• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.65-75
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• 1995

This experiment was carried out to the effects of population density and C/N ratios of feed on the growth, reproductive effciency and cast producation of the earthworm(Eisenia foetida). The population densities of 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 individuals of the earthworm fed with different C/N ratios of 25, 35, 45 and 55 cow manures were studied in rearing box($6,400cm^3$), and at the fertility stage during a period of 60 days. The results were summarized as follows; The survial rate(SR), increasing rate(IR), reproductive efficiency(RE) and cast production of the earthworms showed highest values in C/N ratio of 25. These results may indicate that C/N ratio of 25 is a very favourable feed for the growth of the earthworms. The survial rate(SR) indicated significant positive correlation with reproductive efficiency(RE) in different C/N ratios of feeds. The survial rate(SR) showed highest values in population densities of $50{\sim}100$ worms/$6,400cm^3(64.0{\sim}128.0cm^3/worm$). On the contrary, increasing rate(IR) tended to decreased with the increased population densities. The survival rate(SR) indicated significant negative correlation with reproductive efficiency(RE) in different population densities of the earthworms. The cast production estimated were $31.6mg{\sim}67.4mg/day/worm$ grown in optimum population densities($50{\sim}100\;worms/6,400cm^3$). The earthworm casting are an excellent soil conditioning material or organic fertilizer sources with a high chemical composition and their physical properties.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.197-208
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• 2014

The present study was conducted to provide basic data for efficient vermicomposting of swine manure by investigating the effect of sawdust mix on growth and reproduction of earthworms, amount of earthworm cast produced, and its chemical composition when mixing swine manure in different levels (0(SSD0), 10(SSD10), 20(SSD20), 30(SSD30), and 40%(SSD40)) with sawdust commonly used as moist control in manure composting. The C/N ratio of the feed and the survival rate of earthworms for the SSD0 treatment (10.19, 35.2%), The C/N ratio of the feed was 11.09-16.44 and increased with higher level of sawdust mixed, and the survival rate of earthworms during the experiment period was 35.2-100%. The number of earthworms was 16.6 in the SSD40 treatment, and young worms were not found in the SSD0 treatment or the treatment with less than 30% sawdust in the mix. The number and the weight of cocoons in SSD30 and SSD40 treatments were found to be in the ranges of 23.8-59.8 and 256-660 mg respectively. The production of earthworm cast and digested amount were higher with the higher level of mixed sawdust (p<0.05), and the C/N ratio of cast increased with the mixed sawdust ratio, being significantly higher ratio in SSD30 and SSD40 than other treatments (p<0.05). Heavy metals content tended to decrease with the mixed sawdust level. To summarize, the higher level of mixed sawdust was associated with improvement in growth and reproduction of earthworms, and 30-40% sawdust mix in particular could result in efficient vermicomposting.

• 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.