Enriched Vermicompost Research Articles

Biocontrol potential of Bacillus subtilis CRB7 for the management of root-knot nematode in tomato under protected cultivation

In the present study, biocontrol potential of Bacillus subtilis CRB7 was evaluated to counter root-knot nematode infestation in tomato grown under protected cultivation. Under pot conditions, gall formation on roots was reduced when B. subtilis CRB7 applied at 1.25, 2.5 and 5 g plant−1. Nursery drench with B. subtilis CRB7 at 5, 10 and 15 g m−2 significantly reduced gall formation on roots (37.0 to 85.8%). Further, application of B. subtilis CRB7 as nursery drench at 15 g m−2, soil drench at 0.5% at 30 day’s interval and soil application of enriched vermicompost (5 kg 2 tonnes−1 of vermicompost ha−1) significantly reduced gall formation on roots (58.3% and 54.2%) and enhanced yield (29.8% and 15.4%) in two consecutive protected field experiments, respectively. Given its potent efficacy, B. subtilis CRB7 emerges as a promising component for the management of root-knot nematode in tomato grown under protected cultivation.

Integrated Nutrient Management of Papaya (Carica papaya L.): Application of Microbial Consortium Enriched Organic Manures for Yield and Fruit Quality Enhancement

An experiment was undertaken to study the effect of integrated nutrient management on growth, yield and quality of papaya under Kerala conditions. The trial was conducted in RBD. Papaya variety used for the study was Surya with ten treatments. The results revealed that the applications of microbial consortium enriched organic manures in papaya plants (NPK (25 %) as PGPR mix-1 enriched vermicompost along with N, P and K 75% of recommended dose of fertilizers fertilizers ( 240 N: 240 P2O5: 480 K2O (g plant-1) + 10 kg FYM) resulted in the highest number of fruit production, enhanced fruit weight , total fruit yield per plant. It also resulted in the production of fruits with highest fruit length, girth, pulp percentage and flesh thickness. Fruit quality characters like high TSS, less acidity, higher carotenoid content, ascorbic acid content, highest total sugar content and reducing sugar content were enhanced in papaya. Organoleptic characters of fruit were also enhanced by adopting integrated nutrient management in papaya . Papaya being an important fruit crop of Kerala gaining importance nowadays. Integrated nutrient management (INM) involves efficient and judicious supply of all major and micro components of plant nutrients including local available resources on sustainable basis. Papaya is known to be a heavy feeder of nutrients (NPK) and information regarding the effect of INM is more important

Seed biopriming with different bioagents to minimize collar rot disease of groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.)

The present studies investigate the effectiveness of various bioagents, namely Trichoderma viride, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Trichoderma harzenium and Bacillus subtilis in promoting the growth, productivity and minimize the collar rot disease incidence in groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) under in vitro and controlled pot conditions (upto 60 per cent disease control). Groundnut is a globally important oilseed crop known for its nutritional value and oil content. However, the sustainable production of groundnuts faces increasing challenges due to biotic and abiotic stress factors. Among the biotic diseases, collar rot disease of groundnut caused by Aspergillus niger is more extensive in kharif season and causes more damage in sandy loam soils. Bioagents like Trichoderma harzenium, Trichoderma viride, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis are very helpful in increasing plant growth and controlling collar rot disease in groundnut. This study aims to elucidate the physiological mechanism underlying these interactions and provide practical insights into the application of this environmentally friendly approach for sustainable groundnut cultivation. Under pot condition treatment integration of seed treatment with Trichoderma viride and enriched vermicompost significantly shows minimum per cent disease incidence 6% and maximum plant vigour (2000) obtained from the treatment integration of Seed treatment with Trichoderma harzianum and enriched Vermicompost. Our finding reveals that the application of integration of seed treatment with Trichoderma viride and enriched vermicompost significantly shows 57.14% disease control under pot conditions, outperformed the other bioagents in sustainable management of collar rot disease of groundnut and Pseudomonas fluorescens outperformed other bioagents in enhancement of growth of plant due to their PGPR activity.

