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- Title
PRODUCTION OF WORM BIOMASS AND VERMICOMPOST BY THE EPIGEIC EARTHWORM, EISENIA FETIDA IN DIFFERENT ORGANIC WASTES.
- Authors
Nagannawar, Milind F.; Patil, Soumya R.; Biradar, Pulikeshi M.
- Abstract
The epigeic earthworm, Eisenia fetida is one of the common epigeic earthworm species used in vermiculture and vermicomposting of a wide variety of organic wastes management for the production of vermicompost. The present study was carried out to find out the influence of different organic wastes such as False Ashoka waste-FAW, Parthenium waste-PW, Cotton residue waste-CRW, Lawn grass waste-LGW, and Cattle manure-CM as a control on the production of worm biomass and vermicompost by the epigeic earthworm, E. fetida over a period of 35 and 70 days time intervals in uncontrolled laboratory environmental conditions. The results of the present study revealed that the biomass production of E. fetida such as gross biomass (GB), biomass ratio (BR) and Fold Increase in Worm Number (FIWN) increased drastically from 35 days to 70 days time intervals in all the organic wastes. The maximum GB and BR were noticed in CM and PW and minimum in FAW, whereas, FIWN was high in CM and it was low in PW among all the organic wastes. There was a significant variation in biomass production among and between different organic wastes except between some organic wastes at 35 and 70 days time intervals. The percent compost and vermicompost were also increased from 35 to 70 days; here also a significant difference in compost and vermicompost production was noticed among and between different organic wastes except between few organic wastes. The percent compost and vermicompost produced were more in CM followed by PW, CRW, LGW and it was less in FAW. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the earthworm, E. fetida is one of the potential epigeic earthworm species that can be easily cultured and used in both vermicomposting as well as vermifarming in biodegradation of a variety of non-toxic organic wastes in an efficient manner.
- Subjects
VERMICOMPOSTING; ORGANIC wastes; EISENIA foetida; BIOMASS production; EARTHWORMS; WASTE management
- Publication
Journal of Experimental Zoology India, 2021, Vol 24, Issue 2, p1657
- ISSN
0972-0030
- Publication type
Article