Soil Acidity Reclamation and Improving Yields of Tomato by the Integrated Application of Lime and Vermicompost in Bedele District, South Western Ethiopia

This study was carried out to delve into the ameliorating capacity of amendments on soil acidity and growth yields of tomatoes. This study was set up using a fully randomized approach by two factorial experiments of 0, 2.5, 5, and 7.5 tha-1 vermicompost and 0, 4, 6, and 8 tha-1 of lime with two replications. The findings indicated that the integration of lime and vermicompost performed well in amending soil acidity and improving selected yields of tomatoes. Soil pH significantly increased from pH (4.99) to pH (5.53) and increased soil nutrient availabilities, phosphorus to 6.20 mg kg⁻¹, organic matter to 5.30%, and total nitrogen to 0.20% by the use of vermicompost and lime together. In addition, the highest plant height (6.84 cm) and maximum dry weight per plant (0.092 g plant⁻¹) were obtained under-treated soil. Therefore, the soil fertility was unlocked, the acidity of the soil was amended, and the growth yields of tomatoes improved by the application of vermicompost and lime treatments. From this finding, further field experiments are recommended to analyze the effects of amendments at smallholder farmers’ levels at different locations with different ecologies