Abstract
The vermicomposting ability of Lampito mauritii (Kinberg) and Perionyx ceylanensis Michaelsen was evaluated by using three different types of organic substrates such as leaf litter of Polyalthia longifolia, Pennisetum typhoides cobs (pearl millet) and a weed, Rottboellia exaltata (whole plant except the roots) in combination with cowdung (1:1). Vermicomposting studies (120 days) conducted to optimize the number of worms required for efficient conversion based on the reduction of C/N ratio, percentage decomposition of organic substrates, total number and biomass of earthworms recovered from the vermibed substrates clearly showed that vermibeds with 4 kg of organic materials can hold about 60–80 L. mauritii and about 90–120 P. ceylanensis for efficient decomposition. The percentage decomposition of each organic substrate treated with different numbers of L. mauritii (20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 earthworms) and P. ceylanensis (30, 60, 90, 120 and 150) showed significant difference (P < 0.001) between numbers of worms introduced per vermibed but the difference between substrates was not significant within the treatments. Vermicomposting resulted in significant increase in electrical conductivity (28.54–49.82%), total nitrogen (43.96–90.83%), total phosphorus (27.42–68.10%) and total potassium (27.42–113.18%), whereas decrease in organic carbon (35.05–49.74%), C/N ratio (55.48–73.18%) and C/P ratio (50.46–66.90%) in different vermibeds introduced with L. mauritii and P. ceylanensis. Both the earthworm species can be used for vermicomposting different organic substrates; however, duration of vermicomposting with P. ceylanensis is not as much of L. mauritii. The use of L. mauritii for vermicomposting of other substrates has been well established by other workers also but standardization of P. ceylanensis, a locally available species, for vermicomposting of different organic substrates is a new finding and the species could be useful for vermiconversion of organic substrates under local conditions.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brady NC (1988) The nature and properties of soils. Eurasia Publishing House (P) Ltd., New Delhi
Chaudhuri PS, Bhattacharjee G (2002) Capacity of various experimental diets to support biomass and reproduction of Perionyx excavatus. Bioresour Technol 82:147–150. doi:10.1016/S0960-8524(01)00169-9
Chopra SL, Kanwar L (1991) Analytical agricultural chemistry, 4th edn. Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi
Daniel T, Karmegam N (1999) Bio-conversion of selected leaf litters using an African epigeic earthworm, Eudrilus eugeniae. Ecol Environ Conserv 5:273–277
Gajalakshmi S, Ramasamy EV, Abbasi SA (2002) Vermicomposting of different forms of water hyacinth by earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae Kinberg. Bioresour Technol 82:165–169. doi:10.1016/S0960-8524(01)00163-8
Garg P, Gupta A, Satya S (2006) Vermicomposting of different types of waste using Eisenia foetida: A comparative study. Bioresour Technol 97:391–395. doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2005.03.009
Gaur AC (1995) Recycling of rural and urban wasted through conventional and vermicomposting. Fertilizer Development Consultation Organization, New Delhi
Govindan VS (1998) Vermiculture and vermicomposting. In: Trivedy RK, Arvind Kumar (eds) Ecotechnology for pollution control and environmental management. Einviro Media, Karad, pp 49–57
Haimi J, Huhta V (1986) Capacity of various organic residues to support adequate earthworm biomass for vermicomposting. Biol Fertil Soils 2:23–27. doi:10.1007/BF00638957
Hartenstein R (1981) Soil macroinvertebrates, aldehyde oxidase, catalase, cellulase and peroxidase. Soil Biol Biochem 15:51–54. doi:10.1016/0038-0717(83)90118-9
Hartenstein R, Hartenstein F (1981) Physico-chemical changes effected in activated sludge by the earthworm, Eisenia fetida. J Environ Qual 10:377–382
Ismail SA (1997) Vermicology–the biology of earthworms. Orient Longman Ltd., Chennai
Jackson ML (1973) Soil chemical analysis. Prentice Hall of India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
Joshi NV, Kelkar BV (1952) Role of earthworms in soil fertility. Indian J Agric Sci 72:169–196
