SCREENING OF FOUR SPECIES OF DETERITIVOROUS (HUMUS-FORMER) EARTHWORMS FOR SUSTAINABLE VERMICOMPOSTING OF PAPER WASTE

摘要

Four species of detritivorous (humus - former) earthworms were tested for their ability to vermicompost paper waste blended with cowdung in 6:1 (w/w) ratio. The anenic Lampito mauritii, Kinberg and the epigeic Eudrilus eugeniae, Kinberg were the most effective of the four species employed; 20 animals of each of these species generated castings amounting to about 52/100 of the feed mass (75 g) per fortnight. The performance of these two species was followed by the anecic Drawida willsi, Michaelsen and the epigeic Perionyx excavatus, Perrier; they achieved approximately 46/100 vermiconversion in comparable settings.