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Aims: The objective of this study was to compare growth parameters and phenol content of different safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) cultivars and one wild species of safflower (Carthamus oxyacantha) under urea fertilizer and vermicompost treatments, to distinguish can we use vermicompost instead of urea fertilizer.
Methods: The experiment was carried out under greenhouse conditions. A factorial randomized complete block design with seven replications was used. Experimental treatments were three vermicompost rate; three levels of nitrogen fertilizer; and three types of safflower.
Findings: The number of leaves, leaf area, fresh and dry biomass weights significantly increased with vermicompost application. Urea fertilizer only increased the plant height. The interaction between plant cultivars and vermicompost was significant for phenol content. All growth parameters of safflower except dry biomass weight were significantly different between cultivars. Conclusion: Wild safflower responded more than other cultivars to treatments so it can be used in plant breeding programs. Vermicompost treatment act better than urea fertilizer for growing of safflower, so it can be used instead of chemical fertilizer.
 

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Iron deficiency or lime induced chlorosis is a common problem in calcareous soils. Application of mineral iron fertilizer in these soils is not usually fully effective in curing iron deficiency as compared to organic chelates. Cow manure and iron refuse (oxides), a by-product of iron melting factories were mixed in different properties of: 0, 5, 10, and 20 % V/V to make mixtures which of after four months incubation were converted into iron-enriched vermicompost through the action of earthworms. In a greenhouse study, growth and nutrient uptake by tomato grown in pot soils treated with normal vermicompost and Fe-EDDHA (synthetic iron chelate) and compared with those in plants grown in soils receiving iron-enriched vermicompost. The study design was a randomized complete block one with three replications. Total and available forms of iron in iron-enriched vermicomposts as well as in tomato tissues increased by an increase in the proportion of iron refuse in vermicompost. Shoot dry matter of plants produced in soil treated with iron-enriched vermicompost (15-20% V/V), was significantly higher than that of plants produced in the other treatments. Iron uptake by tomatoes grown in Fe-EDDHA treated soil was higher than that in plants grown in vermicompost amended soil and that in control, but it was lower than the uptake by plants grown in iron-enriched growth media.

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Vermicomposting, or using worms along with bacteria and fungi to recycle agricultural and organic wastes into nutrient-rich bio-fertilizer, has a variety of uses including protecting plants from disease. Through semi-structured in-person interviews, vermicompost practitioners across Kermanshah Province of Iran were surveyed to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of this emerging technology. The results provide useful implications for agricultural policymakers in general, and, in particular, for farmers who are seeking diversified sources of income. For both vermicompost practitioners and academicians alike, the SWOT analysis methodology combined with Analytic Network Process (ANP) analysis has implications for other types of agribusiness.

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The effects of different fertilizers including ‘Cow manure’, ‘Vermicompost’, ‘NPK’ (20-20-20 NPK), ‘NPKBN’ (NPK+Azotobacter vinelandii), ‘NPKBP’ (NPK+Pantoea agglomerans+Pseudomonas putida), and ‘NPKBNBP’ (NPK+Azotobacter vinelandii+Pantoea agglomerans+Pseudomonas putida) were compared with the control treatment. Comparisons included not only the nutrient and chlorophyll content of cucumber leaves, but also the demographic parameters and body size of Aphis gossypii Glover. The highest nitrogen content (2.45%) was observed in ‘NPKBN’ and the highest phosphorus, along with potassium content (0.58 and 12.17%, respectively) was observed in ‘cow manure’ treatment. The highest chlorophyll content (37.51 SPAD units) was measured in ‘NPKBNBP’ treatment. Results showed that the intrinsic rate of increase (r) varied from 0.409 (in ‘Cow manure’) to 0.480 d^-1 (in ‘NPKBP’) under application of different fertilizers. Net Reproductive rate (R₀) varied from 71.65 to 79.25 nymphs/individual in ‘Vermicompost’ and ‘NPKBP’ treatments, respectively. The largest (1.28 mm) and smallest (1.00 mm) body length of the aphids was measured on ‘Vermicompost’ and ‘Control’, respectively. Results revealed that ‘NPKBP’ was the most suitable fertilizer for population growth of A. gossypii, compared with the other treatments, and the aphid’s longevity and fecundity was relatively low under ‘Vermicompost’ application.
 

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Various culture media contain a variety of materials that affect plant growth and development. Finding the best media culture among the various materials is thus critical to plant productivity. This study was conducted based on a completely randomized design using eight treatments and three replications. The treatments included the ratios 30:10:60 of perlite-vermicompost-coco peat, peat moss-vermicompost-palm peat, coco peat-vermicompost-palm peat, perlite-vermicompost-palm peat, and the ratios 30:70 of peat moss-palm peat, coco peat-palm peat, perlite-palm peat, and vermicompost-palm peat. Cucumber seeds were planted in pots containing these culture media under greenhouse conditions. After the four-leaf stage, the morpho-physiological responses of the seedlings were evaluated. According to the findings, when compared to perlite-vermicompost-coco peat medium, peat moss-vermicompost-palm peat increased shoot fresh weight by 5.5-fold, root fresh weight by 4.5-fold, root dry weight by 5.8-fold, shoot dry weight by 7-fold, stem diameter by 1.7-fold, shoot length by 2.3-fold, root length by 1.3-fold, and leaf area by 3.8-fold. However, compared to seedlings grown in peat moss-vermicompost-palm peat medium, the amount of auxin and reactive oxygen species decreased while total soluble sugars and peroxidase increased in perlite-vermicompost-coco peat medium. Our findings indicate that the composition of peat moss-vermicompost-palm peat can be used as a beneficial medium to improve quality of cucumber seedling under greenhouse conditions.