4.1. Germination studies Germination, the critical phase in the life cycle of a crop plant is subjected to numerous environmental factors [17]. The natural environment is favored for growth and development to plant communities [18]. When the seeds are grown to a wide range of environmental factors, it will reflect in the germination performance and the establishment of healthy young seedlings. Germination studies were conducted with groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) var. VRI2 seeds. They were allowed to grow up to seven days in pots filled with different combinations of vermicompost. The morphological growth parameters such as germination percentage, growth and dry weight of seedlings were taken into consideration. The best growth at germination level was evaluated under various doses of vermicompost applied.