EFFICACY OF VERMICOMPOST ON GROWTH OF MULBERRY PLANT THROUGH AIR LAYERING

Abstract

Mulberry (Moraceae) is the type of seed plant grown in the deciduous trees and cultivated in numerous temperate regions. Air layering is the technique of plant propagation through cutting; wounding and layering are often performed. This study was conducted with the investigation of air layering survival growth of roots and other plant growth parameters in mulberry plant by using three different types of composts. Vermicompost is a nutritious natural fertilizer with plant obtainable form of macro and micronutrients, beneficial to soil microbes, nitrogen-fixing and plant growth regulators. Therefore, present experiment was undertaken in the Department of Zoology, Kongunadu Arts and Science, (Coimbatore) during the year 2019-2020. The healthy mulberry plants were chosen for practices of air layering by using three different types of vermicomposts i.e. Elephant Dung (100% ED), Cow Dung (100% CD), Elephant Dung + Cow Dung (50% ED + 50% CD) and soil were used as control in triplicates. Best results were achieved with elephant dung vermicompost recorded significantly higher values for rooted air layer length, number of primary roots and secondary roots, root shoot ratio, number of fruits and number of leaves. Hence the shoot length and Shoot weight greater in vermicompost of cow dung, but growth of the plants were recorded significantly higher in plants which treated with all vermicompost, when compared to that of control.