Impact of Vermicompost on Growth and Yield of Peas (<i>Pisum sativum</i> L.) using Brackish Water

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is an important leguminous crop, valued for its nutritional content and role in sustainable agriculture. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of organic amendment vermicompost on the growth, yield, and productivity of peas using brackish water EC 2.5 dS/m. The treatments included T₁: Control (no amendment)), T₂: 100 % recommended dose of fertilizer, T₃: Vermicompost @ 7.5 t/ha-1 25% RDF, T4: Vermicompost @ 5 t/ha-1 RDF 50% T5: Vermicompost @ 2.5 t/ha-1 RDF 75% with three replications. The agronomic parameters such as plant height, leaves plant-1, branches plant-1, pods plant-1, and grains pod-1 were recorded. The results revealed that the application of T5: Vermicompost @ 2.5 t/ha-1 + 75 % RDF significantly enhanced all measured parameters, with the highest plant height (63.43 cm), leaves plant-1 (36.63), branches plant-1 (17.57), pods plant-1 (16.63), and grains pod-1 (10). The lowest performance was observed in the control treatment which recorded the lowest values across all parameters. These findings suggest that vermicompost is an effective organic amendment with recommended dose of fertilizer for improving the growth and productivity of pea plants using brackish water. The study highlights the importance of integrating organic amendments with RDF into agricultural practices to enhance crop yields, and overall sustainability in pea farming in saline conditions.