Evaluation of vegetable wastes recycled for vermicomposting and its response on yield and quality of carrot (Daucus carota L.)

Abstract Background Vegetable crops generate a large amount of crop residues after harvesting of economic part. These potentially nutritious residues are soft, succulent and easily decomposable and instead of disposing or damping, it can be used as source of organic residues for utilizing the embedded nutrients through compost production. In the present study, diverse vegetable wastes were recycled for vermicomposting and their effects were evaluated in field experiments in organic carrot production. Results The result showed that among different vegetable wastes, substrate combining mixture of non-legume and legume wastes at 2:1 emerged best considering the nutrient contents, C/N ratio, earthworm biomass and vermicompost recovery. Use of such vermicompost recorded highest root length (19.26 cm), root volume (73 cm3), root weight (68.43 g) and root yield (16.07 Mg ha−1) of carrot. The quality of the root as judged by beta carotene and total soluble solids content was also found highest by the same vermicompost. Conclusions The findings established the potentiality of earthworm for quality vermicompost production from vegetable wastes, and through intended selection and judicious mixture of different vegetable wastes the cast quality can be improved. The study demonstrated that vermicompost produced from the substrate, combining mixture of non-legume and legume vegetable waste at 2:1 will provide the major nutrients in more balanced proportion compared to sole individual family waste vermicompost (vermicompost obtained from the waste of one single plant family). The findings can be promoted as a sound vegetable wastes recycling technology for organic carrot production to conserve natural resources and to minimize the deleterious impact of vegetable wastes on mother earth.