FOUR NEW EARTHWORM GENERA (ANNELIDA: OLIGOCHAETA) FROM NIGERIA

The taxonomy of earthworms in Nigeria has been mainly on the family Eudrilidae. The present work describes four new earthworm genera belonging to earthworm families other than the Eudrilidae. Earthworm samples were collected using the digging and hand-sorting method. The earthworms are preserved in formoacetic alcohol. The four taxa described here include Imekodrilus hexagastricus (family Moniligastridae), Adodrilus stephana (family Megascolecidae), Parnematogenia eyinwaensis and Ekitidrilus alabataensis(family Ocnerodrilidae). Imekodrilus hexagastricus from Imeko, Ogun State has six gizzards, characteristic of members of the family Moniligastridae. The genus Adodrilus is compared with 3 earthworm genera, Diporochaeta, Plutellus and Perionyx. The genus and species lacks gizzards. The calciferous glands (a pair) are present, with left and right united in segment X. Four individuals of P. eyinwaensis were collected from Eyinwa, Odogbolu Local Government Area of OgunState. The species is here described as having same position and number of calciferous glands, testes and male pores as the genus Nematogenia. Also described here is E. alabataensis, which was collected from both Ado-Ekiti and Alabata, south west Nigeria. These four genera and species are here presented as new taxa of earthworms from southwest Nigeria.ª¤

Amino acid profile of four earthworms species from Nigeria

The amino acid profile of four species of earthworms from Nigeria namely Eudrilus eugeniae, Hyperiodrilus africanus, Alma millsoni and Libyodrilus violaceus were evaluated in this study. The amino acid analysis was conducted using the High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) specifically the Technichon TSM-1 (technosequential multisample) analyser for amino acid. Nine essential namely Lysine, Histidine, Arginine, Threonine, Valine, Methionine, Isoleucine, Leucine and Phebylalanine and eight non-essential amino acids namely Aspartic acid, Serine, Glutamic acid, Proline, Glycine, Alanine, Cystine and Tyrosine were recorded in this study. Cystine with a range of 0.64-0.80 g/100kg protein had the least concentration while Glutamic acid with a range of 11.50-13.22 g/100kg protein was the highest. Lysine and methionine, which were limiting amino acids in most feedstuffs, were present in all the earthworm species and ranges from 4.95-5.70 g/100g protein for lysine and 2.08-2.30 g/100g protein for methionin

Effects of light colour and oscillator frequency on earthworm bioactivity

An experiment was conducted at the Zoology Laboratory of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Nigeria to evaluate the suitability of different light colours. Being generated from 15-watt, low-heat, or frequencygenerated flourescent tubes as stimulants to enhance, major cast productivity of the earthworm species Hyperiodrilus africanus. The aim was to determine if exposure to the different light colours would improve the cast productivity of the worms and show whether H. africanus would show preference for any particular light colour, in terms of mass of cast produced and rates of emigration. The earthworms were kept in cylindrical plastic containers and put in different cubicles on a wooden shelf, where they are subjected to different light colours that is, white, dark (control), green, blue, and red. Results indicated that the red light colour was the most suitable in terms of cast productivity, as casting was highest (11.96 g/worm), followed by blue (10.66 g/worm), green (9.49 g/worm), dark (7.2 g/worm) and white (4.86 g/worm), respectively. Least emigration was recorded under the control (dark) , followed by red, white, blue and green respectively, which indicated that the worms were probably more ‘comfortable’ in the dark and the red light than the other light colours tested. Results suggest that if red light is introduced to a farm, casting activities can be increased and therefore, soil fertility can be improved

Macromineral Profile of Four Species of Earthworm Hyperiodrilus africanus, Eudrilus eugeniae, Libyodrilus violaceus and Alma millsoni from Nigeria

The macro mineral profile of four Nigerian species of earthworm; Hyperiodrilus africanus, Eudrilus eugeniae, Libyodrilus violaceus and Alma millsoni was conducted. using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Five macro minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium and phosphorus were determined. Comparatively H. africanus recorded the highest mean Ca (0.494 ±0.038%) while A. millsoni recorded the lowest (0.318±0.034%). Hyperiodrilus africanus also recorded the highest mean Mg (0.154±0.015%) whereas L. violaceus recorded the lowest (0.118±0.017%). Alma millsoni recorded the highest mean K (0.045±0.003% ) whereas H. africanus recorded the lowest (0.027±0.002%). The highest mean Na (74.209±13.699 ppm) was recorded by A. millsoni while the lowest (19.813±2.087 ppm) was recorded by H. africanus. Also A. millsoni recorded the highest mean P (0.701±0.022%) while H.africanus recorded the lowest (0.456±0.034%). A significant difference was observed in the mean % Ca, % M g, % K, ppmNa and % P between the four species of earthworms (p<0.01). The study revealed that these five macro minerals which are requirements of animals w ere well represented and adequate in the earthworms. Therefore, the use of meal prepared from these species as mineral supplement in fish diets could be encouraged

Prospects and challenges of vermiculture practices in southwest Nigeria

The prospect of vermiculture in the south-western coast of Nigeria was studied. One hundred and two respondents were interviewed in the three coastal towns of Badagry, Epe and Igbokoda. The results show that 94% of respondents made use of earthworms as fish bait, 37% buy their worms and 57% collected by themselves. The respondents, who buy, however, noted that their suppliers do not breed the worms but search for them from marshy areas. The price value placed on the worms ranged between 0.35 and ₦3.10 per kg; while the most quoted prices were 0.35 and ₦0.80 (16.7% each). The average quoted price was ₦0.70 per kg. Forty-six percent (46%) of respondents were willing to buy earthworms if supplied to them; 49% were willing to serve as sales agents if contacted and 66.7% opined that earthworm was their choicest fishing bait. The results indicate positive expectation for vermiculture as a business venture. Vermiculture should, however, put into consideration the production of Alma millsoni and Libyodrilus violaceus, the species quoted as the most preferred and effective for fishing. Vermiculture will go a long way in solving the problem of earthworm scarcity among these people, reduce the stress put on natural populations earthworms, thus conserving the worms and also reduce damage done to the soil environment in the course of excavating for worms

