Saravanan S., Mujeebunisha M., Divya V., Vasantha Kumar D. and Aruna D.
The present study aims at understanding the effect of probiotic amended vermicompost on the growth and chlorophyll content of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) plant. The vermicomposts were prepared using different wastes such as cow dung, leaf litter, flower waste and onion garlic waste to grow cowpea (V. Unguiculata L.) plants under field conditions. Various probiotics, Lactobacillus sporogenes, Essential microbes and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were used to enrich the vermicompost. After 60 days of germination, the plants were harvested and various morphological characteristics such as number of leaves, leaf length, leaf width, shoot length, number of shoot branches, root length, branches of roots, root nodules were measured. Our results indicate that the type of waste used for vermicomposting and the type of probiotic influences germination, growth parameters and chlorophyll levels in V. unguiculata L. Our results indicate that no significant increase in chlorophyll a was recorded in cowdung and leaf litter groups. In flower waste and onion garlic waste groups significant increase was recorded in chlorophyll a. No significant increase was seen in chlorophyll b in flower waste groups except in essential microbes amended groups. A highly significant increase was recorded in onion garlic waste groups. Total chlorophyll increased in cowdung + L. sporogenes, leaf litter + essential microbes, flower waste + essential microbes and onion garlic waste + essential microbes amended groups. Among plant parameters- number of leaves, leaf length, shoot length, number of root branches were highest in leaf litter amended with L. sporogenes. Leaf width and number of shoot branches were higher in onion garlic waste amended with S. cerevisiae. Root length was highest in onion garlic waste amended with L. sporogenes. Number of root nodules was the same in flower waste + essential microbes and onion garlic waste + S. cerevisiae amended groups. The results are discussed in the light of increasing plant production by using probiotics. Different wastes affect the seed germination of the test crop significantly. The study revealed that vermicompost amendment increased crop growth and is recommended for raising seed crops. The nutrients in vermicompost may determine the formation of chlorophyll in leaves and thereby the energy entrapment in photosynthesis
