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A Simple Push–Pull Strategy to Harvest Earthworms from Coconut Leaf Vermicompost Produced in Tanks


Affiliations
1 Division of Crop Production, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod 671 124, India
 

The process to recycle lignin-rich coconut leaves, produced in abundance from coconut gardens, to vermicompost, using a local isolate of Eudrilus sp. is an important value-addition technology from ICARCentral Plantation Crops Research Institute helping coconut farmers and entrepreneurs to enhance their economic returns. Vermicompost is produced in cement tanks and at the end of the composting period, earthworms are hand-sorted from the mature and partially composted materials by employed workers. The scarcity of labour for earthworm sorting and nonavailability of earthworms at the required time for further vermicomposting had become an impediment in sustained production of vermicompost leading to abandonment of the technology by many adopters. To overcome this situation, a simple push–pull/pull–pull strategy was developed for harvesting the earthworms, wherein freshly ground mustard solution was used as repellant (push agent) and cow dung (with or without bagasse/banana wastes) was used as an attractant (‘pull’ agent). The strategy is simple, efficient and saves on labour, eliminates drudgery, reduces production cost and time. It will pave way for sustained adoption of vermicomposting technology by coconut farmers and entrepreneurs.

Keywords

Coconut Leaf Vermicompost, Cow Dung, Earthworm Harvesting, Mustard Solution, Push–Pull Strategy.
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  • A Simple Push–Pull Strategy to Harvest Earthworms from Coconut Leaf Vermicompost Produced in Tanks

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Authors

Murali Gopal
Division of Crop Production, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod 671 124, India
Alka Gupta
Division of Crop Production, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod 671 124, India

Abstract


The process to recycle lignin-rich coconut leaves, produced in abundance from coconut gardens, to vermicompost, using a local isolate of Eudrilus sp. is an important value-addition technology from ICARCentral Plantation Crops Research Institute helping coconut farmers and entrepreneurs to enhance their economic returns. Vermicompost is produced in cement tanks and at the end of the composting period, earthworms are hand-sorted from the mature and partially composted materials by employed workers. The scarcity of labour for earthworm sorting and nonavailability of earthworms at the required time for further vermicomposting had become an impediment in sustained production of vermicompost leading to abandonment of the technology by many adopters. To overcome this situation, a simple push–pull/pull–pull strategy was developed for harvesting the earthworms, wherein freshly ground mustard solution was used as repellant (push agent) and cow dung (with or without bagasse/banana wastes) was used as an attractant (‘pull’ agent). The strategy is simple, efficient and saves on labour, eliminates drudgery, reduces production cost and time. It will pave way for sustained adoption of vermicomposting technology by coconut farmers and entrepreneurs.

Keywords


Coconut Leaf Vermicompost, Cow Dung, Earthworm Harvesting, Mustard Solution, Push–Pull Strategy.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv117%2Fi1%2F138-144