• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 2003

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of different plant growth media on the growth of tomato(Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) seedlings during growth stages. The media were commercial plant growth medium 100％, earthworm cast (that was produced by vermicomposting of food waste and cattle manure) 100％, earthworm cast 50％ ＋ vermiculite 50％, earthworm cast 50％ ＋ perlite 50％, earthworm cast 40％ ＋ vermiculite 30％ + perlite 30％. Plant length(mm), number of leaves, leaf area($\textrm{cm}^2$), stem diameter(mm), plant dry mater were greatest till the 2nd week growth stages in the commercial plant growth medium plots, but those were higher in the earthworm cast than those in the other plant growth media at the later stages of this study(P<0.05). And relative growth rate of biological yield, relative growth rate of shoot and relative growth rate of root were highest in the earthworm cast till the 4th week growth stage. Therefore it can be implied that there is the possibility of potential utilization of earthworm cast, which was produced by vermicomposting of food waste and cattle manure, as vegetable growth medium.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.65-73
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• 1994

Earthworm cast was investigated in this study in order to domestically develop inexpensive and safe plug nursery soil. 20,30,40 and 50% of earthworm cast were added to the nursery soil as vegetable plant growth media, in which peatmoss and vermiculite constituted the rest of the soil. The effects of earthworm cast on the growth of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seedling were obtained as follows. 1. According to the growth stages, significant differences(p=0.001) were recorded in number of leaves, leaf area and biological dry matter yield per plant(shoor or root dry matter yield per plant). In view of mixing ratios in the nursery soil, number of leaves, leaf area and stem weight per plant showed differences significantly at 1% level and leaf weight, root weight and biological dry weight per plant at 5% level, respectively. 2. The nursery soil with earthworm cast showed increased number of leaves and leaf area per plant compared to the commercial nursery soil particularly in the later stage of this study than in the earlier stage 3. Through the total period of seedling growth, leaf weight, stem weight and root weight per plant in the nursery soil with earthworm cast were genrally higher than those in the control and this trend was apparant in the treatment of more than 40% of mixing ratio with earthworm cast. 4. Although leaf weight per plant was higher than stem weight per plant till the 3rd week, from the 4th week stem weight per plant was getting higher. In the later stage of seedling growth, the stem weight was higher in the earthworm cast mixed treatment than that in the control. 5. There was no significant difference on biological dry matter yield in the earlier stage of this study, however in the later stage, it was higher in the earthworm cast mixed treatment than that in the control.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.715-725
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• 2012

This study was performed to make the method of food waste manufacturing for feeding to earthworm and different ratio of earthworm cast was investigated for applying vegetable plants that cultivated in a family or roof garden. We made conventional treatment of gardening soil and prepared soils with earthworm cast (the only fertilizer) at 30, 50, 70 and 100% for planting vegetable plants and then we studied its growth feature. The treatment was repeated three times with 12 weeks for each time. The cultivation of radish and chinese cabbage were managed at the same cultivation level for RDA standard cultivation method, and each sample of soils and plants was analyzed by appropriate analysis method. The growth investigation was performed 12 week after planting, and as for growth characteristics, height, leaf diameter, leaf number, leaf length, fresh weight and dry weight were investigated. The chemical characteristics, soils and plants, were surveyed. As for the growth characteristics investigated, radish and chinese cabbage showed the biggest growth in 70% and 50% treatment with average growth of all characteristics, height, leaf diameter, leaf number, leaf length, fresh weight and dry weight, respectively. Applying these results, a new equation for vermicast recommendation for radish and Chinese cabbage in summer (June-August) was presented. The earthworm cast 50% level with the gardening soil showed the high production in chinese cabbage. In case of radish, earthworm cast 70% with gardening soil level showed great growth, significantly.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.35-45
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• 1996

In order to investigate the possibility of treating nightsoil sludge, the growth trend experiments with vermicompsting was performed and the stability of worm castings was evaluated by the analysis of minerals according to growth periods. Survival rate(SR) of earthworms decreased as earthworms grow up to 7 weeks. The growth period of the earthworms could be classified into two phases on the basis of the ratios of cast to feed ingested(ID). The growth period of the earthworms up to 3 weeks, the high percentage of dry weight of feed ingested(ID) is mainly utiliz-ed to an increase in fresh weight of earthworms, and after the 3 weeks, it is utilized to cast production in this experiment, respectively. The highest values of increasing rate(IR) and biomass of the earthworms(BE) were obtained at 3 weeks and those were 10.59mg/day and 14.48g, respectively. Between the increasing rate(IR) and biomass of the earthworms(BE), a highly positive correlation coefficient(p<0.001) ap-peared. The highest values of biomass of the earthworms(BE) and cast production(CW) were obtained at 3 and 7 weeks, respectively. All the concentrations of minerals except calcium(Ca) in worm castings was lower than the values in nightsoil sludge. It was considered that the major portion of minerals in nightsoil sludge may have been retained in the bodies of earthworms. And these values were lower than the regulated levels in organic fertilizers that the regula-tion standards. In conclusion, the worm castings are very stable for the use as soil conditioner or organic fertilizers.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.259-266
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• 1993

