IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2013) 4-1

Research article
erd

Pre-Planting Treatments of Stem Cutting with
Vermicompost Tea Affecting Rooting and Growth Yields ofDifferent Cassava Varieties
JIRAPHON CHOEICHIT
Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
Email: chulee_b@kku.ac.th

CHULEEMAS BOONTHAI IWAI*
Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand

MONGKON TA-OUN*
Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
Received 16 December 2012

Accepted 27 March 2013(* Corresponding Author)

Abstract This study investigated the effects of the pre-planting treatment of stem cuttingwith different vermicompost tea concentrations on the rooting, budding, and root biomassof cassava. The completely randomized design (CRD) was used with three replications.
The stem cutting of three cassava varieties (Rayong 7, Rayong 9 and Kasetsart 50) were
soaked into the different solutions consisting of un-treated (control), 0% VM tea (distilledwater), 50% VM tea, and 100% VM tea. Root and bud number and root dry weight weremonitored at 7, 14 and 21 days after planting. Results showed that the numbers of cassava
root pre-treated with vermicompost tea treatments were significantly increased compared
to control. The number of cassava root grown in soil amended with 50% and 100% of theoriginal vermicompost tea concentration were increased by 41.69% and 36.56%,
respectively and the buds were increased by 44.09% and 44.18%, respectively comparedto the control. The dry weights of root were also increased significantly average 213% and292%. Therefore, this study indicated that pre-treating cassava stem cutting of threevarieties with vermicompost tea before planting had a positive effect on initial rootdevelopment, bud and root growth. Because of vermicompost tea had organic substances:humic acids, fuvic acids and plant- growths regulators hormone and plant nutrients on
cassava growth.
Keywords budding and rooting of cassava, pre-planting treatment, root growth,vermicompost tea

INTRODUCTION
Cassava is an important economic crop of Thailand, which this crop occupies the largest planting
area in northeastern part accounting for approximately 54.7% of those of the whole amount of thecountry (Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, 2008). Productivity and commercialization
targets of this crop contribute to concentrate uses of many kinds of chemicals, e.g., pesticides,
herbicides, and plant growth promoting compounds. These chemicals may accumulate in cassava
stem. Additionally, they may lead to negative effects on the environment and also physical,chemical, and biological properties of soil (Warburton and Pillai-McGarry, 2002).
Vermicompost (VM) tea is known to have positive effects on plant growth as it contains plantessential elements (including both macro- and micronutrients) and growth regulators (e.g., indoleacetic acid, gibberellins, and cytokinins) (Arancon et al., 2005). A number of soil scientists foundthat there were abundance of microorganisms which promoted plant growth and yield.
Additionally, humic acid contained in VM tea can improve soil properties (Atiyeh, 2001).

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OBJECTIVES
Objectives of this study were to evaluate effects of pre-plating treatments of cassava cutting withdifferent VM tea concentrations on their rooting, budding, and root growth.
METHODOLOGY
Vermicompost tea preparation: The VM tea was prepared from soil:cattle manure:cassava pulp
mixture (2:1:7 ratio). Total amount of the mixture was equal to 1000 kg. One hundred individualsof earthworm (Eudrillus eugeniae) were fed in a 1 m2 cement tank. After 30 days of thecomposting, liquid solution, extracted from the vermicompost, was collected as VM tea, and was
pH (8.11), EC (0.69%), OM (0.08 %), Total N (0.0045%), Total P (0.0058%), Total K (0.14 %)and  C/N (10.71 %) in VM tea.
Experimental design: A pot experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions. A factorialtreatments structure was used with three cassava varieties (Rayong 7 (RY7), Rayong 9 (RY9), andKasetsart 50 (KU50)) and four pre-planting treatment media (un-treated (control), 0% VM tea(distilled water), 50% VM tea, and 100% VM tea). The 12 treatment combinations were arranged
in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications for a total of 36 experimentalunits.
Statistical analysis: All data were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance using Statistix 8program   (Analytical   Software,   2003).   The   treatment   means   were   compared   using   Fisher’s   least  significant difference (LSD) for the main effects of cassava varieties, pre-plating treatment media,and their interactions. The significant difference was accepted at P ≤  0.05.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Influences of vermicompost tea on cassava budding
There was significant difference of cassava bud number between all pre-planting treatments (i.e.,0%, 50%, and 100% VM tea) and control (P ≤  0.005)  since  7  days  after cassava planting (DAP)(Table 1). At 7 DAP, bud numbers of all cassava varieties which were treated with 50% VM tea (7,5, and 4 buds for RY7, RY9, and KU50, respectively), were significantly higher than the controls(1, 0, and 0 bud for RY7, RY9, and KU50, respectively). VM tea contained plant available
nutrients, organic acids, and plant growth regulators (Edwards et al., 2006) as well as humic andfulvic acids (Arancon et al., 2005), which these compounds might accelerate budding and increase
bud number of these cassavas. During 14 – 21 DAP, no significantly different bud number among
the varieties, which were treated with all pre-planting treatments, were observed. Because, the stem
cutting lengths (25 cm length) and nod numbers (4-7 nods) of all studied varieties were equivalentso that the maximum bud number per each stem cutting of these cassavas were already obtained at
14 DAP. However, these treatments were still significantly higher than the controls.
Influence of vermicompost tea on cassava rooting
No significant difference of cassava root number among all treatments were found at 7 DAP (Table2). However, the root numbers of the three cassava varieties treated with 50% and 100% VM teassignificantly higher than 0% VM tea and the control were observed at 14 DAP and 21 DAP. At
these growth stages (14 DAP and 21 DAP), root numbers of RY7, RY9, and KU50 weresignificantly higher than their controls. These can be explained that the germination of cassava root
generally appears at approximately 2 - 3 weeks after cassava planting (Montaldo, 1972). Increasesin cassava root number when treated with VM tea is confirmed by Edwards et al., (2006) who
found that VM tea had positive effects on plant growth (including root) at the early stage. However,
the rooting period depends substantially upon cassava stem cutting quality and varieties(Department of Agriculture, 2002).
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Table 1 Bud number of cassava with different varieties(Rayong 7 (RY7), Rayong 9 (RY9), and Kasetsart 50 (KU50)) treated with four pre-planting treatment media (un-treated(control), 0% VM tea (distilled water), 50% VM tea, and 100% VM tea) at 7, 14, and 21 days after planting

