• The Korean Journal of Soil Zoology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.125-131
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• 2000

Disposing technique for dairy cattle manure using earthworms and the possibility of utilizing earthworms in poultry feed were investigated. In addition, chemical properties of manure and cast of earthworms were investigated. Temperature in the vinyl-house for earthworm nursery was able to be maintained above 0$\^{C}$ in winter and 25-28$\^{C}$ in summer. In closed-covering method, the number of escaped earthworms was the highest among three covering methods. The time was longer after manure excretion, the numbers of escaped earthworm were higher. There were some incidences of mortality of earthworm in closed-covering site. The amount of manure ingested by earthworm was increased in order of non-covering, closed-covering and gap-covering method. Fresh manure was more ingested than old one by earthworm. Earthworms reduced manure about 50% on the dry weight base and reduced total amounts of N, P$_2$O$\_$5/ and K$_2$O of manure by 41, 50 and 60%, respectively. Earthworm could be utilized by adult poultry (>60 g) for feeding. However, adverse effect of live earthworm was observed with young poultry (<450 g).

• Weed & Turfgrass Science
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.155-164
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• 2016

Earworm is very useful animal in soil ecosystem, however it is harmful for golf courses because they introduce many cast on turfgrass that reduces turf uniformity and play quality. However, no information has found on earthworm diversity and seasonal fluctuation in different Korean golf courses. In this study, we focused to carry out earthworm species composition and seasonal population structure in turfgrass of golf courses. During spring and fall season survey with direct digging and tea saponin drenching sampling in 5 different golf courses, 6 species under 3 families of earthworms were collected. Earthworm species composition and density was different among the golf courses. Aporrectodea caliginosa in Lumbricidae was dominant species in Anseong and Dongrae Benest Golf Club; however Amynthas carnosus in Megascolecidae was dominant species in Anyang and Glenrose Golf Club. Ap. caliginosa was collected only aclitellum in July and Am. carnosus was collected aclitellum and clitellum in August in golf courses. Seasonal population of earthworm was different depending on earthworm species (Am. hupeiensis was the highest in August and Ap. caliginosa was in April) however small number of collected earthworm species were not dominant trend in golf courses.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.178-184
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• 2007

In the present work, the vermicomposting index was investigated using leakage water from sludge to develop the process of mechanization and automation in the earthworm-cast treatment. The in situ sewage sludge was used batch and continuous experiments. Due to different treatment processes, the physico-chemical characteristics of liquid extracted from sludge was the similar change pattern. However, some items, such as Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP), pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC) and $NH_3-N$, showed the distinct changes between pre- and post-vermicomposting. Also, The ORP and EC were the best parameters for the vermicomposting index. These results offered that the present vermicomposting technology was an actual earthworm-cast treatment.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.71-78
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• 2005

This study was performed to obtain the basic data on current situations and challengeable aspects of vermicomposting industries in Korea and to develope foodwaste treatment technology using earthworm. Pre-treatment process of food waste consists of cleaning, grinding, mixing and others, and salinity of food waste was 0.7% on average, thus not suitable for feed of worms. When applying wash water and going through the cleaning process, however, salinity was dropped to 0.38%, indicating that cleaning process applying wash water is necessary to control the proper salinity for growth of worms. In the food waste processing experiment applying worms, it has been presented that smaller particles induce higher processing efficiency. As a result, food waste processing by worms is possible through maintaining the suitable environment for survival of worms from input process to generation of cast. Cast generated after processing food waste was proved to be most suitable for product standard of compost thus cast is presented to be recycled after processing the food waste applying the worms.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.731-742
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• 2014

