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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
This study examines the potential of indigenous Eisenia fetida in the conversion of pre-composted substrate mixtures of cow dung, chinar leaves (Platanus orientalis), paper and kitchen waste and quantification of nitrogen recovery from the waste combinations through economical methodology. The experiment was conducted at Mountain Livestock Research Institute, Manasbal, Kashmir. The treatments consisted of four pre-decomposed biowaste substrate combinations of cow dung, chinar leaves, paper waste and kitchen with different ratios. Locally found Eisenia fetida were inoculated with 35-days-oldworms. Kjeldahl method was applied in determination of total N percentage after digestion of biowastes samples. Vermicastings produced from T5 (cow dung, kitchen waste and chinar leaves 2:1:1), T1 (cow dung and chinar leaves in the ratio of 3:1), and T2 (cow dung, paper waste 3:1) recorded an increase in nitrogen by 40.86 %, 35.77 % and 28.57 % respectively at 90 days after stocking. Maximum gain in earthworm number and highest growth rate was significantly higher in T5 (93.80%), followed by T1 (85.20) at 90 days after stocking. The waste-to-nutrients when set up with such consideration, can effectively bridge the gap between waste recycling, composting and landfilling, for tackling the increasing problems of waste disposal in the urban areas, in an environmentally friendly manner, besides augmenting recycling of nitrogen for agricultural use.