Water-holding capacity of earthworms’ vermicompost made of sugar industry waste (press mud) in mono- and polyculture vermireactors

Prakash Mallappa Munnoli () and Saroj Bhosle ()
Additional contact information
Prakash Mallappa Munnoli: S D M College of Engineering and Technology
Saroj Bhosle: Goa University

Environment Systems and Decisions, 2011, vol. 31, issue 4, 394-400

Abstract: Abstract Efforts were made to recycle sugar industry waste ‘press mud’ (PM) with an objective to ascertain the water-holding capacities with monoculture vermireactor systems using Eisenia fetida (MVR1); Eudrilus eugeniae (MVR2); Megascolex megascolex (MVR3); and polyculture vermireactor systems using Eisenia fetida + Eudrilus eugeniae (PVR1); Eisenia fetida + Megascolex megascolex (PVR2); Eudrilus eugeniae + Megascolex megascolex (PVR3). The vermicompost harvested after 40 days was subjected to a standard Proctor compaction test by using 3 kg industry soil and 200 g of vermicompost for each cycle of compaction up to seven cycles. The least dry density and highest water content 0.6, 170%; 0.66, 170%; 0.71, 170% and 0.52, 210%; 0.51, 180%; 0.71, 150% for vermicomposts of MVR3, MVR2, MVR1 and PVR3, PVR2, PVR1, respectively. The monoculture reactor using Megascolex megascolex can hold 110–170% and polyculture vermireactor using indigenous Megascolex megascolex + Eudrilus eugeniae (PVR3) can hold 140–210% of water under experimental conditions. The species Megascolex megascolex used individually and in combinations with Eudrilus eugeniae are best suited for biodegradation of press mud, and composts derived are having increase water-holding capacities. The addition of VC to the soil increases water-holding capacity and by maintaining evaporation losses to minimum as good adsorbent of atmospheric moisture eventually helps in maintaining the ecology of hydrologic cycle. Increasing water-holding capacity is one of the soil erosion control measures that influences soil productivity in both managed and natural ecosystems.

Keywords: Bioconversion; Bio-reactor; Soil aggregation; Vermicomposting; Vermiculture; Porosity; Water-holding capacity; Capillary water; Hygroscopic water (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10669-011-9353-6 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:envsyd:v:31:y:2011:i:4:d:10.1007_s10669-011-9353-6

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.springer.com/journal/10669

DOI: 10.1007/s10669-011-9353-6

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Environment Systems and Decisions from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().