The need for increasing the agricultural area to secure food production and the sustainability under the
climate change impacts and current conditions of Egypt, especially the shortage of available water and soil were the
driving forces for developing ecology substrate culture via using vermicomposting outputs. The study was carried
out at Central Laboratory for Agricultural Climate (CLAC), Giza, Egypt under unheated double span plastic house
during two successive autumn seasons of 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 for investigating the effect of vermicompost as
substrate amendment mixed with perlite or sand in different proportions 0, 10, 20 and 30 % of substrate combined
with three sources of nutrient solutions (compost tea, vermi-liquid and chemical) on the growth and yield of snap
bean cv. Alhamma in split plot design with four replicates.
Data revealed that increasing vermicompost rate from 0 to 20 % had positive significant effects on vegetative
growth, yield and quality of snap bean pods while increasing the rate up to 30 % had no subsequent effect. Sand +
vermicompost (80: 20 v/v) followed by perlite + vermicompost (80: 20 v/v) recorded the highest results of the
vegetative growth characteristics during the two successive seasons compared to other treatments. The highest
values of early and total yield / m2 were recorded by sand + vermicompost (80: 20 v/v) 1494 and 6947 g / m2 during
the first season, respectively. In addition, it recorded the highest early yield on the second season (1552 g / m2).
While treatment of sand + vermicompost (70: 30 v/v) recorded the highest total yield (7035 g/ m2). Otherwise,
obtained results of the effect of nutrient solution sources indicated that the chemical nutrient solution recorded the
highest vegetative growth traits and yield characteristics. Perlite + vermicompost (70: 30 v/v) combined with
chemical nutrient solution had the highest results of early (1605) and total yield (7734) (g / m2).
The study supports the use of vermicompost as substrate amendment and compost tea and vermi-liquid as a
source of nutrient solution in ecology soilless production of snap bean plants. The environmental impacts of
vermicomposting could create sustainable source of organic substrate and fertilizer besides mitigating CO2 emission. |
