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To evaluate the vermicompost derived from agricultural solid wastes used as bedding material and to identify a superior vermicompost over the conventional vermicompost made from cow dung and paddy straw, an experiment was conducted with four sources of different plant biomass and animal excreta. These vermicomposts were tested for moisture content, pH, electrical conductivity, ash content, C:N ratio, different fractions of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and sulphur (S) by standard procedures. The moisture content decreased at maturity ranged from 9.59 to 29.91 %. Total organic C decreased by 2.90-24.90 %; whereas, total N was increased by 0.56 % (range 0.04-1.33 %) during 40-80 days of the decomposition. The results clearly elucidated the decrease in C:N ratio in the matured product. When poultry dropping was used as one of the bedding material, total P content was increased. Hierarchical cluster analysis showed that vermicomposts prepared from cow dung and pig dung as well as rabbit dung and poultry droppings are relatively homogeneous. It was concluded that the physical characteristics, chemical characteristics and nutrient content of the matured vermicomposts are mainly influenced by the animal excreta used as bedding material and concentration of nutrients is increased at maturity. Since the vermicomposts have high nutritive value with narrow C:N ratio, these are highly favourable for the application in the field.

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A pot experiment was conducted in an acidic sandy clay loam soil during the kharif season of 2016 and 2017 to study the performance of maize using two lime levels (0 and ¼ lime of LR), four phosphorus levels (0, 13.4, 26.8 and 40.2 mg P2O5 kg-1) and three boron levels (0, 0.45 and 0.90 mg B kg-1) with maize as test crop. The experiment was designed in complete randomized design with three replications. Results revealed that plant height, number of leaves and leaf area index increased appreciably with the advancement of age of the crop and maximum values were recorded at harvest. Application of ¼ lime of LR increased plant height at harvest, grain and stover yield to the extent of 13.1, 24.6 and 23.0%, respectively over control. Phosphorus and boron uptake increased significantly with lime application and enhanced by 45.9, 27.0% in grain and 44.5 and 29.3% in stover, respectively over control. Application of phosphorus significantly enhanced the growth attributes, yield attributes, grain and stover yield and P and B uptake except rows per cob and test weight and the highest values of these parameters were recorded with 40.2 mg P2O5 kg-1. However, grain and stover yield and P and B uptake in grain and stover remained statistically at par with 26.8 mg P2O5 kg-1application.Application of 26.8 mg P2O5 kg-1 enhanced plant height at harvest, grain and stover yield by 21.2, 23.2 and 19.8%, respectively over control. Plant height, leaves plant-1, cob length, cob girth, grains row-1, grains cob-1, grain and stover yield and P and B uptake were influenced significantly with boron application and maximum values were recorded with 0.90 mg B kg-1. At harvest plant height, grain and stover yield was increased by 4.9, 10.9 and 10.6%, respectively with application of 0.90 mg B kg-1 over control. Lime application significantly increased the available P and B status of post harvest soil. Application of P and B significantly improved their respective status in post harvest soil.Thus, results suggested that application of ¼ lime of LR along with 26.8 mg kg-1 P2O5 and 0.90 mg kg-1 boron proved beneficial for cultivation of maize in acidic soil condition of Nagaland.

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