Iranian Association of Environmental Health (IAEH)
Abstract
Parthenium plants and neem leaves were composted using the epigeic
earthworm, Eisenia fetida (worm-worked compost) to study the growth
and reproductive indices of earthworm involved in the process of
composting. Similarly, parthenium plants and neem leaves were composted
without worms (worm-unworked compost). Efficacy of the resulting
composts in supporting the growth of plant was tested with the
germination and growth of Vigna radiate seedlings. The results showed
that higher parthenium amendment significantly reduced the growth and
reproduction of Eisenia fetida compared with control. The two-way ANOVA
results showed a significant difference in the growth rate of worms
when exposed to different amended concentrations of parthenium plants
and neem leaves at different durations as fixed factors. The following
compost parameters were not significantly different when compared with
control: pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, iron for parthenium worm-worked
compost; nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, organic carbon and
carbon/nitrogen ratio for neem worm-worked compost; nitrogen,
phosphorus and organic carbon for parthenium worm-unworked compost and
pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, zinc and carbon/nitrogen ratio for neem
worm-unworked compost. Between parthenium plant composts and neem
leaves composts, significant differences were not observed in any of
the plant biometric parameters. The results obtained from the present
study indicated that the parthenium composting at low amendments with
cow dung may help its eradication for better utilization
