Boosting Organic Tomato Yield/Quality: Foliar Vermiwash and Vermicompost Tea in Soilless and Soil-based Systems Greenhouse

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Hamed, Omar Alobayki, Abdullah. M. Alnasser, Salman Aloudah, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7284812/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 26 Dec, 2025 Read the published version in Organic Agriculture → Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study was carried out at the National Center for Organic Agriculture, Qassim, Saudi Arabia to investigate the effects of foliar application of vermiwash liquid (VW) and vermicompost tea (VT) on the biochemical, physiological, and yield-related traits of organically grown tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) under greenhouse conditions using two systems: Soilless system(SS) and soil-based system (SBS). VT and VW were applied at different concentrations, and their impacts on fruit quality and productivity were assessed. VW at 100 ml/l showed the best results across measured parameters. Compared to the control, total soluble solids (TSS) and total sugars (TS) increased by up to 16.30% and 24.53%, respectively, while total acidity decreased by 27.16%. Vitamin C content increased by 46.4%, and chlorophyll content improved by 30.54%. Yield and yield components also responded positively: yield per plant, fruit number per plant and fruit weight increased by 120.8% and 88.15% and 17.0%, respectively, with VW 100 ml/l. Plant height showed a modest but significant increase, and fruit firmness improved by 19.89%. While SBS favored some fruit quality traits like TSS, DBS produced higher yields and fruit quality. Interaction effects between VT and VW were not statistically significant, suggesting that their combined application did not produce additive benefits under the tested conditions. Overall, VW, particularly at 100 ml/l, proved more effective than VT in enhancing tomato quality and yield, suggesting that VW is more aproporiate for foliar applications compared to VT. The results also highlight the importance of choosing the cultivation systems in improving the yield and quality organic greenhouse farming. Organic tomato Vermicompost derivatives Soilless system Soil-based cultivation Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 1. Introduction Tomatoes ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) are among the most popular and widely grown vegetables around the world, valued not only for their taste and versatility but also for their nutritional benefits. Organically produced vegetables such as tomatoes are gaining attention worldwide as safe and healthy food. With increasing global demand and limited resources, growers are constantly looking for more efficient and sustainable ways to boost tomato production. One promising solution lies in Soilless system cultivation systems, especially those used in greenhouses. These systems allow plants to grow in nutrient-rich solutions, often resulting in higher yields per unit area while using water more efficiently 16 , 18 . By minimizing water loss through evaporation and better controlling nutrients, they support healthier plant growth 13 . At the same time, interest in organic farming continues to grow as people seek safer food and more environmentally friendly agricultural practices. Organic systems have been shown to improve the nutritional quality of crops, often increasing beneficial compounds with health-promoting properties 5 , 7 . One sustainable practice gaining popularity in organic farming is the use of vermicompost and its liquid derivatives. Vermicompost is created by decomposing organic waste with the help of earthworms and beneficial microbes. It's rich in nutrients and helps improve soil structure, water retention, and overall plant health 8 , 12 . Beyond solid compost, its liquid forms- vermicompost tea (VT) and vermiwash (VW)- are increasingly used as foliar sprays to nourish plants directly through their leaves.VW is a nutrient-rich liquid collected during the vermicomposting process. It contains plant hormones, enzymes, and trace elements essential for growth 27 . Similarly, VT is an extract full of helpful microbes, humic substances, and natural growth regulators 1 , 19 . Both products have also been shown to protect plants against diseases and improve yield and quality 9 , 21 . While many studies support the benefits of using these organic fertilizers, there is still limited research comparing their effects under different organic growing systems such as Soilless system and traditional soil-based methods.This study investigated how different levels of vermiwash and vermicompost tea, applied as foliar sprays, influence the growth, yield, and fruit quality of tomatoes grown organically in both Dutch bucket (Soilless system) and soil-based greenhouse systems. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1. Experimental site and Plant material This study was carried out at the National Center for Organic Agriculture, Qassim, Saudi Arabia to assess the impact of vermicompost tea and vermiwash on performance and quality of tomato grown organically under Dutch bucket (SS) and Soil-based (SBS) systems in air-conditioned greenhouses. The Qassim region coordinates are 25°48′23″N 42°52′24″E. The transplants of Lelyana F1 tomato used in this experiment were planted in the greenhouse in November 2024. The growth conditions inside the greenhouse were maintained with the daytime temperature 20–25°C, nighttime temperatures of 15–18°C, relative humidity between 50–65%, and a photoperiod of 10–15 hours per day. All the recommended horticultural practices were followed including the recommended organic fertilizer solutions adjusted according to the growth stages of the plant. The NPK fertilizers were applied uniformly to all plants. 2.2. Experimental Design and Treatments The experiment was laid out in a complete randomized complete design (RCD) with four replicates. Three rates of vermicompost tea or vermiwash and the combination of them were applied to tomato plants as follows: 0 ml/l (control), 50 ml/l and 100 ml/l. The plants were sprayed five times in total, once every other week started a month post transplanting. The area of greenhouse was split into two sections; the first is the Soilless system organic cultivation system, the Soilless system(SS), and the second is the soil-based organic cultivation system (SBS). The plot area was one square meter, and each plot contained four plants. Each treatment was replicated three times. 2.3. Preparation of vermiwash (VW) liquid and vermicompost tea (VT). Vermiwash liquid and vermicompost tea were prepared in the Compost Worm Production and Propagation Unit at the National Center for Organic Agriculture. Vermiwash liquid a 50-liter plastic container was mounted on a stand in to facilitate the collection of the vermiwash by installing a tap on the lower side of the container. At first, 20 cm of gravel was placed at the bottom of the container followed by 20 cm of coarse sand, followed by a 20 cm layer of clay soil. These three layers together form the filter bed. On the top of filter bed, a 30 cm layer of moist decomposed materials (cattle manure + horse manure + tree leaves) mixed with approximately 300 earthworms was added. The vermiwash liquid was collected through the tap installed in the bottom of the container (Fig. 1 , A). Vermicompost tea preparing: One kg of vermicompost fertilizer was placed inside a closely woven piece of gauze cloth and immersed in 10-liter container of water. Oxygen was provided with an aeration pump to ensure the oxygenation of microbes. The vermicompost was left for 3 days at room temperature to ferment and then the supernatant was collected (Figure, B). Table 1 Physical and chemical properties of soil under study. Properties Unit Soil Texture Sand = 64.5% Silt = 17.0% Clay = 18.5% Sandy Loam pH --- 7.82 EC (dS m − 1 ) (dS m − 1 ) 2.23 Organic mater % 0.93 CEC Cmol (+) kg − 1 28.25 SAR --- 5.21 CaCO 3 % 6.45 N % 0.45 P % 0.12 K % 0.27 Fe mg 3700 Mn mg 98.0 Cu mg 11.0 Zn mg 14.0 Table 2 Physical and chemical properties of vermiwash extract (VW) and vermicompost tea. (VT) Properties Unit Vermiwash liquid Vermicompost Tea pH 7.47 7.64 EC (dS m − 1 ) (dS m − 1 ) 1.43 1.89 Organic mater % 1.78 37.27 N % 0.70 0.51 P % 0.30 0.17 K % 0.96 0.62 Fe mg 170.00 310.00 Mn mg 81.00 93.00 Cu mg 70.00 23.00 Zn mg 40.00 36.00 2.4. Measurements Chlorophyll content was measured by SPAD 502 plus chlorophyll meter (Konica Minolta, Japan) following the method described by 17 . To assess the fruit characteristics, four fruits form each plot were taken randomly and the following measurements were determined: fruit diameter (cm), fruit length (cm), fruit weight (g), fruit firmness. Fruit firmness measured by FR-5120 digital firmness tester. The total acidity was measured by using the titration method with the sodium hydroxide solution according to the procedures of 2 . Total soluble solids (TSS) in fruits were measured by digital refractometer (model HI 96800, Hanna instruments) and expressed as % Brix. Total sucrose content (Brix %) was measured by the refractometer according to 14 . Vitamin C was quantified by the high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) following method described by 26 . All the above-mentioned analyses were conducted in the central laboratory of National Center for Organic Agriculture. 2.5. Statistical analysis: The experiment was laid out in a complete randomized complete design (RCD) with four replicates, using SPSS V. 21 program, and the experimental data were expressed as mean ± standard error, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to determine the difference between the control group and the levels (P ≤ 0.05). 