A review on bacterial enriched vermicompost and its applications

Generation of the massive quantity of solid waste around the globe is a major ecological and technical problem. Vermicomposting may be the viable option to handle solid waste in an environmentally friendly way. Vermicompost have higher level of available nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, calcium and magnesium which are derived from the wastes. Many researchers have attempted to evaluate for development of efficiency vermicompost by using varieties of earthworms. The use of earthworms in the degradation of different types of wastes is continuing from the past so many years. These wastes include industrial, agricultural of plant debris and domestic waste papers and cattle dung. Fixed nitrogen is a limiting nutrient in most environments, with the main reserve of nitrogen in the biosphere being molecular nitrogen from the atmosphere. Molecular nitrogen cannot be directly assimilated by plants, but it becomes obtainable through the biological nitrogen fixation process that only prokaryotic cells have developed. Vermicompost is an effective carrier for bacterial growth so that the symbiotic bacterial species such as Mycorrhiza and Dyaztotor of helps in the rapid growth of plant while Azotobactor, Rhizobium involves in the fixation and storing of nitrogen for plants. This review focus on the vermicomposting and microbial enrichment of vermicompost for the exceed crop production.

Effect of Nutrient Management on Physico-chemical Properties of Soil in Indian Mustard

A field experiment was conducted at the IFS Unit Instructional Farm of Banda University of Agriculture & Technology, Banda (UP) during the winter (rabi) seasons of 2022-23 and 2023-24. The study aimed to examine the impact of nutrient management on the soil properties of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) grown in clay loam soil. Mustard, an essential oilseed crop in India, encounters issues like low productivity and diminished soil fertility caused by excessive use of chemical fertilizers. The paper highlights the importance of integrating chemical and organic sources, such as vermicompost. Vermicompost enriched with biofertilizers, especially Azotobacter, PSB, PMB, NPK Consortia, and ZSB demonstrates significant potential in improving the soil conditions for mustard crops. The experiment utilized a split plot design (SPD) with four main factors in the main plot and four levels in the sub-plot, resulting in sixteen treatment combinations, each applied three times. The soil at the experimental site was characterized by a clay loam texture and low levels of organic carbon, available nitrogen, phosphorus, zinc and sulfur, with moderate levels of available potash. The main plot treatments consisted of different fertility levels: 50% RNPKS, 75% RNPKS, 100% RNPKS and 125% RNPKS. Each main plot was further divided into four sub-plots, each with a combination of micronutrients and enriched vermicompost. The results indicated that the treatment of either 125% or 100% RNPKS and 2.5 kg Zn + 0.5 kg B + 500 kg enriched vermicompost ha-1 was superior in improving the soil properties for Indian mustard.

Performance of Enriched Organic Manures on Head Quality, Yield, Nutrient Uptake and Economics of Sprouting Broccoli (Brassica oleracea Var. italica)

The present field experiment was carried out to study the performance of enriched organic manures containing farmyard manure, vermicompost and poultry manure on head quality, nutrient uptake and economics of sprouting broccoli during 2018-19 and 2019-20 at UBKV, West Bengal, India, which comprised of 8 treatment combinations in randomized block design with 3 replications. The results of the field experiment showed that the use of Azophos biofertilizer enriched vermicompost @ 2.5 t/ha along with Azophos biofertilizer enriched poultry manure @ 2.5 t/ha as basal + top dressing of Azophos biofertilizer enriched vermicompost @ 0.5 t/ha along with Azophos biofertilizer enriched poultry manure @ 0.5 t/ha each (T7) significantly improved the head yield (20.47 t/ha) and superior head quality in terms of the maximum TSS (8.14°Brix), vitamin A (288.97 IU/100 g) and vitamin C (90.00 mg/100 g) of organic broccoli. The greatest benefit to cost ratio (1.93) was also obtained from the treatment T7. Hence, the treatment T7 can be recommended for sustainable production of organic sprouting broccoli under terai region of West Bengal.

Impact of Combining Microbial Enriched Organic Manures with Inorganic Nutrients on Physiological Characteristics and Productivity of Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.)

The present investigation was undertaken to validate the integrated use of inorganic fertilizers and biofertilizers inoculated in organic manures on the physiological attributes and of pearl millet in the School of Agricultural Science, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, India. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications, during the rabi season of 2023-24. Results outlined that the integrated nutrient management practice of applying Azospirillum & PSB enriched vermicompost @ 6 t ha-1 + 100% Recommended dose of N, P2O5 & K2O has significantly increased the physiological attributes (leaf area index, crop growth rate, chlorophyll index), and yield (grain yield and stover yield) of pearl millet. This was statistically on par with the treatment Azospirillum & PSB enriched FYM @12.5 t ha-1 + 100% RDF dose of N, P2O5 & K2O.

