Eudrilus Eugeniae Research Articles

Bioaccumulation and Toxicity of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles in Epigeic Earthworm Species Eudrilus eugeniae

The production of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2) for commercial applications has greatly increased over the last years and consequently the potential risk for living organisms. There is a growing awareness of the need to understand the behavior and influence these nanoparticles exert on the environment. Bioaccumulation serves as a good integrator to assess chemical exposure in soil. This research focused on the experimental bioaccumulation capability of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 ) by Earthworms Eudrilus eugeniae. It is found that TiO2 exerted minimal toxicity within the traditional 48 h exposure time, but caused high toxicity when the exposure time was extended to 72 h. This demonstrated that exposure duration may be a contributing factor in NP-mediated toxicity. Moreover, upon chronic exposure to TiO2 for 21 days, earthworm displayed severe growth retardation and mortality, as well as reproductive defects. A significant amount of TiO2 was found accumulated in Eudrilus eugeniae. However, Eudrilus eugeniae displayed difficulty in eliminating TiO2 from their body, presenting increased bioconcentration factor (BCF) values. This high level of bioaccumulation may interfere with food intake and ultimately affect growth and reproduction. In a nutshell, longterm exposure of soil organisms to TiO2 may alter the growing status of these organisms at both individual and population levels, posing risks to ecosystems. The results of this study contribute to the current understanding of the potential ecotoxicological effects of nanoparticles and highlight the importance of characterization of NPs in understanding their behavior, uptake, and effects on organisms in soil

Residual Effect of Various Types of Vermicomposts on Growth and Yield of Green Gram (Vigna radiata L.) in Rice-pulses Cropping System

The residual effect of vermicomposts applied on preceding rice crop to the succeeding greengram under the rice- pulses cropping system was studied. The experiment was conducted at the wetland farms, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore by following the randomized complete block design (RBD) with 11 treatments and replicated thrice. After harvest of rice, greengram was raised as residual crop. The treatments followed were vermicomposts prepared from Eudrilus eugeniae + paddy straw (T1), Eudrilus eugeniae + coconut wastes (T2), Eudrilus eugeniae + Vegetable wastes(T3), Eudrilus eugeniae + farm wastes(T4), Eudrilus eugeniae + farm yard manure (FYM) (T5), Eisenia foetida + pady straw(T6), Eisenia foetida + coconut wastes(T7), Eisenia foetida + vegetable wastes(T8), Eisenia foetida + farm wastes(T9), Eisenia foetida + farm yard manure (FYM) (T10) and absolute control (T11). The result indicated that there was a residual effect of vermicompost in the greengram crop after rice. The residual effect in the treatment T2 (Eudrilus eugeniae + coconut wastes) found superior on growth parameters of greengram viz., plant height, drymatter production (DMP) and number of pods plant-1 and on seed and haulm yields than all other treatments. The treatment T2 (Eudrilus eugeniae + coconut wastes) was comparable to the treatment T7 (Eisenia foetida + coconut wastes). The lower growth and yield were found in the treatment Absolute control (T11). Among the treatments, the coconut wastes with the earthworm species Eudrilus eugeniae and Eisenia foetida performed well with better growth and yield of the greengram crop than the other wastes.

Initial Acquisition of Vermiwash from Vermicompost of Eudrilus Eugeniae

Initial Acquisition of Vermiwash from Vermicompost of Eudrilus Eugeniae

REGENERATION IN EUDRILUS EUGENIAE KINBERG 1867 (OLIGOCHAETA, ANNELIDA)

Earthworm EudriluseugeniaeKinberg 1867, commonly known as African night crawler is an efficient organic waste decomposer. As the dedifferentiation patterns of these invertebrates are like vertebrates, they are excellent candidates for regeneration studies. We made 12 amputations along the earthworm to demarcate anterior and posterior sections for regeneration studies. Regeneration events included wound healing, blastema formation, segmentation, pigmentation and functional clitellum formation. Clitellum formation was noted in the posterior segments after 28-30 days of amputation, whereas anterior segments without clitellum did not survive after 30days. In both anterior and posterior segments, number of segments remaining after amputation proved to be a significant factor in determining the survival rate. Earthworms with less than one fourth of the body length showed very low survival rates.But no significant correlation existed between the lengths of regenerating fragment and number of remaining segments in the amputated worms. Analysis of variance showed no significant difference between regeneration rates of different segments in anterior segments whereas the posterior segments showed significant difference in the regeneration rates.

