VERMICOMPOSTING OF Phumdi of LOKTAK LAKE BY USING THE THREE SPECIES OF EARTHWORM Eudrilus eugeniae, Eisenia foetida AND Perionyx excavatus

Vermicomposting technology has been using as an essential organic solid-waste management tool all over the world today. The research work aims at converting the Phumdi (macrophyte) of the Loktak lake into organic fertiliser through the vermicomposting process. Three species of earthworm namely, Eudrilus eugeniae, Eisenia foetida and Perionyx excavatus were used for the vermicomposting process. The phumdi collected was mixed with cow dung slurry in the ratio 3:1 and kept pre-composted for three weeks. Four sets of pots (30 cm diameter and 30 cm height), each set comprising of three replicates were taken, of which three sets were used for vermicomposting and the fourth set was kept as the control for composting. The harvesting of vermicompost and compost were carried out on 60th day after the pre-compost. Compound samples of the four sets of pots were analysed for the presence of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Organic Carbon (OC), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn), Lead (Pb) and Cadmium (Cd). The growth parameters of the three species of earthworm were examined, and it was found to be increased at the end of the experiment. There is also an increase in the primary nutrient present in both the compost and the vermicompost, whereas the trace elements content were decreased. The optimal range of temperature for the activity of worms in the production of quality compost is found to be 23-24℃ and of moisture content is 57-61%. The C/N ratio was found to decrease with time and the ratio recorded in the final compost and the three types of vermicompost of E. eugeniae, E. foetida and P. excavatus are 14.09, 11.71, 11.22 and 10.41 respectively. Thus, the vermicomposting of phumdi biomass gives nutrient-rich fertiliser, and also it plays a significant role in removing the vast amount of phumdi biomass dumped around the bank of the lake.