• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.229-238
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• 1993

Ecological role of earthworms in red pine forest was investigated with emphasis on the population size, cast production and changes of physicoKDICical properties of soil by earthworm's activities. The density of earthworms was 62.8/m2 in August, 1992. Average biomass of earthworms was 16.3 g/m2. N and P concentrations in the tissue of earthworms were 28.5 mgN/g and 0.5 mgP/g, respectively. Cast production continued from April to November, with a peak in August. Annual production of earthworm casts was 5,379 g/m2. Bulk density of surface soil decreased due to the earthworm's cast-forming activity. Clay fraction in surface soil increased by addition of casts. Soil KDICical properties were significantly different between the surface soil and the earthworm casts. The amounts of organic matter, N, P, K, Ca and Mg added to the soil via earthworm casts during one year were 9.3t/ha, 11.29 kg/ha, 0.78 kg/ha, 12.36 kg/ha, 140.29 kg/ha and 20.96 kg/ha, respectively. Earthworms can feed on waxy and resinous litter when it became palatable by decomposing processes.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.113-117
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• 1991

Comparisons of the physico-chemical properties of earthworm(Lumbricus terrestris) soil casts and top soil of red pine forests in a limestone area were carried out. The casts production durign August and September in 1990 amounted to 6∼7t/ha. The particle of top soil and casts ranged 40∼50% and 10∼20% for sand , 25∼30% and 30∼35% for silt, and 20∼25% and 55∼65% clay, respectively. Significant difference in pH value was not observed between casts and top soil. The casts had 1.4times of organic matter, 1.5times of N, 1.8times of available P, 2times of exchangeable K, 1.3times of exchangeable Ca, and 1.6times of exchangeable Mg than the top 10cm of soil did. Earthworms have altered the soil texture and increased nutrient availability through production of the soil casts in this limestone area.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.93-102
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• 2003

This research was made to determine the optimum mixing ratio cattle manure and food waste investigating the effect that gets the growth and reproductive efficiency of earthworm and productivity of earthworm casts at processing process when handled cattle manure and food waste by vermicomposting, in order to establish the treatment system of organic wastes by vermicomposting. Survival ratio of earthworm was highest in the mixing ratio 80~100% : 20~0% of cattle manure and food Waste, and the increasing ratio was highest in cattle manure 100%, and the number of young worms, the weight of young worms and the productivity of earthworm casts in plots more than the mixing ratio 60% of cattle manure were significantly higher than in the other treatment plots(p<0.05). Total nitrogen and carbon contents in earthworm cast were decreased when rearing time of earthworm was increased. Carbon and nitrogen rate(C/N) of earthworm cast in plots more than the mixing ratio 80% of cattle manure was significantly higher than in the other treatment plots(p<0.05). pH in earthworm cast was higher than that in residual matter. The contents of electrolytic conductivity in the higher mixing ratio of food waste were significantly higher than those in the other treatment plots(p<0.05).

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 2000

Removal of ammonia using the porous ceramic biofilter inoculated with earthworm casts was characterized. By assuming a plug air flow in the biofilter and applying the Michaelis-Menten equation, the maximum removal rate of $NH_3$ was $280.7g-N{\cdot}m^{-3}{\cdot}h^{-1}$($18.0g-N{\cdot}kg^{-1}{\cdot}d^{-1}$) at $30^{\circ}C$. $NH_3$ removal rate was increased as temperature increases from $15^{\circ}C$ to $35^{\circ}C$. The maximum removal rate was $285.8g-N{\cdot}m^{-3}{\cdot}h^{-1}$($18.8g-N{\cdot}kg^{-1}{\cdot}d^{-1}$) at $35^{\circ}C$. At $15^{\circ}C$, the $NH_3$ removal rate was $122.8g-N{\cdot}m^{-3}{\cdot}h^{-1}$($8.1g-N{\cdot}kg^{-1}{\cdot}d^{-1}$). When 210 ppm $NH_3$ was supplied to the biofilter at space velocity of $220h^{-1}$, the removal efficiency of $NH_3$ at 15, 25, 30 and $35^{\circ}C$ was 80, 90, 95, and 96%, respectively. The removal rate of the ceramic biofilter was 3 to 15 times higher than other biofilters comparing the removal efficiency of $NH_3$ per unit volume of carrier. This result indicates that earthworm casts and porous ceramics are very good inoculum source and carrier, respectively, for the $NH_3$-degrading biofilter.

