Comparison of the Effect of Vermicompost and Inorganic Fertilizers on Vegetative Growth and Fruit Production of Tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> L.)

This study attempted to compare the effect of cow manure vermicompost and inorganic fertilizers on the vegetative growth and fruits of tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum L.). An air dried sandy loam soil was mixed with five rates of vermicompost equivalent to 0 (control), 5, 10, 15 and 20 t ha-1 and three rates of NPK fertilizer equivalent to 50% (N-P-K = 69-16-35 kg ha-1), 100% (N-P-K = 137-32-70 kg ha-1) and 200% (N-P-K = 274-64-140 kg ha-1). The treatments were replicated three times. The data revealed that shoot length, number of leaves, dry matter weight of shoots and roots, fruit number and fruit weight were influenced significantly (P -1 increased dry weight of shoot of 52 folds and root of…