Micropropagation of Solanum lycopersicum L. using chemical free formulated organic plant growth media

Micropropagation is currently the most commercially effective plant biotechnology that helps in the rapid generation of a large number of clonal plants of many plant species in a short period. Effective protocol was developed for in vitro micropropagation of Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) using chemical-free organic vermicompost (VC) extract medium. This experiment aims to expose the advancement in plant tissue culture technique by using synthetic Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) medium and a chemical-free organic VC (30%) extract along with 4% coelomic fluid (obtained from the earthworms Eudrilus eugeniae) as a growth medium for in vitro studies. The response of roots, leaves, shoots, and nodes in both synthetic (MS) medium and chemical-free organic VC extract medium was compared statistically using Student’s t-test. Statistically significant differences for the number of roots (P =0.011), leaves (P=0.012), and nodes (P=0.001) between the two media were reported. Both media showed the same shoot induction where no significant differences were reported with a P value of 1.000 for shoots. The protocol has led to a 100% plant survival rate on chemical-free organic vermicompost extract media. The results have also shown a significant difference in growth rate between two different media. Vermicompost and coelomic fluid used in media have antimicrobial activities which led to minimal contamination level and this consequently minimized timely subculturing. Through our studies, we found that chemical-free organic vermicompost extract media proved to be more economical and a better prospective than MS media for in vitro propagation of tomato.

Process optimization by combining in-vessel composting and vermicomposting of vegetable waste

The process parameters of in-vessel rotary drum composting (RDC) with vermicomposting (VC) were investigated for the conversion of vegetable waste into vermicompost. After 7-day initial thermophilic exposure (maximal 51.5 °C in 24 h), the partially degraded RDC waste was divided into R1 (no vermiculture), R2, R3, and R4 (with Eudrilus eugeniae; Eisenia fetida; and Perionyx excavates monocultures, respectively). R3 derived vermicompost displayed maximum optimal process parameters and desirable compost qualities. Against the constant 2.2% nitrogen content of R1, an increase from 1.4 to 4.15% was seen in R3, with a 52.5% reduction in total organic carbon (TOC). A clear testimony to the enhanced nutritional content and fitness of the novel combination of RDC thermophilic biodegradation and E. fetida based vermicomposting. In an environmentally compatible mode, the faster organic deconstruction in 27 days could substantially alter organic waste treatment in the immediate future.

Detoxification of coir pith through refined vermicomposting engaging Eudrilus eugeniae

Hazardous coir industrial waste, coir pith has been subjected to 50 days vermicomposting with Eudrilus eugeniae by amending nitrogenous legume plant, Gliricidia sepium together with cattle dung in different combinations, after 21 days precomposting using Pleurotus sajor-caju spawn. An increase in electrical conductivity, total NPK and calcium, and a decrease in organic matter, total organic carbon, C/N ratio, C/P ratio and total phenolic content in the final vermicompost were observed. Dehydrogenase, urease and cellulase activity peaked up to 30 days of vermicomposting and then declined. The phytotoxicity studies with Brassica juncea, C/N ratio and enzyme activities confirmed the stability and maturity of vermicompost. The results also demonstrated that the 2:3:1 ratio (coir pith + Gliricidia sepium + cow dung) is a suitable effective combination for nutrient-rich (N: 2.43%; P: 0.92%; K: 2.09%) vermicompost production. The total phenolic contents declined during the vermicomposting with a lower final content of 21.26 mg/g GAE in 2:3:1 combination of substrates from the initial level (105.56 mg/g GAE). Besides, the concentration of total phenol contents inversely related to the germination index of Brassica juncea (r = -0.761), indicating that the phenolic content could also play an important role in phytotoxicity. Growth and fecundity of Eudrilus eugeniae in 2:3:1 combination revealed the acceptability and rapid decomposition of coir pith substrate into vermifertilizer.

