The effects of liquid vermicompost applications on yield and some plant growth characteristics of onions

This study was conducted in order to determine the effects of liquid vermicompost applications on yield, quality and plant growth in onions grown during the 2017 vegetation period under open field conditions in the cultivation area of the Agriculture Department of the Turgut Ozal University Horticulture Faculty. Control plants were fertilized with conventional fertilizers while other plants were treated by applying only liquid vermicompost in 3 doses: (200, 400 and 600 L ha(-1)). The vermicompost treatments were performed a total of 5 times at 20-day intervals. Chemical fertilizer was applied twice during experiment. The full dose of P and half dose of N fertilizer were applied at transplanting and the remaining half dose of N was side-dressed 30 days after transplanting. The treatments were repeated three times in randomized plots. Harvested bulbs were examined for total yield (kg m(-2)), plant height (cm), bulb length and diameter (mm), skin flesh thickness (mm), bulb diameter (mm), single bulb weight (g), pH, total soluble solids (%), titrable acidity and color values. Liquid vermicompost treatments significantly affected the total soluble solids; L, a and b color values; pH and total yield. The highest average yield (1,321 kg m(-1)), average bulb weight (121,86 g bulb(-1)), bulb diameter (67.45 mm) and color value (15,16) were obtained from plants treated with 400 L ha(-1) of liquid vermicompost, while the highest total soluble solids (16%) and an L color value of 49.26 was obtained from plants treated with 600 L ha(-1).