J. agric. educ. technol.

10 (1&2): 43-48, December 2007

ISSN 1729-097X

EFFECT OF SELECTED SOIL AMENDMENTS ON SEED GERMINATION,

SEEDLING GROWTH AND CONTROL OF DAMPING OFF OF EGGPLANT AND
TOMATO SEEDLINGS
A. N. Faruq1 and M. T. Islam2
ABSTRACT
Soil amendments with Sand, Ash, Sawdust, Cowdung, Poultry refuse, Neem compost,
Vermi compost along with Control were evaluated for seed germination, seedling growth
and control of damping off disease of eggplant and tomato. Soil application of Poultry
refuse (T6), Neem compost (T7) and Vermicompost (T1) showed better performance in
controlling damping off seedlings as well as increased seed germination and influenced
growth characters. The highest seedling population 89.67% at 18 DAS in eggplant and
93.00% at 13 DAS in tomato were recorded under the treatment Poultry refuse (T6) where
seed germination was increased 40.11% and 37.43% over control in eggplant and tomato,
respectively. Poultry refuse reduced damping off incidence by 90.56% (30 DAS) in
eggplant and 84.81% (25 DAS) in tomato seedlings over control, respectively. Seedlings
growth characters like shoot length, root length, seedling height, fresh shoot weight, fresh
root weight and fresh seedling weight of eggplant and tomato were also enhanced by poultry
refuse. Application of neem compost and vermicompost also showed promising effect
against damping off disease and also enhanced seed germination and growth characters of
eggplant and tomato seedlings.

INTRODUCTION
Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is the second most important vegetable crop next to potato
in Bangladesh in respect of acreage and production (BBS, 2005). Tomato (Lycopersicon
esculentum L.) is a commonly grown popular vegetable in the country. In Bangladesh, tomato
is cultivated mainly in homestead gardens as well as in fields during winter and in limited
scale at summer season. The yield potential of eggplant and tomato is low in Bangladesh
compared to other countries. The average yield of tomato in the world is 27 t/ha where as it is
around 7 t/ha in Bangladesh. Diseases are the major constraints for lower yield of tomato in
Bangladesh which cause about 30-40% yield loss of this crop annually (Anon, 1992).
Incidence of insect pests and diseases greatly hampered the production of eggplant. This crop
suffers from the various diseases; about 13 different diseases so far recorded in Bangladesh
(Das et al., 2000 and Rashid, 2000). Among the various pathogens, Sclerotium rolfsii,
Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizoctonia solani causing damping off disease complex has been
treated as the major constraints of eggplant and tomato cultivation in our country.
There are different methods for controlling damping off disease. In case of cultural control,
several methods are suggested to minimize the inoculum of S. rolfsii, F. oxysporum and R.
solani in the soil. Most of the methods are not effective unless used in conjointly with
fungicide or fertilizer applications. (Gurkin and Jenkins, 1985; Punja et al., 1985). Other
control measures like host resistance has not yet become a viable control measure. No
resistant variety has yet been developed against these soil borne pathogens causing damping
off disease in eggplant and tomato in our country. Numerous fungicides inhibit the
germination of sclerotia or mycelial growth of the causal fungi. Ridomil gold and formalin
1&2

Lecturer, Department of Plant Pathology, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207,

