Effect of Vermicompost on Tomato Seed Germination and Seedling Emergence in Nematode Infested Soil

The experiment was conducted in green house in thick plastic plates (10 x 10 x4 cm) at field capacity. Maximum seed germination and seedling emergence of tomato var. Kasha-Vishes was observed in vermicompost applied treatments receiving 1 kg VC/m² at 15, 30, 45, 65 and 75 days after V.C application. Maximum decrease (50.97%) in PPN was observed in treatment 1 kg V.C/m² at all days of observation. Lower levels of V.C at all recorded days after its application resulted in per cent increase in both seed germination and seedling emergence over untreated control, where as lower levels of V.C application recorded increasing per cent decrease in PPN population with increase in days after V.C application. At all the recorded day after vermicompost application there was increase in free living nematode population. Higher doses of V.C application recorded more increase in free-living nematode population than at lower doses.