Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Potato Crops Research Dept., Hort. Res. Inst., Agric. Res. Center, Giza, 12619 Egypt.
2
Veget. and Flori. Dept. Fac. Agric., Mans. Univ., Egypt
3
Self-pollination Vegetable Crops Research Department, Horticulture Research Institute (HRI), Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Giza, Egypt
Abstract
The justification of this research lies in the growing demand for sustainable agricultural practices and the need to enhance crop productivity by minimizing environmental impacts. Vermicompost, rich in essential nutrients and microbial activity, offers a natural and eco-friendly approach to soil enrichment. Melatonin presents a promising avenue for enhancing crop performance, so this study investigated the effects of vermicompost and melatonin on the attributes of potato plants in Met-Fares, Bani-Ebeed district, Dakahlia governorate, Egypt. A complete randomized design in split plot system was used. Vermicompost was applied at rates of 0, 1 and 2 tons fed-1 served as the main factor, while melatonin was applied at the concentrations 0, 50, 75 and 100 μM, acted as the sub factor. The obtained results indicated that the values of stem length, leaf area, fresh and dry weights, leaves NPK content, tuber weight, total yield, starch content, total dissolved solids, dry matter and vitamin C exhibited a positive correlation in response to the application rates of vermicompost and melatonin concentrations. Plants performance was significantly improved in all studied traits with increasing levels of vermicompost and melatonin. Plants provided with vermicompost at 2 tons fed-1 and sprayed with 100 μM melatonin demonstrated the highest values for all studied traits. In addition, the findings underscore the efficacy of vermicompost and melatonin application in promoting growth, yield and quality of potato plants. Based on the observed results, the integration of vermicompost and melatonin application could be recommended in potato cultivation practices to maximize productivity and quality.
Keywords
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