Bangladesh

effectively control the disease of various crops in the field (Islam, 2007; Ayub et al., 1998).
But continuous use of chemicals has some adverse effect on our health and environment.
Harmful chemical substances enter into the food chain that ultimately causes serious human
health hazards.
Organic soil amendment is another important option and eco-friendly approach for
controlling damping off disease by developing suppressive nature of soil. Poultry waste, saw
dust proved to be effective for that purpose. (Patil and Katan, 1997; Dey, 2005; Islam, 2007).
Soil amendment such as vermicompost was also found effective against damping off of
tomato and eggplant seedlings (Szczech, 1999). Hence the present study has been aimed to
evaluate the efficacy of different soil amendments against damping off disease as well as
evaluate their effect on seed germination and seedling growth of eggplant and tomato
seedlings.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The pot experiment was conducted in a completely randomized block design with three
replication during the period of September 2007 to December 2007 in the Department of
Plant Pathology, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka. Eggplant variety BARI
Begoon 4 (Kazla) and Tomato variety BARI Tomato 2 (Ratan) were used in the experiment.
The treatments were: T1= Soil amendment with Vermicompost, T2= Soil amendment with
Sand, T3= Soil amendment with Ash, T4= Soil amendment with Saw dust, T5= Soil
amendment with Cowdung, T6= Soil amendment with Poultry waste, T7= Soil amendment
with Neem compost and T8= Control. Different treatment materials were mixed at 1:3 ratio
with experimental soil. After soil amendment experimental pot were left for one month. Then
the soil was exposed and pulverized before sowing. Data were recorded on percent seedling
population, damping off disease incidence at different days after sowing and seedling growth
characters such as shoot length, root length, seedling height, fresh shoot weight, fresh root
weight, fresh seedling weight at 30 DAS for tomato and 45 DAS for eggplant. The disease
incidence was calculated by the following formula:
Number of infected plant(s) X 100
% Disease Incidence =
Number of total plants
The data were statistically analyzed using computer package program (MSTATC).
Treatments means were compared by DMRT (Duncans Multiple Range Test).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The effects of different soil amendments on percent seedling population of eggplant and
tomato seedlings at different days after sowing (DAS) were differed significantly in
comparison to control (Table 1). At 12 DAS, the highest percent seedling population of
eggplant was observed in poultry refuse (T6) which was statistically similar with neem
compost (T7), vermicompost (T1) and sand (T2). At 15 DAS, the highest percent seedling
population of eggplant was also observed in poultry refuse (T6) which was statistically
identical with neem compost (T7) and sand (T2). At 20 DAS the highest seedling population
(89.67%) of eggplant was recorded in poultry refuse (T6) that was statistically similar with
neem compost (T7), vermicompost (T1) and sand (T2). Poultry refuse increased seedling
population up to 40.11 % over control at 18 DAS in eggplant. Irrespective DAS, the lowest

44

percent seedling population of eggplant was recorded in control (T8) which was closely
followed by saw dust (T4) and cowdung (T5).

T1 (Vermicompost)
T2 (Sand)
T3 (Ash)
T4 (Saw dust)
T5 (Cowdung)
T6 (Poultry refuse)
T7 (Neem
compost)
T8 (Control)
LSD (p=0.05)

% seedling population
increased over control
at 13 DAS

% seedling population
increased over control
at 18 DAS

Table 1. Percent seedling population of eggplant and tomato under different treatment at different days after
sowing (DAS)
Treatments
% seedling population of
% seedling population of tomato
eggplant
12 DAS 15 DAS 18 DAS
7 DAS
10 DAS 13 DAS

