Influence of vermicompost application in potting media on growth and flowering of marigold crop

Introduction This paper reports the influence of vermicomposts prepared from cow dung and house hold waste on the growth and flowering of marigold crop. A total of seven potting media were prepared containing soil, cow dung vermicompost and cow dung + house hold waste vermicompost. The fertility status of soil and vermicomposts was quantified. In these media, growth and flowering of marigold plant seedlings was studied for 60 days. Results The results showed that the vermicomposting process converted the cow dung and household waste into a highly stabilized product having C:N ratio < 20.0. The NPK content of vermicomposts was higher than soil. The plant grown in vermicompost-containing potting media had 2.3 times more plant height than control. Results showed that the addition of vermicompost, in appropriate quantities, to potting media has significantly positive effects on growth and flowering of marigold seedlings including plant biomass, plant height, number of buds and flowers. Conclusions It was concluded that addition of vermicompost, in appropriate quantities, to potting media has synergistic effects on growth and yield of marigold.