A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO TEA CULTIVATION: VERMICOMPOST AND INORGANIC FERTILIZER DYNAMICS

An investigation in the field was carried out at the Bilashcherra Experimental Farm of the Bangladesh Tea Research Institute (BTRI) from 2016 to 2020 to assess the impact of vermicompost applications on tea yield (Camellia sinensis L.) while reducing dependency on inorganic fertilizers. Eight distinct treatments, incorporating varying rates of vermicompost and chemical fertilizers, were evaluated with three replications. Throughout the plucking season, harvesting data were recorded every week. Treatment T8 (6 t/ha vermicompost with 60% of recommended chemical fertilizer dose) produced the most manufactured tea (2405 kg/ha), a 14.34% increase over the control. But it was shown to be more economical to combination of 3 t/ha vermicompost with 80% of chemical fertilizers. Tea yield improved significantly (ANOVAF = 6.87, p< 0.05) across treatments when higher vermicompost applications were paired with reduced chemical fertilizer rates. Treatment-specific soil property improvements were also observed. Treatment T7 demonstrated the greatest increase in soil pH (5.2 ± 0.09), calcium (85.44 ± 3.27 mg/kg), and magnesium (22.64 ± 1.79 mg/kg). Organic carbon (1.63 ± 0.02%) and total nitrogen (0.165 ± 0.00%) were maximized in plots treated with T6, while available phosphorus (95.99 ± 2.59 mg/kg) and potassium (90.32 ± 5.85 mg/kg) were highest in the T2-treated plots. These changes represented significant improvements over initial soil conditions. It can be concluded that 3 tons/ha vermicompost with 80% recommended chemical fertilizers is most effective dose considering economic viewpoint which has been shown to reduce the reliance on chemical fertilizers as well as promoting sustainable agricultural practices.