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Vermiremediation of Urban and Agricultural Biomass Residues for Nutrient Recovery and Vermifertilizer Production

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Abstract

Purpose

Recovering the nutrients from organic solid residues is an ever demanding approach in terms of eco-friendly management. In this study, the efficiency of the earthworms, Perionyx ceylanensis and Perionyx excavatus in recycling and recovering plant nutrients from urban and agricultural biomass residues was investigated.

Methods

Vermicomposting of four different types of organic biomass resources in combination with cowdung (1:1) for 50 days was conducted using the earthworms, P. ceylanensis, and P. excavatus. Physico-chemical, microbiological and maturity characteristics of the final product were analyzed.

Results

Results showed a decrease in pH, organic matter content (OMC), total organic carbon (TOC), cellulose, lignin, carbon to nitrogen (C/N) and carbon to phosphorus (C/P) ratios, and an increase in total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), phosphorus (TP), potassium (TP), calcium and sodium in vermicomposts over composts (prepared without earthworms). TKN increase in vermicomposts over composts was insignificant between P. ceylanensis and P. excavatus, while it was significant for TP, TK, and total microbial population (P < 0.05). The reduction of TOC, OMC, C/N, and C/P ratios were significantly higher in vermicomposts recovered from P. ceylanensis than P. excavatus. The results clearly indicated that physico-chemical and microbiological changes are dependent on the nature of organic resources and earthworm species used. The seed germination tests with black gram and sorghum showed that the vermicomposts were mature and non-phytotoxic.

Conclusion

P. ceylanensis is equally efficient in recovering nutrients from organic biomass residues to that of a widely used, P. excavatus. Therefore, both P. ceylanensis and P. excavatus are efficiently used for recovering nutrients from urban and agricultural biomass residues and for vermifertilizer production.

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Acknowledgements

The first author, Dr. M. Biruntha, thankfully acknowledges RUSA Scheme Phase 2.0 grant [F-24-51/2014–U, Policy (TNMulti-Gen), Dept of Edn., Govt. of India, dated 09.10.2018] for supporting the work. The authors duly acknowledge Dr. (Mrs.) Thilagavathy Daniel, Professor (Retd.), Department of Biology, The Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed University), Gandhigram, Tamil Nadu, India for going through the manuscript and critical comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Health and Management, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, 630 003, India

    Muniyandi Biruntha

  2. Department of Zoology, Rajah Serfoji Government College (Autonomous), Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, 613 204, India

    Pitchaimuthu Mariappan

  3. Department of Botany, V. V. Vanniaperumal College for Women (Autonomous), Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, 626 001, India

    Balan Karunai Selvi

  4. Department of Zoology, Arumugam Pillai Seethai Ammal College, Tiruppattur, Tamil Nadu, 630 211, India

    James Arockia John Paul

  5. Department of Botany, Government Arts College (Autonomous), Salem, Tamil Nadu, 636 007, India

    Natchimuthu Karmegam

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Biruntha, M., Mariappan, P., Karunai Selvi, B. et al. Vermiremediation of Urban and Agricultural Biomass Residues for Nutrient Recovery and Vermifertilizer Production. Waste Biomass Valor 11, 6483–6497 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-019-00899-0

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