Biology, Growth and Reproductive Performance of African Nightcrawler (Eudrilus eugeniae) Raised in a Tray Vermiculture System and Supplemented with the Concentrated Feed

Received: 04-02-2020

Accepted: 14-05-2020

DOI:

Views

0

Downloads

0

Issue: Vol. 18 No. 5 (2020)

Section:

CHĂN NUÔI – THÚ Y – THỦY SẢN

How to Cite:

Hanh, H., Xuan, N., & Ton, V. (2024). Biology, Growth and Reproductive Performance of African Nightcrawler (Eudrilus eugeniae) Raised in a Tray Vermiculture System and Supplemented with the Concentrated Feed. Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 18(5), 323–331. http://testtapchi.vnua.edu.vn/index.php/vjasvn/article/view/666

Biology, Growth and Reproductive Performance of African Nightcrawler (Eudrilus eugeniae) Raised in a Tray Vermiculture System and Supplemented with the Concentrated Feed

Han Quang Hanh (*) 1 , Nguyen Thi Xuan 1 , Vu Dinh Ton 1

  • 1 Khoa Chăn nuôi, Học viện Nông nghiệp Việt Nam

    • Keywords

    Concentratedfeed, earthworm, earthwormbiomass, vermicomposting

    Abstract


    This study was undertaken to assess the biology and effects of 2 types of the concentrated feed in the diet on growth, reproductive performance and efficiency of organic waste degradation of African nightcrawler (Eudrilus Eugeniae) by a batch production on the tray vermiculture system with compound feed supplement. The breeding earthworms were kept in plastic trays (15 worms/tray) added with a substrate made of dried cow dung (550g/tray) under the laboratory conditions (temperature 23-28C, humidity 55-65%). The experiment was designed by 2 groups with 2 different concentrated feed in the diet (rice flour and yellow maize flour) and 3 replicates. The breeding earthworms were separated from the substrate every 10 days after laying. The cocoons were hatched and the growth of hatchlings was assessed up to 4 weeks of age. Results showed that the African nightcrawler had a big size and weight of both its body and cocoon that were appropriate for the intensive vermiculture by the tray system. Supplement of 2 types of concentrated feed in the diet resulted in high and equivalent efficiency of worm growth and reproductivity. After 4 weeks, each breeding earthworm produced 89.22-90.97 newly born hatchlings, equivalent to 8.11g dry matter of worm biomass, and the conversion ratio from solid waste to worm mass was 9.86:1-10:1. However, in the production condition, the indoor climate should be adjusted appropriately to the earthworm physiology, and the cost-benefit analysis should be conducted in order to achieve the highest performance and economic efficiency.

    References

    AliS.&KashemM.(2018).LifeCycleofVermicompostingEarthwormsEiseniafetidaandEudriluseugeniaeUnderLaboratoryControlledCondition.BiomedicalJournalofScientific&TechnicalResearch. 10(4).

    AOAC(1990).OfficialMethodsofAnalysis.AssociationofOfficialAnalyticalChemists.Arlington.

    BhattacharjeeG.&ChaudhuriP.S.(2002).Cocoonproduction,morphology,hatchingpatternandfecundityinseventropicalearthwormspecies- alaboratory-basedinvestigation.JournalofBiosciences. 27: 283-294.

    ChauhanH.K.&SinghK.(2013).EffectoftertiarycombinationsofanimaldungwithagrowastesonthegrowthanddevelopmentofearthwormEiseniafetidaduringorganicwastemanagement.InternationalJournalOfRecyclingofOrganicWasteinAgriculture. 2(1):11.

    CurryJ.P&SchmidtO.(2007).Thefeedingecologyofearthworms-Areview.Pedobiologia.50:463-477.

    DominguezJ.,CliveA.Edwards&JohnAshby(2001).ThebiologyandpopulationdynamicsofEudriluseugeniae(Kinberg)(Oligochaeta)incattlewastesolids.Pedobiologia. 45:341-353.