Insecticidal Efficacy of Microbial-Mediated Synthesized Copper Nano-Pesticide against Insect Pests and Non-Target Organisms.

Currently, medical and stored grain pests are major concerns of public health and economies worldwide. The synthetic pesticides cause several side effects to human and non-target organisms. Copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) were synthesized from an aqueous extract of Metarhizium robertsii and screened for insecticidal activity against Anopheles stephensi, Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, Tenebrio molitor and other non-target organisms such as Artemia salina, Artemia nauplii, Eudrilus eugeniae and Eudrilus andrei. The synthesized copper nano-particles were characterized using, UV-vis spectrophotometer, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive X-Ray analysis (EDaX), High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscope (HR-SEM) and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) analysis. Insects were exposed to 25 μg/mL concentration produced significant mortality against larvae of A. stephensi, A. aegypti, C. quinquefasciatus and T. molitor. The lower toxicity was observed on non-target organisms. Results showed that, M. robertsii mediated synthesized CuNPs is highly toxic to targeted pests while they had lower toxicity were observed on non-target organisms.

Biochar and cattle dung amendment for enhanced vermiconversion of mixed leaf litter

A vermicomposting study has been conducted using 15 days of precomposted mixed leaf litter in combination with cow dung (1:1, v/v) and biochar (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8%) employing the earthworm, Eudrilus eugeniae for 50 days. During the study, the physicochemical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total organic carbon (TOC), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TP), C/N ratio and C/P ratio were analyzed on 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 days. The dynamics of physicochemical parameters indicated that the addition of biochar at the rate of 4% yielded the vermicompost with higher nutrient contents than other treatments. The vermicompost obtained from 4% biochar addition recorded 2.15 ± 0.26% TKN, 1.42 ± 0.17% TP and 1.74 ± 0.21% TK while it was 1.69 ± 0.16% TKN, 1.13 ± 0.11% TP and 1.65 ± 0.16% for the substrate without biochar. The TOC, C/N ratio and C/P ratio declined in all the experiments. The C/N ratio in vermicomposts recovered from 0, 2, 4, 6 and 5% were 17.20 ± 1.63, 16.90 ± 1.55, 15.21 ± 1.84, 20.15, ± 2.56 and 24.08 ± 3.23 respectively. The study clearly showed that 4% biochar amendment in vermicomposting of mixed leaf litter and cow dung in a 1:1 ratio is suitable for obtaining vermicompost with higher nutrient contents and desirable properties to be used as an organic soil amendment.

Biologically active toxin from macroalgae Chaetomorpha antennina Bory, against the lepidopteran Spodoptera litura Fab. and evaluation of toxicity to earthworm, Eudrilus eugeniae Kinb

BackgroundSeaweeds harbour a wide array of bioactive compounds shown to be effective in support of sustainable agricultural practices. The green seaweed Chaetomorpha antennina found in abundance in coastal areas of India has been reported with various bioactivities. Owing to the requirement of alternative and economical natural pest control method to be applied in sustainable agronomic strategies, the current study attempts to evaluate the efficacy of chemical toxins from C. antennina, as insecticidal agents, by inspecting their effects on the physiology, biochemistry, immune system, and histology of one of the most important insect pests of agricultural crops in the Asian tropics, the polyphagous lepidopteran Spodoptera litura.ResultsThe active fraction 5 isolated from C. antennina using methanol extraction produced significant mortality rates of S. litura among all the other fractions obtained. GC–MS analysis revealed the presence of various pesticide compounds. The toxin compounds (active fraction 5) were found to negatively influence the pest’s immune system performance at sub-lethal concentrations (LC50 38.73and LC90 53.60 ppm), affecting insect development, reducing the haemocyte count (69.24%) and reduced the activity of major defence enzyme phenoloxidase decreased post-treatments. Digestive phosphatase enzymes, acid phosphatase, ACP, alkaline phosphatase, ALP, and ATPase were demodulated by 37.5, 39, and 23.9% compared with untreated. Increase in detoxification enzymes coupled with mid-gut collapse are indicative of the toxicity of the compounds. Earthworms exposed to seaweed compounds displayed no debarring effects.ConclusionExtracted seaweed compounds produced significant lethal effect on the insect larvae, affecting the immune as well as digestive systems of the pest. However, no such toxicity was observed in earthworms treated with the seaweed fraction supporting their environmentally benign nature. Since the insect immune system is responsible for the development of resurgence against pesticides, suppression of immunological activities by seaweed toxins indicate the long-term applicability of these compounds as prospective pesticides. The results support the potential of chemicals from C. antennina for biopesticide development to manage economically important agricultural pests.

