Role of Vermicompost Types (Fish Sludge and Cow Dung) in Improving Agronomic Behavior and Soil Health of Tomato Crop

Background and Objective: Vermicompost technology technique can play as a cost-effective and safe mechanism to agro-waste disposal.The current study aimed to study the impact of vermicompost application on agronomic behaviour of tomato crop and soil health.Materials and Methods: An experiment was conducted out in National Research Centreʼs farm, Northern Egypt, under greenhouse condition to estimate the impact of two types of vermicompost on tomato plants, as well as soil.Fish Sludge (FS) and Cow Dung (CD) were utilized to produce vermicompost.These vermicompost types were applied at different doses during the 2019-2020 growing seasons.Results: Vermicompost treatments increased most of the measured vegetative growth parameters and this positive effect increased with increasing doses of applied vermicompost.The high rate of CD (30%) surpassed the other studied treatments in raising N, P, Ca and Mg meanwhile, FS vermicompost at (30%) recorded the highest content of K (2.47%) in tomato leaves.Regarding fruit quality, it was noticed that average fruit weight, lycopene, $-Carotene and acidity significantly affected by the incorporation of vermicompost in the soil as organic fertilizer.Also, soil fertility increased with the application of vermicompost.Application of vermicompost resulted in an increment in soil organic matter, water retention and microbial activity; however soil E.C. decreased with these treatments.Conclusion: Vermiculture has positive effects on tomato crop and soil parameters.Besides, it can play an essential role in raising water use efficiency especially in semi and arid countries.