• Weed & Turfgrass Science
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 2016

Earthworm cast is a harmful factor which reduces the uniformity of management of turfgrass and play quality in golf courses and playground. This research was conducted to carry out the efficacy of some pesticide (bifenthrin GR + clothianidin GR, ethoprophos GR, imidacloprid SC, picoxystrobin WG, thiophanate-methyl WP) and tee tree (Camellia oliefera) extracts against reducing earthworm cast in golf courses. All tested materials were acted reducing earthworm cast, thiophanate-methyl among them showed the highest effect reducing earthworm casts in golf courses. Tea tree extracts was occurred similar efficacy among tested chemical pesticides. However, pellet type byproduct of tea seed extract and liquid formulation of tea tree extract were better than granule formulation of them. Byproduct of tea seed and tea tree extract can be used for alternative biological management material for reducing earthworm cast in heavily casting occurrence area.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.44-49
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• 2000

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the adsorption capacity of casts for heavy metals. The casts were excreted by earthworm, Lumbricus rubellus, after having eaten the paper sludge. Various batch experiments on adsorption were performed to compare cast and activated carbon. The pH increase in solution due to extractives from cast was 1.3 and the cation exchange capacity which implies adsorption capacity for solubles is greater on activated carbon than on cast. According to the results of batch experiment, the removal rates of Pb, Cu, Cr, Zn using the activated carbon and casts as adsorbent were 98%, 93%, 94%, 89%, 82% and 95%, 90%, 88%,80%, 66%, respectivity, and this removal were achived less than 90 minutes. It can be said that casts is so good adsorbent as activated carbon is, although adsorption carbon was found to be some large than those of casts through Freundlich isotherm applied for adsorption of soluble. As a result on the experiment of isothermic adsorption from the mixed component solution in the batch, the order of preferable elements in heavy metal adsorption was found to be Pb＞Cd＞Cu＞Cr＞Zn on activated carbon, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.140-145
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• 1990

This study was carried out to evaluate the possibllity of composting from cow manure using earthworms. In order to rear earthworms safely and control moisture soil was used as conditioner. Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium sp.1 were isolated from soil and two isolates of Bacillus sp. were selected as antagonists from earthworm casts. By rearing earthworm, C/N ratio was reduced by 40.9% and 41.9% after 28 days, reducing sugar was also decreased by 37.1% and 37.5%. On the other hand, reduction of C/N ratio in cow manure alone was 9.67% and reducing sugar was 12.01%, respectively. Bacillus sp. was apparently increased in earthworm casts than in ordinary soil. It seemed that the earthworm casts contained antibiotic subatance.

• 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.

• Clean Technology
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.167-172
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• 2002

The adaptability of earthworm casts produced form the waste sludge of pulp and paper plants for a biocarrier used in the advanced wastewater treatment was investigated. Removal efficiencies of nutrients in the activated sludge technology without carrier were compared with those treated with carrier made of casts under the different conditions such as the composition of the input and kinds of carrier. When the waste water was treated in the activated sludge technology without carriers, removal efficiencies of T-P and T-N were average values of 31% and 52%, respectively. On the contrary, pellet type carrier and pack type carrier increased the removal efficiencies of T-P and T-N by 1.3~1.4 and 1.9~2.0 times, respectively. At the same time, the high removal of T-P and T-N were observed irrespective of the types of carrier in which many kinds of microorganisms were grown. The difference in the removal efficiencies of BOD and COD between the treatment with and without carrier was negligible. According to this research, the carrier made of casts was thought to be highly applicable in the advanced wastewater treatment.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.179-188
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• 1999

The effects of earthworm casts as a plant growth media on the growth of orchardgrass seedlings and the changes of physico-chemical properties in worm casts mixture soils were investigated during the growth period of 1998. Worm casts were mixtured with vermiculite, perlite and peat moss, and mixture ratios of worm casts with commercial recommended soil were 100:0(control), 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100, respectively. The results were obtained as follows; 1. Plant length(PL) was increased in higher mixture ratios of worm casts and peat moss than those of other mixture ratios of commercial recommended soils. 2. Number of tillers(NT) were significantly increased in mixture ratios of worm casts and peat moss(50:50) and 100% of vermiculite. 3. Root length(RL) was significantly differences between mixture ratios at the worm casts, and the highest value was obtained at all mixture ratios of worm casts and perlite. 4. Dry weight of leaf(LW) was not significantly differences at mixture ratios of 50:50 in all treatments. Especially, between the mixture ratios of worm casts with peatmoss(25:75) and peat moss(75:25) were not significantly differences in dry weight of leaf(LW). The highest value of dry weight of leaf(LW) was obtained at mixture ratios of peat moss and worm casts. 5. Dry weight of tillers(SW) was not significantly differences at mixture ratios of 50:50 in all treatments, and peat moss(75:25) and vermiculite(75:25), respectively. 6. biological yield(BY) at all treatments were increased by yield components of dry weight of tillers(SW), dry weight of root(RW) and length of root(RL). 7. The biological yield of orchardgrass seedlings was greatly increased with mixture ratios of worm casts and peat moss over the 50%.