APPLICATION OF NANO-VERMICOMPOST IMPROVES NPK NUTRIENT UPTAKE, CHLOROPHYLL CONTENT AND YIELD OF CAISIM MUSTARD

Abstract

The application of organic farming systems in the field is often constrained by the slow release of nutrients from organic fertilizers so that the synchronization between plant nutrient requirements and the release of nutrients from organic fertilizers becomes inappropriate. Therefore, efforts are needed to accelerate the release of nutrients from organic fertilizers so that they can be absorbed quickly by plants. A pot experiment was conducted to test the application of nano vermicompost on NPK uptake, chlorophyll content and yield of Caisim mustard compared to inorganic fertilizers and some organic fertilizers. This experiment used a Simple Randomized Block Design (RBD). There were seven treatments tested, including: T0 = without fertilizer application, T1 = inorganic fertilizer, T2 = conventional compost, T3 = cow manure, T4 = chicken manure, T5 = vermicompost, and T6 = nano vermicompost. The dose of organic fertilizer applied to all treatments tested is equivalent to the N nutrient content of inorganic fertilizers. The results showed that the application of nano vermicompost provided higher N, P and K nutrients uptake and chlorophyll content compared to the inorganic fertilizers and the others organic fertilizers, as well as to the Caisim mustard yields. Percentage of increase in nutrient uptake of N, P and K to control (T0) by 190%, 73% and 143%, respectively.  The increase in leaf chlorophyll content was 11.7% and the total fresh weight of plant and marketable yield increased by an average of 20.7% to control (T0). Thus, in cultivation of Caisim mustard organically is suggested to use of nano-vermicompost fertilizer to increase plant uptake and yield.