Influence of Microbial Enriched Organic Manures with Inorganic Nutrients on the Physiological Attributes and Yield of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

The present investigation was conducted to study the integrated use of microbial enriched organic manures with inorganic fertilizers on the physiological attributes of chickpea in the School of Agricultural Science, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, India. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications, during the late rabi season of 2023. The outcome of the study delineates the substantial efficacy of treatment T5 (100% N: P2O5: K2O + Microbial enriched vermicompost @ 6 t ha-1) and T4 (100% N: P2O5: K2O + Microbial enriched FYM @12.5 t ha-1) in significantly augmenting the physiological growth and development of chickpea crop, resulting in an improved yield of 12.76 q ha-1 and 12.59 q ha-1 respectively.

Response of Maize (Zea mays L.) to Nitrogen Levels, Conventional and Enriched Organic Manures on Yield and Major Nutrient Uptake in a Vertisol

A field experiment was conducted during kharif 2015-16 at Mulmuthla village of Dharwad taluk in Dharwad district, Karnataka, India. Research conducted to study the effect of enriched FYM and vermicompost and nitrogen levels on yield and majornutrient uptake of maize (Zea mays L.) in a Vertisol. The split plot design with four replication and twelve treatment combinations. Application of nitrogen at 200 kg ha-1+ Zn+Fe enriched vermicompost at 2.5 t ha-1 was found superior in terms of grain yield (79.93 q ha-1), stover yield (88.77 q ha-1) and test weight (100 seeds) (39.67 g) over other treatments. Similarly, the highest NPK uptake (232.33, 48.73 and 175.59 kg ha-1) was recorded with the application of 200 kg N + Zn+Fe enriched vermicompost at 2.5 t ha-1. So the study of effect of different combinations of nutrients like nitrogen, enriched FYM, FYM, enriched vermicompost, vermicompost and their interactions over yielding ability of maize can help in developing a best source of nutrients for maize yield and uptake.

Effect of Organic Sources of Nutrients on Growth and Flowering of Spray Chrysanthemum

Aims: Chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora Tzvelev) also known as “Queen of the East” is one of the most imperative and the oldest flowering plant which is grown all over the world. Organic manures and bio-fertilizers improve soil health by increasing soil microorganisms and it helps the easy uptake of nutrients when crop is required to make it from unavailable form to available form. The present study was conducted to identify the best organic sources of nutrients for quality flower production of Chrysanthemum var. Aparajita.
 Experimental Design: The experiment was laid out in RCBD (Randomized Completely Block Design) where treatments comprised with control and application of enriched FYM, enriched Vermicompost, enriched poultry manures as well as spraying with seaweeds extract singly and/or in combination as per the treatment.
 Place and Duration of the Experiment: The present investigation was carried out at Instructional Farm, Department of Floriculture, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya in the year of 2018-2020. The place is situated in Terai Region of West Bengal at 260 19 N latitude and 890 23 E longitude.
 Results: The results revealed that application of enriched FYM @ 12.5t/ha+ enriched vermicompost @ 2.5t/ha + Seaweeds extract spraying @ 3 ml/l (T11) recorded maximum plant height (46.19 cm), plant spread (E-W: 26.54 cm and N-S: 26.72 cm), production of more number of primary branches (7.25) and leaves per plant (105.33), minimum days taken to first flower bud initiation (68.13 days) and first flower full blooming (10.11 days), more number of flowers per plant (35.16), vase life (14.55 days) in tap water, maximum Gross return (Rs. 517957.00 per ha) and B:C ratio (1:2.53) while minimum was recorded in control (T1) as compare to other treatments.
 Conclusion: Based on the experiment, it had been concluded that application of enriched FYM @ 12.5t/ha+ enriched vermicompost @ 2.5t/ha + Seaweeds extract spraying @ 3 ml/l in combination was the best for organic cultivation of spray Chrysanthemum in the Terai region of West Bengal which was also economically viable for poor and marginal farmers of West Bengal.

