Scientific Study

To date, no studies have been conducted exploring the effect of vermicompost on the biochemical properties of hazelnut; therefore, more research is needed on this subject. This study was conducted between 2018 and 2020 to determine the effect of vermicompost (3–5 kg/ocak; VM1 and VM2, respectively) on total fat and protein content, total carbohydrate and ash, energy value, mineral matter composition, sterol composition, beta carotene, total phenolic, tocopherol composition, total antioxidant capacity, antibacterial activity, and fatty acid composition parameters of hazelnut. The effect of vermicompost was found to be significant overall (p < 0.001); however, it was observed that different treatment doses showed varied effects on the properties of hazelnut. We found that the VM2 treatment resulted in higher proximate composition (protein, carbohydrate, and energy value) and mineral composition (copper, zinc, iron, magnesium, and manganese). Considering sterol composition, cholesterol, 5,24-stigmastadienol, β‑sitosterol, and total sterol values were higher after the VM2 treatment, while stigmasterol, 5,23-stigmastadienol, 7‑avenasterol, ∆7-stigmasterol, sitostanol, and ∆5-avenasterol values were higher after the VM1 treatment. The evaluation of fatty acid composition demonstrated that oleic (C18:1ω9), palmitic (C16:0), and stearic acid (C18:0) values were higher following the VM2 treatment. In conclusion, it can be suggested that the VM2 treatment has a partially favorable impact on certain hazelnut traits and is a promising method for improving hazelnut farming.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10341-025-01567-5