75.00 a
76.33 a
67.00 b
60.00 c
62.67 bc
80.00 a
78.00 a

79.33 b
81.67 ab
72.00 c
63.67 d
65.33 d
85.33 a
82.67 ab

85.67 a
86.33 a
75.67 b
70.33 bc
65.33 c
89.67 a
87.00 a

33.86
34.89
18.23
9.89
2.08
40.11
35.98

81.33 b
80.67 b
74.33 c
62.00 d
64.33 d
86.33 a
84.67 ab

83.67 b
82.33 b
76.33 c
65.67 d
68.00 d
90.33 a
88.00 a

85.67 b
84.00 bc
77.33 c
69.00 d
70.33 d
93.00 a
89.33 ab

26.60
24.13
14.27
1.97
3.93
37.43
32.00

59.33 c
5.015

62.67 d
5.218

64.00 c
6.069

---

60.67 d
4.572

65.33 d
4.328

67.67 d
6.801

---

In case of tomato, the highest seedling population of tomato was 86.33% at 7 DAS, 90.33%
at 10 DAS and 93.00% at 13 DAS in poultry refuse (T6) which was closely followed by neem
compost (T5). Irrespective DAS, the lowest percent seedling population of tomato was
recorded in control (T8) which was statistically similar with saw dust (T4) and cowdung (T5).
Poultry refuse increased seedling population up to 37.43 % over control at 13 DAS in tomato.
The findings of the present study corroborates with the findings of Islam (2007). In a similar
type of experiment with vegetables seedlings, he reported that highest germination (76.00%
at 12 DAS, 80.33% at 15 DAS, 86.33% at 18 DAS for eggplant) was found in poultry refuse
applied pot.
The effects of different treatments on damping off disease incidence of eggplant and tomato
seedlings at different days after sowing are presented in Table 2. All the treatments were
differed significantly in terms of disease incidence at different days after sowing. In case of
eggplant, at 20 DAS, no damping off seedlings was noticed in poultry refuse (T6) and neem
compost (T7) which were statistically similar with vermicompost (1.67%). Saw dust (T4) also
gave the better performance in reducing disease where damping off incidence was 2.33%. At
25 DAS and 30 DAS, the highest effect against damping off disease was observed in poultry
refuse (T6) where disease incidence was only 1.00% and 2.33% respectively. These results
were closely followed by neem compost (T7) and vermicompost (T1) where damping off
incidence was 2.33%, 4.00% (at 25 DAS) and 3.67%, 5.00% (at 30 DAS), respectively. At 30
DAS, poultry refuse (T6) decreased damping off incidence up to 90.56 % over control in
eggplant where neem compost (T7) and vermicompost (T1) reduced disease up to 85.12%
and 79.73%, respectively. In case of damping off of tomato seedlings, no damping off of
tomato seedlings was noticed in poultry refuse at 15 DAS which was statistically similar with
neem compost (2.00%) and vermicompost (2.33%). At 20 and 25 DAS, the highest effect

45

against damping off disease of tomato seedlings was observed in poultry refuse applied soil
(T6) where disease incidence was only 2.00% and 4.00%, respectively.

Damping off incidence (%) of

eggplant seedlings
20 DAS 25 DAS
30 DAS

T1 (Vermicompost)
T2 (Sand)
T3 (Ash)
T4 (Saw dust)
T5 (Cowdung)

1.67 cd
4.00 ab
3.67 ab
2.33 bc
3.33
abc
0.00 d
0.00 d
4.67 a
1.674

T6 (Poultry refuse)
T7 (Neem compost)
T8 (Control)
LSD (p=0.05)

Damping off incidence (%) of

tomato seedlings
15 DAS 20 DAS 25 DAS

% damping off
reduction over
control at 30 DAS

Treatments

% damping off
reduction over
control at 30 DAS

Table 2. Damping off disease incidence of eggplant and tomato seedlings under different treatment at different
days after sowing (DAS)

4.00 def
10.00 ab
7.33 bcd
5.67 cde
9.33 bc

5.00 e
15.33 b
10.33 c
7.67 d
13.00 b

79.73
37.86
54.12
68.90
47.30

2.33 d
12.00 a
11.00 ab
5.67 c
8.33 bc

5.67 cd
14.00 ab
13.33 ab
9.33 bc
10.33 bc

9.33 cde
16.67 b
16.67 b
11.67 bcd
13.00 bc

64.57
36.89
36.89
55.68
50.63

1.00 f
2.33 ef
13.33 a
3.571

2.33 f
3.67ef
24.67 a
2.399

90.56
85.12
--

0.00 d
2.00 d
14.33 a
3.289

2.00 d
3.00 d
16.67 a
4.531

4.00 e
6.00 de
26.33 a
5.993

84.81
77.21
--

These results were closely followed by neem compost (T7) and vermicompost (T1) where
damping off incidence was 3.00%, 5.67% (at 25 DAS) and 6.00%, 9.33% (at 30 DAS),
respectively. Poultry refuse (T6) decreased damping off disease incidence up to 84.81 % over
control at 25 DAS in tomato where neem compost (T7) and vermicompost (T1) reduced
damping off up to 77.21% and 64.57% respectively. The findings of the present study
corroborate with the findings of Szczech (1999), Rahman (2005) and Islam (2007). Szczech
(1999) found that Vermicompost added to various container media significantly inhibited the
infection of tomato plants by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. The protective effect
increased in proportion to the rate of application of vermicompost. A biotic nature is
suggested for the suppressiveness of the vermicompost. Rahman (2005) reported that
application of mustard oil cake @ 3 ton/ha and half decomposed poultry manure @5 ton /ha 2
weeks before sowing seeds performed better in reducing incidence of collar rot of Chickpea.
Islam (2007) found that poultry waste effectively reduced the percent damping off of
vegetable seedlings.
The effect of different treatments on growth characters of eggplant and tomato seedlings are
presented in Table 3 and 4. All the treatments were differed significantly in terms of growth
characters such as shoot length, seedling height, fresh shoot weight, fresh root weight and
fresh seedling weight of eggplant and tomato seedlings. No significant variation was recorded
in terms of root length of eggplant and tomato seedlings. In case of eggplant, the highest
shoot length (27.50 cm) and seedling height (41.83 cm) was recorded in Poultry refuse (T6)
followed by neem compost (T7), vermicompost (T1) and cowdung (T5). In case of root length
no statistical difference was found among the treatments. The highest fresh shoot weight

