The Effects of Foliar Vermicompost Applications on Yield and Some Yield Components in Triticale Varieties

Abstract

Vermicompost fertilizers have started to attract attention in agriculture last years. Various liquid vermicompost fertilizers are produced and used in agriculture and some of them known as vermiliquer, vermi leachate, vermi tea or vermicast with little differences. This study is aimed to determine the effects of foliar application of liquid vermicompost fertilizer on yield and some yield components on some Turkey triticale varieties under Central Anatolian conditions in Kırıkkale province during the growing period 2014-15 and 2015-16. Six different (control, 75, 150, 250, 350 and 450 cc da-1) liquid vermicompost fertilizer doses were applied by the foliar spraying method at the beginning and end of March in both years to the five Turkey triticale varieties (Alperbey, Mikham 2002, Tatlıcak 97, Karma 2000 and Ümranhanım). According to the results, plant height, grain number and grain yield in spike, grain yield per decare, harvest index and protein content results were found to be significant in fertilizer × variety × year interaction. There is also a statistically significant difference between thousand-grain weight and the variety x fertilizer doses interaction, and between varieties and fertilizer doses in terms of spike length. The positive effects of liquid vermicompost fertilizer doses, except 450 cc da-1, were determined in varieties. It was observed that a satisfactory yield can be obtained from 250 cc da-1 in the absence of nitrogen fertilizers as the top fertilizer. It could be deduced that 250-350 cc da-1 doses of vermicompost fertilizer can be applied in triticale based on varying ecological conditions and varieties in Central Anatolian ecological conditions.