Heat pre-treatment as an initial step in vermicomposting significantly influences worm population and cocoon production

Year 2023, Volume: 12 Issue: 2, 102 - 110, 21.12.2023

Fevziye Şüheda Hepşen Türkay

https://doi.org/10.21657/soilst.1408077

Abstract

Heat treatment of vermicompost and cow manure is mandated before their use as fertilizers to address the risk of pathogenicity in vermicompost derived from cow manure. While vermicomposting under mesophilic conditions does not significantly reduce microorganisms or degrade enzymes and proteins, organic matter passing through the earthworm's digestive system is effectively composted and sterilized. This study focused on cow manure and subjected it to three heat treatments: 25 °C (HT1), 70 °C for 1 hour (HT2), and 121 °C at 1.5 atm for 15 minutes (HT3). We assessed these treatments over five incubation periods (0, 7, 15, 30, and 45 days) on earthworm (Eisenia fetida L.) biomass, juvenile counts, and cocoon production. The results showed that all earthworms in HT3 died at the second incubation, while the HT1 and HT2 groups survived. Cocoon counts in HT1 and HT2 increased with each period (P<0.01). Remarkably, the number of cocoons in the control group exceeded that of the HT2 group throughout the study (P<0.01), highlighting the significant impact of heat treatment on vermicompost quality and earthworm productivity. Earthworm productivity was significantly affected by the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N), organic carbon (%), total nitrogen (%), NH4⁺-N, and NO3⁻-N. Elevated NH4⁺-N from heat treatments had a negative effect on earthworm activity.

