Abstract— The objective of this study was to examine the

influence of earthworms-vermicompost on the growth of Marigold,

and the changing of soil chemical properties. The experiment was

studied in farmer field, Chiangmai province, Thailand. The

randomized complete block design (RCBD) with five treatments and

three replications were performed. The five treatments consisted of i)

control (un fertilized) ii) inorganic fertilizer iii) vermicompost+worm

tea iv) vermicompost and v) vermicompost + inorganic fertilizer.

The results of this study showed that the combination of inorganic

fertilizer and vermicompost treatment tended to most influence to the

stem length, number of flower, fresh flower weight, height and plant

spread at 30, 60, and 90 DAP. The changing of soil chemical

properties was not significant influenced by vermicompost and/or

inorganic fertilizer, but the vermicompost added treatments tended to

increase OM, N(NH4+ + NO3-), Available P, and Extractable K in the soil

after planting. In addition, the vermicompost have raised the pH of

after planting soil as compared with inorganic fertilizer and un

fertilized soil.

Keywords—Earthworms-vermicompost, Marigold, Soils

chemical properties

I. INTRODUCTION

The amendment of vermicompost is a management practice

that may contribute to sustainable agro-ecosystems by making

them less dependent on inorganic fertilizer. Earthworm-

vermicompost (EV) is the digestion of organic material by the

digestive systems of earthworm which produce excreta known

as „casts‟ [1]. The EV is an efficient source of plant nutrients,

and it has been extensively studied as a plant growth media

and amendment [2], [3]. It contains high plant available N

contents [4]. and most nutrients are in available forms such

as nitrate, phosphates, exchangeable calcium and soluble

potassium, due to faster release of plant nutrients than

traditional composts [1], [3], [5], [6], [7]. The abundance of

EV increases the size and stability of soil aggregates, and to

protects the leaching of soil organic matter within

microaggreates [8], [9]. In addition, EV produces plant

growth hormones [10] and also contains plant growth

regulators like auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins [11]. The

amendment of EV influence to reduce some kind of disease

like Botrytis rot [12], controls the soil bacteria [13], and

population of plant parasitic nematodes [10]. It has been

shown to improve the germination, growth, quality and yield

of plants [14], [15], [16], [17]. Reference [12] showed that EV

application increased plant spread (10.7%), leaf area (23.1%)

and dry matter (20.7%), and increased total strawberry fruit

Weena Nilawonk, Maejo Universitym, Sansai, ChiangMai, Thailand,

50290. Email id: W_nilawonk@hotmail.com

yield (32.7%), and the similar result was found when the EV is

used for marigold and tomato production [18], [19].

Marigold is the economic cutting plant widely produced in

the north and central part of Thailand, but there has not been

information about inorganic or organic fertilizers applications

in the scientific literature to assist farmer in improving the

economic crop production in Thailand. A hypothesis of this

study was that the flowering and yield of marigold should be

increased by addition of EV, which might improve soil

fertility in marigold production.

II. MATERIALS AND METHODS

The site was located in farmer filed, Chiang Mai, the

Northern of Thailand. The soil on the experiment site is Sansai

soils. The earthworm-vermicompost and worm tea were

prepared from vegetable waste by the earthworm

vermicomposting research unit, Maejo University. The worm

tea was selected to use in the combination with

vermicommpost in this experiment because it was observed

the plant growth regulators (Free IAA, GA3 and Cytokinins)

by determining of Central Laboratory of Chiangmai

University. The quality seeds were obtained from the natural

plant products of Maejo University, and staggered sowing was

done in the nursery to suit the plant dates, twenty-five day old

seedlings were used. Planting was done at a spacing of 50x50

cm a plot size of 1x3 m (3 m2 per plot) was constructed. The

five treatments consisted of

i) control (un fertilized)

ii) inorganic fertilizer (IF) ; 50-22-42 kg N P K ha-1

iii) vermicompost+worm tea (VW) ; vermicompost 6.25 t

ha-1 and worm tea 50 ml plant-1

iv) vermicompost (V) ; vermicompost 6.25 t ha-1

v)vermicompost+inorganic fertilizer (VIF) ; vermicompost

3.125 t ha-1 and 25-11-21 kg N P K ha-1

The randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three

replications was performed under field condition.

