Abstract
Like any other living organism, earthworm requires certain favourable conditions to feed, grow and survive (Table 7.1). As a potentially important bio-agent in waste management practises, earthworms are cultured in large scale depending on the species required. To achieve better growth, certain environmental conditions are usually provided in laboratory or industrial level. Such optimal conditions and the effect of various environmental factors are discussed in this chapter.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aira M et al (2006) C to N ratio strongly affects population structure of Eisenia fetida in vermicomposting systems. Eur J Soil Biol 42:S1 27–S1 31
Atiyeh RM, Dominguez J, Subler S, Edwards CA (2000) Changes in biochemical properties of cow manure during processing by earthworms (Eisenia Andrei, Bouche) and the effects on seedling growth. Pedobiologia 44:709–724
Berry EC, Jordan D (2001) Temperature and soil moisture content effects on the growth of Lumbricus terrestris (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae) under laboratory conditions. Soil Biol Biochem 33:133–136
Bhattacharjee G, Chaudhuri PS (2002) Cocoon production, morphology, hatching pattern and fecundity in seven tropical earthworm species-a laboratory based investigation. J Biol 27:283–294
Bhiday MR (1994) Earthworms in agriculture. Indian Farm 43:32
Dominguez J, Edwards CA (1997) Effects of stocking rate and moisture content on the growth and maturation of Eisenia andrei (Oligochaeta) in pig manure. Soil Bio Biochem 29:743–746
Dominguez J, Edwards CA (2011) Biology and ecology of earthworm species used for vermicomposting. Taylor & Francis Group, LLC, Oxford, pp 35–37
Dominguez J, Edwards CA, Dominguez J (2001) The biology and population dynamics of Eudrilus eugeniae (Kinberg) (Oligochaeta) in cattle waste solids. Pedobiologia 45:341–353
DomÃnguez J, Edwards CA, Webster M (2000) Vermicomposting of sewage sludge: effect of bulking materials on the growth and reproduction of the earthworm Eisenia andrei. Pedobiologia (Jena) 44:24–32
Doube BM, Schimdt O, Killham K, Correll R (1997) Influence of mineral soil on the palatability of organic matter for the lumbricid earthworms: a simple food preference study. Soil Biol Biochem 29:569–575
Duiker S, Stehouwer R (2008) Earthworms. The Pennsylvania State University, Code UC182 R2.5 M08/13mpc
Edwards CA (1982) Production of earthworm protein for animal feed from potato waste. In: Ledward DA, Taylor AJ, Lawrie RA (eds) Upgrading waste for feed and food. Butterworths, London
Edwards CA (1988) Breakdown of animal, vegetable and industrial organic waste by earthworms. Agric Ecosyst Environ 24:21–31
Edwards CA (1995) Earthworm. McGraw Hill Encyclopedia, New york, US, pp 81–83
Edwards CA, Bohlen PJ (1996) The biology and ecology of earthworms, 3rd edn. Publ. Chapman & Hall, London, p 426
Edwards CA, Dominguez J, Neuhauser EF (1998) Growth and reproduction of Perionyx excavates (Perr.) (Megascolecidae) as factors in organic waste management. Biol Fertil Soils 27:155–161
Elvira C, Sampedro L, Benitez E, Nogales R (1997) Vermicomposting of sludges from paper mill and dairy industries with Eisenia Andrei: a pilot-scale study. Bioresour Technol 63:205–211
Fernandez-Gomez MJ, Nogales R, Isnam H, Romero E, Goberna M (2011) Role of vermicompost chemical composition, microbial functional diversity, and fungal community structure in their microbial respiratory response to three pesticides. Bioresour Technol 102:9638–9645
Fornes F, Mendoza-Hernandez D, Garcia-de-la-Fuente R, Abad M, Belda RM (2012) Composting versus vermicomposting: a comparative study of organic matter evolution through straight and combined process. Bioresour Technol 118:296–305
Gajalakshmi S, Abbasi SA (2003) Earthworms and vermicomposting. Indian J Biotechnol 3:486–494
Garg VK, Gupta R (2011) Optimization of cow dung spiked pre-consumer processing vegetable waste for vermicomposting using Eisenia fetida. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 74:19–24
Grant WC (1955) Studies on moisture relationships in earthworms. Ecology 36:400–407
Gunadi B, Blount C, Edwards CA (2002) The growth and fecundity of Eisenia fetida (Savingy) in cattle solids pre-composted for different periods. Pedobiologia 47:321–329
Gunadi B, Edwards CA, Blount C IV (2003) The influence of different moisture levels on the growth, fecundity and survival of Eisenia fetida (Savigny) in cattle and pig manure solids. Eur J Soil Biol 39:19–24
Hartenstein R, Amico L (1983) Production and carrying capacity for the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris in culture. Soil Biol Biochem 15:51–54
Holmstrup M, Ostergaard IK, Nielson A, Hansen BT (1991) The relationship between temperature and cocoon incubation time for some Lumbricid earthworm species. Pedobiologia 35:179–184
Huang W (2013) Effects of different influent C/N ratios on the performance of various earthworm eco-filter systems: nutrient removal and greenhouse gas emission. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 30:109–118
Ismail SA (2005) The earthworm book. Other India Press, Mapusa, p 101
Jairajpuri MS (1993) Earthworms and vermiculture: an introduction. In: Earthworm resources and vermiculture. ZSI, Kolkata, India, pp 1–5
Joshi SN (1997) Worm composting. Inora News Lett 1:2
Kaplan DL, Hartenstein R, Neuhauser EF, Malecki MR (1980) Physiochemical requirements in the environment of earthworm Eisenia foetida. Soil Biol Biochem 12:347–352
Khan AA (2006) Vermicomposting of poultry litter using Eisenia foetida. Master of Science dissertation, Oklahoma State University, Norman, Oklahama, US.