Fate of invasive weed Mikania micrantha Kunth using vermitechnology employing three monoculture of earthworm species

Vermicomposting (VC) process, an excellent technique to convert invasive weed biomass into benign fertilizer. Earthworm species, Eisenia fetida, Eudrilus eugeniae, and Perionyx ceylanesis, were used to create a 60-day cycle of vermicomposting (VC) process. Reactors were set up in triplicate namely; control (VC), using E. fetida (VEF), using E. eugeniae(VEE), and using P. ceylanesis (VPC). 5:4:1 ratio is used containing invasive weed M. micrantha, cow-dung (CD), and sawdust (SD). Earthworm species were used to know the best species that can survive, have a lower mortality rate, and provide healthy compost. Among all, E. fetida showed successful growth rate with less mortality rate. Highest Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) (3.08%), total phosphorus (TP) (13.24 g/kg) and Potassium (33.25 g/kg) was observed in reactor VEF. PXRD analysis revealed the amorphous structure of the compound after 60 days of vermicomposting.

Study of Change in Physico-Chemical Parameters by Treatment of Sludge from Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) with Earthworms

One of the most vital problems of environmental protection concern is that of solid waste disposal. This problem continues to grow with the growth of population and the development of industries. The Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) already establishes itself as a service to society at large, contributing towards a cleaner environment. However, the inappropriate disposal of CETP’s hazardous sludge can cause serious environmental problems. The sludge if sent for landfilling may cause groundwater contamination, changing the soil fertility parameters as well. The research presented here is carried out to explore the ability of an epigeic earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae to transform the sludge produced from CETP into a value-added product i.e., vermicompost. In this study, six samples of feed mixture were used with different ratios of CETP sludge, cow dung, and sawdust. Physico-chemical parameters such as pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Volatile Solids (VS), Total Nitrogen (TN), Nitrate Nitrogen (NO3--N), Ammonium Nitrogen (NH4+-N) were characterized to analyze the quality of the compost formed. All these parameters are in the agreement with recommended standards of mature compost. The result shows that vermicomposting technique when used, epigeic earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae can work as a favorable alternative solution for the disposal of CETP sludge.

EXPRESSION OF ALPHA-FETOPROTEIN IN THE EARTHWORM EUDRILUS EUGENIAE

The earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae, commonly called as “African night-crawler” is a segmented animal which is divided into three major segments such as anterior, clitellar and posterior segments. The earthworm has enormous ability to regenerate the autotomized or lost body parts. The clitellar region plays a pivotal role in the regeneration of both anterior and posterior region of earthworm. In the present study, the Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) sequence was retrieved from Eudrilus eugeniae transcriptome dataset and we found a contig in the size of 1873bp with 609 amino acids. The expression of the AFP was not detected in the body segment but the expression of the protein was confirmed only in clitellar and regenerative blastema by the immunoblot technique. Both in the clitellum and regenerative blastema, the AFP was located in the nucleus. The data suggest that AFP has a decisive role in the regeneration of earthworms.

