1. Performance of epigeic earthworm species in different solid wastes for compost making.
- Author
-
Mikunthan, G. and Piratheban, S.
- Abstract
Solid wastes can be converted as compost using earthworms. Vermiculture is one among the adventure, which signifies the preparation of compost using solid wastes and enhances the soil aeration for crop cultivation. In promoting vermiculture, the performance of epigeic earth worms should be known with their adaptability and efficiency for composting different solid waste materials under local conditions. Investigation was carried out to study the biology, reproductive potential, composting efficiency of three epigeic worms viz: Eisenia fetida (Savigny), Eudrilus eugeniae (Keinbrg) and Perionyx excavatus (Perrierr) under local conditions. Mass rearing of these worms was done using diet mixtures consisting fallen leaves and cattle manure. The duration from cocoon to cocoon was 124, 106, and 59 days for E. fetida, E. eugeniae and P. excavatus, respectively. Clitellum initiation was at 43, 36 and 29 days, respectively. E. eugeniae produced as high as 5.2±1.04 cocoons month
-1 worm1 followed by E. fetida (3.2±0.68) and P. excavatus. The latter produced low number of cocoon (2.0±0.64) compared to other two species. Incubation period of cocoon for E. eugeniae was 34 days followed by E. fetida 28 days and P. excavatus 16 days. E. eugeniae produced highest number of hatchlings (3.25) per cocoon whereas E. fetida and P. excavatus produced 2.16 and 1.05 hatchlings, respectively. Different diet mixtures were prepared using animal waste (cow dung) as base material with plant wastes (fallen leaves). Among the diet mixtures teak leaves and cow dung mixture were preferred by E. fetida and E. eugeniae and the diet was converted completely into vermicast. The growth rates of E. eugeniae and E. fetida were as high as 48.8 and 25.9 mg day-1 worm-1 , respectively. These results lay a platform to use both E. fetida and E. eugeniae worms in an efficient manner by mass rearing them in teak+cattle manure diet and can be used for composting the solid wastes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2007