Sweet Corn Performance and its Major Nutrient Uptake Following Application of Vermicompost Supplemented with Liquid Organic Fertilizer

Abstract

Solid organic fertilization in organic farming practices should be supplemented with liquid organic fertilizer to accelerate the availability of plant nutrients. The study aimed to determine performance and major nutrient uptake by sweet corn following application of vermicompost supplemented with liquid organic fertilizer (LOF) and to find out combined vermicompost and liquid organic fertilizer for sweet corn production. The experiment was conducted at CAPS Research Station (1054 m above sea level) from April to June 2016, arranged in split plot design with 5 rates of vermicompost as main plot and 5 rates of LOF as subplot. Rates of vermicompost comprised 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 Mg ha^-1, while LOF rates consisted of control, 25, 50, 75, and 100% (initial concentration). Treatment combination was replicated 3 times. Root application of LOF was carried out every week at 2-8 weeks after planting (WAP) with total volume of 950 ml plant^-1. Result pointed out that vermicompost pronouncedly raised nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) uptakes and linearly enhanced growth and yield of sweet corn, indicated by plant height, plant leaf area, shoot fresh and dry weight, weight of husked and unhusked ears, diameter of ear, and weight of husked ear per plot but length of ear. Addition of LOF had similar effect on major nutrient uptake, growth and yield of sweet corn. Vermicompost at rate of 25 Mg ha^-1 supplemented with 100% LOF provided greatest growth and yield, suggesting that the fertilizer combination was the most effective complementary organic fertilization for sweet corn production in organic farming system