In the current study, we investigated effects of a combination of earthworm casting, environment-friendly by-product fertilizer, and cultivation soil of Gymnocalycium mihanovichii in a heavy fertilizing culture on diameter, height, numbers of tubercles, and chemical properties of soil thereby elucidating optimal mixture ratio for securing production as well as providing nutrients throughout cultivation period. The Gymnocalycium mihanovichii var 'Ihong', one of grafted cactus for export (Rootstock: 9 cm, Scion: $1.5{\times}1.3cm$ grafted cactus) was cultured in plastic houses of Agricultural Technology Center located in Naegok-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul from June, 2013 through December, 2013. For the control group, a mixture of sand and fertilizer (50:50) was used as this ratio is widely utilized in farmhouses. In contrast, a variety mixtures of sand and earthworm casting that was produced with food wastes was compared; the mixture ratios were 80:20, 60:40, 40:60, 20:80, and 0:100 and pH for these mixtures were found to be similar each other (ranging between 7.1 and 7.4) which is in an appropriate range (pH 6.5-7.5) for cultivation of G. mihanovichii. The organic content was increasing along with increasing contents of earthworm casting ratio while it was lower than the treatment practice group (32-43 mg/kg vs. 55 mg/kg). The content of exchangeable cation was also increasing as the ratio of earthworm casting was elevated; although levels of $K^+$, $Na^+$, and $Mg^{2+}$ were lower than the treatment practice group, the level of $Ca^{2+}$ was higher ($9.1cmol^+/kg$ and $11.5-33.7cmol^+/kg$ in the treatment practice group and the earthworm casting group, respectively). Three months after grafting, diameters of G. mihanovichii were compared with the control group; consequently, there was a significant difference noted in between the earthworm casting group and the control group (31.39 mm vs. 32.46-37.59 mm). After 5 months, growth characteristics of G. mihanovichii were evaluated. Similarly, the diameter of G. mihanovichii was significantly increasing in the group with higher ratio of earthworm casting treatment (32.63 mm vs. 32.49-37.59 mm). The height of tubercles was 2.63 mm in the control group while it was significantly elevating along with the ratio of earthworm casting mixture. The more numbers of tubercles, the more incomes for farm-houses; as results, higher mixture ration of earthworm casting resulted more numbers of tubercles compared to the control group (2.7 vs. 3.2-8.3 ea). In particular, in the earthworm casting groups with 80% and 100% ratios, the numbers of tubercles were 6.2 and 8.3 ea, respectively, which is 2.5 times more than those of the control group. These results indicate that earthworm casting treatment may be utilized in G. mihanovichii farming houses for short term production of tubercles. In the group with 40% and 60% of earthworm casting mixture, the numbers of tubercles were found to be 4.5 and 4.8 ea, respectively which is higher than the control group as well; in these groups, there were no issues with soil drainage as well as moss formation. Given the analysis results of growth characteristics of G. mihanovichii, it was concluded that 40% and 60% of earthworm casting mixture might be the optimal ratios.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.52-57
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• 2001

ln this study, the questionnaire survey was performed to obtain the basic data on current situations and challengeable aspects of vermicomposting industries. The questionnaire contained the four main categories such as vermicomposting facilities, feeling marerials, earthworm breeding and cast handling. The results was summarized as followings: 1. Vermicomposting facilities area was becoming larger, and earthworm feed was also expending to various organic sludges. These trends showed that Vermicomposting is being enlightened to treat and recycle the organic wastes in Korea. 2. Present Vermicomposting technology needs the broad land. Because of the high cost of land in Korea, the land saving technology such as multistage must be needed. And present operation practices are mostly based on human power, mechanization and automation is needed. Also, present control practices are based on individual experience need the scientific base control system. 3. Considering situations of organic wastes management in Korea, the technical development and the practical improvement of Vermicomposting as the waste recycling will be needed.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.75-84
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• 2006

The effects of the mixture ratios of swine manure and food wastes when vermicomposed on earthworm(Eisenia foefida) growth, the production amounts and the chemical properties of casts for plant growth media were evaluated to optimal mixture ratio. Earthworms were grown in swine manure, substituted with 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 50% and 100% food wastes. All of earthworm grown in swine manure substituted with 60%, 80%, and 100% food wastes died, therefore the process of swine manure substituted with 60%, 80%, and 100% food wastes by vermicomposting were impossible in this experiment. Worm cast produced from swine manure substituted with 0%, 20% and 40% food wastes after vermicomposting sufficiently contained required quantities of available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, exchangeable magnesium, and cation exchange capacity. The survival rates of earthworm in swine manure substituted with 0% and 40% food wastes was significantly higher than those in swine manure substituted with 20%, 40% food wastes. Casts weight and proportion of casts weight in 100% swine manure were significantly higher than those in swine manure substituted with 20% food wastes, but was no significant difference between those in swine manure substituted with 40% food wastes. Therefore 100% swine manure was estimated to be superior than the others treatments. However an adequate mixture ratio of food wastes for processing mixture of swine manure by vermicomposting was estimated to be 40%. Because there was no significant difference in mean flesh weight, increasing rate, casts weight, proportion of casts weight, and reduction rate of volatile solids among 3 treatments and survival rate and conversion efficiency(CE) in swine manure with substituted 40% food wastes were significantly higher than the other treatments.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.55-62
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• 1996