3. Results 3.1. Effect of Foliar Application of Vermicompost Tea and Vermiwash on the Biochemical Characteristics of Tomato Fruits Grown under Dutch Bucket and Soil-Based Systems. Data presented in Table 3 indicate that the application of VT and VW improved the total soluble solids (TSS), total sugars (TS) and total acidity (TA) in tomato fruits. The combination of VT and VW (data not shown) did not result in any significant differences among the treatments. Highly significant differences (p ≤ 0.01) were observed among the treatments. The Soilless systemresulted in higher TS and lower total acidity levels, whereas the soil-based system (SBS) produced higher TSS. VW showed more pronounced effects observed in both organic cultivation systems.The application of 100 ml/l of vermicompost tea increased the total soluble solids by 9.40% and 9.80% compared to control in tomato fruits grown in the DBS and SBS, respectively. The application of 100 ml of vermiwash led to a more substantial increase in TSS of 16.30% in DBS and 16.14% in SBS. Similarly, the application of 100 ml/l of VT increased total sugars by 12.2% and 12.55% compared to control in tomato fruit grown in DBS and SBS respectively. The application of vermiwash at 100 ml/l resulted in greater increase in sugar total sugars- 21.02% in DBS and 24.53 SBS as well. Total acidity was significantly reduced by the application of both VT and VW. Total acidity decreased by 14.28% and 9.43% compared to control in tomato grown in DBS and SBS respectively when 100 ml/l of VT was applied. A significant decrease of 27.16% in DBS and 18.18% in SBS was noticed at the same concentration of VW. Table 3 Effect of vermicompost tea (VT) and vermiwash extract (VW) on total soluble solids (TSS), total sugars (TS) and total acidity (TA) of tomato fruits grown under organic cultivation using the Soilless systemDBS and soil-based system SBS in an air-conditioned greenhouse. Treatment Soilless system (SS) Soil-based system (SBS) TSS (%) TA (%) TS (Brix) TSS (%) TA (%) TS (Brix) Vermicompost Tea (VT) VT 0 ml/l 4.25 b 0.77 a 4.92 b 4.59 b 1.06 a 4.54 b VT 50 ml/l 4.52 a 0.70 ab 5.38 a 4.93 a 0.99 ab 4.89 ab VT 100 ml/l 4.65 a 0.66 b 5.52 a 5.04 a 0.96 b 5.11 a SEM 0.115 0.03 0.103 0.106 0.03 0.149 P value 0.021 0.03 0.002 0.022 0.040 0.040 Sig. * * * * * * Vermiwash (VW) VT 0 ml/l 4.10 B 0.81 A 4.71 B 4.46 B 1.10 A 4.28 B VT 50 ml/l 4.54 A 0.73 A 5.41 A 4.92 A 1.02 A 4.93 A VT 100 ml/l 4.77 A 0.59 B 5.70 A 5.18 A 0.90 B 5.33 A SEM 0.115 0.115 0.103 0.106 0.03 0.149 P value 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 Sig. ** ** ** ** ** ** VT * VW P value 0.914 0.817 0.986 0.945 0.634 0.746 Sig. NS NS NS NS NS NS TSS, Total soluble solids, TS, Total sugars TA, Total acidity. AB means deferent letters within columns are significant at (p \(\:\le\:0.01\) ), ab means deferent letters within columns are significant at (p \(\:\le\:0.05\) ), NS means non-significant. 3.2. Effect of Foliar Application of Vermicompost Tea and Vermiwash on Vitamin C content in Fruits and Chlorophyll Concentration in Leaves of Tomato Plants grown under Dutch Bucket and Soil-Based Systems . The application of vermicompost tea and vermwash enhanced the content of vitamin C in tomato fruits and chlorophyll concentrations in tomato leaves as illustrated in Fig. 2 . The combination of VT and VW (data not shown) did not result in any significant differences among the treatments. Highly significant differences (p ≤ 0.01) were observed among the treatments. A substantial increase in vitamin C and chlorophyll was observed when vermiwash application rate increased from 0 rate to 50 ml/l in both cultivation systems. The application of vermiwash resulted in a more pronounced increase in vitamin C in both DBS and SBS cultivation systems. A positive correlation was found between the application rates of VT and VW and the content of vitamin C and chlorophyll. The application of vermicompost tea at 50 and 100 ml/l increased vitamin C content in tomato fruits grown in DBS and SBS. Similarly, the chlorophyll content improved by application of VT and VW. The foliar application of 50 and 100 ml/l of both VT and VW improved the content of chlorophyll tomato leaves grown in DBS and SBS. Regarding the interaction between the cultivation system and foliar treatment, plants cultivated in the Soilless systemand received 100 ml//l of vermiwash recorded the highest vitamin C. Conversely, the lowest vitamin C was obtained from tomato fruits grown in the soil-based system without any foliar application.In terms of leave chlorophyll, the highest values were obtained from tomato plants grown in the soil-based system and received 100 ml/l of vermiwash whereas the lowest values were obtained from plants grown in the Soilless systemwithout any foliar application. 3.3. Effect of Foliar Application of Vermicompost Tea and Vermiwash on the Number of Fruits, Fruit Weight and Yield per Plant of Tomato Plants Grown under Dutch Bucket and Soil-Based Systems. The application of vermicompost tea and vermiwash significantly enhanced the yield per plant (Y), number of fruits per plant (NF)and fruit weight (FW) in tomato plants grown organically in the Soilless systemand the soil-based system as presented in Table 4 . Highly significant differences (p ≤ 0.01) were detected among the treatments. A substantial increase in yield per plant, the number of fruits per plant and fruit weight resulted from using vermawash at 100 ml/l in both cultivation systems. In general, the Soilless systemproduced more yield per plant, number of fruits per plant and fruit weight compared to soil-based system. There are highly significant differences among all the treatments. VT at 100 ml/l increased the number of fruits per plant by 32.79% of tomato plants grown in DBS and by 41.52% for tomato plants grown in SBS compared to control. Similarly, the application of 100 ml/l of vermiwash increased the number of fruits per plant by 50.62% in tomato plants grown in DBS and by 88.15 for tomato plants grown in SBS compared to control. In terms of fruit weight, VT at 100 ml/l vermicompost tea resulted in 12.88% increase using DBS and 15.7% increase using SBS compared to control. On the other hand, VW at 100 ml/l vermiwash resulted in slightly bigger improvements increasing FW by 13.8 in DBS and 17.0% in SBS compared to control. Regarding the yield per plant, it was substantially improved by application of both VT and VW in both cultivation systems. vermicompost tea at 100 ml/l increased the yield of tomato plants grown in DBS by 49.13% and in SBS by 60.38% compared to control. VW at 100 ml/l vermiwash further enhanced the tomato yield by 68.58% in the Soilless systemand 120.8% in the soil-based system compared to control. Table 4 Effect of vermicompost tea (VT) and vermiwash extract (VW) on number of fruits per plant (NF), fruit weight (FW) yield per plant (Y) of tomato fruits grown under organic cultivation using the Soilless systemDBS and soil-based system SBS in an air-conditioned greenhouse. Treatment Soilless system(SS) Soil-based system (SBS) NF/ plant FW g Y/ Plant kg NF/ plant FW g Y/ Plant kg Vermicompost Tea (VT) VT 0 ml 37.00 153.78 5.78 30.78 148.56 4.62 VT 50 ml 45.11 172.44 7.78 38.78 167.89 6.74 VT 100 ml 49.11 173.5 8.62 42.78 171.89 7.41 SEM 0.91 0.91 0.15 0.72 1.11 0.15 P value 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 Sig. ** ** ** ** ** ** Vermiwash (VW) VW 0 ml 34.67 153.95 5.38 25.333 147.00 3.75 VW 50 ml 44.33 170.56 7.73 39.333 168.78 6.74 VW 100 ml 52.22 175.22 9.07 47.667 172.56 8.28 SEM 0.82 0.91 0.15 0.72 1.11 0.15 P value 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 Sig. ** ** ** ** ** ** VT * VW P value 0.003 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 Sig. ** ** ** ** ** ** 3.4. Effect of Foliar Application of Vermicompost Tea and Vermiwash on the Plant Length, Fruit Firmness of Tomato under Dutch Bucket and Soil-Based systems. As shown in Table 5 , the foliar application of VT and VW had slightly improved plant length and moderately improved fruit firmness. Highly significant differences (p ≤ 0.01) were observed among the treatments.VT at 100 ml/l slightly increased the plant length by 1.55% in DBS and by 2.133% in SBS compared to control. Similarly, the application of 100 ml/l vermiwash increased the plant length by 3.28% in DBS and by 3.70% in SBS compared to control. Regarding fruit firmness, the application of 100 ml/l of vermicompost tea enhanced the fruit firmness by 10.29% in tomato plants grown in Soilless systemand by 11.33% in plants grown in soil-based system. Conversely, VW at 100 ml/l enhanced the fruit firmness by 19.89% in both cultivation systems. Table 5 Effect of vermicompost tea (VT) and vermiwash extract (VW) on plant length (PL), fruit firmness (FF) of tomato plants grown under organic cultivation using the Soilless systemDBS and soil-based system SBS in an air-conditioned greenhouse. Treatment Soilless system(SS) Soil-based system (SBS) PL cm FF kg/cm 2 PL cm FF kg/cm 2 Vermicompost Tea (VT) VT 0 ml 228.89 4.08 224.00 3.97 VT 50 ml 231.67 4.39 227.67 4.29 VT 100 ml 232.44 4.50 228.78 4.42 SEM 0.115 0.49 1.00 0.58 P value 0.009 0.001 0.009 0.001 Sig. ** ** ** ** Vermiwash (VW) VW 0 ml 226.78 3.87 222.11 3.77 VW 50 ml 232.00 4.46 228.00 4.39 VW 100 ml 234.22 4.64 230.33 4.52 SEM 0.031 0.49 1.00 0.58 P value 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 Sig. ** ** ** ** VT * VW P value 0.991 0.912 0.991 0.945 Sig. NS NS NS NS PL, plant length; FF, fruit firmness 3. Discussion This study highlights the obvious benefits of foliar application of vermicompost tea (VT) and vermiwash (VW) on organically grown tomatoes in both Dutch bucket (SS) and the soil-based (SBS) systems under greenhouse conditions. Both VT and VW significantly improved fruit quality by increasing total soluble solids (TSS), total sugars (TS), and reducing total acidity (TA). Yield and yield components in terms of yield per plant, number of fruits per plant and fruit weight increased substantially also by application of VT and VW.Vermiwash, especially at 100 ml/l, had a stronger impact than VT, likely due to its higher content of plant hormones, amino acids, enzymes and micronutrients, which support better nutrient uptake and photosynthesis 29 . Although 33 pointed out that vermicompost tea has more macro, micro, organic matter compared to vermiwash, the vermiwash outperformed the vermicompost tea in this experiment. The vermicompost tea used in this experiment has more N, P, K, Cu and Zn but less Fe an Mn than vermiwash. These results suggest that vermiwash is more suitable for foliar applications than vermicompost tea due to its high contents of hormones, amino acids and enzymes. The findings of this study demonstrate that the Dutch bucket hydroponic system significantly outperformed the soil-based cultivation system across most of the evaluated parameters, including yield per plant, fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, vegetative growth, and fruit quality. These results are consistent with previous studies highlighting the superior efficiency and productivity of Soilless system systems in controlled environments. Higher yields and fruit quality in the Soilless systemmay be attributed to improved nutrient availability and uptake, optimized water use efficiency, and better root zone aeration 10 , 23 . Unlike soil-based systems, the Dutch bucket provides a consistent nutrient solution, minimizing fluctuations that often affect plant performance under soil cultivation 22 . Moreover, hydroponic systems reduce competition for nutrients and water, allowing plants to allocate more resources toward fruit development 19 . The increase in vegetative growth observed in the Soilless systemsupports the hypothesis that controlled root-zone conditions positively influence biomass accumulation and photosynthetic activity 24 . Additionally, improved fruit quality may result from precise nutrient management and reduced biotic stress compared to soil cultivation, where variable conditions often affect consistency 31 . The application of vermicompost tea (VT) and vermiwash (VW) significantly enhanced fruit quality attributes in tomato plants. Increases were observed in vitamin C content, total soluble solids (TSS), total sugars, and fruit firmness with increasing concentrations of both VT and VW, while total acidity decreased. Vermiwash application led to the most pronounced improvements, with the Soilless system(SS) showing the highest vitamin C and total sugar content as well as the lowest total acidity. Conversely, the highest TSS levels were recorded in the soil-based system (SBS). A similar trend was observed in fruit firmness, with VW outperforming VT across systems. These enhancements in biochemical and physical fruit traits likely stem from increased metabolic and physiological activity in the plants, induced by the diverse bioactive compounds present in VW and VT, such as enzymes, amino acids, plant growth hormones (auxins, cytokinins), and humic substances 10 , 33 . These compounds are known to promote nutrient uptake, enhance chlorophyll synthesis, and stimulate enzymatic pathways that contribute to improved photosynthesis and translocation of assimilates to the fruit, thereby improving quality 15 , 32 . Firmness, key for shelf life, was significantly enhanced, especially with VW, fruit possibly due to improved calcium uptake or stronger cell walls. 