BIOCONVERSION OF INDUSTRIAL WOOD WASTES INTO VERMICOMPOST BY UTILIZING AFRICAN NIGHT CRAWLERS (EUDRILUS EUGENIAE)

Large amounts of lignocellulosic waste are generated through forestry and agricultural practices, paper-pulp industries, timber industries, and many agro industries. They pose an environmental pollution problem. One of the most economically viable processes for the conversion of lignocellulosic wastes into useful products is the use of earthworms. This process by which earthworms are used to convert organic materials is known as vermicomposting. In the present study, vermibeds were prepared by mixing the pre-treated chip wash residue (CWR), a wood waste obtained from wet process hardboard factory, with fresh cow dung slurry in different proportions viz., 50:50, 60:40 and 70:30. Simultaneously, a control for each of these concentrations was prepared and maintained. Ten Eudrilus eugeniae adult earthworms were introduced into each of the trays excepting the control. The highest conversion ratio i.e., waste into vermicompost (52%) was observed in 60:40 proportion than the other. Besides, the mean number of cocoons, young ones and quantity of chemical nutrients observed in 60:40 concentrations was high when compared to 50:50 concentrations. The results of this study obviously suggest that the wood waste with cow dung at 60:40 concentrations can very well be used for converting into value added vermicompost by utilizing E. eugeniae.