Comparison between vermicompost and town refuse rates after addition on leek and onion growth under calcareous soil conditions

Purpose: Globally, organic waste is a significant environmental problem in many regions of the world. The present study aimed to compare vermicompost and town refuse applications for the growth promotion of onion and leek plants, phosphorus uptake, and microbial biomass in soil under calcareous soil conditions. Method: The top 30 centimeters of the soil were taken from Burj El-Arab City in Alexandria, Egypt. Each pot was transplanted with two similar-sized seedlings of each plant for onion (Allium cepa L) and Leek (Allium porrum L.). Each seedling had two or three pairs of fully developed leaves. Four rates of vermicompost and town refuse were used as follows: 0, 10, 15, and 20 tons/fed and blended with the soil before planting. With six replications, a randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used to create the experiment. Results: After 45 days, all leek and onion plants were harvested. The results demonstrated that the leek and onion growth, P uptake, soil microbial biomass, and available P in soil increased significantly with increasing vermicompost or town refuse rates. The responses of plants to vermicompost rates were higher than the same rates of town refuse. Conclusion: Under the same conditions of this experiment, we can recommend that, add the high rate of vermicompost was achieved better growth and P content in soil and plant for both plants. Also, we still need more studies for other plants, different soil types, comparisons with other organic sources, and higher rates of vermicompost.   Highlight Vermicomposting is a technique that can be used to convert organic waste into fertilizer suitable for sustainable agriculture. The process of aerobic-thermophilic breakdown of municipal garbage results in the production of town refuse compost. The growth of leeks and onions increased when rates of town refuse or vermicompost rose. Plants responded more strongly to vermicompost rates than to the same rates of town refuse