield and nutrient uptake of plants were significantly and positively correlated with nutrient content of compost and so vermitechnology using earthworms as biological agents is found to be the best for bio-degradation of organic wastes. Also Eudrilluseugeniae was found to be the superb effective agent for the operation of this technology.