Abstract            Volume:14  Issue-8  Year-2026         Original Research Articles

Online ISSN : 2347 - 3215 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcret@gmail.com

Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) is one of the most important cash crops in Ethiopia, contributing significantly to the national economy and rural livelihoods. However, the production of vigorous and healthy coffee seedlings is often constrained by declining soil fertility and inadequate nutrient management practices in nursery systems. Vermicompost is an environmentally friendly organic fertilizer that enhances soil fertility and plant growth through the supply of essential nutrients and improvement of soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different rates of vermicompost on the growth performance of coffee seedlings. The experiment was conducted during 2022-2024 cropping season at Bedele Agricultural Research Center, Seko nursery site Gachi District, Southwestern Ethiopia, using a Randomized Complete Block Design and replicated three times. The experiment consisted of six treatments: vermicompost application rates equivalent to 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00, and 1.25 t ha⁻¹, along with a control treatment comprising a conventional potting mixture of topsoil, compost, and sand in a ratio of (2:1:1). The results revealed that vermicompost application significantly (P < 0.01) improved key growth parameters, including seedling height, stem girth, leaf number, leaf area, number of nodes, root volume, and both shoot fresh and dry biomass. In contrast, taproot length, root fresh weight, and root dry weight were not significantly affected by vermicompost application. Among the tested treatments, the application of 0.75 t ha⁻¹ vermicompost produced the most vigorous seedlings and resulted in the highest benefit–cost ratio (2.19). Therefore, the application of 0.75 t ha⁻¹ vermicompost is recommended for coffee seedling production in the study area and similar agro ecological conditions, as it enhances seedling growth and offers superior economic returns.

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