Effect of Vermicompost Applications on Physical Quality of Wheat

This study was conducted over two years during the 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 growing seasons at the İkizce Research and Application Farm of the Field Crops Research Institute. In the research, the effects of seven different fertilizer combinations [DAP + UREA, Solid Worm Castings (SWC) + UREA, DAP + Liquid Worm Castings (LWC), SWC + LWC, SWC only, LWC only, and no fertilizer (control)] on the physical quality characteristics of wheat grains in a safflower/wheat rotation system were investigated. The experiment was set up in a randomized block design with three replications. According to the research findings, the average thousand-grain weight was 36.9 g, the hectoliter weight was 80.2 kg hl⁻¹, and the percentage of grains above the 2.8 + 2.5 mm sieve was 92.2%. In particular, the fact that applications containing vermicompost showed higher values in the 2.2–2.8 mm sieve analyses indicates that these applications have a positive contribution to seed quality. In conclusion, the physical quality characteristics of wheat grains are important both commercially and for seed purposes, and the use of vermicompost within the scope of sustainable agricultural practices contributes to both soil health and product quality.