    ĐặngVũBình,VũĐìnhTôn&NguyễnĐìnhLinh(2008).Đánhgiákhảnăngsinhtrưởngcủagiunquế(Perionyxexcavatus)trêncácnguồnthứcănkhácnhau).TạpchíKhoahọcvàPháttriển. 6(4).

    EdwardsC.A.(1985).Productionoffeedproteinfromanimalwastebyearthworms.PhilosophicalTransactionsoftheRoyalSocietyofLondon. 310:299-307.

    EdwardsC.A.(1988).Breakdownofanimal,vegetableandindustrialorganicwastesbyearthworms;InCAEdwardsandEPNeuhauser(eds),EarthwormsinWasteandEnvironmentalManagement.SPBAcademicPublishing,TheHague,theNetherlands.pp. 21-23

    EdwardsC.A.,DominguezJ.&NeuhauserE.F.(1998).GrowthandreproductionofPerionyxexcavatus(Perr.)(Megascolecidae)asfactorsinorganicwastemanagement.BiologyandFertilityofSoils. 27:155-161.

    ElviraC.,DornfnguezJ.&BrionesM.J.I.(1996).GrowthandreproductionofEiseniaandreiandE.fetida(Oligochaeta,Lumbricidae)indifferentorganicresidues.Pedobiologia. 40:377-384.

    NandeeshaM.C.,SrikanthG.K.,BasavarajaN.,KeshavanathP.,Varghese T.J.,BanoK.,RayA.K.&KaleRD.(1988).Influenceofearthwormmealonthegrowthandfleshqualityofcommoncarp.BiologicalWastes. 26(3):189-198.

    Ndegwa P.M. & ThompsonS.A.(2001).Integratingcompostingandvermicompostinginthetreatmentandbioconversionofbiosolids.BioresourceTechnology. 76:107-112.

    ReineckeA.J.&HallattL.(1989).GrowthandcocoonproductionofPerionyxexcavatus(Oligochaeta).BiologyFertilityofSoils. 8:303-306.

    Reinecke A.J.,ViljoenS.A.&SaaymanR.J.(1992).ThesuitabilityofEudriluseugeniae,PerionyxexcavatusandEiseniaeetida(Oligochaeta)forvermicompostinginsouthernafricaintermsoftheirtemperaturerequirements.SoilBiologyandBiochemistry. 24(12):1295-1307.

    Reinecke A.J. & ViljoenS.A.(1988).ReproductionoftheAfricanearthworm,Eudriluseugeniae(Oligochaeta)- cocoons.BiologyandFertilityofSoils. 7(1):23-27.

    Sivasankari B.,IndumathiS.&AnandharajM.(2013).AstudyonlifecycleofearthwormEudriluseugeniae.International. JournalofChemistryandPharmaceuticalSciences. 1:64-67.

    Sophie A.V.&ReineckeA.J.(1989).Life-cycleoftheafricannightcrawler,Eudriluseugeniae(Oligochaeta).SouthAfrican. JournalofZoology. 24(1):27-32.

    VenterJ.M.&ReineckeA.J.(1988).Thelife-cycleofthecompostwormEiseniaFetida(Oligochaeta).SouthAfricanJournalofZoology. 23(3):161-165.

    VuDinhTon,HanQuangHanh,NguyenDinhLinh&NguyenVanDuy(2009).Useofredworms(Perionyxexcavatus)tomanageagriculturalwastesandsupplyvaluablefeedforpoultry.LivestockResearchforRuralDevelopment. 21(11).

    VũĐìnhTôn&HánQuangHạnh(2010).Xácđịnhmứcsửdụngbộtgiunquế(Perionyxexcavatus)thíchhợptrongkhẩuphầnăncủagàbroiler(Hồ× LươngPhượng)nuôithảvườn.TạpchíKhoahọcvàPháttriển. 8(6).