Vermicompost Drippings as Substitute Foliar Fertilizer for Growing Organic Vegetable Seedlings

Abstract

Vermicompost drippings (VD) as one of the by-products during vermicomposting has not been given much importance in the Philippines as organic fertilizer for economically important vegetable crops. As part of the nursery management, this study tried to attempt to determine the potential of vermicompost drippings on seed germination and seedling vigor and growth of selected vegetable crops. Generally, the application of vermicompost drippings did not further improve the germination of lettuce, pechay, and radish except for bell pepper. Significant improvements in the growth of seedlings was observed in VD-treated plants with similar effects with those seedlings fertilized with synthetic starter fertilizer solution. Those seedlings fertilized with synthetic fertilizer and those applied with vermicompost drippings produces taller plants with more leaves develop and well-developed root system compared to the unfertilized seedlings. Thus, the use of VD for growing organic vegetable seedlings could be a good substitute for the conventional way of fertilization using synthetic foliar fertilizer. Likewise, this result further showed that VD could be used for growing
organic vegetable seedlings.