A comparison study on the impact of organic nitrogen-enriched vermicompost, non-modified vermicompost and chemical fertilizers on corn plant growth and some soil biological indices

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Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz- Iran

Abstract

Background & Objective: Nitrogen immobilization in vermicompost leads to its enrichment with organic nitrogen which in turn decreases N losses and enhances nitrogen use efficiency in plants. We hypothesized that the vermicompost enriched with organic-N could promote corn plant nutrition and growth compared to the conventional vermicompost and chemical fertilizers.
Methods & Materials: The experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions with five treatments including vermicompost (VC), vermicompost mixed with urea (VC-N), vermicompost enriched with organic nitrogen (VC-IN), NPK chemical fertilizer (CF) and control. Each treatment had four replications.
Results: Corn growth and chlorophyll index were significantly enhanced by vermicompost enriched with organic nitrogen, but no significant difference was observed between the CF, VC-IN and VC-N. In VC-IN treatment, the shoot had the highest amounts of phosphorus, potassium, iron, copper, and zinc because of increasing nutrient absorption. However, CF and VC-N had higher shoot nitrogen levels than the VC-IN. Soil analysis after plant harvesting revealed that the VC treatment had a significantly higher nitrogen concentration than other treatments. Concerning the biological properties of the soil, VC-IN showed the highest amount of soil basal respiration and the lowest amount of substrate induced soil respiration among the treatments.
Conclusion: Farmers can improve soil fertility by using vermicompost that is enriched with organic nitrogen, since it aids in the uptake of nutrients and promotes plant growth. Furthermore, in comparison to chemical fertilizers, VC-IN treatment plays a greater role in improving of nitrogen maintaining in the soil.

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JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 22 October 2025

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