6 found that the partial substitution of inorganic fertilizers with vermicompost and manure highly increased the fruit firmness and shelf life of tomato. These findings are in line with previous research indicating that organic liquid formulations derived from vermicompost enhance both yield and fruit quality in tomato and other vegetables 11 , 31 . In terms of productivity, the foliar application of both vermicompost tea (VT) and vermiwash (VW) significantly enhanced fruit number, average fruit weight, and total yield per plant. Among the treatments, VW at a concentration of 100 mL L⁻¹ consistently produced the highest yield parameters, suggesting its superior efficacy in promoting reproductive growth. These findings are consistent with earlier reports indicating that VW, due to its rich content of plant growth-promoting hormones, micronutrients, and beneficial microorganisms, can substantially improve crop productivity 17 , 20 . Furthermore, the Soilless system(SS) outperformed the soil-based system (SBS) in terms of total yield, fruit number and fruit weight, which can likely be attributed to the more precise and consistent control of irrigation and nutrient delivery. Controlled fertigation systems such as DBS are known to enhance nutrient use efficiency and reduce abiotic stress, thereby improving yield and fruit quality 23 , 28 . These results reinforce the potential of integrating organic bio-stimulants with hydroponic-like systems to maximize productivity in sustainable horticulture. Plant height exhibited a modest increase in response to the foliar application of vermicompost tea (VT) and vermiwash (VW). In contrast, chlorophyll content showed a substantial enhancement, particularly at higher concentrations of both bio-stimulants. This improvement in chlorophyll concentration may be attributed to the presence of phytohormones, humic substances, and micronutrients in VT and VW, which are known to stimulate chlorophyll biosynthesis and enhance photosynthetic efficiency 3 , 4 . Enhanced chlorophyll content is a critical indicator of improved plant metabolism and nutrient uptake under organic management systems. Though VT × VW interaction effects were not significant, the individual benefits were clear. VW emerged as the more effective foliar treatment overall. Meanwhile, choosing between DBS and SBS may depend on whether the focus is on fruit quality or higher yield. Conclusion This study demonstrates that foliar applications of vermicompost tea (VT) and vermiwash (VW) can significantly enhance both the quality and productivity of organically grown tomatoes under controlled greenhouse conditions. Among the two, VW consistently outperformed VT, particularly at a concentration of 100 ml/l, suggesting its greater potential as a bio-stimulant due to its richer composition of phytohormones and micronutrients. So, it is obvious that VW is more suitable for foliar applications than vermcompost tea. System of cultivation also influenced the outcomes: soil-based systems (SBS) promoted better fruit quality (e.g., sugars, TSS), while Dutch bucket systems (SS) supported both higher yields and fruit quality. These differences highlight the need to align cultivation systems with production goals, whether focused on maximizing fruit quality or overall yield. Overall, the findings underscore the value of vermicompost-derived foliar treatments in the organic tomato production, offering an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic fertilizers. Declarations Author’s contribution All authors contributed equally to the conception, designing, writing, reviewing, and approval of the final version of the manuscript. CRediT authorship contribution statement Mahdy Hamed : Methodology, Investigation, Conceptualization. Omar Alobayki : Writing - review & editing, Software, Conceptualization. Abdullah Alnasser : Writing - review & editing, Writing - original draft, Software, Formal analysis. Salman Aloudah : Software, Formal analysis. Sultan Al-Eid : Writing - review & editing, Software. Conflicts of Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest. Acknowledgement This research was conducted as part of the Scientific Research Development Project in Organic Farming, funded by the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and facilitated by the Saudi Organic Farming Association. 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Krause, M; Monaco, P; Haddade, I; MeneghellI, L; Souza, T. 2017. Aproveitamento de resíduos agrícolas na composição de substratos para produção de mudas de tomateiro. Horticultura Brasileira 35: 293–298. Lemaire G et al (2008) Calibration and validation of hyperspectral indices for the estimation of broadleaved forest leaf chlorophyll content, leaf mass per area, leaf area index and leaf canopy biomass. Remote Sens Environ 112 : 3846–3864 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2008.06.005 . Magaña-Lira, N; peña-Lomelí, A; Sánchez-Del Castillo, F; Rodríguez-Pérez, JE; Morenopérez, Edc. 2013. Comportamiento productivo de híbridos F1 de tomate y sus poblaciones F2. Revista Fitotecnia Mexicana 36: 371–379. Mishra, S., Wang, K. H., Sipes, B. S., & Tian, M. (2017). Suppression of root-knot nematode by vermicompost tea prepared from different curing ages of vermicompost. Plant Disease , 101, 734–737. DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-07-16-1068-RE Pathma, J., & Sakthivel, N. (2012). Microbial diversity of vermicompost bacteria that exhibit useful agricultural traits and waste management potential. SpringerPlus , 1, 26. https://doi.org/10.1186/2193-1801-1-26 Pattanaik, S., Parida, S., Mishra, S. P., Dash, J., & Samantray, S. M. (2015). Control of phytopathogens with application of vermiwash. Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology , 9, 1697–1701. Rajendran, S., Domalachenpa, T., Arora, H., Li, P., Sharma, A., & Rajauria, G. (2024). Hydroponics: Exploring innovative sustainable technologies and applications across crop production, with emphasis on potato mini-tuber cultivation. Heliyon . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26823 Resh, H. M. (2022). Hydroponic food production: A definitive guidebook for the advanced home gardener and the commercial hydroponic grower . CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003133254 Rouphael, Y., & Colla, G. (2005). Growth, yield, fruit quality and nutrient uptake of hydroponically cultivated zucchini squash as affected by irrigation systems and growing seasons. Scientia Horticulturae , 105(2), 177–195. DOI: 10.1080/14620316.2004.11511784 Savvas, D., & Gruda, N. (2018). Application of Soilless system culture technologies in the modern greenhouse industry – A review. European Journal of Horticultural Science , 83(5), 280–293. https://doi.org/10.17660/eJHS.2018/83.5.2 Scherer, R., Rybka, A. C. P., Ballus, C. A., Meinhart, A. D., Filho, J. T., & Godoy, H. T. (2012). Validation of a HPLC method for simultaneous determination of main organic acids in fruits and juices. Food Chemistry , 135, 150–154. DOI: 10.1080/14620316.2004.11511784 Shin-ichi, A., Badamkhatan, T., Omiya, K., Shimizu, Y., Hasegawa, N., Sakai, K., Kamimura, K., Takeuchi, A., & Murakami, Y. (2023). Sustainability , 15, 10327. DOI: 10.3390/su151310327 Sonneveld, C., & Voogt, W. (2009). Plant nutrition of greenhouse crops . Springer. DOI: 10.1007/978-90-481-2532-6 Suthar, S. (2010). Evidence of plant hormone-like substances in vermiwash: An ecologically safe option of synthetic chemicals for sustainable farming. Ecological Engineering , 36(8), 1089–1092. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2010.04.027 Suthar, S., & Gairola, A. (2014). Nutrient recovery from urban waste: Vermicompost as a biofertilizer for sustainable agriculture. Waste Management , 34(4), 671–675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2014.08.010 Verdoliva, S. G., Gwyn-Jones, D., Detheridge, A., & Robson, P. (2021). Controlled comparisons between soil and hydroponic systems reveal increased water use efficiency and higher lycopene and β-carotene contents in hydroponically grown tomatoes. Scientia Horticulturae , 279, 109896. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2021.109896 Wu, D., Chen, C., Liu, Y., Zhang, G., & Yang, L. (2023). Vermicompost improves tomato yield and quality by promoting carbohydrate transport to fruit under salt stress. Horticulturae , 9(9), 1015. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9091015 Zarei, M., Jahandideh Mahjen Abadi, V. A., & Moridi, A. (2018). Comparison of vermiwash and vermicompost tea properties produced from different organic beds under greenhouse conditions. International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture , 7, 25–32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40093-017-0186-2 Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 26 Dec, 2025 Read the published version in Organic Agriculture → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 05 Oct, 2025 Reviews received at journal 03 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 01 Oct, 2025 Reviews received at journal 23 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 11 Aug, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 06 Aug, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 04 Aug, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 04 Aug, 2025 First submitted to journal 03 Aug, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7284812","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":498137581,"identity":"4053b4ea-1bd6-4759-a9b7-62b30e5a226e","order_by":0,"name":"Mahdy H. Hamed","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABJUlEQVRIie3RMUvDQBTA8RcDTleyRor1EwgvFE5CkXyVSEGXIEohdCwIcYm6ZnDwK3S5OeXALLFdTxSbySmD3UJpwZxSzZBAR8H7L3cc9+OFHIBK9QfDmIAJEMu9lf2e7zYTu0K6uBVxKoSaWxGaPE1eCLweHF5fsWGxfIMj00P48DkYxkM9Sc/7PQLvFksf/eeb2wHYkYdaNOWwF2X1JPZomwDXmPCoaIUuYJqi3go4oIhrCc7yL+KweU4v1xuyLonTRMT3lBMmCNVJUZIkRF2TU4xRA8m79j3yPktPB+39kUswCS4m4fSMmKL+j+HMs0Q+5Mcs4eNFvnI7yPVxVvi9jnFX/2GyHbJ5Qy0AIld5t3wvt5Foxc92VT03mqeoVCrVv+oTAwtpNyybnM0AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Saudi Organic Farming Association","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mahdy","middleName":"H.","lastName":"Hamed","suffix":""},{"id":498137582,"identity":"198802d4-ab4b-4881-b780-ef0c9e08a437","order_by":1,"name":"Omar Alobayki","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Saudi Organic Farming Association","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Omar","middleName":"","lastName":"Alobayki","suffix":""},{"id":498137583,"identity":"2f0b100a-d078-4fcc-9e24-2bd6900892a1","order_by":2,"name":"Abdullah. M. Alnasser","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Saudi Organic Farming Association","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Abdullah.","middleName":"M.","lastName":"Alnasser","suffix":""},{"id":498137584,"identity":"7586af8b-c166-4810-907f-2136b8b6596e","order_by":3,"name":"Salman Aloudah","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Saudi Organic Farming Association","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Salman","middleName":"","lastName":"Aloudah","suffix":""},{"id":498137585,"identity":"769a430b-5576-463e-b33b-feca0d971026","order_by":4,"name":"Sultan Al-Eid","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Saudi Organic Farming Association","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sultan","middleName":"","lastName":"Al-Eid","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-08-03 17:38:06","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7284812/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7284812/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13165-025-00537-1","type":"published","date":"2025-12-26T15:58:06+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":88817434,"identity":"0423b813-387e-4c21-a9bf-8b22db284d5e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-11 16:38:39","extension":"jpg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":68087,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003ePreparation of Vermiwash liquid (A) and vermicompost tea (B).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7284812/v1/294019f1dd623c4e57dd5ecc.jpg"},{"id":88817437,"identity":"d7b8bab2-3ff8-47a3-8148-162c398a8bb7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-11 16:38:39","extension":"jpg","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":49867,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eEffect of vermicompost tea (VT) and vermiwash extract (VW) on vitamin C of tomato fruits and chlorophyll content of tomato plants grown under organic cultivation using the Soilless systemDBS and soil-based system SBS in an air-conditioned greenhouse.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7284812/v1/6201e5db84fdaae31e955434.jpg"},{"id":99172795,"identity":"02731c94-2601-459c-987d-6256eebe2d00","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-29 16:11:23","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1389142,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7284812/v1/8d2aa334-6d48-4f25-9bd9-21c01fca136d.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Boosting Organic Tomato Yield/Quality: Foliar Vermiwash and Vermicompost Tea in Soilless and Soil-based Systems Greenhouse","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eTomatoes (\u003cem\u003eLycopersicon esculentum\u003c/em\u003e Mill.) are among the most popular and widely grown vegetables around the world, valued not only for their taste and versatility but also for their nutritional benefits. Organically produced vegetables such as tomatoes are gaining attention worldwide as safe and healthy food. With increasing global demand and limited resources, growers are constantly looking for more efficient and sustainable ways to boost tomato production. One promising solution lies in Soilless system cultivation systems, especially those used in greenhouses. These systems allow plants to grow in nutrient-rich solutions, often resulting in higher yields per unit area while using water more efficiently \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. By minimizing water loss through evaporation and better controlling nutrients, they support healthier plant growth \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. At the same time, interest in organic farming continues to grow as people seek safer food and more environmentally friendly agricultural practices. Organic systems have been shown to improve the nutritional quality of crops, often increasing beneficial compounds with health-promoting properties \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. One sustainable practice gaining popularity in organic farming is the use of vermicompost and its liquid derivatives.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVermicompost is created by decomposing organic waste with the help of earthworms and beneficial microbes. It's rich in nutrients and helps improve soil structure, water retention, and overall plant health \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Beyond solid compost, its liquid forms- vermicompost tea (VT) and vermiwash (VW)- are increasingly used as foliar sprays to nourish plants directly through their leaves.VW is a nutrient-rich liquid collected during the vermicomposting process. It contains plant hormones, enzymes, and trace elements essential for growth \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Similarly, VT is an extract full of helpful microbes, humic substances, and natural growth regulators \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Both products have also been shown to protect plants against diseases and improve yield and quality \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. While many studies support the benefits of using these organic fertilizers, there is still limited research comparing their effects under different organic growing systems such as Soilless system and traditional soil-based methods.This study investigated how different levels of vermiwash and vermicompost tea, applied as foliar sprays, influence the growth, yield, and fruit quality of tomatoes grown organically in both Dutch bucket (Soilless system) and soil-based greenhouse systems.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. Materials and Methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.1. Experimental site and Plant material\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study was carried out at the National Center for Organic Agriculture, Qassim, Saudi Arabia to assess the impact of vermicompost tea and vermiwash on performance and quality of tomato grown organically under Dutch bucket (SS) and Soil-based (SBS) systems in air-conditioned greenhouses. The Qassim region coordinates are 25\u0026deg;48\u0026prime;23\u0026Prime;N 42\u0026deg;52\u0026prime;24\u0026Prime;E. The transplants of Lelyana F1 tomato used in this experiment were planted in the greenhouse in November 2024. The growth conditions inside the greenhouse were maintained with the daytime temperature 20\u0026ndash;25\u0026deg;C, nighttime temperatures of 15\u0026ndash;18\u0026deg;C, relative humidity between 50\u0026ndash;65%, and a photoperiod of 10\u0026ndash;15 hours per day. All the recommended horticultural practices were followed including the recommended organic fertilizer solutions adjusted according to the growth stages of the plant. The NPK fertilizers were applied uniformly to all plants.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.2. Experimental Design and Treatments\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe experiment was laid out in a complete randomized complete design (RCD) with four replicates. Three rates of vermicompost tea or vermiwash and the combination of them were applied to tomato plants as follows: 0 ml/l (control), 50 ml/l and 100 ml/l. The plants were sprayed five times in total, once every other week started a month post transplanting. The area of greenhouse was split into two sections; the first is the Soilless system organic cultivation system, the Soilless system(SS), and the second is the soil-based organic cultivation system (SBS). The plot area was one square meter, and each plot contained four plants. Each treatment was replicated three times.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.3. Preparation of vermiwash (VW) liquid and vermicompost tea (VT).\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eVermiwash liquid and vermicompost tea were prepared in the Compost Worm Production and Propagation Unit at the National Center for Organic Agriculture.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVermiwash liquid a 50-liter plastic container was mounted on a stand in to facilitate the collection of the vermiwash by installing a tap on the lower side of the container. At first, 20 cm of gravel was placed at the bottom of the container followed by 20 cm of coarse sand, followed by a 20 cm layer of clay soil. These three layers together form the filter bed. On the top of filter bed, a 30 cm layer of moist decomposed materials (cattle manure\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;horse manure\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;tree leaves) mixed with approximately 300 earthworms was added. The vermiwash liquid was collected through the tap installed in the bottom of the container (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, A).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVermicompost tea preparing: One kg of vermicompost fertilizer was placed inside a closely woven piece of gauze cloth and immersed in 10-liter container of water. Oxygen was provided with an aeration pump to ensure the oxygenation of microbes. The vermicompost was left for 3 days at room temperature to ferment and then the supernatant was collected (Figure, B).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePhysical and chemical properties of soil under study.