Effect of Bedding Material on Earthworm Population, Changes in Humus Fractions and C:N Ratio of Vermicompost

摘要

The traditional method of FYM preparation is wastage of cow dung and it also decreases productivity of soils by introducing weed seeds and by blocking of added nutrients. The availability of organic waste per year is 30%, 80% and 33% of total production of cow dung, excreta and crop residuals (Tanwar and Biswas, 2005), which can be recycled. The vermicomposting is a way by which agricultural wastes can be recycled as fertilizer in very short time. It is known that the earthworm population and nutrient content of vermicompost depends mainly on the type of bedding materials. The hardness and succulence or dry and greenness of the plant material affects not only the nutrient content, but also effects the multiplication of earthworms.The present study was undertaken to find out the possibilities of utilization of agricultural wastes and cow dung on earthworm population, humic fractions and C:N ratio of the vermicompost.