• 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.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.125-135
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• 1996

A study was made to investigate the possibility of treating various organic waste of cattle manure, swine manure, goat manure, apple pomace, chinese medicine residue and coffee less by feeding these to earthworms and then by studying the growth and reproductive efficiency of earthworms, and the chemical composition of worm cast and its production. The results are summarized as follows. 1. When the feed for earthworms were in good condition which were cattle manure, swine manure and apple pomace, the reproductive efficiency of earthworms was improved however in worse condition the feed of which were goat manure and chinese medicine residue, the increasing rate(IR) became faster. 2. Despite the high content of organic matter(OM) in coffee lees, the earthworms fed coffee lees showed significantly lower reproductive efficiency and increasing rate(IR) than those fed other organic waste due mainly to its lower pH and lower total nitrogen(TN) content. Therefore, when coffee lees is considered to be fed to earthworms, it is believed necessary to be mixed with addiveves or other organic waste in order to improve the feed condition. 3. pH in swine manure, goat manure, apple pomace, chinese medicine residue and coffee lees became neutralized by being fed by earthworms. 4. Available P2O5 and exchangeable cation(EC) of earthworm cast were a little increased compared to those of feed. The contents of Mn, Fe and Cu in earthworm cast were a little decreased to compared to those of feed. 5. The contents of Mn, Fe and Cu in earthworm cast were a little a decreased to compared to those of feed. 6. Mean fresh weight of earthworm at final time(FW2) was negatively correlated with number of young worms(NY)(P<0.01), but positively with increasing rate(IR) (P<0.001) and C/N ratio(P<0.05) respectively. Number of cocoons (NC) and fresh weight of cocoons(WC) were positively(P<0.01) correlated with fresh weight of young worms (WY) and digested matter(DI) but negatively(P<0.001) correlated with residual matter(WY) and digested matter(DI) but negatively(P<0.001) correlated with residual matter(RW). Number of young worms(NY) and fresh weigh of young worms(WY) were negatively(P<0.001) correlated with increasing rate(IR), however increasing rate(IR) of earthworm was positively(P<0.05) correlatedd with C/N ratio.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.51-64
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• 2023

The sustainable management of rice straw is essential for protection of human health and environment. This study assesses the impact of stock density of earthworm (Eisenia fetida) and Neem leaves (Azadirachta indica) on the quality of the final vermicompost. The vermicompost is produced using different combinations of rice straw, Neem leaves, and cow dung (bulking agent) by varying stock density of earthworms. The vermicomposting experiments are performed in plastic containers (32 cm × 28 cm × 28 cm) in open for 90 days under laboratory conditions. The stock density of the earthworm is found to be an important factor to influence nutritional quality of the final vermicompost. There is observed significant improvement in the total nitrogen (91.8%), phosphate (73.4%), potassium (38.8%), and calcium (59.05%) content of the vermicompost produced with the highest stock density of the earthworms. All the treatments showed decrease in TOC and C:N content after 90 days of vermicomposting. The treatment with Neem leaves showed maximum growth of earthworms (2.65 fold). Neem leaves brought positive changes in the quality of final vermicompost by enhancing the growth and reproduction of the earthworms. The calcium content increased by 39% in the final vermicompost with the addition of Neem leaves at the same stock density of the earthworms. The stock density of the earthworms and Neem leaves are found to significantly improve quality of the final vermicompost as compared with the compost (control). The surface morphology in SEM images showed high degree of fragmentation in the vermicompost as compared with the compost. The combined action of microbes and earthworms resulted in high degree of disintegration in the vermicompost.

• 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 Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.885-892
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• 2011

The bacterial communities in the intestinal tracts of earthworm were investigated by culture-dependent and -independent approaches. In total, 72 and 55 pure cultures were isolated from the intestinal tracts of earthworms under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively. Aerobic bacteria were classified as Aeromonas (40%), Bacillus (37%), Photobacterium (10%), Pseudomonas (7%), and Shewanella (6%). Anaerobic bacteria were classified as Aeromonas (52%), Bacillus (27%), Shewanella (12%), Paenibacillus (5%), Clostridium (2%), and Cellulosimicrobium (2%). The dominant microorganisms were Aeromonas and Bacillus species under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. In all, 39 DNA fragments were identified by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) analysis. Aeromonas sp. was the dominant microorganism in feeds, intestinal tracts, and casts of earthworms. The DGGE band intensity of Aeromonas from feeds, intestinal tracts, and casts of earthworms was 12.8%, 14.7%, and 15.1%, respectively. The other strains identified were Bacillus, Clostridium, Enterobacter, Photobacterium, Pseudomonas, Shewanella, Streptomyces, uncultured Chloroflexi bacterium, and uncultured bacterium. These results suggest that PCR-DGGE analysis was more efficient than the culturedependent approach for the investigation of bacterial diversity and the identification of unculturable microorganisms.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.43-49
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• 2014