Enhancement or Enrichment of the Vermicompost by Microbial Inoculation

The aim of this research experiment was enrichment of vermicompost by microbial inoculation for sustainable agriculture. An experiment was conducted to study the effects of different types of microbial species in various vermicompost treatments, along with varying quantities of microbes. Subsequently, 25 ml of each inoculant was applied per kg of wet-base vermicompost (VC) according to Busato et al. [1]. Vermicompost samples, each weighing one kg per treatment, were incubated in a well-aerated chamber at temperatures of 28 and 41ºC for a duration of 80 days. Throughout the incubation period, the moisture content of the VC samples was maintained at approximately 60 percent using water. Enriched VC treatments were subjected to chemical and biological analyses at intervals of 0, 20, 40, 60, and 80 days. An incubation study was conducted in the laboratory, involving the incubation of prepared enriched vermicompost (T1 to T7 treatments) with biofertilizers (T8 to T14 treatments) over an 80-day period. The content of N, P, K, and Zn was assessed at 0, 20, 40, 60, and 80 days after incubation (DAI). Among the various enriched vermicompost treatments, the highest total nitrogen content of 4.5% was observed in enriched vermicompost T11 after 80 DAI, followed by T9 (4.4%) and T14 (4.3%). The highest total phosphorus content of 4.9%, 4.7%, and 4.2% was respectively found in T11, T9, and T14 after 80 DAI. In terms of enriched vermicompost treatments, the highest potassium (K) and zinc (Zn) content (4.8% and 97.5 ppm, respectively) were observed.

Impact of P Enriched Compost on Growth and Yield Attributes of Barnyard Millet in Red and Black Soils of Madurai District, India

A field study was conducted during the summer (kharif) season of 2023 at the Lalapuram village, Thirumangalam block of Madurai district, to assess the influence of phosphorus-enriched compost on the growth and yield parameters of barnyard millet in both red and black soils. The recommend dose of barnyard millet was 40: 20: 0 kg ha -1 of NPK in which the recommended dose of P (20 kg ha -1) was given in form of enriched compost and the enrichment was done at 1: 10 ratio of P source and compost. Three different types of compost such as farmyard manure compost, municipal solid waste compost and vermicompost were enriched with two different P sources such as single super phosphate @ 100 kg / t of compost and rock phosphate @ 100 kg / t of compost. Azophos, a plant growth promoting rhizobacteria based microbial consortium was added to the P enriched compost @ 2 kg / ton of compost. Among the different combinations, application of SSP enriched vermicompost @ 750 kg ha -1 along with microbial consortium performed better in both the soils. The growth and yield attributes of barnyard millet in black soil was better compared to that of red soil. SSP enriched vermicompost @ 750 kg ha -1 along with microbial consortium recorded the highest growth parameters in terms of no. of tillers per plant (8.71), Leaf area index ( 2.98 ), root length ( 20.7 cm) and dry matter production (5260.1 kg ha -1) at 60 DAS and yield parameters in terms of no of productive tillers (6.81), panicle length (21.4 cm), panicle weight (14.65 g), 1000 grain weight (3.24 g), grain yield (2350 kg ha -1) and stover yield (4420 kg ha -1). Hence, it was found that the application of SSP-enriched vermicompost coupled with azophos at 30 and 60 DAS of the crop growth stages, can curtail N and P fertilizer consumption by 50 and 100 percent respectively while fostering sustainable plant growth and enhancement of yield.

Tillage and Nutrient Management Strategies to Improve the Performances of Little Millet under Irrigated Condition