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eProperties\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnit\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoil\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTexture\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSand\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;64.5%\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSilt\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;17.0%\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eClay\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;18.5%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSandy Loam\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003epH\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.82\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEC (dS m\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e(dS m\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.23\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOrganic mater\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.93\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCEC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCmol (+) kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28.25\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSAR\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e---\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.21\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCaCO\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.45\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.45\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.12\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.27\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFe\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003emg\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3700\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMn\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003emg\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e98.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCu\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003emg\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eZn\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003emg\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePhysical and chemical properties of vermiwash extract (VW) and vermicompost tea. (VT)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eProperties\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnit\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVermiwash liquid\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVermicompost Tea\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003epH\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.47\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.64\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEC (dS m\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e(dS m\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.43\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.89\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOrganic mater\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.78\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e37.27\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.70\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.51\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.30\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.17\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.96\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.62\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFe\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003emg\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e170.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e310.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMn\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003emg\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e81.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e93.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCu\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003emg\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e70.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e23.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eZn\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003emg\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e36.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.4. Measurements\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eChlorophyll content was measured by SPAD 502 plus chlorophyll meter (Konica Minolta, Japan) following the method described by \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. To assess the fruit characteristics, four fruits form each plot were taken randomly and the following measurements were determined: fruit diameter (cm), fruit length (cm), fruit weight (g), fruit firmness. Fruit firmness measured by FR-5120 digital firmness tester. The total acidity was measured by using the titration method with the sodium hydroxide solution according to the procedures of \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Total soluble solids (TSS) in fruits were measured by digital refractometer (model HI 96800, Hanna instruments) and expressed as % Brix. Total sucrose content (Brix %) was measured by the refractometer according to \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Vitamin C was quantified by the high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) following method described by \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. All the above-mentioned analyses were conducted in the central laboratory of National Center for Organic Agriculture.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.5. Statistical analysis:\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe experiment was laid out in a complete randomized complete design (RCD) with four replicates, using SPSS V. 21 program, and the experimental data were expressed as mean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;standard error, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to determine the difference between the control group and the levels (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"3. Results","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e3.1. Effect of Foliar Application of Vermicompost Tea and Vermiwash on the Biochemical Characteristics of Tomato Fruits Grown under Dutch Bucket and Soil-Based Systems.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eData presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e indicate that the application of VT and VW improved the total soluble solids (TSS), total sugars (TS) and total acidity (TA) in tomato fruits. The combination of VT and VW (data not shown) did not result in any significant differences among the treatments. Highly significant differences (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.01) were observed among the treatments. The Soilless systemresulted in higher TS and lower total acidity levels, whereas the soil-based system (SBS) produced higher TSS. VW showed more pronounced effects observed in both organic cultivation systems.The application of 100 ml/l of vermicompost tea increased the total soluble solids by 9.40% and 9.80% compared to control in tomato fruits grown in the DBS and SBS, respectively. The application of 100 ml of vermiwash led to a more substantial increase in TSS of 16.30% in DBS and 16.14% in SBS.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSimilarly, the application of 100 ml/l of VT increased total sugars by 12.2% and 12.55% compared to control in tomato fruit grown in DBS and SBS respectively. The application of vermiwash at 100 ml/l resulted in greater increase in sugar total sugars- 21.02% in DBS and 24.53 SBS as well. Total acidity was significantly reduced by the application of both VT and VW. Total acidity decreased by 14.28% and 9.43% compared to control in tomato grown in DBS and SBS respectively when 100 ml/l of VT was applied. A significant decrease of 27.16% in DBS and 18.18% in SBS was noticed at the same concentration of VW.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEffect of vermicompost tea (VT) and vermiwash extract (VW) on total soluble solids (TSS), total sugars (TS) and total acidity (TA) of tomato fruits grown under organic cultivation using the Soilless systemDBS and soil-based system SBS in an air-conditioned greenhouse.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTreatment\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoilless system (SS)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoil-based system\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(SBS)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTSS\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTA\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTS\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(Brix)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTSS\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTA\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTS\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(Brix)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVermicompost Tea (VT)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVT 0 ml/l\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.25\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.77\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.92\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.59\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.06\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.54\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVT 50 ml/l\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.52\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.70\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.38\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.93\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.99\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.89\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVT 100 ml/l\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.65\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.66\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.52\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.04\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.96\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.11\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.115\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.103\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.106\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.149\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.021\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.022\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.040\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.040\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSig.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e*\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e*\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e*\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e*\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e*\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e*\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eVermiwash (VW)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVT 0 ml/l\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.10\u003csup\u003eB\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.81\u003csup\u003eA\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.71\u003csup\u003eB\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.46\u003csup\u003eB\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.10\u003csup\u003eA\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.28\u003csup\u003eB\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVT 50 ml/l\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.54\u003csup\u003eA\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.73\u003csup\u003eA\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.41\u003csup\u003eA\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.92\u003csup\u003eA\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.02\u003csup\u003eA\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.93\u003csup\u003eA\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVT 100 ml/l\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.77\u003csup\u003eA\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.59\u003csup\u003eB\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.70\u003csup\u003eA\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.18\u003csup\u003eA\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.90\u003csup\u003eB\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.33\u003csup\u003eA\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.115\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.115\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.103\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.106\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.149\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSig.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eVT * VW\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.914\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.817\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.986\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.945\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.634\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.746\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSig.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"7\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTSS, Total soluble solids, TS, Total sugars TA, Total acidity. \u003csup\u003eAB\u003c/sup\u003e means deferent letters within columns are significant at (p\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:\\le\\:0.01\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e), \u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e means deferent letters within columns are significant at (p\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:\\le\\:0.05\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e), \u003csup\u003eNS\u003c/sup\u003e means non-significant.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e3.2. Effect of Foliar Application of Vermicompost Tea and Vermiwash on Vitamin C content in Fruits and Chlorophyll Concentration in Leaves of Tomato Plants grown under Dutch Bucket and Soil-Based Systems\u003c/b\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe application of vermicompost tea and vermwash enhanced the content of vitamin C in tomato fruits and chlorophyll concentrations in tomato leaves as illustrated in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e. The combination of VT and VW (data not shown) did not result in any significant differences among the treatments. Highly significant differences (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.01) were observed among the treatments. A substantial increase in vitamin C and chlorophyll was observed when vermiwash application rate increased from 0 rate to 50 ml/l in both cultivation systems. The application of vermiwash resulted in a more pronounced increase in vitamin C in both DBS and SBS cultivation systems.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA positive correlation was found between the application rates of VT and VW and the content of vitamin C and chlorophyll. The application of vermicompost tea at 50 and 100 ml/l increased vitamin C content in tomato fruits grown in DBS and SBS. Similarly, the chlorophyll content improved by application of VT and VW. The foliar application of 50 and 100 ml/l of both VT and VW improved the content of chlorophyll tomato leaves grown in DBS and SBS.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRegarding the interaction between the cultivation system and foliar treatment, plants cultivated in the Soilless systemand received 100 ml//l of vermiwash recorded the highest vitamin C. Conversely, the lowest vitamin C was obtained from tomato fruits grown in the soil-based system without any foliar application.In terms of leave chlorophyll, the highest values were obtained from tomato plants grown in the soil-based system and received 100 ml/l of vermiwash whereas the lowest values were obtained from plants grown in the Soilless systemwithout any foliar application.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e3.3. Effect of Foliar Application of Vermicompost Tea and Vermiwash on the Number of Fruits, Fruit Weight and Yield per Plant of Tomato Plants Grown under Dutch Bucket and Soil-Based Systems.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe application of vermicompost tea and vermiwash significantly enhanced the yield per plant (Y), number of fruits per plant (NF)and fruit weight (FW) in tomato plants grown organically in the Soilless systemand the soil-based system as presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e. Highly significant differences (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.01) were detected among the treatments. A substantial increase in yield per plant, the number of fruits per plant and fruit weight resulted from using vermawash at 100 ml/l in both cultivation systems. In general, the Soilless systemproduced more yield per plant, number of fruits per plant and fruit weight compared to soil-based system. There are highly significant differences among all the treatments. VT at 100 ml/l increased the number of fruits per plant by 32.79% of tomato plants grown in DBS and by 41.52% for tomato plants grown in SBS compared to control. Similarly, the application of 100 ml/l of vermiwash increased the number of fruits per plant by 50.62% in tomato plants grown in DBS and by 88.15 for tomato plants grown in SBS compared to control.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn terms of fruit weight, VT at 100 ml/l vermicompost tea resulted in 12.88% increase using DBS and 15.7% increase using SBS compared to control. On the other hand, VW at 100 ml/l vermiwash resulted in slightly bigger improvements increasing FW by 13.8 in DBS and 17.0% in SBS compared to control. Regarding the yield per plant, it was substantially improved by application of both VT and VW in both cultivation systems. vermicompost tea at 100 ml/l increased the yield of tomato plants grown in DBS by 49.13% and in SBS by 60.38% compared to control. VW at 100 ml/l vermiwash further enhanced the tomato yield by 68.58% in the Soilless systemand 120.8% in the soil-based system compared to control.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEffect of vermicompost tea (VT) and vermiwash extract (VW) on number of fruits per plant (NF), fruit weight (FW) yield per plant (Y) of tomato fruits grown under organic cultivation using the Soilless systemDBS and soil-based system SBS in an air-conditioned greenhouse.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTreatment\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoilless system(SS)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoil-based system\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(SBS)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNF/\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eplant\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFW\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eg\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eY/\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlant kg\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNF/\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eplant\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFW\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eg\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eY/\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlant kg\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVermicompost Tea (VT)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVT 0 ml\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e37.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e153.78\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.78\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30.78\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e148.56\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.62\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVT 50 ml\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e45.11\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e172.44\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.78\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e38.78\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e167.89\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.74\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVT 100 ml\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e49.11\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e173.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.62\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e42.78\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e171.89\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.41\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.91\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.91\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.72\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.11\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSig.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eVermiwash (VW)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVW 0 ml\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e34.67\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e153.95\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.38\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.333\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e147.