Evaluation of vermicompost quality: Efficacy in seed germination and reproduction of Eudrilus eugeniae
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the quality of vermicompost produced through vermicomposting, using the germination index of two seed species and the reproduction of earthworms as indicators to ensure the absence of toxicity and promote the safe use of vermicompost. The experiment was conducted in 20-liter vermireactors, using 25 adult earthworms of the species Eudrilus eugeniae per reactor. Three treatments were applied, varying the proportions of fruit, vegetable, and grass clippings residues. The phytotoxicity of the vermicompost was assessed through the Germination Index (GI%) of lettuce and cucumber seeds. The GI was calculated by comparing the germination and root elongation of seeds treated with vermicompost extracts to the control. Earthworm reproduction was evaluated at the end of the experiment by comparing the initial and final number of earthworms and cocoons to calculate the reproduction rate. The data were analyzed by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), followed by Tukey's test to identify significant differences between treatments. The results indicated that Treatment T3, which combined different proportions of residues, was the most effective in promoting both the growth and reproduction of earthworms and the germination of seeds, suggesting that the combination of organic residues is crucial for producing high-quality, non-toxic vermicompost. These findings highlight the importance of an integrated approach in treatment formulation to optimize sustainable vermicompost production.
DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2024.023-016
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2024 Liciane Oliviera da Rosa, Rubiane Buchweitz Fick, Ketellen Nunes Trindade, Byanca Corrêa de Oliveira, Laiê Rodrigues Porto Ferreira, Isadora Rasera Silveira, Paula Burin, Amanda Morais Grabin, Gabriel Afonso Martins, Luciara Bilhalva Corrêa, Álvaro Renato Guerra Dias, Érico Kunde CorrêaAuthor(s)
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Liciane Oliviera da Rosa
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Rubiane Buchweitz Fick
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Ketellen Nunes Trindade
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Byanca Corrêa de Oliveira
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Laiê Rodrigues Porto Ferreira
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Isadora Rasera Silveira
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Paula Burin
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Amanda Morais Grabin
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Gabriel Afonso Martins
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Luciara Bilhalva Corrêa
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Álvaro Renato Guerra Dias
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Érico Kunde Corrêa