Potential of Eisenia fetida for vermicomposting of garden trimmings spiked with cow dung

The garden residues and trimmings were vermicomposted in order to mitigate environmental problems caused by them. The results of experiments indicated that the addition of Garden Trimmings (GT) up to 30% with cow dung (CD) produced good quality vermicompost in terms of increased NPK status as well as decrease in C : N and C : P ratio. A comparison of the decomposition of GT + CD in vermicomposting and composting (without worms) experiments indicated that vermicomposting with E. fetida is more efficient in maximising the extent of organic matter degradation. The growth of worms was lesser pronounced when they were fed on higher concentrations of GT in feed mixtures.

Keywords: garden trimmings, vermicomposting, Eisenia fetida, biodegradability constant, fertiliser value, earthworms, garden waste, cow dung, vermicompost