Mahboobeh Fizabadi; Zahra Ghahremani; Taher Barzegar; Ahmad Golchin
Abstract
Today, the production of healthy and high quality seedlings is the main factors of success in growing vegetables such as tomato. Hence, in order to investigate the effect of different levels of vermicompost and nitrogen on the growth parameters of tomato seedlings (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Rio ...
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Today, the production of healthy and high quality seedlings is the main factors of success in growing vegetables such as tomato. Hence, in order to investigate the effect of different levels of vermicompost and nitrogen on the growth parameters of tomato seedlings (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Rio Grande), a factorial experiment was conducted in a randomized complete design with three replications in 2014 at the research greenhouse of Department of Horticultural Science, University of Zanjan. Treatments consisted of five vermicompost levels (0, 5, 10, 20 and 40 wt %) and nitrogen at five levels (0, 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg N/kg soil). The results showed that nitrogen treatments caused a significant increase in seedling growth. The maximum seedling height, dry weight of root and stem, fresh weight of stem, leaf area and chlorophyll content was observed in 100 mg N/kg Soil. The vermicompost treatments significantly increased seedling growth, so the highest seedling height, internodes length, root and stem length, fresh and dry weight of root and leaf area was obtained in the 10 wt% vermicompost. Also vermicompost caused a significant decrease in growth period of transplant and the minimum period (39.6 days) was recorded in the 10 wt% vermicompost. According to the results the concentration of N. P and K in leaf increased with application of vermicompost. Application of 100 mg N/ kg soil and 10 wt% vermicompost improved seedling growth