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.75\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVW 50 ml\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e44.33\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e170.56\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.73\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e39.333\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e168.78\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.74\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVW 100 ml\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e52.22\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e175.22\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.07\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e47.667\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e172.56\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.28\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.82\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.91\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.72\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.11\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSig.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eVT * VW\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.003\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSig.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e3.4. Effect of Foliar Application of Vermicompost Tea and Vermiwash on the Plant Length, Fruit Firmness of Tomato under Dutch Bucket and Soil-Based systems.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, the foliar application of VT and VW had slightly improved plant length and moderately improved fruit firmness. Highly significant differences (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.01) were observed among the treatments.VT at 100 ml/l slightly increased the plant length by 1.55% in DBS and by 2.133% in SBS compared to control. Similarly, the application of 100 ml/l vermiwash increased the plant length by 3.28% in DBS and by 3.70% in SBS compared to control. Regarding fruit firmness, the application of 100 ml/l of vermicompost tea enhanced the fruit firmness by 10.29% in tomato plants grown in Soilless systemand by 11.33% in plants grown in soil-based system. Conversely, VW at 100 ml/l enhanced the fruit firmness by 19.89% in both cultivation systems.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEffect of vermicompost tea (VT) and vermiwash extract (VW) on plant length (PL), fruit firmness (FF) of tomato plants grown under organic cultivation using the Soilless systemDBS and soil-based system SBS in an air-conditioned greenhouse.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTreatment\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoilless system(SS)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoil-based system\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(SBS)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePL\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ecm\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFF\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ekg/cm\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePL\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ecm\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFF\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ekg/cm\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVermicompost Tea (VT)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVT 0 ml\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e228.89\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.08\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e224.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.97\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVT 50 ml\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e231.67\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.39\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e227.67\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.29\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVT 100 ml\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e232.44\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e228.78\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.42\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.115\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.49\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.58\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.009\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.009\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSig.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eVermiwash (VW)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVW 0 ml\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e226.78\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.87\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e222.11\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.77\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVW 50 ml\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e232.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.46\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e228.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.39\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVW 100 ml\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e234.22\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.64\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e230.33\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.031\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.49\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.58\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSig.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eVT * VW\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP value\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.991\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.912\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.991\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.945\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSig.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"5\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePL, plant length; FF, fruit firmness\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"3. Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study highlights the obvious benefits of foliar application of vermicompost tea (VT) and vermiwash (VW) on organically grown tomatoes in both Dutch bucket (SS) and the soil-based (SBS) systems under greenhouse conditions. Both VT and VW significantly improved fruit quality by increasing total soluble solids (TSS), total sugars (TS), and reducing total acidity (TA). Yield and yield components in terms of yield per plant, number of fruits per plant and fruit weight increased substantially also by application of VT and VW.Vermiwash, especially at 100 ml/l, had a stronger impact than VT, likely due to its higher content of plant hormones, amino acids, enzymes and micronutrients, which support better nutrient uptake and photosynthesis\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Although \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e pointed out that vermicompost tea has more macro, micro, organic matter compared to vermiwash, the vermiwash outperformed the vermicompost tea in this experiment. The vermicompost tea used in this experiment has more N, P, K, Cu and Zn but less Fe an Mn than vermiwash. These results suggest that vermiwash is more suitable for foliar applications than vermicompost tea due to its high contents of hormones, amino acids and enzymes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe findings of this study demonstrate that the Dutch bucket hydroponic system significantly outperformed the soil-based cultivation system across most of the evaluated parameters, including yield per plant, fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, vegetative growth, and fruit quality. These results are consistent with previous studies highlighting the superior efficiency and productivity of Soilless system systems in controlled environments. Higher yields and fruit quality in the Soilless systemmay be attributed to improved nutrient availability and uptake, optimized water use efficiency, and better root zone aeration \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Unlike soil-based systems, the Dutch bucket provides a consistent nutrient solution, minimizing fluctuations that often affect plant performance under soil cultivation \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Moreover, hydroponic systems reduce competition for nutrients and water, allowing plants to allocate more resources toward fruit development \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. The increase in vegetative growth observed in the Soilless systemsupports the hypothesis that controlled root-zone conditions positively influence biomass accumulation and photosynthetic activity \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Additionally, improved fruit quality may result from precise nutrient management and reduced biotic stress compared to soil cultivation, where variable conditions often affect consistency \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe application of vermicompost tea (VT) and vermiwash (VW) significantly enhanced fruit quality attributes in tomato plants. Increases were observed in vitamin C content, total soluble solids (TSS), total sugars, and fruit firmness with increasing concentrations of both VT and VW, while total acidity decreased. Vermiwash application led to the most pronounced improvements, with the Soilless system(SS) showing the highest vitamin C and total sugar content as well as the lowest total acidity. Conversely, the highest TSS levels were recorded in the soil-based system (SBS). A similar trend was observed in fruit firmness, with VW outperforming VT across systems. These enhancements in biochemical and physical fruit traits likely stem from increased metabolic and physiological activity in the plants, induced by the diverse bioactive compounds present in VW and VT, such as enzymes, amino acids, plant growth hormones (auxins, cytokinins), and humic substances \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. These compounds are known to promote nutrient uptake, enhance chlorophyll synthesis, and stimulate enzymatic pathways that contribute to improved photosynthesis and translocation of assimilates to the fruit, thereby improving quality \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Firmness, key for shelf life, was significantly enhanced, especially with VW, fruit possibly due to improved calcium uptake or stronger cell walls. \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e found that the partial substitution of inorganic fertilizers with vermicompost and manure highly increased the fruit firmness and shelf life of tomato.