Journal of Agronomy and Field Innovations

Background: The increasing use of synthetic fertilizers in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cultivation has posed a serious threat to soil biological quality, thus combining organic amendments and biofertilizers has been recommended as a sustainable approach for nutritional management.
Objective: The study aimed to examine the effect of vermicompost and the nitrogen-fixing bacteria Azotobacter chroococcum on the soil microbial and enzymatic characteristics, vegetative growth, and yield of tomatoes.
Methods: In the current study, a field experiment was carried out in a complete Randomized Block Design involving six treatments (absolute control, recommended fertilizer dose, total vermicompost treatment, total Azotobacter treatment, combined treatment of vermicompost + Azotobacter, and combined treatment of vermicompost + Azotobacter + 50% recommended fertilizer) replicated four times. Soil microbial biomass carbon, dehydrogenase, urease and phosphatase activities, microbial populations, and plant growth and yield traits were recorded and analyzed with ANOVA followed by Tukey's HSD test at p < 0.05.
Results: The T4 treatment, consisting of the combined use of vermicompost and Azotobacter chroococcum (T4), showed the maximum values of microbial biomass carbon, enzyme activities and microbial population, as well as a 71.5% increase in fruit yield as compared with the control. Additionally, measurable changes were observed regarding plant height, chlorophyll content and root development, which were higher than those for any of the treatments used alone.
Conclusion: The integrated application of vermicompost and Azotobacter chroococcum significantly improves the biological health of soil and tomato productivity and can be an effective eco-friendly alternative to the traditional cultivation approach based on the use of chemical fertilizers.