Table 1 Physico-chemical properties of vermicomposted fly ash amended soil at the time of sowing and harvesting of Lycopersicon esculentum and Solanum melongena.

From: Enhanced soil fertility, plant growth promotion and microbial enzymatic activities of vermicomposted fly ash

Parameters

Days

T1

T2

T3

T4

T5

T6

Bulk density (g/cm3)

0

1.61 ± 0.05b

1.46 ± 0.02b

1.37 ± 0.01c

1.23 ± 0.02a

1.06 ± 0.02d

0.97 ± 0.01e

120 (Le)

1.30 ± 0.01a

1.31 ± 0.01a

1.26 ± 0.02b

0.93 ± 0.07d

0.98 ± 0.01c

0.92 ± 0.006c

120 (Sm)

1.32 ± 0.05a

1.34 ± 0.02a

1.28 ± 0.04b

0.96 ± 0.002c

0.94 ± 0.01c

0.89 ± 0.02c

Porosity (%)

0

41.71 ± 1.65d

44.26 ± 1.21c

46.38 ± 0.20b

47.96 ± 0.50b

48.71 ± 0.36b

50.86 ± 0.71a

120 (Le)

48.11 ± 0.52b

48.89 ± 0.14b

47.38 ± 0.35c

48.52 ± 0.04b

50.41 ± 0.08a

50.67 ± 0.91a

120 (Sm)

46.24 ± 0.66b

47.66 ± 0.28a

46.54 ± 1.05b

46.28 ± 0.55b

45.27 ± 1.12c

44.89 ± 0.06d

WHC (%)

0

40.51 ± 0.22e

42.88 ± 0.58d

45.37 ± 0.23c

47.13 ± 1.32b

48.05 ± 0.67b

54.50 ± 0.84a

120 (Le)

44.51 ± 0.87 f

45.25 ± 0.44e

46.86 ± 0.20d

48.32 ± 0.10c

49.04 ± 0.57b

55.50 ± 1.10a

120 (Sm)

43.75 ± 0.02e

45.78 ± 0.55d

45.42 ± 0.87d

47.76 ± 0.02b

46.84 ± 0.06c

48.32 ± 1.72a

CEC (meq/100 g)

0

3.88 ± 0.01d

4.03 ± 0.02d

4.10 ± 0.02c

4.15 ± 0.02c

4.61 ± 0.01b

4.88 ± 0.01a

120 (Le)

4.67 ± 0.09c

4.81 ± 0.03b

4.12 ± 0.03e

4.21 ± 0.04d

4.72 ± 0.06b

5.14 ± 0.03a

120 (Sm)

3.75 ± 0.05b

3.81 ± 0.02a

3.12 ± 0.002d

3.25 ± 0.06c

3.72 ± 0.02b

3.14 ± 0.08d

pH

0

6.56 ± 0.02e

6.78 ± 0.02e

7.01 ± 0.10d

7.14 ± 0.02c

7.36 ± 0.02b

7.52 ± 0.02a

120 (Le)

6.96 ± 0.02c

7.47 ± 0.07d

7.82 ± 0.02b

7.83 ± 0.02b

7.95 ± 0.03a

7.96 ± 0.02a

120 (Sm)

6.86 ± 0.01b

6.78 ± 0.02b

6.95 ± 0.05b

7.04 ± 0.02a

7.06 ± 0.04a

7.09 ± 0.05a

OC (%)

0

1.35 ± 0.03d

1.54 ± 0.02c

1.78 ± 0.02b

1.94 ± 0.02b

2.05 ± 0.03a

2.09 ± 0.02a

120 (Le)

1.49 ± 0.06 f

1.56 ± 0.02e

1.99 ± 0.06d

2.08 ± 0.02c

2.17 ± 0.02b

2.34 ± 0.03a

120 (Sm)

1.55 ± 0.07c

1.57 ± 0.03c

1.98 ± 0.002b

2.12 ± 0.05b

2.34 ± 0.06a

2.47 ± 0.02a

EC (dS/m)

0

3.15 ± 0.06d

3.69 ± 0.03c

3.80 ± 0.05b

3.85 ± 0.01b

3.97 ± 0.02a

4.07 ± 0.02a

120 (Le)

3.70 ± 0.15d

3.92 ± 0.04c

4.00 ± 0.02bc

4.03 ± 0.03b

4.09 ± 0.02b

4.80 ± 0.05a

120 (Sm)

3.85 ± 0.05c

3.97 ± 0.04c

4.02 ± 0.02b

4.05 ± 0.06b

4.10 ± 0.60a

4.12 ± 0.57a

Total N (%)

0

1.26 ± 0.01e

1.38 ± 0.02d

1.44 ± 0.03d

2.04 ± 0.03c

2.17 ± 0.02b

2.29 ± 0.03a

120 (Le)

1.26 ± 0.01 f

2.52 ± 0.23c

2.06 ± 0.02e

2.44 ± 0.09d

3.51 ± 0.06a

2.86 ± 0.09b

120 (Sm)

1.46 ± 0.01d

2.66 ± 0.33c

2.65 ± 0.15c

2.54 ± 0.02b

2.58 ± 0.05b

2.72 ± 0.03a

Available P (%)

0

0.31 ± 0.02c

0.37 ± 0.02c

0.39 ± 0.02c

0.47 ± 0.03b

0.58 ± 0.01b

0.88 ± 0.01a

120 (Le)

0.42 ± 0.02e

0.40 ± 0.02e

0.54 ± 0.02d

0.59 ± 0.03c

0.73 ± 0.06b

1.05 ± 0.03a

120 (Sm)

0.54 ± 0.002e

0.57 ± 0.01d

0.64 ± 0.03c

0.66 ± 0.002c

0.68 ± 0.02ab

0.70 ± 0.05a

Exc. Potassium (%)

0

0.21 ± 0.05 f

0.24 ± 0.02e

0.27 ± 0.02d

0.29 ± 0.05c

0.32 ± 0.06b

0.36 ± 0.05a

120 (Le)

0.25 ± 0.02d

0.34 ± 0.02c

0.25 ± 0.02d

0.28 ± 0.03d

0.37 ± 0.02b

0.51 ± 0.03a

120 (Sm)

0.28 ± 0.003e

0.31 ± 0.01d

0.33 ± 0.002d

0.36 ± 0.002c

0.39 ± 0.06b

0.41 ± 0.001a

Sulphate (%)

0

2.96 ± 0.14e

3.15 ± 0.03d

3.67 ± 0.02c

3.79 ± 0.03b

4.12 ± 0.04a

4.18 ± 0.01a

120 (Le)

3.08 ± 0.02e

3.49 ± 0.05d

3.93 ± 0.03b

3.87 ± 0.02c

4.64 ± 0.05a

4.40 ± 0.03a

120 (Sm)

3.25 ± 0.05 f

3.46 ± 0.02e

3.58 ± 0.09d

3.64 ± 0.03c

3.75 ± 0.01b

3.81 ± 0.02a

  1. Le: Lycopersicon esculentum; Sm: Solanum melongena.
  2. Values are in Mean ± SD; (n = 3).
  3. Different letters in the same row represent significant differences in the physico-chemical parameters of different treatments comprising L. esculentum and S. melongena at p < 0.05 according to Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test).