Influence of Vermicast on Early Growth of Black Afara (Terminaliaivorensis A. Chev.) Seedlings

Abstract

This study assessed the effect of vermicast on the early growth of Terminalia ivorensis A.Chev. (Black Afara) seedlings which belongs to the family Combretaceae. Seedlings were raised on Vermicast (100%), Vermicast + Topsoil (1:1,) and topsoil media. There were three (3) treatments, replicated four (4) times and laid in Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The experiment was monitored for 12 weeks and the following variables were assessed, plant height (cm), stem diameter (mm), leaf production and the leaf area (cm² ). Data collected were subjected to descriptive statistics and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results revealed that the seedling growth parameters measured were not significantly affected by the vermicast treatments at 5% probability level, except plant height. The best performance was observed in the seedlings raised with T₂ (Vermicast + Topsoil) in plant height, stem diameter, leaf production and leaf area with mean values of 28.55cm, 0.55mm, 18.25 and 38.87cm² respectively while the least performance was recorded in T₃ (100% top soil) in plant height, stem diameter, leaf production and leaf area with mean values of 22.06cm, 0.49mm, 15.25 and 49.72cm² respectively. It is therefore recommended that 50% vermicast should be used to improve the growth media in order to enhance the early growth of Terminalia ivorensis seedlings at the nursery stage.

Keywords: Vermicast, Terminalia ivorensis, Early Growth, Seedlings