International Journal of Horticulture, 2025, Vol.15, No.6, 267-278 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 274 performed well but were statistically distinct from the top performers. On the other hand, Vermicompost (7.47) continued to perform the poorest, with limited leaf development. This stage marked the beginning of pronounced treatment divergence in leaf proliferation. By 30 DAS, the highest number of leaves (21.87) was recorded in Vermicompost + FYM + Soil + Cocopeat, which was significantly greater than all other treatments, confirming its sustained influence on vegetative growth. Cocopeat + Soil + Vermicompost (19.70) and Vermicompost + Soil (17.10) also promoted vigorous foliage, indicating a prolonged effect of their media compositions. In contrast, Vermicompost (9.93) remained the lowest performer even at this advanced stage, highlighting its persistent inadequacy in supporting leaf development. Treatments such as Soil (12.60), Cocopeat (12.40), and Soil + Cocopeat (16.00) showed intermediate responses. The CV% for number of leaves ranged from 5.6% at 10 DAS to 13.2% at 30 DAS, indicating increasing variability with plant maturity. The LSD values at each stage (0.971, 1.134, and 4.186, respectively) confirmed that the observed treatment differences were not only numerically distinct but also statistically significant. 3.2.3 Root length Growing media had a highly significant influence (p < 0.01) on root length at all three stages of observation: 10, 20, and 30 days after sowing (DAS). This consistent significance highlights the critical role of substrate composition in promoting early and sustained root development in tomato seedlings. At 10 DAS, the longest roots (9.773 cm) were observed in Vermicompost + FYM + Soil + Cocopeat, significantly surpassing all other treatments. The second-best performers were Vermicompost + Soil (8.053 cm), Cocopeat + Soil + Vermicompost (8.037 cm), Soil (7.897 cm), and FYM + Soil (7.64 cm), all statistically on par and classified as moderately effective. In contrast, Vermicompost (4.603 cm) recorded the shortest root length, followed by Cocopeat (5.91 cm) and Soil + Cocopeat (6.763 cm), indicating relatively poor initial root development. At 20 DAS, Vermicompost + FYM + Soil + Cocopeat again led with a root length of 10.73 cm, maintaining its statistically significant superiority. Treatments such as Soil (9.35 cm) and FYM + Soil (9.61 cm) also demonstrated notable growth but were significantly lower than the top performer. The lowest root elongation was again noted in Vermicompost (6.817 cm), affirming its poor performance across stages. By 30 DAS, Vermicompost + FYM + Soil + Cocopeat remained the top performer with a maximum root length of 12.467 cm, significantly greater than all other treatments. It was followed by Vermicompost + Soil (10.987 cm) and Soil (10.84 cm), while Vermicompost (8.867 cm) recorded the lowest value, underscoring its consistent underperformance throughout the growth stages. Overall, the root development trend showed a steady increase over time, with the performance gap between treatments becoming more distinct by 30 DAS. The CV% ranged from 3.9% to 6.1%, reflecting a high level of experimental precision. The LSD values across stages confirm the validity of the treatment effects observed. 3.2.4 Shoot length The study revealed significant variation in shoot length among treatments at different growth stages. At 10 DAS, T8 (9.13 cm) and T9 (9.50 cm) recorded the highest shoot length, while T1 (6.02 cm) showed the lowest. A similar trend continued at 20 DAS, with T9 (10.75 cm) and T8 (10.10 cm) remaining superior, whereas T1 (6.80 cm) and T2 (7.40 cm) performed poorly. By 30 DAS, T8 (14.35 cm) and T9 (13.82 cm) maintained their dominance, significantly outperforming the other treatments. In contrast, T1 (8.89 cm) and T2 (9.60 cm) consistently recorded the lowest shoot length across all stages. Treatments T3-T7 showed moderate and comparable results. The low CV% (8.6-13.6) and LSD values confirmed the reliability of the observed differences. 3.2.5 Fresh weight The fresh weight of tomato seedlings was significantly influenced by the germination media at 10 DAS ( p<0.001) and 20 DAS ( p< 0.01), while differences at 30 DAS were statistically non-significant (NS). At 10 DAS, the highest fresh weight (0.786 g) was recorded in Cocopeat + Soil + Vermicompost, followed by Vermicompost + FYM + Soil + Cocopeat (0.666 g). These two treatments were significantly superior to all other media, indicating enhanced early seedling water retention and biomass accumulation. The lowest fresh weight (0.163 g) was observed in Vermicompost, which differed significantly from all other treatments, suggesting suboptimal
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