This experiment was carried out to the effect of population densities on the growth reproduction, cast production of the earthworm and chemical composition of worm casts. The population densities of 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 individuals of the earthworm fed with cow manure was studied in rearing box($6,400cm^3$) and fertility stage during a period of 60 days. The results were summarized as follows 1. Survival rates(SR) of the earthworms had significantly positive correlated with increasing rate(IR). But, survival rates(SR) and increasing rate(IR) had significantly negative correlated with reproductive efficiency(RE). 2. The ranges of optimum population densities estimated were $42.7cm^3-128.0cm^3/worm$. 3. The cast production estimated were 36.5mg-80.9mg/day/worm grown in optimum population densities(50-150 worms/$6,400cm^3$). 4. The earthworm castings are an excellent soil conditioning material with a high chemical composition and their physical properties.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Organic Agriculture Conference
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• 2005.12a
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• pp.22-30
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• 2005

1. 톱밥발효돈분으로 생산된 분립의 첨가시 벼의 생육에 미치는 영향 2)육묘용 pot 바닥의 분립무처리구에서 추정벼가 0%-20%, 흑미벼에서는 0%-10% 의 혼합비율에서 식물체의 생육이 양호하였지만, 그중에서도 이 품종 모두 5%분립혼합구가 가장 생육이 양호하였다. 3) 육묘용 pot 바닥의 분립처리구에서는 추정벼와 혹미벼 모두 0%-5% 혼합비율에서 식물체의 생육이 양호하였다. 4) 이상의 결과로부터 육묘용 상토에 분립 5%를 첨가하는 것이 식물체의 생육을 촉진시켰다고 판단된다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Organic Agriculture Conference
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• 2005.12a
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• pp.31-36
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• 2005

1. 버섯폐배지로 생산된 분립의 첨가시 벼의 생육에 미치는 영향 2) 육묘용 pot 바닥의 분립무처리구에서 추정벼는 4%-6% 혼합비율에서 식물체의 생육이 양호하였다. 3) 육묘용 pot 바닥의 분립처리구에서는 추정벼가 대조구(0%) 혼합비율에서 식물체의 생육이 양호하였다. 4) 이상의 결과로부터 육묘용 상토에 분립 4%-6%를 첨가하는 것이 식물체의 생육을 촉진시켰다고 판단된다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Organic Agriculture Conference
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• 2005.12a
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• pp.55-64
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• 2005

1. 지렁이 분립량이 증가할수록 용적비중(bulk density), 유효수분함량(available water content), pH, 전기전도도(electrolytic conductivity), 무기물(ash), 전질소(total nitrogen), 양이온치환능력(cation exchange capcaity), 유효인산(available $P_{2}O_{5}$), 치환성양이온(exchangeable cation)이 증가하였다. 2. 근대는 분립 40${\sim}$100%의 혼합비율에서 초장(PL), 엽면적(LA), 엽수(NL), 엽면적(LA), 지상부 건물중(SHW), 근중(RW), 줄기두께(SD), 근중(RW) 및 생물학적수량(BY)이 다른 처리구보다 유의하게 높았다. 3. 열무는 분립 40${\sim}$60%의 혼합비율에서 초장(PL), 지상부 건물중(SHW), 근중(RW), 생물학적수량(BY)이 다른 처리구보다 유의하게 높았다. 3. 시금치와 상추는 40%의 혼합비율에서 지상부중(SHW), 근중(RW), 생물학적수량(BY)이 다른 처리구에 비해 유의하게 높았다(p${\leq}$0.05).

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.63-74
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• 2012

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of different stocking rate on growth, cast production and conversion efficiency of organic matter to tissues of earthworm. The carbon and nitrogen ratio (C/N) of tested Korean cow manure was 25.1, it was estimated an adequate ratio as feed for earthworms. The different stocking rates were 1:8(S-1), 1:16(S-2), 1:32(S-3) 1:64(S-4) 1:128(S-5) and 1:256 (S-6) as the ratios of earthworm fresh weight to biomass of Korean cow manure, respectively. A stocking rate of 1:32(S-3) was obtained a significantly highest values of increasing rate and conversion efficiency of organic matter to earthworm tissues. The mean values of increasin g rate of fresh weight and conversion efficiency of organic matter to earthworm tissues were 10.63 mg/day and 6.65% at the ratio of 1:32(S-3) with a rearing volume was $56.6cm^3$. A stocking rate of 1:8(S-1) was obtained a highest ratio of vermicasts, but showed a negative values of increasing rate and conversion efficiency of organic matter to earthworm tissues, it may due to severely food competition between individuals during the rearing periods. The pH, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, cation exchange capacity and exchangeable cations of vermicasts tended to increase with stocking rate. Especially, available phosphorus, cation exchange capacity and exchangeable cations of vermicasts tended to increase with rearing progressed. Vermicasts have the potential for improving plant growth when amended to container medium and soil according to increased availability of nutrients and improved physicochemical properties.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.299-308
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• 2008

In this study, the effect of commercial organic growth medium amended with different ratios of vermicast on the growth of rice seedlings. The amended ratios of vermicast were 0% (control), 5%, 10%, 20% and 40%, respectively. A bioassay with two rice varieties (Chucheng and Black) was conducted to assesses the amendment effect of vermicast on the seedling growth in two potting methods. In potting treatment, the Chucheng variety with late maturity showed significantly higher values on growth parameters excepted root weight (RW) up to 20% and Black variety with early maturity up to 10% amended with vermicast, respectively. In floor layering treatment, all of the growth parameters significantly increased up to 5% amended with vermicast in both rice variety. The seedling growth of rice in floor layering treatment attained the highest values at lower amended ratios of vermicast than those of potting treated only, it may correspond with increased uptake of nutrient by elongated root grown under the layering amendment of vermicast. Vermicasts can be used as soil amendments or components of plant growth medium for seeding organic agriculture.