K. Hashemi Majd, M. Kalbasi, A. Golchin, H. Shariatmadari,
Volume 7, Issue 4 (1-2004)
Abstract
The ability of earthworms in recycling a wide range of organic solid wastes is well established. Only a few earthworm species are suitable for commercial vermicomposting. Two species, Eisenia foetida and Lumbricus rubellus, are common in temperate regions. Samples of earthworms were collected from manure pills and forest litter in North and Northwest of Iran. The samples were maintained in pots under greenhouse conditions. External morphological characteristics of mature worms were used in identifying earthworm species. These characteristics included: total number of body segments, numbers of clitellum and tubercula pubertatis (TP) segments, dorsal and external body color, body size, prestomium and prostomium shape, number of first segment with dorsal pore and patterns of clitellum and TP. All collected samples belonged to the species Eisenia foetida. Under incubation conditions in manure substrate (a moisture of 70% saturation at 24±2oC), each worm produced 1-2 cocoons daily and each cocoon contained 2-7 worm embryos. The collected earthworm samples showed a good ability in vermicomposting of manure, plant residues, and some organic industrial refuses. The C:N ratio decreased during the vermicomposting process, which indicates the improved stage of decomposition and the vermicompost stability.
Mh. Rasouli-Sadaghiani, S. Ejlali , S. Ashrafi Saeidlou,
Volume 19, Issue 73 (11-2015)
Abstract
Earthworms are an important component of soil fauna because of their fundamental impact on soil physical, chemical and biological properties. To evaluate the effects of earthworms on some soil chemical properties as well as plant growth indicators, an experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design in greenhouse conditions. The first factor involved the presence or absence of earthworms (Eisenia foetida), the second factor was different organic matter including control (no organic materials), pruning waste compost of apple and grape (PWC), wheat straw (WS), Herbal extracts waste (HE), pruning waste (PW) and the third factor was the presence or absence of corn plant for evaluating rhizosphere soil. At the end of growing period, some soil chemical properties including total nitrogen, organic carbon, ammonium, nitrate and plant growth indicators were measured. The results showed that application of organic matter and earthworm inoculation had significant effects on soil chemical properties. The pruning waste compost (PWC) treatment showed the largest impact on ammonium and nitrate content (1.7 and 3.3 times compared to control treatment, respectively). In pruning waste compost (PWC) treatment, organic carbon amount in rhizospheric soil increased from 0.9 at non-rhizosphere to 1.32 %. The presence of earthworm improved plant growth parameters including shoot and root dry weight by 34% and 30%, respectively, compared to earthworm absence condition. Soil ammonium and nitrate contents at earthworm presence increased 32% and 49%, respectively. Therefore, application of organic matter with earthworm inoculation had better results in comparison with no earthworm inoculation.