46

Table: 3. Effect of different soil amendments on growth characters of eggplant seedlings at 30 days after sowing
(DAS)
Treatments
T1 (Vermicompost)
T2 (Sand)
T3 (Ash)
T4 (Saw dust)
T5 (Cowdung)
T6 (Poultry refuse)
T7 (Neem compost)
T8 (Control)
LSD (p=0.05)

Shoot
length (cm)
18.50 b
10.50 c
10.67 c
12.67 c
17.33 b
27.50 a
21.00 b
10.17 c
4.195

Root length
(cm)
11.17
12.50
12.27
11.80
11.17
14.83
12.67
11.00
NS

Seedling
height (cm)
29.67 c
28.83 d
22.94 d
24.47 d
28.50 c
41.83 a
33.67 b
21.17 d
3.488

Fresh shoot
weight (g)
2.67 b
0.67 d
0.73 d
0.74 d
1.44 c
5.07 a
2.67 b
0.59 e
0.075

Fresh root
weight (g)
0.38 c
0.11 e
0.11 e
0.10 e
0.19 d
1.01 a
0.52 b
0.09 e
0.053

Fresh seedling
weight (g)
3.04 c
0.78 ef
0.84 e
0.83 e
1.63 d
6.08 a
3.19 b
0.68 e
0.13

Table: 4. Effect of different soil amendments on growth characters of tomato seedlings at 25 days after sowing
(DAS)
Treatments
Shoot
Root length Seedling
Fresh shoot
Fresh root Fresh seedling
length (cm) (cm)
height (cm) weight (g)
weight (g) weight (g)
T1 (Vermicompost) 26.67 b
8.33
37.33 b
1.09 b
0.30 ab
1.47 b
T2 (Sand)
17.00 cd
6.67
23.67 c
0.42 d
0.07 d
0.49 c
T3 (Ash)
18.67 cd
7.00
25.67 c
0.60 d
0.12 cd
0.72 c
T4 (Saw dust)
16.67cd
616
24.87 c
0.43 d
0.09 c
0.52 c
T5 (Cowdung)
17.33 cd
6.50
23.83 c
0.80 c
0.08 c
0.55 c
T6 (Poultry refuse)
37.00 a
8.00
45.00 a
2.28 a
0.25 abc
2.53 a
T7 (Neem compost) 25.50 b
7.55
33.05 b
1.00 b
0.38 a
1.30 b
T8 (Control)
16.17 d
5.83
22.00 c
0.40 d
0.06 d
0.46 c
LSD (p=0.05)
4.453
NS
5.803
0.185
0.130
0.337

(5.07g), fresh root weight (1.01g) and fresh seedling weight (6.08g) of eggplant was recorded
in poultry refuse (T6) followed by neem compost (T7) and vermicompost (T1). The treatment
saw dust, ash, sand and cowdung was statistically similar with control in terms of fresh shoot
weight, fresh root weight and fresh seedling weight of eggplant. In case of tomato, the highest
shoot length (37 cm) and seedling height (45 cm) was recorded in poultry refuse (T6)
followed by vermicompost (26.67 & 37.33 cm) and neem compost (25.50 cm & 33.05 cm),
repectively. In case of root length no statistical difference was found among the treatments.
The highest fresh shoot weight and fresh seedling weight of tomato seedling was recorded in
poultry refuse (T6), where the counts were 2.28g and 2.53g, respectively. The highest fresh
root weight was recorded in neem compost which was statistically similar with poultry
refuse. The treatment saw dust, ash and sand was statistically similar with control in terms of
fresh shoot weight, fresh root weight and fresh seedling weight of tomato. The present
findings corroborate with the findings of Nahar et al. (1996) and Manjarrez et al. (1999).
Nahar et al. (1996) found that organic amendments (poultry manure) caused reduction of
root-knot severity and improved growth of tomato plants. Manjarrez et al. (1999) found that
the foliar area, dry shoot weight, radical volume and foliage content phosphorus increased in
chilli when mycorrhizal fungi and vermicompost were applied.
Among the applied soil amendments, application of poultry waste, neem compost and
vermicompost could be used as eco-friendly approach and may be advised to the farmers for
the management of damping off disease of vegetable seedlings and as well as increasing seed
germination and seedling growth.

47

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