Greening the Growth: Unveiling the Impact of Compost Extract on Seed Germination and Soil-Compost Mixtures on Biomass Yield and Leaf Chlorophyll Content

Abstract

The study, conducted between March and April 2019 at Bangladesh Agricultural University, evaluated the effects of compost extract on the germination, biomass production, and leaf chlorophyll content of rice, wheat, maize, and cowpea seedlings grown in different soil-compost mixtures. The treatments for the germination study were: T0=Control (only water), T1=1:1 compost extract and water, T2=1:5 compost extract and water, T3=1:10 compost extract and water, and T4=1:20 compost extract and water. The treatments for the biomass production and leaf chlorophyll content of seedlings were: T0=Control (500g soil), T1=250g soil and 250g compost, T2=375g soil and 125 g compost, T3=450g soil and 50g compost, T4=500g soil and compost extract (1:10 extract and water), T5=500g soil and compost extract (1:50 compost extract and water) and T6=500g soil and compost extract (1:100 compost extract and water). Data were collected on seed germination at 24, 48 and 72 hrs. of seed placement and those for biomass production and leaf chlorophyll content. Municipal solid waste compost- extract exerted beneficial effect on the germination of rice, wheat, maize and cowpea seeds. Growing seedlings in soil-compost mixtures increased the biomass production and leaf chlorophyll content of rice, wheat, maize and cowpea seedlings but compost- extract showed negative effect.