초록
Recently, with increasing concern for sustainable agriculture and safe agricultural products, organic farming has become widely adapted as an alternative to conventional farming. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of earthworm casts (EWC) with $100\%$ organic compost on the growth and yield characteristics of fall-cropping potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Dejima) in Jeju. The treatments consisted of seven plots: 2-, 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-ton $ha^{-1}$ EWC-treated plots, 1.2-ton $ha^{-1}$ complex fertilizer $(N-P_2O_5-K_2O,\;10-10-14)-for-potato$ (CEP)-treated plot as conventional practices, and a control plot. The plant heights were greater in the plots where EWC and CFP were applied than in the control plot. Tuber diameter, number of stems per plant, and chlorophyll level tended to increase in the plots where 8-10 tons $ha^{-1}$ of EWC were applied. The application of CFP and EWC showed an increment in the average tuber weight per plant, but there was minimal significant difference. The application of 8-10 tons $ha^{-1}$ of EWC resulted in an increase in the total tuber yield (21.61-21.87 tons $ha^{-1}$) as compared to the other plots. The highest yield of market able tubers was $69.8\%$ of the total yield from the 10-ton $ha^{-1}$ EWC-treated plot. Consequently, with regard to the growth and yield characteristics of fall-cropping potato, the effects of EWC application were more favorable than the effects of the application of a chemical fertilizer.