Application of Aporrectodea caliginosa to Mitigate the Waste and the Effects of Vermicompost on the Exomorphological Features of Phaseolus vulgaris

Vermin biotechnology is an eco-friendly technique and economically beneficent process to mitigate organic waste. India’s agro-industrial sector contributes colossal wealth of plant materials in the form of compost. The present study aims to publicize soil healthiness and its plant growth supplying possessions further corroborating the use of organic amendments instead of fertilizers. Plastic replicates investigation is an exercise in eighteen replicates in which fifteen were soil amendment treatments: one triplicate-control, 0% vermicompost, 50%, 25%, 12.5%, 6.25%, and 3.125% vermicompost of soil. Containers contained 2 kg soil each, in which seeds are sown, and the measurement of studied traits (length of shoot, length of internodes, flowers, leaves number and number of branches, and rate of germination) was noticed. The earthworms (Eudrilus eugeniae and Aporrectodea caliginosa) feed on waste like broiler droppings, the dung of sheep and cow, leaves, and decomposed wood and convert it into vermicompost, which required 72 days to extenuate the waste. Each setup was conducted on plastic containers, and there would be control and the test at respective experiments. Vermicompost was prepared; obviously, it contains better farming nutrients analyzed by different scientific methods and is very efficient for plant growth and other features. The main objective of the study was the effect of quality vermicompost produced by A. caliginosa on the exomorphology and rate of germination of Phaseolus vulgaris. Different ratios of vermicompost in respective replicates affect plant growth and external morphology, which is directly linked with nutrients present in treated and untreated soil. The outcomes suggested that vermicompost can be overworked as an efficacious biofertilizer.

​Efficiency of Biocomposted Agroindustrial Wastes and Their Response in the Growth and Yield of Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp

Background: Agroindustrial by-products of cocoa shell and jack fruit peels generally considered as organic waste have almost no economic value and create a big problem in disposal time. A significant amount of biocomposted cocoa shell and jack fruit peel waste is used as organic manure that enhances growth in Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. Methods: This research work was conducted in the period of 2019 in the Department of Botany, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu (India). A large amount of cocoa shell and jack fruit peel waste was used for the biocompost preparation using Pleurotus eous, Pleurotus florida spawns and Eudrilus eugeniae. After 90 days, biocompost were taken and sieved used as manure for plant study. Eight different treatments were carried out for the cultivation of Cowpea. Plant samples at various stages (25, 35 and 45 DAS) were analyzed for shoot and root length, number of leaves, flowers, nodules /plant, fresh weight and dry weight of plant. On 65th day yield parameters like number of pods/plant, length of the pod, number of seeds/pod, weight of seeds/pods, pod fresh weight and pod dry weight were analyzed. Result: The experimental results showed that the application T8 (Raw jackfruit peel + 10 g Pleurotus eous + 10 g Pleurotus florida + Eudrilus eugeniae 5 t/ha-1) recorded maximum root (20.63 cm, 32.73 cm and 39.23 cm), shoot length (70.73 cm, 167.50 cm and 175.83 cm), number of leaves/plant (26.46 cm, 33.53 cm and 37.50 cm), number of flowers/plant (12), number of nodules (14, 21.20 and 11.34), fresh weight (10.076 g, 12.146 g and 14.047 g) and dry weight (1.744 g, 1.854 g and 2.827 g) are closely followed by T4 (Raw cocoa shell+ 10 g Pleurotus eous + 10 g Pleurotus florida + Eudrilus eugeniae 5 t/ha-1). A significant increase in the yield parameters such as number of pods/plant (21), length of pod (16.50 cm), number of seeds/pod (20), weight of seed/pod (1.68 g), fresh weight (5.711 g) and dry weight of pod (2.398 g) was observed in treatment T8 as compared to the other treatments (T1, T2, T3, T5, T6 and T7) and control respectively.