Lavelle P (1992) Conservation of soil fertility in low-input agricultural systems of the humid tropics by manipulating earthworm communities (macrofauna project). European Economic Community project no.TS2-0292-F (EDB)
Munnoli PM, Da Silva JAT, Saroj B (2010) Dynamics of the soil-earthworm-plant relationship: a review. Dyn Soil Dyn Plant 4(1):1–21
Nayak AK, Rath LK (1996) Vermiculture and its application. Kisan World 21(1):61–62
Ndegwa PM, Thompson SA (2000) Effects of C-to-N ratio on vermicomposting of biosolids. Bioresour Technol 75(1):7–12
Neuhauser EF, Hartenstein R, Kaplan DL (1980) Growth of earthworm Eisenia foetida in relation to population density and food rationing. Oikos 35(1):93–98
Piconne et al (1986) Vermicomposting of different organic wastes. In: Compost production and use symposium, 17–19 Apr 1986, Udine, pp 818–821
Reddy MV, Pasha M (1993) Influence of rainfall, temperature and some soil physicochemical variables on seasonal population structure and vertical distribution of earthworms in two semi- and tropical grassland soils. Int J Biotech 37:19–26
Reinecke AJ, Viljoen SA (1990) The influence of worm density on growth and cocoon production of the compost worm Eisenia fetida (Oligochaeta). Revue d’Ecologie et Biologie du Sol 27:221–230
Reinecke AJ, Viljoen SA, Saayman RJ (1992) The suitability of Eudrilus eugeniae, Perionyx excavatus and Eisenia foetida (Oligochaeta) for vermicomposting in Southern Africa in terms of their temperature requirements. Soil Biol Biochem 24:1295–1307
Rutikar SK (1997) Some useful information about vermicomposts. Inora Oct (4), 2
Shaw P (1986) The development of soil structure by Octolasion tyrtaeum, Aporrectodea turgid and L.terresitris in parent materials belonging to difficult textural classes. Pedobiologia 29:327–339
Sherman R (2003) Raising earthworms successfully. North Carolina Cooperative Extensive Service, EBAE, Raleigh, pp 103–183
De Silva PMCS (2009) Pesticide effect on earthworms: a tropical perspective. PhD thesis, VU University, Amsterdam, pp 9–82
Singh et al (2005) Effect of initial substrate pH on vermicomposting using Perionyx excavates (Perrier 1872). Appl Ecol Environ Res 4(1):85–97
Staaf H (1987) Foliage litter turnover and earthworm populations in three beech forests of contrasting soil and vegetation types. Oecologia 72:58–64
Suthar S (2008) Bioconversion of post harvest crop residues and cattle shed manure into value-added products using earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae Kinberg. Ecol Eng 32:206–214
Wever LA, Lysyk TJ, Clapperton MJ (2001) The influence of soil moisture and temperature on the survival, aestivation, growth and development of juvenile Aporrectodea tuberculata (Eisen) (Lumbricidae). Pedobiologia 45:121–133
Wood TG (1974) The distribution of earthworms (Megascolecidae) in relation to soils, vegetation and altitude on the slopes of Mt. Kosciusko, Australia. J Anim Ecol 43:87–106
Zajonc I, Sidar V (1990) Use of some wastes from vermin compost preparation and their influence on growth and reproduction of the earthworm E. fetida. Polnohospodarstvo 36:742–752
Zhao YJ, Zhang H, Chao X, Nie E, Li JH, He J, Zheng Z (2011) Efficiency of two-stage combinations of subsurface vertical down-flow and up-flow constructed wetland systems for treating variation in influent C/N ratios of domestic wastewater. Ecol Eng 37:1546–1554
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
S, K.K., Ibrahim, M.H., Quaik, S., Ismail, S.A. (2016). Optimal Conditions and Environmental Factors Involved in Breeding Earthworms for Vermicomposting. In: Prospects of Organic Waste Management and the Significance of Earthworms. Applied Environmental Science and Engineering for a Sustainable Future. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24708-3_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24708-3_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-24706-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-24708-3
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)