Effect of Different Combinations of Feed Materials on the Reproduction and Development of Earthworm Eisenia fetida during Vermicomposting

 

Keshav Singh* and Harendra Kumar Chauhan

Department of Zoology D. D. U. Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur-273009 U.P. India.

*Corresponding Author E-mail: keshav26singh@rediffmail.com

 

ABSTRACT:

The exotic species Eisenia fetida have been known to useful in management of different organic wastes and for production of organic fertilizer. The result deals with the period of initiation of development of clitellum and formation of first cocoon; and number of hatchlings emerged out of cocoons of Eisenia fetida in tertiary combinations of buffalo dung (BD) combined with different agro-wastes (Rb=rice bran, Ws=wheat straw, Bb=barley bran, Gb=gram bran, Bp=banana peel). The tertiary combination of BD+Bp+Gb important for development of clitellum in Eisenia fetida. In tertiary combinations of buffalo dung with different agro-wastes, development of clitellum was significantly faster and specific combination of BD+Ws+Bb showed significant period of initiation of cocoon. There was no significance difference in period of cocoon formation and incubation period of cocoon. Significantly high number of cocoon productions was observed in combination of BD+Ws+Rb (26.00±1.71 cocoon/worm). The higher number of hatchlings were observed per worm produced in BD+Ws+Rb (47.58 hatchling/worm) and sowed maximum growth rate (7.29±0.03 mg /worm/day) of Eisenia  fetida was observed in combination of BD+Ws+Gb. The combination of buffalo dung with Ws and Gb is a best feed materials combination for better growth and development of Eisenia fetida.

 

KEYWORDS: Agro-wastes, buffalo dung, Eisenia fetida, vermicomposting, growth and reproduction

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

In India million tones of cattle dung i.e. buffalo dung 12.20, cow dung 11.6, and goat dung 0.70 kg/animal/day and agro/kitchen wastes are produced annually (Garg et al., 2006). The horse, goat and sheep wastes have noxious, odor problems, if they are not managed properly (Gunadi et al., 2002; Garg et al., 2006). The problem of post harvest residue of some local crop e.g. wheat, pearl millet, sorghum, golden gram, fruit peels and vegetable wastes are also the major waste problem in the field (Suthar, 2008). Earthworms are the soil macro invertebrate oligochaete annelid, playing a major role in improving and maintaining soil quality and health for sustainable agricultural activities (Singh et al., 2014).The epigeic earthworm species Eisenia fetida is a suitable earthworm species for vermicomposting which have short life cycle, small size and high rate of conversion of organic wastes as well as reproduction (Nath et al., 2009; Chauhan and Singh, 2012).

 

The use of epigeic earthworm E. fetida in management of industrial wastes (Rai and Singh, 2012). In recent years, fly ash was recycled as a good source of plant nutrients particularly by vermicomposting using earthworm (Ananthakrishnasamy et al., 2009). Similarly, attempts were made to vermicompost gaur gum industrial wastes by using some species of epigaeic earthworms as rich plant nutrients (Suthar, 2007).The aim of present study was to enhanced the growth and development of Eisenia fetida in the specific combination which important for more conversion of organic wastes in to potent vermicompost.

 

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Collection of earthworm Eisenia fetida , buffalo dung, bran, and agro-wastes

The cultured earthworm E. fetida were used in the experiment .The Fresh dung of buffalo was collected from different farmhouses of Gorakhpur City. The agro-wastes, such as wheat straw and banana peel and different brans i.e. barley, gram and rice, were collected from rice mills, pulse mill, and fruit seller in different parts of Gorakhpur City.

 

 

Experimental setup for vermicomposting

The experiment was conducted on a cemented earth surface. Two kg of each six different combinations of buffalo dung with different agro-wastes i.e. BD=buffalo dung, Rb=rice bran, Ws=wheat straw, Bb=barley bran, Gb=gram bran, Bp=banana peel; along with buffalo dung (BD) prepared in ratio of 1:1:1 (w/w) on 30 × 30 × 10 cm3 and BD control in bed form at room temperature (28 ± 2°C). The experiment to study the growth and development of earthworm E. fetida was performed by the method of (Garg and Kaushik, 2005). The vermicomposting beds were turned over manually every 24 h for 2 weeks in order to eliminate volatile substances. After this, 20 adult non-clitallated individuals (average weight 218 to 246 mg) of E. fetida were introduced in each vermibed.

 

Reproduction and growth rate of the earthworm Eisenia fetida

Biomass gained and cocoon productions were recorded up to 90 days every 15 days in bed. After isolation, each cocoon was freshly laid inside a Petri dish which contains a moist filtered paper at 30 ±2°C and 70 ± 5% RH. The hatching of cocoons was determined to stipulated incubation, and the number of progeny emerged per cocoon was recorded. The growth rate was measured as instantaneous growth (IGR) assume that growth proceeds logistically (Brafield and Llewellyn , 1982) and linearly (Eriksen-Hamel and Whalen ,2006). The IGR was calculated according the equation of: IGR=ln(Wf –Wi)/ Dt, where, Wi= initial earthworm mass (mg), Wf=final earthworm mass (mg), respectively, and  Dt=time interval measured in days. Each experiment was replicated six times.

 

Statistical analysis

All the experiments were replicated six times for the purpose of obtaining consistency in the result and finding out the mean with standard error. Analysis of variance was used to analyze the significant difference between the combinations; DMR- test (P < 0.05) was performed to identify the homogenous type in column.

