INFLUENCE OF VERMICOMPOST ON THE PHYSICO-CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOIL ALONG WITH YIELD AND QUALITY OF THE PULSE CROP–BLACKGRAM

Field experiments were conducted during 2002-2003 on clay loam, sandy loam and red loam soil atsivapuri, chidambaram, tamil nadu, to evaluate the efficacy of vermicompost on the physico-chemicaland biological characteristics of the soils and on the yield and nutrient content of blackgram - vignamungo, in comparison to inorganic fertilizers nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium. vermicompost hadincreased the pore space, reduced particle and bulk density, increased water holding capacity, cationexchange capacity, reduced ph and electrical conductivity, increased organic carbon content, availablenitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and microbial population and activity in all the soil types, particularlyclay loam. the yield and quality (protein and sugar content in seed) of blackgram was enhanced in soils,particularly clay loam soil. on the contrary, the application of inorganic fertilizers has resulted in reducedporosity, compaction of soil, reduced carbon and reduced microbial activity.