Enteric bacteria and fungi of the Eudrilid earthworm Libyodrilus violaceus

The identity and multiplication of bacteria and fungi (yeasts and mould) as they pass along the alimentary tract of the earthworm Libyodrilus violaceus have been studied. The bacteria isolated included Acinetobacter sp., Alcaligans faecalis, Bacillus brevis, Bacillus ceveus, Bacillus lalerosporus, Bacillus lichenoform, Bacillus maceraus, Bacillus sp., Corynebacterium sp., Enterobacter cloacae, Erwinia salicie, Flavobacterium aquartile, Flavobacterium sp., Klebsiella sp., Micrococcus inteus, Micrococcus kristinae, Micrococcus varians, Proteus myxofasciens, Proteus rennevi, Proteus vulgaris and Pseudomonas sp. Whereas P. vulgaris is a normal harmless inhabitant of the human intestine where it assist with digestion, it sometimes becomes pathogenic causing urinary tract infection. For now there is no information on if it undergoes similar change in the earthworms and if such a potential risk is transmissible to man. The fungi isolated included the following yeasts: Saccharomycos cerevisiae, Rhodoturula graminis, Saccharomycos sp., Candida valida, Geotrichium niger; and the following moulds: Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Fusarium sp., Rhizopus sp. It is noteworthy that none of the fungi has the ability to digest melobiose, a disaccharide formed by an alpha linkage between galactose and glucose. Microbial counts increases along the alimentary track from eosophagus to rectum. Most of the microbes flourish best in an alimentary track region than in others. Thus, they tend to colonize different regions and thus minimize competitio

Partial replacement of fish meal by earthworm meal (Libyodrilus violaceus) in diets for African catfish, Clarias gariepinus

A seven-week feeding trial was conducted to examine the possibility of replacing fish meal with earthworm meal in the diets of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus fry. Fish meal protein was replaced by earthworm meal at 0% (D0); 15% (D15); 25% (D25); 35% (D35); and 50% (D50). The diets were isonitrogenous (54%) and fed thrice daily to triplicate groups of African catfish fry at 5% body weight. Diet had a significant effect on growth performance and feed utilization (p≤0.05). Final weight, weight gain, daily weight gain, and specific growth rate, were highest in fish fed diet D25. A similar pattern of growth was observed for length measurements. Fish fed diets exceeding 25% replacement of fish meal with earthworm meal had depressed growth. Feed conversion ratio was highest in fish fed D35. Mortality was not dependent on diet. It is concluded that fish meal can be substituted with earthworm meal up to 25% in the diet of C. gariepinus fry without adverse effects on growth and nutrient utilizatio

Partitioning of Chemical and Physical Effects of Earthworms on Growth Performance of the Vegetable Amaranthus

This study was carried out to partition the physical and chemical effects of earthworms on the vegetable crop Amaranthus. By restricting earthworms to one half side of plant pots and comparing plant growth performance on both sides of the pots, and by comparing these with completely wormless pots (control), statistical analyses showed that plants on the wormless sides of wormed pots perform better than those in control pots. This suggests that some earthworm products cross the cloth septa to positively influence the plants on the wormless sides. The differences represents the effect due to chemical products of earthworms or of their activities. Plants on the worm sides of pots perform better than those on the wormless sides. Their difference represents the physical effects of the earthworms. It is estimated that chemical effects of the earthworms Libyodrilus violaceus improve Amaranthus performance by about 32% and the physical effects by about 36%. The total effect of both amount to about 68%. The growth parameter significantly improved are: plant height, leaf length, leaf area and number of leaves, whereas stem girth and leaf width are not significantly affected. This suggests that some chemical product of the earthworms affect primary apical meristem in the cell proliferation and elongation zones. This agrees with the suggestion that earthworms produce auxins and cytokinins. The estimated optimal level of earthworm treatment was 15 earthworms per pot (equivalent to 3.77million worms/ha, or 0.38T/ha for L. violaceus). For Amaranthus the parameters most improved by the earthworms were those that most affected market value. This should therefore be a good campaign factor to encourage farmers to adopt earthworm transplatation as a partial substitute for application of inorganic fertilizers

Effect of Over-seasoned Earthworm Products on Seed Germination: Implication for Early Rain Cropping

This study was to investigate if residual earthworm products in a soil left to dry up for five months would still be able to stimulate seed germination. Soil pots were treated with different levels of earthworms and planted with Amaranthus seed which grew for 36 days before they were harvested by uprooting. The pots were left to dry for five months simulating the dry season. The levels of germination correlated with the level of earthworm treatments. This suggests that earthworm products survive in the soil during the five months dry season experienced in this part of Nigeria. Leftover earthworm products must therefore be important to seed germination during the early cropping with the first rains before the earthworms populations build up. That the earthworm products improve total germination suggests that they may contain some enzymatic/catalytic component that affects the efficient utilization of the endosperm such that the embryo survives before the depletion of the endosperm. This may be related to the fact that the earthworm produce plant growth hormones that stimulate cell proliferation and elongation in the radicle. Fast development of the radicle ensures stabilization before depletion of the endosperm