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese findings are in line with previous research indicating that organic liquid formulations derived from vermicompost enhance both yield and fruit quality in tomato and other vegetables \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. In terms of productivity, the foliar application of both vermicompost tea (VT) and vermiwash (VW) significantly enhanced fruit number, average fruit weight, and total yield per plant. Among the treatments, VW at a concentration of 100 mL L⁻\u0026sup1; consistently produced the highest yield parameters, suggesting its superior efficacy in promoting reproductive growth. These findings are consistent with earlier reports indicating that VW, due to its rich content of plant growth-promoting hormones, micronutrients, and beneficial microorganisms, can substantially improve crop productivity \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Furthermore, the Soilless system(SS) outperformed the soil-based system (SBS) in terms of total yield, fruit number and fruit weight, which can likely be attributed to the more precise and consistent control of irrigation and nutrient delivery. Controlled fertigation systems such as DBS are known to enhance nutrient use efficiency and reduce abiotic stress, thereby improving yield and fruit quality \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. These results reinforce the potential of integrating organic bio-stimulants with hydroponic-like systems to maximize productivity in sustainable horticulture.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlant height exhibited a modest increase in response to the foliar application of vermicompost tea (VT) and vermiwash (VW). In contrast, chlorophyll content showed a substantial enhancement, particularly at higher concentrations of both bio-stimulants. This improvement in chlorophyll concentration may be attributed to the presence of phytohormones, humic substances, and micronutrients in VT and VW, which are known to stimulate chlorophyll biosynthesis and enhance photosynthetic efficiency \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Enhanced chlorophyll content is a critical indicator of improved plant metabolism and nutrient uptake under organic management systems. Though VT \u0026times; VW interaction effects were not significant, the individual benefits were clear. VW emerged as the more effective foliar treatment overall. Meanwhile, choosing between DBS and SBS may depend on whether the focus is on fruit quality or higher yield.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study demonstrates that foliar applications of vermicompost tea (VT) and vermiwash (VW) can significantly enhance both the quality and productivity of organically grown tomatoes under controlled greenhouse conditions. Among the two, VW consistently outperformed VT, particularly at a concentration of 100 ml/l, suggesting its greater potential as a bio-stimulant due to its richer composition of phytohormones and micronutrients. So, it is obvious that VW is more suitable for foliar applications than vermcompost tea. System of cultivation also influenced the outcomes: soil-based systems (SBS) promoted better fruit quality (e.g., sugars, TSS), while Dutch bucket systems (SS) supported both higher yields and fruit quality. These differences highlight the need to align cultivation systems with production goals, whether focused on maximizing fruit quality or overall yield. Overall, the findings underscore the value of vermicompost-derived foliar treatments in the organic tomato production, offering an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic fertilizers.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor’s contribution\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll authors contributed equally to the conception, designing, writing, reviewing, and approval of the final version of the manuscript.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCRediT authorship contribution statement\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMahdy Hamed\u003c/strong\u003e: Methodology, Investigation, Conceptualization. \u003cstrong\u003eOmar Alobayki\u003c/strong\u003e: Writing - review \u0026amp; editing, Software, Conceptualization. \u003cstrong\u003eAbdullah Alnasser\u003c/strong\u003e: Writing - review \u0026amp; editing, Writing - original draft, Software, Formal analysis. \u003cstrong\u003eSalman Aloudah\u003c/strong\u003e: Software, Formal analysis. \u003cstrong\u003eSultan Al-Eid\u003c/strong\u003e: Writing - review \u0026amp; editing, Software.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConflicts of Interest\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare no conflict of interest.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research was conducted as part of the Scientific Research Development Project in Organic Farming, funded by the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and facilitated by the Saudi Organic Farming Association. Special thanks are extended to the Organic Farming Administration and the National Center for Sustainable Agriculture Research (Estidama) for their valuable oversight and guidance. Finally, we express our gratitude to the National Organic Agriculture Center for hosting and enabling the successful execution of this research.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlcantara, C. G., \u0026amp; Gonzaga, N. R. (2019). Nutrient uptake and yield of tomato (\u003cem\u003eSolanum lycopersicum\u003c/em\u003e) in response to vermicast and vermi-foliar application. \u003cem\u003eOrganic Agriculture\u003c/em\u003e, 1\u0026ndash;7. 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Comparison of vermiwash and vermicompost tea properties produced from different organic beds under greenhouse conditions. \u003cem\u003eInternational Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture\u003c/em\u003e, 7, 25\u0026ndash;32. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1007/s40093-017-0186-2\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1007/s40093-017-0186-2\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"organic-agriculture","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"orga","sideBox":"Learn more about [Organic Agriculture](http://link.springer.com/journal/13165)","snPcode":"13165","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/13165/3","title":"Organic Agriculture","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Organic tomato, Vermicompost derivatives, Soilless system, Soil-based cultivation","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7284812/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7284812/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis study was carried out at the National Center for Organic Agriculture, Qassim, Saudi Arabia to investigate the effects of foliar application of vermiwash liquid (VW) and vermicompost tea (VT) on the biochemical, physiological, and yield-related traits of organically grown tomato (\u003cem\u003eLycopersicon esculentum\u003c/em\u003e Mill.) under greenhouse conditions using two systems: Soilless system(SS) and soil-based system (SBS). VT and VW were applied at different concentrations, and their impacts on fruit quality and productivity were assessed. VW at 100 ml/l showed the best results across measured parameters. Compared to the control, total soluble solids (TSS) and total sugars (TS) increased by up to 16.30% and 24.53%, respectively, while total acidity decreased by 27.16%. Vitamin C content increased by 46.4%, and chlorophyll content improved by 30.54%. Yield and yield components also responded positively: yield per plant, fruit number per plant and fruit weight increased by 120.8% and 88.15% and 17.0%, respectively, with VW 100 ml/l. Plant height showed a modest but significant increase, and fruit firmness improved by 19.89%. While SBS favored some fruit quality traits like TSS, DBS produced higher yields and fruit quality. Interaction effects between VT and VW were not statistically significant, suggesting that their combined application did not produce additive benefits under the tested conditions. Overall, VW, particularly at 100 ml/l, proved more effective than VT in enhancing tomato quality and yield, suggesting that VW is more aproporiate for foliar applications compared to VT. The results also highlight the importance of choosing the cultivation systems in improving the yield and quality organic greenhouse farming.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Boosting Organic Tomato Yield/Quality: Foliar Vermiwash and Vermicompost Tea in Soilless and Soil-based Systems Greenhouse","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-08-11 16:38:35","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7284812/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-10-05T10:21:36+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-10-03T16:50:17+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"33118441561647061624522230337259122020","date":"2025-10-01T15:43:14+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-08-23T12:33:12+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"79932870949828448560244879455158255735","date":"2025-08-12T01:16:10+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-08-06T20:35:33+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-08-05T02:56:15+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-08-05T02:56:06+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Organic Agriculture","date":"2025-08-03T17:25:28+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"organic-agriculture","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"orga","sideBox":"Learn more about [Organic Agriculture](http://link.springer.com/journal/13165)","snPcode":"13165","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/13165/3","title":"Organic Agriculture","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"d38728ab-be8a-4880-aae7-36ce263d5d2a","owner":[],"postedDate":"August 11th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-12-29T16:08:13+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-7284812","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13165-025-00537-1","journal":{"identity":"organic-agriculture","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Organic Agriculture"},"publishedOn":"2025-12-26 15:58:06","publishedOnDateReadable":"December 26th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-08-11 16:38:35","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s13165-025-00537-1","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13165-025-00537-1","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7284812","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7284812","identity":"rs-7284812","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}