Julka JM (1993) Earthworm resources of India and their utilization in vermiculture. In: The Director, Zoological Survey of India (ed) Earthworm resources and vermiculture. Calcutta, pp 51–56
Kale RD, Bano K (1991) Time and space relative population growth of Eudrilus eugeniae. In: Veeresh GK, Rajagopal D, Virakthamath CA (eds) Advances in management and conservation of soil fauna. Oxford IBH Publication, New Delhi, pp 657–664
Kale RD, Bano K, Krishnamoorthy RV (1982) Potential of Perionyx excavatus for utilizing organic wastes. Pedobiologia (Jena) 23:419–425
Karmegam N, Daniel Thilagavathy (2000a) Decomposition of leaf litters using the compost worm, Eisenia fetida. Indian J Environ Ecoplann 3:111–116
Karmegam N, Daniel Thilagavathy (2000b) Utilization of some weeds as substrates for vermicompost preparation using epigeic earthworm, Eudrilus eugeniae. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol Environ Sci 2:63–66
Karmegam N, John Paul JA, Daniel T (2003) Vermicomposting potential of some earthworm species of South India. In: Arvind Kumar (ed) Environmental challenges of 21st century. APH Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, pp 599–611
Krishnamoorthy RV (1990) Mineralization of phosphorus by faecal phosphatases of some earthworms of Indian tropics. Proc Indian Acad Sci 99:509–518 Animal science
Lee KE, Foster RC (1991) Soil fauna and soil structure. Aust J Soil Res 29:745–776. doi:10.1071/SR9910745
Lehninger LA, Nelson LD, Cox MM (1996) Principles of biochemistry. CBS Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi
Parthasarathi K, Ranganathan LS (2000) Chemical characterization of mono and polycultured soil worm casts by tropical earthworms. Environ Ecol 18:742–746
Ranganayaki MD, Mary Babu Ismail SA, Mahendrakumar (1991) A novel technique for the preparation of biofertilizers from proteinaceous solid wastes from tannery. Chem Week 37:129
Reeh U (1992) Influence of population densities on growth and reproduction of the earthworm Eisenia andrei on pig manure. Soil Biol Biochem 24:1327–1331. doi:10.1016/0038-0717(92)90113-C
Reinecke AJ, Viljoen SA (1990) The influence of worm density on growth and cocoon production of the compost worm Eisenia fetida (Oligochaeta). Revue d’Écologie ed de Biologie du Sol 27:221–230
Singh J (1997) Habitat preference of selected Indian earthworm species and their efficiency in reduction of organic materials. Soil Biol Biochem 29:585–588. doi:10.1016/S0038-0717(96)00183-6
Suthar S (2007) Vermicomposting potential of Perionyx sansibaricus (Perrier) in different waste materials. Bioresour Technol 98:1231–1237. doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2006.05.008
Suthar S, Singh S (2008) Vermicomposting of domestic waste by using two epigeic earthworms (Perionyx excavatus and Perionyx sansibaricus). Int J Environ Sci Technol 5:99–106
Tandon HZ (1993) Methods of analysis of soils, plant, water and fertilizers. Fertilizer Development and Consultation Organization, New Delhi, p 148
Tripathi G, Bhardwaj P (2004) Decomposition of kitchen waste amended with cow manure using epigeic species (Eisenia fetida) and an anecic species (Lampito mauritii). Bioresour Technol 92:215–218. doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2003.08.013
Viljoen SA, Reinecke AJ (1994) The life-cycle and reproduction of Eudrilus eugeniae under controlled environmental conditions. Mitteilungen aus dem hamburgischen Zoologischen Museum und Institut 89:149–157
Walkley A, Black IA (1934) An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter and prepared modification of the chronic acid titration method. Soil Sci 34:29–38
Acknowledgement
Authors are thankful to Dr.J.M. Julka, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, for the identification of the earthworms (Ref.: EI/3 dt. 12-03-1999 & 22-01-2000).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Karmegam, N., Daniel, T. Investigating efficiency of Lampito mauritii (Kinberg) and Perionyx ceylanensis Michaelsen for vermicomposting of different types of organic substrates. Environmentalist 29, 287–300 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-008-9195-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-008-9195-z