Comparative growth analysis of Raphanus sativus L. (Radish): effects of vermiwash and vermicompost applications on plant development

Long-term application of chemical fertilizers has negative impacts on soil health, crop productivity, and ecosystems. Hence, organic substrates have been proposed as alternatives for enhancing soil health and plant growth parameters. Among them, vermicompost and vermiwash are widely used in the sustainable agriculture sector to enhance plant growth, yield, and soil fertility. Hence, in this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of vermiwash and vermicompost on the growth of Raphanus sativus L. Pot culture experiments were conducted in four groups which included: group A) control soil (10 kg pot(-1)), group B) soil (8.5 kg pot(-1)) + vermicompost (1.5 kg pot(-1)), group C) soil (10 kg pot(-1)) + vermiwash (1.5 L pot(-1)), and group D) soil (8.5 kg pot(-1)) + vermicompost (1.5 kg pot(-1)) + vermiwash (1.5 L pot(-1)), respectively. The results revealed that the plants treated with vermiwash and vermicompost (Group D) had significantly enhanced the growth of the plants with higher germination percentage (100%), number of leaves (32.08%), length of leaves (56.35%), width of leaves (28.05), area of leaves (100.22%), shoot length of plant (78.02%), chlorophyll concentration (42.72%), leaf relative water content (13.30%), fresh weight (65.61%), dry weight of leaves (57.59), and tuber yield (74.96%) when compared to plants under groups A, B, and C. Furthermore, the application of the vermiwash and vermicompost combination improved the soil's physicochemical properties, increased glycine betaine concentrations, and decreased proline accumulation. Hence, this study suggests that vermicompost and vermiwash may be a potential source of plant nutrients for sustainable crop production.