The purpose of this study is the evaluation of adsorption capacity of casts for heavy metals comparing with the activated carbon. The casts was obtained from vermicomposting of the mixed organic sludges which were generated from the treatment facilities for leather wastewater and cattle wastewater. The physico-chemical characteristics of cast was investigated. Also, the batch adsorption experiments of cast and activated carbon for heavy metals were carried out, and the results were analyzed by Freundlich isotherm. The buffering capacity to the acidic wastewater was founded in the cast, and the cation exchange capacity of cast impling adsorption capacity for soluble substances was evaluated as about 55me/100g. Those were implied that the cast have a large potential as a good adsorbent for soluble pollutants in wastewater. From the results of batch experiments, the removal efficiencies of tested various heavy metals including Pb, Cu, Cd, and Cr were very high value as 89-98% for the activated car-bon, and 80~95% for the casts except for Zn. The adsorption equilibriums for the two materials were achieved within 90 minutes. The order of preferable metals in the adsorption was found to be Pb>Cu>Cd>Cr>Zn on the cast and to be Pb>Cd>Cu>Cr>Zn on the activated carbon, respectively. From the above results, it might be con-cluded that cast is effectively available as a good adsorbent to treating the heavy metal bearing wastewater.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.52-57
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• 1998

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of cow manure as additive material on the ripening of sewage s sludge for vermistabiJization. The changes of the waste properties by ripening for 50days were observed as a function of the v various mixture ratios of sewage sludge ‘and cow manure. The pH values of the mixture wastes decreased from 7.5-7.67 to 6_ 9~7.2 by the ripening for 50days, and the mixture ratio made dIfferent pH values. The initial value of oxidation-reduction p potential (Eh) of the mixture waste was a negative (-) value indicating an unfavorable condition for earthworm after, but the v values of Eh increased with the opening time. The Increase rate at Eh value was prop$\alpha$rtional to the mixture ratio of cow m manure. The value of alkalinity was also changed into the favorable range for earthworm after 50days except for non-use of 1 the cow manure When the mixture ratio of the cow manure increased from 10% to 30%, the growth of earthworms increased h from 63.7% to 88.3 % tor the survival rate, 265% to 321% for the liveweight increasing rate and 66.7_7% to 91% for hatching f rate of the cocoons. It can be concluded that the proper content of tbe cow manure in the sewage sludge to ensure effective v vermistabilization was over 20%, when the mixture was ripened during 50 days. The quantity of ingestion and 며ectian at 20%-30% was found to be O.15--i.L18g sludge and 0 1l--O.14g solid per capacity earthworm per day, respectively.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.305-308
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• 2004

Recently, with increasing concern for sustainable agriculture and safe agricultural products, organic farming has become widely adapted as an alternative to conventional farming. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of earthworm casts (EWC) with $100\%$ organic compost on the growth and yield characteristics of fall-cropping potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Dejima) in Jeju. The treatments consisted of seven plots: 2-, 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-ton $ha^{-1}$ EWC-treated plots, 1.2-ton $ha^{-1}$ complex fertilizer $(N-P_2O_5-K_2O,\;10-10-14)-for-potato$ (CEP)-treated plot as conventional practices, and a control plot. The plant heights were greater in the plots where EWC and CFP were applied than in the control plot. Tuber diameter, number of stems per plant, and chlorophyll level tended to increase in the plots where 8-10 tons $ha^{-1}$ of EWC were applied. The application of CFP and EWC showed an increment in the average tuber weight per plant, but there was minimal significant difference. The application of 8-10 tons $ha^{-1}$ of EWC resulted in an increase in the total tuber yield (21.61-21.87 tons $ha^{-1}$) as compared to the other plots. The highest yield of market able tubers was $69.8\%$ of the total yield from the 10-ton $ha^{-1}$ EWC-treated plot. Consequently, with regard to the growth and yield characteristics of fall-cropping potato, the effects of EWC application were more favorable than the effects of the application of a chemical fertilizer.