Californian red worm biomass increase and its cobalt accumulation under different concentrations of the metal in nutrient medium

S V Merzlov,Y O Mashkin,A V Vovkohon,G V Merzlova

doi:10.15421/2017_155

Abstract

Californian red worms hybrid biomass is a biologically valuable feed supplement for livestock, poultry and fish. The worm body contains a significant amount of protein, lipids, vitamins and minerals. The chemical composition of worms depends on the nutrient medium in which they were grown. Worms can accumulate minerals from the nutrient medium in the body which called forth conducting research on obtaining worms biomass enriched with Cobalt with the prospect of its further use in fish feeding. It has been found out that the worms quantity and the mass increase depends on the content of Cobalt in the nutrient medium. Adding 20 mg / kg of Cobalt to the nutrient medium contributed to 38.0% and 40.4% increased amount of worms weighing 0.4-0.8 g respectively. The study reveals that the number of immature worms increased by 32.2%. Adding 40 mg / kg of Cobalt to the nutrient medium resulted in worms number and mass increased by 45.9 and 51.1% respectively. Adding 160 mg / kg of Cobalt resulted in 6.5-27.7% smaller amount of worms weighing 0.4-0.8 g as compared with the experimental groups. It has been found out that the number of small worms reduced by 24.0-50.7% compared with the experimental groups under adding 160 mg / kg of Cobalt. The weight reduced by 22.4% and amount of young worms compared with the control has been revealed. We have established the pattern that as Cobalt amount in the nutrient medium increases, its concentration in the worms biomass increases as well. The highest content of Cobalt was found in the biomass dry matter of worms grown in the nutrient medium enriched with the studied metal in the amount of 160 mg / kg. Biomass of worms grown in the nutrient medium with 40 mg / kg of the studied metal added can be used in fish feeding as a protein supplement with a high content of Cobalt.

Highlights

Earthworms pass soil through their stomach each day and make the soil become organic at a rate of nearly 60% of their body weights contributing to sustainable agriculture
The experiments were conducted in the vivarium of Bila Tserkva national agrarian university on Californian red worm hybrid according to the experimental scheme (Table 1). 54 microbeds sized 0.5m x 0.7 m were formed for the experiment. 11.0 kg of nutrient medium for worms with a moisture content of 65.0 % was applied to each microbed
No Cobalt was added to the control group nutrient medium. 10 mg / kg of Cobalt was added to the nutrient medium in the first experimental group at the expense of CoSO47H2O salts. 20 mg / kg of Cobalt was added to the nutrient medium of the experimental group 2

Summary

Introduction

Earthworms pass soil through their stomach each day and make the soil become organic at a rate of nearly 60% of their body weights contributing to sustainable agriculture. With these properties, and by including worms, which have an important place in the natural lives of poultry animals and which are important elements in the ecosystem of the soil, in poultry husbandry again, the comforts of animals will be improved and the protein will be provided at a cheaper price, and an environmental protection effect may be achieved with the help of recycling of animal and plant wastes (Köse, Öztürk, 2017). This article provides information on vermiculture biomass (a food additive) increase and Cobalt accumulation in the biomass depending on the content of the element in the nutrient medium

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