Vermicomposting of crop residues and cattle dung with Eisenia foetida

We studied vermicomposting with Eisenia foetida of mustard residues and sugarcane trash mixed with cattle dung in a 90-day composting experiment. Vermicomposting resulted in significant reduction in C:N ratio and increase in mineral N, after 90 days of composting, over treatments uninoculated with earthworms. Microbial activity, as measured by dehydrogenase assay, increased up to 60 days and declined on further incubation. There was more total N in the compost prepared by earthworm inoculation. However, the differences were not significant. Total P, K and Cu contents did not differ in compost prepared with earthworm inoculation from the uninoculated treatments. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.