Growth and reproduction performances of Eisenia fetida fed with different municipal waste materials

Abstract:

The present research is designed to evaluate the growth and reproduction rate of Eisenia fetida on different organic substrates of municipal solid wastes. The aim of this paper was to identify the organic waste that provide maximum biomass gain and cocoon production. The growth and reproduction of Eisenia fetida was measured by studying parameters like gain in body weight, clitellum development, no. of cocoons and emergence of hatchlings. The study was designed with 6 treatments, each having three replicates. In control treatment (T₁), cow dung was used as the only food source for earthworm. In another five treatments, vegetable market wastes and fruit market wastes (T₂), hotel and restaurant food wastes (T₃), Garibnath temple wastes (T₄) and banana plant wastes (T₅) were used as food sources with cow dung as bedding material. The maximum weight gain of earthworm Eisenia fetida was (888 mg) for the food stuff of banana plant wastes (T₅) showed a very similar weight gain of 864 mg for the food stuff of belpatra leaves and floral wastes (T₄). The maximum cocoon number was observed in T₅ whereas, the minimum number in Control (T₁). The highest number of hatchlings were recorded in treatment 3 (T₂) whereas least number of hatchlings was observed in control (T₁). It was concluded that among the 5 different food sources, chopped banana plant sources were preferable food sources to the earthworm for growth and reproduction.