بررسي امكان پرورش كرم خاكي )EISENINA FETIDA( و توليد ورمي كمپوست با استفاده از ضايعات مختلف كشاورزي

Study of Earth Worm (Eisenia fetida) Production and Vermicomposting Using Different Agricultural Wastes

The effect of different agricultural residues and wastes (tomato, potato, barley, sugar-cane, sawdust, and soil) mixed with cow manure at four levels of 25 , 50 , 75 and 100 percent, on the growth and reproduction rate of Eisenia fetida was studied in wooden boxes (0.70x 0.50 x 0.20m). Twenty five treatments (factorial of 6 wastes with 4 levels if cow manure plus a cow manure as control) were evaluated in a completely randomized design. Effect of different factors on growth and reproduction rates were highly significant (p<0.0001). The highest growth rate of worms was attained in the mixture with sawdust at %25 level (69.48 ±13.20) and the highest reproduction rate was achieved in the tomato mixture at %75 level (74.00 ± 8.75).Whereas the lowest growth and reproduction rate was observed in the mixture with barely (6.64 ± 1.09 and 3.85 ± 0.89, respectively). Earth worms reduced the dry matter and increased the ash, total nitrogen and pH (-z 8) in the substrates. It could be concluded that adding earth worms to the organic wastes would produce suitable vermicompost for agricultural purposes.