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

The result deals with the period of initiation of development of clitellum and formation of first cocoon; and number of hatchlings emerged out of cocoons of Eisenia fetida in tertiary combinations of buffalo dung (BD) combined with different agro-wastes. Significant variations in the first appearance of clitellum, cocoon formation, and hatchling emerged in Eisenia fetida was observed in tertiary combinations of BD with different agro-wastes from the dung alone (control set up) and its growth (Table 1).

 

The tertiary combination of BD+Bp+Gb hasten the development of clitellum in Eisenia fetida than other combinations and took only 16.50±1.18 day as compared to 22.33±1.05 day in control ones. In tertiary combinations of buffalo dung with different agro-wastes, development of clitellum was significantly faster. The combination of BD+Ws+Bb showed significant period of initiation of cocoon production (29.50±1.20 day) than control set up (38.00±0.93 day). There was no significance difference in period of cocoon formation (11.00±2.35 to 15.67±1.41 day) and similarly incubation period of cocoon (30.41±3.20 to 32.64±3.52 day). Significantly high number of cocoon productions was observed in combination of BD+Ws+Rb (26.00±1.71 cocoon/worm) with respect to BD alone (16.33±1.96 cocoon/worm). The production of hatchlings from each cocoon was significantly no difference in combinations of BD with agro-wastes (1.83±0.31 to 2.17±0.31). The higher number of hatchlings were observed per worm produced in BD+Ws+Rb (47.58 hatchling/worm) than BD (35.44 hatchling/worm) (Table 1). The tertiary combination of BD+Ws+Gb sowed maximum growth rate (7.29±0.03 mg /worm/day) of Eisenia fetida followed by BD control.

 

Table 1. Effect of different combinations of buffalo dung with different agro-wastes on the production of cocoon, hatchling and biomass of Eisenia  fetida.

Combinations

Initiation of clitellum development

(in days)

Initiation of  cocoon production

(in days)

Period of cocoon formation

Cocoon

/worm

Hatchling

/cocoon

Reproduction rate

(hatchling/worm)

Initial weight

(mg)

Max. weight

(mg)

Growth rate

(mg /worm/ day)

BD Control

22.33±

1.05b

38.00±

0.93b

15.67±

1.41a

16.33±

1.96a

2.17±

0.31a

35.44

218.52±

3.12

863.54±

2.54c

7.17±

0.12

BD+Ws+Bb

16.00±

1.34a

29.50±

1.20a

13.50±

0.85a

17.00±

1.44a

2.00±

0.26a

34.00

239.17±

3.57

861.54±

3.43c

6.92±

0.03

BD+Ws+Rb

18.67±

1.67b

29.67±

1.15a

11.00±

2.35a

26.00±

1.71ab

1.83±

0.40a

47.58

240.42±

3.46

883.17±

2.30cd

7.14±

0.04

BD+Ws+Gb

17.00±

1.26ab

30.17±

1.42a

13.17±

1.68a

21.50±

1.41a

1.83±

0.31a

39.35

242.60±

3.51

898.67±

2.04d

7.29±

0.03

BD+Bp+Bb

17.50±

1.59ab

30.17±

1.01a

12.67±

1.91a

23.83±

1.80ab

1.83±

0.54a

43.61

241.16±

3.74

821.78±

2.13a

6.45±

0.04

BD+Bp+Rb

18.33±

1.12ab

32.00±

1.44a

13.67±

2.01a

19.00±

1.77a

2.00±

0.37a

38.00

246.32±

3.81

832.53±

2.14a

6.51±

0.04

BD+Bp+Gb

16.50±

1.18a

30.67±

1.17a

14.17±

1.58a

21.5.0±

1.31a

1.83±

0.31a

39.35

244.26±

3.64

846.81±

2.29ab

6.70±

0.08

Each value is the mean ± SE of six replicates. BD=buffalo dung, Rb=rice bran, Ws=wheat straw, Bb=barley bran, Gb=gram bran, Bp=banana peel. *Mean differences in column followed by common letter are not significant at P<0.05 (DMRT).

 

Fig. 1. Growth rate curve of Eisenia fetida in tertiary combinations of buffalo dung with different agro-wastes. IGR=instantaneous growth rate, BD=buffalo dung, Rb=rice bran, Ws=wheat straw, Bb=barley bran, Gb=gram bran, Bp=banana peel.

 

 

It implies that for better growth of Eisenia fetida, if buffalo dung or combined with Ws and Gb to be used (Table 1, Fig. 1).

 

DISCUSSION:

In feed material, organic carbon was the most important for the growth and development of the earthworm which may be due to its use in the metabolism, thus a reduction in the final vermicompost. During vermicomposting organic carbon content declined drastically from the substrate up to 90 days, this carbon used by earthworm in growth and development [Suthar, 2007; Yadav and Garg, 2010; Chauhan and Singh, 2013). The highest specific growth rate, 0.76% was recorded in cellulose substrate while the lowest 0.62% was recorded in soil substrate( Sogbesan et al., 2006). Reinecke and Hallatt (1989) reported a higher rate of cocoon production by P. excavatus (1.4/worm/day amounting to 9.8/worm/week) from day 70 onwards until the end of their experiment. Elvira et al. (1998) reported that 22 to 36 folds increase the number of earthworm and also increased 2.2 to 3.9 times total biomass in the combination of paper mill sludge with cattle wastes.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

The authors are thanks to Head, Department of Zoology, D. D. U. Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur, U.P., India for providing necessary laboratory facilities, help and constructive suggestions .

 

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Received on 12.03.2015       Modified on 22.03.2015

Accepted on 31.03.2015      ©A&V Publications All right reserved

Research J.  Science and Tech. 7(1): Jan.-Mar. 2015; Page 19-22

DOI: 10.5958/2349-2988.2015.00004.2