Fairy Pittas use the forest around the valley and Gotjawal as breeding places. This survey was conducted to investigate the characteristic of earthworms, specifically its population density, body size around the breeding site in Gotjawal and the forest around the valley areas from the middle of July to the end of July 2013. A total of 405 individual earthworms were collected in the 100 small established quadrats, in which 315 were found in Gotjawal and 90 were found in the forest around the valley area. The density of earthworms in Gotjawal was significantly higher compared to that forest around the valley area. It was also observed that the body size of earthworms was significantly different between Gotjawal and the forest around the valley area. Proportion of number of individuals which are larger than 7cm in body size was 43%(n=135) in Gotjawal and 84%(n=76) in the forest around the valley area, respectively. Soil area was not important factor to the density of earthworms. We suggest that Gotjawal can be considered as a suitable breeding site for Fairy Pitta because of the richness of its primary food in this area.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.488-492
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• 2007

The influence of additive materials including saw dust and cow manure in the ripening of leather sludge for the efficient vermisabilization was studied. The ripening characteristics of the leather sludge, the growth of earthworms in the growth bed and the by-products like cast were observed according to the mixing ratio of additive materials. When the mixed leather sludge of which the additive materials contents were over 20% were ripened for 50 days, the values of ORP and alkalinity were changed to the favorable ranges for earthworms, the positive (+) and below 1,000 mg/l as $CaCO_3$, respectively. The velocity of ripening improving the characteristics of the leather sludge was faster in the sludge mixed with cow manure than saw dust. This results could also be verified from the monitoring of the states of earthworm growth using the survival rate, the increase rate of lifeweight and the hatching rate of earthworm cocoon in the their growth bed packed with the ripened sludge. The values of CEC in cast, the vermi-stabilized sludge, were increased with the mixing ratio of additive materials, but the content of heavy metals was drcreased by the dilution effect and accumulation in the earthworm body. Above results show that the leather sludge might be efficiently stabilized by earthworms through the ripening for 50 days using additive materials. Cow manure can be used as a good additive materials for leather sludge as much as saw dust, and the optimum content of additive materials in the well-ripened leather sludge was about 30%.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.63-82
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• 2009

This review was conducted to the study on treatment of poultry waste by earthworms, and the effect of feeding earthworms meal on the performance of broilers and laying hens, and safety of meat and egg. 1. The pro-environmental chicken house was building in Daegu National University of Education, Daegu city, chicken wastes will be turn into high quality compost by vermicomposting uses earthworms in the house. 2. The earthworm meal (EWM) has a high proteinic content and a balanced amino acid and fatty acid profile, therefore most feeding applications has been evaluated with mono-gastric animals. 3. The dietary supplementations of 0.2 to 0.4% EWM were effective in improve digestibility of crude protein of diet resulted improved broiler performance in broiler chickens. 4. The supplementing 0.2 to 0.6% of earthworm meal in the laying hens diet, improves the laying performance and egg quality, especially ratio of egg yolk n-6/n-3 fatty acids contents. 5. As, Cd, Cr, Hg and Pb were detected at level of 4.41, 1.23, 1.18, 0.00 and 3.39ppm in earthworm meal, respectively, but those were not detected in the chicken meat and egg. therefore supplementing 0.6% of EWM in the chicken diet, it still did not affect meat and egg safety. 6. These results indicated that vermicompositing uses earthworms good a subject matter in the pro-environmental animal husbandry.

• The Korean Journal of Soil Zoology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.81-85
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• 1999

Efficiencies of hand sorting, vermifuge application and combined methods of them for sampling earthworms in the field were compared. 1) hand sorting : sampling unit of soil (50 cm${\times}$50 cm${\times}$30 cm, width${\times}$length${\times}$depth) was dug out and earthworms were sorted by hands. 2) Vermifuge application : Solution of mustard, pepper or formalin was treated onto the soil surface of smpling unit (50 cm${\times}$50 cm, width${\times}$length). 3) Combined method : In a sampling unit of soil (50 cm${\times}$50 cm${\times}$30 cm, width${\times}$length), hand sorting was carried out into the depth of 10 cm or 15 cm and then vermifuge was treated. Earthworms were collected more in numbers by hand sorting than vermifuge application although it was much more time-consuming and labor intensive. Efficiency of mustard to extract earthworms was as same as formalin but much better than that of pepper. Combined method of hand sorting with mustard treatment was more efficient than vermifuge applications and other combined methods. And it could collect earthworms as many as hand sorting, but was much less time-consuming and labor-intensive than hand sorting. Thus combined method of hand sorting (to the depth of 15 cm) with mustard treatment could be recommended for the sampling of earthworms in the field.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.73-74
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• 1961

This concerns the summary report of a series of studies on Metastrongylosis hitherto published by the writer. The life cycle of swine lungworm was first elucidated by Hobmaier in 1929. Since then subsequent studies conducted by many workers have revealed that some species of earthworms act as specific intermediate hosts of swine lungworm. The writer observed that three species of earthworms, Helodrilus foetidus, Allolobophora caliginosa and Pheretima, serve as intermediate hosts of swine lungworm in Korea. The present summary consists of the results of survey on the distribution of infectious lungworm larvae and the studies on the developmental growth of lungworm larvae in the intermediate and terminal hosts.