Observations on plant heights and spread were measured on

ten plants from each replication at 30, 60, and 90 days after

planting. At harvest, the numbers of flower and total yields

were measured, and the soil samples were collected from each

reapplication for determining the soil chemical properties at 0-

20 cm. Soil samples were air-dried and sieved (< 2 mm). Soil

pH was determined in a 1:1 (w/v) soil to solution ratio with

Co2-free distilled water. Organic matter was determined using

Walkley-Black Method. Available N- (NH4++NO3

-)

concentration were measured under procedures steam

distillation of a 2 M KCl soil extract with MgO and Devarda‟s

alloy. The soil plant available P was determined by the

Application of Vermicompost for Marigold

Production in Chiangmai, Thailand

Weena Nilawonk

International Conference on Agriculture, Environment and Biological Sciences (ICFAE’14) June 4-5, 2014 Antalya (Turkey)

http://dx.doi.org/10.17758/IAAST.A0614022 1

molybdenum blue colorimetric after extraction by 0.5 M

NaHCO3. Soil exchangeable K, Ca, and Mg were measured

using extracting 1 M NH4OAc. Soil texture was analysed by

Hydrometer Method. The chemical analysis of vermicompost

was observed (Table 1). Total nitrogen was determined by

[20] procedure. Total available phosphorus was determined

by colorimetric method. Total K, Ca, and Mg were determined

by flame photometer [21]. The pH was measured by the

method of [22], a double distilled water suspension of

vermicompost in ratio of 1:10 (w/v) that had been agitated

mechanically for 30 minutes and filtered through Whatman

No.1 filter paper.

Marigold growth, yield data and soil properties were

subjected to a one way analysis of variance to test for Least

Significant Difference (LSD). Significant differences were

determined at P ≤ 0.05.

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The experimental soil (Sansai soil series) was near neutral

soil (pH 7.3), and sandy loam texture. This soil contained low

content of organic matter and available N (NH4+ +NO3

-),

moderate concentrations of available P and high level of

exchangeable K, Ca, and Mg (Table 1). The vermicompost

was a slightly alkaline substrate (pH 9.7), and contained large

amount of organic matter (15.85%), total N, P, K, Ca, and Mg

(0.8%, 0.63%, 1.44%, 1.77%, and 5.10%, respectively).

TABLE I

THE SOIL AND VERMICOMMPOST CHEMICAL PROPERTIES AT THE BEGINNING

OF THE STUDY

Chemical properties Soil Vermicompost

pH 7.3 9.7

Organic matter 0.89 % 15.85 %

N(NH4+ + NO3- ), Total 13 mg kg-1 0.80 %

PAvailable, Total 32 mg kg-1 0.63 %

K Exchangeable, Total 153mg kg-1 1.44%

Ca Exchangeable, Total 1,182 mg kg-1 1.77%

Mg Exchangeable, Total 75 mg kg-1 5.10%

Clay 10.6% -

Texture Sandy loam -

The significant influence of fertilizer treatments on the

height and plant spread of marigold was observed at 60 and 90

DAP, but the 30 DAP was not found (Table 2). The

significant higher of plant height was found in the inorganic

fertilizer and the combination of vermicompost and inorganic

fertilizer treatments than other treatments at 60 and 90 DAP.

The plant spread was significantly influenced in plot receiving

vermicompost and/or inorganic fertilizer treatments when

compared with un fertilized treatment at 60 and 90 DAP. The

significant influence of fertilizer treatments on the stem

length, number of flower, and fresh flower weight was

observed. The stem length showed significant higher in

inorganic fertilizer, vermicompost, and the combination of

vermicompost and inorganic fertilizer treatments than un

fertilized and the combination of vermicompost and worm tea

treatments. The number of flower was significant higher in

the all of fertilized than un fertilized treatments. The fresh

flower weight showed significant highest in the combination

of vermicompost and inorganic fertilizer treatment.

