Abstract:
True cinnamon, which is popularly termed as Ceylon Cinnamon, is a derivative from the bark of an aromatic perennial tree, Cinnumomum zeylanicum Blume, indigenous to Sri Lanka (Senarathne and Dayatli Lake, 2000). Cinnamon received more emphasis and the Highest priority of the Export Agriculture Research Program since it continued to be the major Export Agriculture Crop (EAC), exporting 13,5 I 5.7 mt which earned I 3,378.64 million rupees of foreign exchange during 20 I 1(Source: Sri Lanka Customs, 20 1 1.
One of the major problems in cinnamon nurseries is the limitations in obtaining raw materials for pottiginixtuies, especially topsoil’s. Although top soil is a component in recommended nursery potting mixture, sub soil is used instead of top soil due to difficult Ities in obtaining top soil. When top soil is removed, it causes on site soil degradation. As a result of poor quality nursery mixtures without top soil, seedlings do not atteied standard level required for transplanting due to low fertility level of sub soil used. Therefore, the present study was carried oa t to evaluate the possibility of substituting top soil by sub soil enriched with vermin compost as a potting mixture for Cinnamon seedlings.