Metagenomic Exploration of Bacterial Community Structure of Earthworms’ Gut

Living organisms are naturally bestowed with unique and imitable qualities for maintaining ecological balance and earthworms are no exceptions. These so-called keystone species of terrestrial ecosystems are equipped with wonderful machinery, allowing them to nurture soil beautifully. Earthworm gut represents a potential microbial reservoir, having a complex interdependence with the host. The study aimed to profile bacterial community structure of three earthworm species belonging to two different life forms; Perionyx excavatus and Eudrilus eugeniae (epigeic), Polypheretima elongata (endogeic) respectively. Diversity analysis using 16S amplicon sequencing revealed that the dominant phyla were Proteobacteria (34.17-77.88) followed by Actinobacteria (13.43-35.54%), Firmicutes (1.69-15.45%) and Bacteroidetes (0.51-8.12%). The alpha diversity indices explicit similar gut microbiota of Perionyx excavatus and Eudrilus eugeniae and while higher alpha diversity was recorded in comparison to Polypheretima elongata gut. The taxonomic to the phenotypic annotation of 16S rRNA metagenomes revealed that dominance of Gram-negative bacterial community in all earthworm species while, Polypheretima elongata comprises higher percentage (78%) of Gram-negative bacterial community to Perionyx excavatus (32.3%) and Eudrilus eugeniae (38.3%). The oxygen requirement phenotypic analysis showed that all earthworm species were abundant with aerobic followed by anaerobic bacterial groups. Furthermore, functional metabolism phenotypic analysis revealed that a high abundance of ammonia oxidizers (29.3-80.2%), the gut microbiomes showed the relative abundance of sulphate reducer (22.6-78.7%), nitrite reducer (19.8-73.2%), dehalogenators (12.6-25.1%), illustrating in the role of these microbial communities in various degradation and bioremediation processes. The present study signifies the intrinsic gut microbiota of earthworm species for intensified biodegradation.

Degradation and accumulation rates of fresh human excreta during vermicomposting by Eisenia fetida and Eudrilus eugeniae

This study was carried out to assess the degradation and accumulation rates of fresh human excreta and how addition of anal cleansing materials affect performance during vermicomposting by Eisenia fetida and Eudrilus eugeniae. Vermicomposting setups consisting of two transparent containers (length 0.27 m, breadth 0.17 m and depth 0.12 m) stacked on top of each other were installed and operated under laboratory conditions. Earthworms, Eisenia fetida and Eudrilus eugeniae, were obtained from Green Cycle Technologies Limited in Accra, Ghana and the species verified and cultured before use. Fresh human excreta for feeding the experimental setups was collected from an Enviro-loo public toilet and 13 g applied to the setups daily. Similar setups were fed with 0.3 g of anal cleansing material in addition to the fresh excreta. A setup without any earthworms (NW) was set up as a control. Physicochemical characteristics of vermicompost accumulating in the setups were determined weekly for 28 days using standard laboratory procedures while the sludge accumulated in the various setups were weighed and recorded daily. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Post-hoc LSD tests were conducted to determine whether the differences in results between the two earthworm species and among setups with and without anal cleansing materials were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05). The study showed 12.3% and 26.2% reduction in volatile solids in EE (Eudrilus eugeniae and excreta only) and EF (Eisenia fetida and excreta only) while ash content increased indicating good degradation. The percentage mass reductions recorded at the end of the fourth week were 67.5%, 58.8% and 40.5% in systems EE, EF and NW respectively, while reductions of 73.7% and 68.5% were realized in EEA (Eudrilus eugeniae with excreta and toilet paper) and EFA (Eisenia fetida with excreta and toilet paper) respectively. There was greater amount of sludge accumulated in systems without earthworms, 0.00020 m3 (59.5%) in NW, than in systems with earthworms where 0.00011 m3 (32.5%) and 0.00014 m3 (41.2%) were recorded for EE and EF respectively. The rate of accumulation in vermibeds EE and EF was relatively higher than in vermibeds with excreta and toilet paper (EEA and EFA). EEA and EFA recorded accumulation rates of 0.00009 m3 (26.3%) and 0.00011 m3 (31.5%) respectively. Complete removal of helminth eggs was not achieved in any of the treatment systems.

