Abstract This study examined the effects of vermicompost (VC) and vermiwash (VW) on the growth and yield of three mung bean varieties ( MI5, MI6 and MIMB7 ) recommended by the Department of Agriculture, Sri Lanka. Treatments included VC and VW applied at 25 – 100%, alongside chemical fertiliser and an untreated control. Treatments with higher nutrient inputs, particularly 75% VC and 100% VC, were consistently associated with superior vegetative growth and pod production, identifying them as the most promising for improving mung bean performance. Among these, VC-based treatments showed the strongest and most consistent positive associations with yield-related traits, confirming the greater effectiveness of VC over VW and chemical fertiliser. At the varietal level, MIMB7 emerged as the best-performing variety, exhibiting superior growth and yield characteristics, particularly under 75% and 100% VC treatments. In contrast, MI6 and MI5 showed intermediate and lower performance, respectively, suggesting that MI6 is moderately responsive and may benefit from balanced nutrient treatments; however, neither variety matched the productivity of MIMB7 . The 75% VC treatment demonstrated significantly higher responses in most measured parameters compared with both chemical fertiliser and the control across all varieties, and its performance was comparable to 100% VC; therefore, 75% VC was identified as the most appropriate level for practical field application to enhance vegetative growth and yield. These results suggest that VC provides a sustainable and efficient organic fertilisation strategy; however, further field-based studies are required to validate its long-term effects on crop productivity and soil health.
Jayasena et al. (Mon,) studied this question.