AUTHORS: NQ Arancon, CA Edwards, P Bierman, C Welch, JD Metzger
Abstract:
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Vermicompost applications increased strawberry growth and yields significantly; including increases of up to 37% in leaf areas, 37% in plant shoot biomass, 40% in numbers of flowers, 36% in numbers of plant runners and 35% in marketable fruit weights.
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5 to 10 t/ha rates of application (5-10 t/ha = 1-2 lbs/m^2)
Methods:
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Inorganic fertilizer was used to equalize total NPK at 85-155-125 kg/ha
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24 plants were transplanted into each bed with 38 cm between plants in the row with three rows spaced 38 cm between rows
Results:
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The unaided food waste vermicompost contained more C, N, Ca, Fe, K, and S than the paper waste vermicompost, whereas the paper waste vermicompost had ore B, Na, and Zn than the food waste vermicompost. The concentrations of Mn, Mg, and P and Cu were similar in both types of vermicompost
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Marketable strawberry yields were greater on plants grown in plots treated with vermicomposts than from plants grown in plots treated with only inorganic fertilizers.
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Plants grown in plots treated with 10 t/ha food waste vermicomposts had significantly more runners and fruits and greater marketable yields than plants in plots grown in plots receiving with 5 t/ha food waste vermicompost.
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The increased amounts of humid materials in vermicomposts could also have been responsible for the increased growth and yields of strawberries we recorded.