Dual grinding and mixing machine for vermicompost and worm biomass production

Agricultural wastes come from different farming and planting activities that can be used as main material for organic fertilizers and compost. To improve the quality of the compost, it is better to include earthworms in the mixture to become vermicompost. Vermicompost is made up of enriched fertilizer with the production of earthworm known as worm biomass. The preparation of the vermicompost consists of grinding the waste in tiny bits and mixing manually which consumes a lot time and effort. This study focuses on the design of a dual grinding mixing machine intended for vermicompost and worm biomass production. The earthworm used in this study is African Night Crawler species. There are 13 testing vermicompost beds used for the experiment. The machine reduced the preparation time to one-third compared to manual operation. There is increase in the production of vermicompost by 87.5 kg and worm biomass by 3.5 kg, respectively, in monthly basis.

Studies on the Efficiency of Eudrilus eugeniae in the Bioconversion of Tamarind Fruit Shell Waste Mixed with Diclofenac and Bisphenol-A

Background: Agricultural chemicals, metals, industrial effluents, plastics, excessive dumping of unused and expired pharmaceutical chemicals etc. contaminate terrestrial, aquatic and aerial environment. The excessive usage of the unwanted chemicals elicits undesirable effects in the non target organism inhabited in the various environments. The soil biota like earthworm faces threats of the environmental contaminants. A number of research works has been carried out to study the impact of certain environmental pollutants on the terrestrial inhabitant like earthworms which are widely utilized in the waste disposal management. Tamarind shell waste is considered one of the unwanted materials dumped in the road side and being discharged from industry and from the houses. The bio waste is now a day’s utilized for various purposes. The environmental contaminants such as diclofenac and bisphenol-A are discharged into the environment and finally reach the terrestrial environment where the inhabitants are adversely affected. Hence the study has been focused to analyze the efficiency of earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae in the conversion of tamarind shell waste mixed separately with Diclofenac and bisphenol-A. Methods: Vermibed was prepared for the present work. The vermibed contains cow dung and garden soil which are common in all the pots. One pot was considered as control. The second pot was mixed with tamarind shell waste. The third pot was mixed with diclofenac and finally in the last pot bisphenol-A was taken. Healthy earworms were selected and released to the four pots. The experimental set up was maintained for 30 days. Correlation matrix and t-test was performed to understand the significance of the results.Result: The study revealed the impact of pollutants on the bioconversion of tamarind shell waste. The contaminants like diclofenac and bisphenol-A significantly decreased the micro and macro nutrient levels. The phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium level showed a decrease when compared to control on 30th day in the diclofenac treatment. The nitrogen value was also decreased in the bisphenol-A treated compost on 30th day and the value was statistically significant. The other nutrients, phosphorous and iron were also decreased significantly (P less than 0.05) in the treatment and correlation matrix showed positive and negative correlation with micro and macro nutrients. The physico-chemical characters such as pH and electrical conductivity are also altered in the experimental conditions.

Performance of vermicompost in zinc and boron nutrition for quality production of cabbage

The quality and efficacy of vermicompost are greatly influenced by the respective feeding materials as well as earthworm species used in vermicomposting. Consequently, the variable role of applied vermicompost is reflected in crop production. With a view to observe the efficacy of vermicompost produced from various sources in supplementing zinc and boron requirement for quality production of cabbage, a field study was conducted in Floodplain soil of Bangladesh. Six treatment combinations comprising of vermicompost from different sources, and different levels of zinc and boron from mineral fertilizers were tested in the study. The vermicompost used in different treatments were produced from different combinations of feeding materials (cowdung and poultry litter) and earthworm species (Eisenia fetida and Eudrilus eugeniae). A control treatment having no supplement of Zn and B was tested in the study. Higher measurements were recorded for most of the parameters studied, i.e., head diameter, marketable yield and total yield in the vermicompost treated plots than the solely mineral fertilizer treated plot. Except for P, the highest uptake of each of the elements by cabbage was observed due to the application of T3 treatment (VC-ECD @2.0 t ha-1 + 1.5 kg Zn ha-1 + 1.0 kg B ha-1). The findings of this research work indicate the additional benefit of using vermicompost over the mineral fertilizer in supplying zinc and boron for better production of cabbage.