TABLE II

EFFECT OF FERTILIZER TREATMENTS ON THE HEIGHT AND PLANT SPREAD OF

MARIGOLD AT 30, 60, AND 90 DAYS AFTER PLANTING (DAP)

MEANS WITHIN THE COLUMN WITH THE SAME LETTER ARE NOT

SIGNIFICANTLY AT P ≤ 0.05

Treatment Height (cm) Plant spread (cm)

30 DAP

60 DAP

90 DAP

30 DAP

60 DAP

90 DAP

Control 46.0 103.5b 111.1b 37.3 58.1b 88.6b

IF 49.6 113.8a 118.7ab 38.2 62.2a 114.9a

VW 48.5 105.5b 116.7b 39.7 61.4ab 119.7a

V 49.5 105.2b 115.8b 39.2 63.8a 122.5a

VIF 50.4 115.5a 124.7a 41.2 65.9a 124.8a

The fresh flower weight was not differed in the plot

received only inorganic fertilizer, the combination of

vermicompost and worm tea, and only vermicompost

treatments (Table 3). The combination of inorganic fertilizer

and vermicompost treatment showed the trend to most

influence to the stem length, number of flower, fresh flower

weight, height and plant spread at 30, 60, and 90 DAP. This

was probably the result of the vermicomposts that have the

potential for improving the growth of marigold when added to

combine with inorganic fertilizer. The earthworm

vermicompost has been shown to improve the germination,

growth, and yield of plants, and produce the plant growth

hormones [10], [23]. In addition, the growth parameters

tended to similar for the vermicompost and inorganic fertilizer

treatments, suggesting that the vermicompost does show

potential as a good substitute for inorganic fertilizer. While,

the worm tea did not influence to plant growth, it might be the

small amount of worm tea was applied for this study.

Soil chemical properties after harvesting were determined

and shown in Table 4. The influence of fertilizers on

changing soil properties was not significant.

TABLE III

EFFECT OF FERTILIZER TREATMENTS ON THE STEM LENGTH, NUMBER AND

FRESH WEIGHT OF FLOWER PER PLANT. MEANS WITHIN THE COLUMN WITH THE

SAME LETTER ARE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY AT P ≤ 0.05

Treatment Stem Length

(cm)

Number of

flower per

plant

Fresh flower

weight per plant

(g)

Control 9.3b 34.7b 50c

IF 10.4a 42.4a 69ab

VW 9.6b 48.0a 60b

V 10.5a 45.3a 59b

VIF 10.8a 49.1a 79a

The similar result was found by [10], Reference [10]

showed that the addition of earthworm vermicompost did not

significant influence to the changing of total extractable N,

N(NH+4 + NO-3) and orthophosphates in strawberries soils.

Although this study does not show the significant influence of

vermicompost on soil chemical properties, but the

vermicompost added treatments tended to increase OM, N(NH4+

+ NO3-), Available P, and Extractable K in the soil after planting.

This was probably the result of large amount of organic

International Conference on Agriculture, Environment and Biological Sciences (ICFAE’14) June 4-5, 2014 Antalya (Turkey)

http://dx.doi.org/10.17758/IAAST.A0614022 2

matter, total N, P, and K which contained in vermicompost.

Whereas, the soil pH tended to decrease after marigold

planting.

TABLE IV

EFFECT OF FERTILIZER TREATMENTS ON THE CHANGING OF

SOIL CHEMICAL PROPERTIES.

Treatments pH OM

(%)

Avail N Avail. P Ext. K

mg kg-1

At the beginning 7.3 0.89 13 32 153

After harvested

Control 5.9 1.08 28 42 136

IF 4.6 1.17 35 78 188

VW 6.5 1.26 40 49 224

V 6.3 1.28 31 51 221

VIF 5.8 1.10 34 76 244

The most decreasing of soil pH was found in the soil which

treated by chemical fertilizer (pH = 4.6) while the soil pH of

the vermicompost, and the combination of vermicompost and

worm tea treatments was lesser effective than chemical

fertilizer treatment. It is possible that the high pH of the

earthworm vermicompost (pH 9.7) have raised the pH of after

planting soil as compared with inorganic fertilizer added soils.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The research was funded by the National Research Council of

Thailand

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International Conference on Agriculture, Environment and Biological Sciences (ICFAE’14) June 4-5, 2014 Antalya (Turkey)

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