INFLUENCE OF ANIMAL FECAL ON THE EFFICIENCY OF EARTHWORMS TO CONVERT INTO VERMICOMPOST UNDER DIFFERENT PARTIAL DECOMPOSITION PERIODS

S.S. BAGHEL¹*, B. SACHIDANAND^2
1Department of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalya, Jabalpur, 482004, Madhya Pradesh, India
²Department of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalya, Jabalpur, 482004, Madhya Pradesh, India
* Corresponding Author : drssb75@gmail.com

Received : 22-09-2016     Accepted : 20-10-2016     Published : 06-11-2016
Volume : 8     Issue : 54       Pages : 2935 - 2938
Int J Agr Sci 8.54 (2016):2935-2938

Keywords : Animal fecal, Vermicompost, Partial Decomposition periods
Academic Editor : Dr G.D. Sharma
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : None declared
Author Contribution : None declared

In India about 700 million tones of organic waste is generated annually apart from goatry, pigry farms. There are growing realizations that the sustainable farming practice can only reverse the declining trend in the global productivity as well as environmental protection. Keeping the above points in view, the present study was carried out to assess the potential of earthworms to convert various animal fecal into vermicompost under different partial decomposition period. The experiment was conducted at Live Stock farm JNKVV, Jabalpur. A total of fifteen treatment combinations including five animal fecal ((Cow, buffalo, goat, horse and pig) and three partial decomposition periods (20, 30 and 40 days) were tried in a RBD design with three replications. Results of study reveal that the pig fecal loosed the maximum weight of 24.11% where as it were lowest in goat excreta. Moreover, the significantly lower duration (42 days) taken up by pig and cow fecal followed by buffalo (43 days). The maximum rate of conversion 192.77 g/day and recovery percent of 68.11 % were recorded under cow and horse dung, respectively. Partial decomposition periods of 40 days recorded the maximum reduction of dry weight of excreta .The increasing duration of partial decomposition increased the rate of conversion and recovery percentage. The conversion of wastes into vermicompost increased the content of macro and micronutrients. The vermicompost of pig fecal excreta proved significantly rich in N, P and K content.