Synergistic effects of vermicompost and biochar amendments on cherry tomato production in an urban rooftop garden: A 2‐year study
Mohammad Mahbub Islam, Robiul Islam, Rezowana Nizam, Nigar Afsana, Sadman Sakib, Suraya Parvin, Jubayer Al Mahmud, Md. Hasanuzzaman
Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems
Urban Farm DB summary
This 2-year study evaluated the growth, physiology, and yield response of cherry tomatoes in different rooftop soil media supplemented with vermicompost and biochar in an urban rooftop garden. Using a completely randomized design with nine treatments and four replications, the combined application of vermicompost and biochar consistently outperformed individual applications. Treatments with 74% soil, 20% vermicompost, and 6% biochar resulted in the tallest plants, highest leaf number, thick stems, high leaf greenness, high relative water content, and highest fruit yield across both years. Although fruit yield declined by 20.49% in the second year, residual amendment effects continued to enhance plant performance relative to untreated soil.