Background: Millets rank sixth among cereal grains which has a great potential in contributing to food and nutritional security. Little millet (Panicum sumatrense L.), a minor millet, quick germinating, short duration crop tolerant to drought, excess moisture and also rich in nutrients. Use of improved varieties and good agronomic management such as tillage practices, crop rotation, cropping system and fertilization by nutrient management through organic manures and foliar supplementation during critical stages helps in improving the soil fertility and maximize the crop productivity. Hence, there is a need to develop the organic nutrient management of minor millets for food production, nutritional security and maintaining the soil fertility as well as productivity. Based on this consideration, a new immersing attempt was made to develop and identify the suitable tillage prac­tices and nutrient management practices on growth and yield of little millet. Methods: Field experiments were conducted in the research farm of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during summer and rabi season 2022 in order to investigate the growth and yield performances of little millet under tillage and different nutrient sources. The experiment was laid out in strip plot design with 2 main plot and 7 sub-plot treatments. The main plot consist of tillage practices viz., conventional tillage and farmer’s practices whereas sub-plot consist of nutrient management practices includes organic manures along with foliar nutrition. Result: The results revealed that conventional tillage (Disc plough + Cultivator + Rotovator) with application of enriched vermicompost @ 1 t ha-1 followed by foliar spray of 3% panchagavya on 30th DAS and 5% of egg amino acid on 45th DAS had greater effect on growth parameters and yield attributes of little millet during summer and rabi season, 2022.

Zinc and iron enrichment of vermicompost can reduce the arsenic load in rice grain: An investigation through pot and field experiments

The heavy metalloid arsenic (As), occurring in both trivalent and pentavalent is extremely toxic and has detrimental effect on humans through water-soil-crop transfer. Previously organic and inorganic amendments have been used separately for mitigation of As in rice but there exists a research gap regarding use of them simultaneously. In this study, both pot and field scale investigations were undertaken for four consecutive years in As-contaminated locations to assess the efficacy of zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe)-enriched vermicompost in reducing the As uptake in rice grain. Altogether seven types of vermicompost and three application rates were evaluated. The treatment combination V4D1 (enriched vermicompost V4 applied to soil at 3 t/ha) recorded the lowest soil available As (2.525 mg kg−1) and the highest soil available As (2.982 mg kg−1) was observed with V5D3 (enriched vermicompost V5 applied to soil at 1.5 t/ha). Application of enriched and non-enriched vermicompost reduced As in grain by 58.14 and 31.40% respectively over no vermicompost (control). The partial dependence plot from stepwise regression modelling of different fractions of As revealed that an increase in organically bound As resulted in a decrease in the availability of As and hence uptake by rice. Further, Zn and Fe-enriched vermicompost resulted in increase of iron plaque formation on the root. A significant positive relationship (r = 0.462) was observed between dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate (DCB) extractable -Fe andAs. A significant negative correlation (r = ˗0.410) between DCB-Fe and grain As, advocates better root plaque formation resulting a higher capacity to sequester As onto the root surface and reducing its's entry into the rice system. The carcinogenic risk somewhat was benign (TCR of 2.69 × 10−3 and SAMOE of 0.101) against no vermicompost (TCR of 6.64 × 10−3 and SAMOE of 0.04). Therefore enriching vermicompost with ZnSO4 and FeSO4 at 10% dry weight basis (V4) of the composting substrate can lower arsenic build-up in rice grains without affecting yield.

Effect of Organic and Liquid Manures on Productivity and Profitability of Blackgram

Background: Blackgram being important crop among pulse is gaining popularity and thus requiring suitable crop production practices especially under organic farming. In this context, this study was proposed with the objective to investigate the optimal nutrient management practices in organic blackgram by utilizing various organic nutrient sources. Methods: Field experiments were conducted at two different locations in spilt plot design. The treatments consisted of 4 levels of organic manure viz., Farm Yard Manure (FYM) @ 12.5 t ha-1, Vermicompost (VC) @ 2.5 t ha-1, Enriched FYM (EFYM) @ 750 kg ha-1 and Enriched VC (EVC) @ 1 t ha-1 as main plot treatments and five levels of foliar spray of liquid manure viz., two foliar sprays of Panchagavya @ 3% and Fermented egg extract (FEE), Fermented fish extract (FFE), Farmers effective microorganisms (FEM), Jeevamruth each @ 5%. Result: Results revealed that application of EFYM and VC, produced higher yield parameters and grain yield, respectively under main plot organic manure addition at site-I and II. Among the sub plots liquid manure treatments Panchagavya spray has produced higher grain yield along with the yield parameters at both the sites. Among the organic manures higher economic returns were obtained with the application of EFYM at both the sites while among the liquid manures better returns were obtained with the application of Panchagavya at site-I and Panchagavya or FEM spray at site-II.