Keywords

Biomass, Cocoon, Eisenia fetida, Heat treatment, Vermicompost

References

• Auerswald, K., Weigand, S., Kainz, M., & Philipp, C. (1996). Influence of soil properties on the population and activity of geophagous earthworms after five years of bare fallow. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 23, 382-387. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00335911
• Bayraklı, B., & Gülser, C. (2023). Changes in some physical properties of the soils tread with wheat straw and rice husk under the rotation of white-head cabbage, tomato and wheat. Soil Studies, 12, 030-039. http://doi.org/10.21657/soilst.1328706
• Boran, D., Namli, A., & Akca, M. O. (2017). Determination of quality parameters of vermicompost under different thermal techniques. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, 26(8), 5205-5212.
• Brown, B. A., & Mitchell, M. J. (1981). Role of the earthworm, Eisenia foetida, in affecting survival of Salmonella enteritidis ser. typhimurium. Pedobiologia, 21(6), 434-438. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-4056(23)03604-1
• Demir, Z. (2019). Effects of vermicompost on soil physicochemical properties and lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. crispa) yield in greenhouse under different soil water regimes. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 50(17), 2151-2168. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103624.2019.1654508
• Demir, Z. (2020). Quantifying some physical properties and organic matter of soils under different management systems in cherry orchard. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science, 9(3), 208-221. https://doi.org/10.18393/ejss.726906
• Dominguez, J., Edwards, C. A., & Ashby, J. (2001). The biology and ecology of Eudrilus eugeniae (Kinberg) (Oligochaeta) bred in cattle wastes. Pedobiologia, 45, 341–353. https://doi.org/10.1078/0031-4056-00091
• Dominguez, J., Edwards, C.A., & Subtler, S. (1997). A comparison of vermicomposting and composting. BioCycle, 38(4), 57-59.
• Edwards, C.A., Arancon, Q. N., & Sherman, R. (2011). Vermiculture Technology. Taylor Francis Group, CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/b10453
• Edwards, C. A. (1988). Breakdown of animal, vegetable and industrial organic wastes by earthworms. In C. A. Edwards & E. F. Neuhauser (Eds.), Earthworms in Waste and Environmental Management (pp. 21–31). SPB.
• Eastman, B.R., Kane, P.N., Edwards, C.A., Trytek, L., & Gunadi, B. (2001). The effectiveness of vermiculture in human pathogen reduction for USEPA Class a Stabilization. Compost Science & Utilization, 9, 38–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/1065657X.2001.10702015
• Fusilero, M. A., Mangubat, J., Ragas, R. E., Baguinon, N., Taya, H., & Rasco Jr, E. (2013). Weed management systems and other factors affecting the earthworm population in a banana plantation. European journal of soil biology, 56, 89-94.F
• Garg, V.K., Chand, S., Chhillar, A., & Yadav, A. (2005). Growth and reproduction of Eisenia foetida in various animal wastes during vermicomposting. Applied Ecology and Environmental Research, 3(2), 51-59. https://doi.org/10.15666/AEER/0302_051059
• Kacar, B. (1972). Bitki ve Toprağın Kimyasal Analizleri I. Bitki Analizleri. Ankara Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi.
• Kacar, B. (1995). Bitki ve Toprağın Kimyasal Analizleri II. Toprak Analizleri. Ankara Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi.
• Kızılkaya, R., & Hepşen Türkay, F. Ş. (2014). Vermicomposting of anaerobically digested sewage sludge with hazelnut husk and cow manure by earthworm (Eisenia foetida). Compost Science & Utilization, 22(2), 68-82. https://doi.org/10.1080/1065657X.2014.895454
• Lavelle, P., Decaëns, T., Aubert, M., Barot, S., Blouin, M., Bureau, F., Margerie, P., Mora, P. & Rossi, J. P. (2006). Soil invertebrates and ecosystem services. European journal of soil biology, 42, S3-S15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejsobi.2006.10.002
• Namlı, A., Akça, O., Perçimli, C., Beşe, S., Gür, Ş., Arıkan, H., Eser, İ., İzci, E., Gümüşay, E., Tunca, G., Khalau Mutafçılar, Z.J., & Demirtaş, Ö. (2014). Evsel ve endüstriyel arıtma çamurlarının solucanlar (Eisenia fetida) ile kompostlanması. Toprak Bilimi ve Bitki Besleme Dergisi, 2(2), 46–56.
• Pang, X. Y., Wu, N., Liu, Q. & Bao, W. K. (2009). The relation among soil microorganism, enzyme activity and soil nutrients under subalpine coniferous forest in Western Sichuan. Acta Ecologica Sinica. 29: 286–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chnaes.2009.09.005
• Rajapaksha, N. S. S., Butt, K. R., Vanguelova, E. I., & Moffat, A. J. (2013). Effects of short rotation forestry on earthworm community development in the UK. Forest Ecology and Management, 309, 96–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2013.04.004
• Reinecke, A. J., & Viljoen, S. A. (1990). The influence of worm density on growth and cocoon production of the compost worm Eisenia fetida (Oligochaeta). Revue d'écologie et de biologie du sol, 27(2), 221–230. https://doi.org/10.1078/0031-4056-00109
• Rakıcıoğlu, S., & Kızılkaya, R. (2021). Çay fabrikasyon atığının windrow yöntemine göre kompostlanması. Toprak Bilimi ve Bitki Besleme Dergisi, 9(2), 62-68. https://doi.org/10.33409/tbbbd.998698
• Ryan, J., Estefan, G., & Rashid, A. (2001). Soil and Plant Analysis Laboratory Manual. International Center forAgricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).
• Sarathchandra U, Ghani A, Waller J, Burch G, Sayer S, Waipara N & Dexter M. (2006). Impact of carbon-rich dairy factory effluent on growth of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and soil microorganisms. European Journal of Soil Biology. 42: 13–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejsobi.2005.08.002
• Sarwar, M., Nadeem, A., Iqbal, M. K., & Shafiq, T. (2006). Biodiversity of earthworm species relative to different flora. Punjab University Journal of Zoology, 21, 1–7.
• Tomati, U., & Galli, E. (1995). Earthworms, soil fertility and plant productivity. Acta Zoologica Fennica, 196, 11–14.
• Tomati, U., Grappelli, A., & Galli, E. (1987). The presence of growth regulators in earthworm-worked wastes. In A. M. Bonvicini Paglioi & P. Omodeo (Eds.), Proceedings of International Symposium on Earthworms. Selected Symposia and Monographs (pp. 423–435). Unione Zoologica Italiana.
• Tomati, U., Grappelli, A., & Galli, E. (1988). The hormone-like effect of earthworm casts on plant growth. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 5, 288–294. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00262133
• Türkay, İ., & Öztürk, L. (2023). The form, dose, and method of application of vermicompost differentiate the phenylpropene biosynthesis in the peltate glandular trichomes of methylchavicol chemotype of Ocimum basilicum L. Industrial Crops and Products, 198, 116688. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2023.116688
• Yılmaz, C. H., & Uğur, R. (2022). Influence of some plant nutrients on sweet cherry cultivars grafted on plum rootstocks (Prunus cerasifera) in soil with high pH. Soil Studies, 11(2), 51-61. http://doi.org/10.21657/soilst.1218368
• Zhou, B., Chen, Y., Zhang, C., Li, J., Tang, H., Liu, J., Dai, J., & Tang, J. (2021). Earthworm biomass and population structure are negatively associated with changes in organic residue nitrogen concentration during vermicomposting. Pedosphere, 31(3), 433–439. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1002-0160(20)60089-3