REPLACEMENT OF VERMICOMPOST FOR NITROGEN FERTILIZER AS A SOURCE OF NITROGEN ON TWO CULTIVARS OF CORIANDER (CORIANDRUM SATIVUM)

Use of non-chemical fertilizers in organic farming has been recommended for soil health and sustainability. Vermicompost as an organic fertilizer has ability to produce some essential nutrients for supporting plant growth compared with chemical fertilizers. Use of the right amounts of vermicompost as an important source of nitrogen and its replacement for urea will guaranty soil quality and health for the future generations. In this context, a field experiment was carried out to compare application of vermicompost and urea and their combinations as a source of N fertilizers in the research farm of Shahrood University of Technology (Iran) in April 2010. After standardizing the inorganic nitrogen contents in the soil 5 levels of N fertilizers (control, 100% vermicompost, 66.6% vermicompost + 33.3% urea, 66.6% urea + 33.3% vermicompost and 100% urea) were selected and were used in two local cultivars of coriander (‘Hamedani’ and ‘Isfahani’). The results of this experiment showed that use of vermicompost and urea on their own significantly (P≤0.05) increased seed yield (36.2 and 53.5% respectively). Combination of vermicompost and urea (66.6 and 33.3% respectively) also increased seed yield (112.1%). The same trend was found for total dry weight. There were no significant differences between 2 cultivars related to dry weight and seed yield. It is speculated that vermicompost has the potential to replace for urea in coriander farming. Results are discussed in the context of application of vermicompost in organic farming for producing healthy production and protect soil environment.