Title: Assessment of sustainable vermiconversion of water hyacinth by Eudrilus eugeniae and Eisenia fetida

Abstract: The present work has assessed sustainable vermiconversion of aquatic weed water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes). The garden soil, water hyacinth and cow dung were taken in the following the combinations of 1: 2 : 1, 2: 1: 1 and 1 : 1: 2. Two species of earthworms Eudrilus eugeniae and Eisenia fetida were used for the experiment. The total nitrogen (0.18% in control and 1.68% in earthworm treated) and phosphate (0.63 % in control and 1.64 % in earthworm treated) levels were increased and toxic heavy metals zinc (7.66 ppm in control and 2.58 ppm in earthworm treated) and copper (6.68 ppm in control and 1.15 ppm in earthworm treated) were significantly decreased. The earthworm enriches the compost with various nutrients for plant and microbial growth. Plant growth studies were conducted in all the combination of water hyacinth, maximum growth of root length (8.9cm and 7.2 in control) and shoot length (21.6cm and 16.2 in control) observed compare to control. Gut microbial analysis revealed that Bacillus cereus, Micrococcus luteus were predominantly present in the earthworm. The study recommended that the aquatic weed compost was suitable of agricultural usage. [N. Kannadasan, Nirmala Natarajan, N. Anbusaravanan, P. Sekar & R. Krishnamoorthy (2013). Assessment of sustainable vermiconversion of water hyacinth by Eudrilus eugeniae and Eisenia fetida. Journal of Applied and Natural Science, 5(2): 451-454] [Photo: A similar idea being used in South Africa]

Keywords: Earthworms, Vermiconversion, Water hycinth

Full paper available here



Article: WeedsNews4762 (permalink)
Categories: :WeedsNews:research alert, :WeedsNews:beneficial weeds, :WeedsNews:non-chemical control, :WeedsNews:aquatic weeds
Date: 16 January 2014; 8:05:21 am Australian Eastern Daylight Time

Author Name: Zheljana Peric
Author ID: zper12