European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

EFFICIENCY OF VERMICOMPOST PRODUCTION FROM POULTRY DROPPINGS AND PRESSMUD BY USING EUDRILUS EUGENIAE

M. Latha Shanthi, R. Umamaheswari* and S. Krishnamoorthy

ABSTRACT

Bioconversion of industrial wastes in to beneficial vermicompost not only solves solid waste accumulation but also yield highly nutritive organic manure. Enhancing the efficiency of earthworm that is involved in process of converting sugar mill filter press mud in to vermicompost, will be highly economical. An African earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae was used to convert the sugar mill filter press mud into nutritive vermicompost. To enhance vermicomposting efficiency, an organic nutrient Poultry droppings, an effective microbial suspension was supplemented. Results: The vermicompost yielded in Poultry droppings vermibed had a significantly high nitrogen, phosphorus and micronutrient value. In the poultry droppings supplemeted vermicompost C/N ratio was 55.5% higher than that was present in the cowdung added vermicompost. In Pressmud-poultry droppings, vermibed the mean egg production by a single worm at 45 days of growth was 12±2.6 (33.33%). Poltry droppings had influenced the egg production. When compared to Pressmud-cowdung vermibed reared worm, (77.4%) the hatchability of eggs in filtermud jeevamirtham vermibed was high (85.8%). This indicates that the Poultry droppings supplementation strengthens viability of the eggs. Conclusion: The present study recommends utilization of effective microorganism suspension, Poultry droppings pressmud for vermicomposting to enhance the functioning of the earthworm and to increase fertilizer value of vermicompost. In the present study also macronutrient and micronutrient content increased significantly in vermicompost prepared from pressmud waste due to the supplementation of Poultry droppings. This is practical significance if adopted by urban farmers as a result of soil health and in turn the productivity of soil can be maintained for further agriculture.

Keywords: Poultry droppings, Press mud, Vermicomposting, Eudrilus eugeniae.