Production and characterization of enriched vermicompost from banana leaf biomass waste activated by biochar integration

Vermicomposting uses less energy and requires fewer infrastructures, and it is capable of restoring soil nutrition and carbon. Banana cultivation produces lots of trash in a single crop season, with 30 tonnes of waste generated per acre. The biodegradable fraction of banana leaf waste is thrown out in large quantities from temples, markets place wedding halls, hotels, and residential areas. Vermicomposting can be used for recovering lignin, cellulose, pectin, and hemicellulose from banana leaves. Earthworm digests organic materials with the enzymes produced in gut microflora. Biochar adds bulk to vermicomposting, increases its value as fertilizer. The goal of this study was to amend biochar (0, 2, 4 and 6%) with banana leaf waste (BLW) + cow dung (CD) in three different combinations (1:1, 2:1 and 3:1) using Eisenia fetida to produce enriched vermicompost. In the vermicompost with biochar groups, there were higher levels of physicochemical parameters, as well as macro- and micronutrient contents. The growth and reproduction of earthworms were higher in groups with biochar. A maximum of 1.82, 1.18 and 1.67% of total nitrogen, total phosphorus and total potassium was found in the final vermicompost recovered from BLW + CD (1:1) amended with 4% biochar; while the other treatments showed lower levels of nutrients. A lower C/N ratio of 18.14 was observed in BLW + CD (1:1) + 4% biochar followed by BLW + CD (1:1) + 2% biochar amendment (19.92). The FTIR and humification index studies show that degradation of organic matter has occurred in the final vermicompost and the substrates with 4% biochar in 1:1 combination showed better degradation and this combination can be used for nutrient rich vermicompost production.

Comparative evaluation of changes in soil bio-chemical properties after application of traditional and enriched vermicompost

For nutrient-deficient soils, vermicompost is an excellent soil additive. We find biochemical fluctuations in soil by comparing enriched vermicomposts to regular vermicomposts in a carefully controlled pot experiment. Various rock minerals, including mica, dolomite, and rock phosphate (RP), were used to create the enriched vermicompost before it was applied to acid lateritic soil, and so we investigated how vermicompost’s biochemical impact on the soil evolves (15-day intervals). Our results suggested that traditional vermicompost (VC) prepared from water hyacinth effectively improves nutrient content, enzymatic activities, and soil microbial properties. However, enriched VC application significantly (p<0.05) augments the concentration of available P (60% higher than conventional VC) and exchangeable K (increased by 10% from conventional VC) in soil. Furthermore, we observed that enrichment of VC using a combination of rock minerals showed significantly higher urease (around 35%), acid phosphatase activity (by 93%), and enhanced microbial biomass carbon (about 25%) and nutrient content of soil compared to only rock mineral additions. Nevertheless, our study revealed that conventional VC shows better soil organic carbon build-up than rock-based enriched VC. Although, enrichment conferred differential benefits to the soil in terms of increased P in RP-based and raised K in MC-based VC. • Organic wastes recycled to enriched vermicompost may better cater to plant needs. • Additives like rock minerals and microbes enhance macro-nutrients in final product. • Enhanced enzymatic activities can be observed with enriched vermicompost. • Enrichment of vermicompost may better serve to goals of sustainable agriculture.

Management of invasive weed Chromolaena odorata (Siam weed) through vermicomposting: An eco-approach utilizing organic biomass valorization