Pre-planting treatment

7DAP
1e4 cd7a6 ab

RY714DAP
2d4c7a6 ab

21DAP
2 d4 c
7 a
6 ab

7DAP0 e3 d5 bc
3 d

Bud number
RY91421DAP
DAP
2d2d4c4c
6 ab
6 ab
5 bc
5 bc
*Control0 % VM tea
50 % VM tea
100 % VM tea
F- test (cassava variety; a)
F- test (pre-planting*treatment; b)
F- test (a × b)
nsCV (%)
23.94*significantly  different  at  P  ≤  0.05;;  and  ns:  not  significantly  different  (P  >  0.05)
DAP = day after cassava planting

7DAP0e
3 cd
4 b-d
4 b-d

KU5014DAP
1d4c5 bc
5 bc

21DAP
1d4c5 bc
5 bc

Table 2 Root number of cassava with different varieties(Rayong 7 (RY7), Rayong 9 (RY9), and Kasetsart 50 (KU50)) treated with four pre-planting treatment media (un-treated(control), 0% VM tea (distilled water), 50% VM tea, and 100% VM tea) at 7, 14, and 21 days after planting

Pre-planting treatment

Root number
RY971421DAPDAPDAP
2 a-c
12 f
15 f
2 ab
15 de
18 de
2 ab
17 c-e
20 de
2 ab
15 e
25 b-d

RY77DAP
2 a-c
2 a-c
3a3a

14DAP
23 ab
17 c-e28 a
23 a-c21DAP
23 c-e
17 e
34 a
30 ab

Control
0 % VM tea
50 % VM tea
100 % VM tea
F- test (cassava variety;**a)F- test (pre-planting**treatment; b)
F- test (a × b)**CV (%)
22.72**significantly  different  at  P  ≤  0.01;;  *significantly  different  at  P  ≤  0.05;;DAP = day after cassava planting

7DAP1c1 bc
2 a-c
2 a-c

RY714DAP
10 f
17 c-e21 b-d15 de

21DAP12 f
20 de
28 a-c25 b-dTable 3 Root fresh- and dry biomasses of cassava with different varieties(Rayong 7 (RY7), Rayong 9 (RY9), and Kasetsart 50 (KU50)) treated with four pre-planting treatment media (un-treated(control), 0% VM tea (distilled water), 50% VM tea, and 100% VM tea) at the harvest day (21 days after planting)
Root fresh biomass (g pot-1)
RY7
RY9KU502.29 b-c
1.55 d
1.09 dControl
1.17 d
1.11 d1.53 cd
0 % VM tea
2.77 b-c
3.13 bc
5.99 a
50 % VM tea
5.96 a3.91 b
2.47 b-d
100 % VM teans
F- test (cassava variety; a)*
F- test (pre-planting treatment; b)
F- test (a × b)
*CV (%)
41.89*significantly  different  at  P  ≤  0.05;;  and  ns:  not  significantly  different  (P  >  0.05)
Pre-planting treatment

Root dry biomass (g pot-1)
RY7
RY9
KU50
0.15
0.12
0.09
0.09
0.09
0.230.44
0.37
0.47
0.57
0.59
0.44
ns*
ns59.47

Influences of vermicompost tea on root biomass
No significant difference of root dry biomass among treatments was found. Nevertheless, root fresh
biomasses of RY7 treated with 0% (1.17 g pot -1) and 100% (5.96 g pot-1) VM teas weresignificantly higher than the control (2.29 g pot-1) (Table 3). Meanwhile, root fresh biomass of RY9Ⓒ ISERD181

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treated with 50% (3.13 g pot-1) and 100% (3.91 g pot-1) VM teas significantly increased relative tothe control (1.55 g pot-1). In KU50, only 50% VM tea (5.99 g pot-1) was significantly higher thanthe control (1.09 g pot-1). Significant decrease in root dry biomass in KU50 treated with 100% VM
tea suggests that this VM tea might has plant diseases and toxic compounds which exerted thenegative effects on root growth. Frederickson (2002) found that VM tea decreased seedgermination and plant growth. Therefore, dilution of VM tea for pre-planting treatment of cassava
stem cutting should be critically considered. However, this practice may decrease plant nutrients,and hence cassava root biomass.
CONCLUSION
Pre-treatment of cassava stem cutting with VM tea before planting could accelerate rooting andbudding of all three cassava varieties (RY7, RY9, and KU50). This was due to VM tea containing
plant essential elements and growth regulators which promoted cassava rooting within 7 DAP.
We recommend that 50% VM tea is the optimum concentration for pre-planting treatment of
the cutting as this concentration contributed to the highest cassava root and bud numbers comparedto others. Therefore, use of VM tea is an alternative choice for stem cutting pre-treatment, which
can substitute chemical uses, and also accelerate rooting and budding of cassava.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This research project was funded by The National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) andNational Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) under 2012. Thanks areextended to the Division of Land Resource and Environment, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen
University for the conveniences and equipments in laboratory test and Integrated Water ResourceManagement Research and Development Center in Northeast Thailand.
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