The present research study has evaluated the roles of vermicomposting and elucidated the efficacy of selected earthworm ( Eisenia fetida ) in the eco-management of invasive weed Chromolaena odorata by way of organic biomass valorization. The different trial sets with different proportions of weed samples and sundried cowdung had shown a trend in change of pH (T2>T1>T3>T4>T5), EC (T1 > T2 > T3 > T4>T5) and C/N ratio as T5 (22.89 ± 3.00) > T4 (20.59 ± 0.42) > T3 (16.76 ± 1.4) > T1 (13.88 ± 0.11) > T2 (13.18 ± 0.60). Furthermore, a significant change in population parameters of earthworm like biomass, number, cocoon production was noticed among different vermicomposting trial sets as T2 > T1 > T3 > T4 > T5 > PC. The present research study has revealed T2 trial (60% weed sample and 40% cowdung) to be better towards maintenance of both earthworm and physicochemical parameters. In T2 trial set, a biodegradation of cellulose, lignin polymers and nitrogen mineralization of plant biomass were well noticed at 1081 cm −1 , 1456 cm −1 and 850-770 cm −1 respectively. Furthermore, the SEM-EDX study deciphered fragmentation alongside a trend of change in the distribution of different elements like a reduction of weight for carbon (45.27% to 25.64%), sodium (0.56% to 0.31%), aluminium (0.24% to 0.19%) coupled with an increase in percentage for oxygen (34.12% to 46.12%), silicon (4.15% to 8.12%), magnesium (2.12% to 3.28%), phosphorus (0.25% to 0.39%), potassium (0.35% to 0.87%), sulphur (0.16% to 0.31%), chlorine (0.21% to 0.45%) and calcium (0.15% to 0.28%) among the T2 samples. Such findings had corroborated to the role of extracellular enzymes present in the samples as confirmed through API-ZYM TM analysis. Therefore, the trial set using weed: cowdung as 6:4 facilitates the valorisation of weed samples and production of nutrient enriched vermicompost. • Biomass valorization of Chromolaena odorata is practicable through vermitechnology. • Weed: Cowdung ratio as 60:40 has supported the development of earthworm populations which lead to nutrient enrichment. • FTIR spectroscopy at wavenumber 1081 cm -1 , 1456 cm -1 and 850-770 cm -1 has confirmed breakdown of cellulose, lignin polymers and nitrogen mineralization respectively. • Biodegradation of weed through vermicomposting was confirmed through SEM. • SEM-EDX study has confirmed an increase in distribution of different atoms like P, Ca, K, Mg and Cl among vermicompost samples.

Valorization of phyto-biomass with tertiary combination of animal dung for enriched vermicompost production

A study was conducted for 90 days in two cycles on 45thday (Cycle I), and 90th day (Cycle II) in 144 vermibins with precomposted cow dung (T1), elephant dung (T2), cow dung + elephant dung (T3) in combination with leaf substrates of Ficus religiosa, Azadirachta indica, Terminalia catappa, Carica papaya, Vitex negundo, Acalypha indica and Borassus flabellifer to generate nutrient-enriched vermicompost. Different vermibin feedstock materials were retained as experimental setup in other substrates with earthworm (vermicompost) and without earthworm (compost). This method was employed in the current study to decompose environmental leaf debris into the earthworm's mass production and transform it into high-value manure for long-term soil fertility control. The majority of the substrates exhibit pH and electrical conductivity in vermicomposts showed an increment while the total organic carbon and carbon to nitrogen ratio were significantly lowered. A prominent percentage increment of total NPK contents (P < 0.05) in vermicompost over initial values (N: 7.09–164.03; P: 4.39–101.09; K: 0.45–84.10). Among the vermibed substrates, Ficus religiosa leaf litter mixed with T3 showed stabilized cocoons and juveniles in Cycle I (45 days), while sub-adults and adults growth was favored in Cycle II (90 days). The higher reproductive potential of earthworms could be due to the composition and palatability of the substrate combination. This study provides a platform for utilizing leaf wastes in combination with animal wastes amended to reproduce earthworms, nutrient enrichment which could benefit soil fertility improvement.

Complexation, retention and release pattern of arsenic from humic/fulvic acid extracted from zinc and iron enriched vermicompost.

Arsenic (As) is a highly poisonous heavy metal with major environmental ramifications. Inorganic components such as zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe), as well as organic vermicompost, have been used as management solutions, with limited attempts of using them together. The current study involved preparing non-enriched vermicompost as well as six distinct Zn and Fe enriched vermicomposts and analyzing their chemical composition using the standard procedures. Organic fractions from these seven vermicompost and arsenic polluted soils of West Bengal, India were recovered and separated into humic (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) fractions. Potentiometric titrations, viscometric assays, and visible spectrophotometry were used to characterize the HA and FA samples. In aqueous phase the stability constant (log K) of the complexes formed with As indicates that stability of FA extracted from enriched vermicompost V4 (Zn and Fe sulphate @ 10% w/w dry weight basis of composting substrates before application of vermiworms) was maximum as 10.20 with a mole ratio (x) value of 1.36. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) studies confirmed the complexation of As with HA/FA. The release isotherm of As from the HA/FA complexes in the presence of competitive oxy-anions was found to follow the order of sulphate>nitrate>phosphate.