VERMICOMPOSTING OF SOME TERRESTRIAL WEEDS USING PERIONYX EXCAVATLIS EARTHWORMSA. K. SANNIGRAHIAbstract Twelve terrestrial weeds (three annuals such as Triumfetta rhomboiclea, Clzenopoditim album, Leucas lavandulaefolia and nine perennials such as Ipomoea sepiaria, Cynodon dactylon, Eupatorium oderatum, Mikania cordata, Clerodendrum infortunatum, Sacchanim spontaneum, Cyperus rotundzis, Parthenium hysteroplzorus, Imperata cylindrica) were converted to vermicomposts after mixing with cow dung in weight wise 1:2 ratio (weeds : cow dung) and using Perionyx excavatus earthworms. Soft natured annuals and perennials took 1 to 1.5 months while leaves of shrub type weeds and perennial grasses took 2 to 4 months for complete vermicomposting. Chemical analysis showed that total nutrient contents of different vermicomposts varied with the variation in weed substrates. These vermicomposts contained about 0.8 to 1.4 % N, 0.2 to 0.9 °lc, P, 1.2 to 2.7% K, 1.0 to 1.9 % Na, 0.2 to 1.6% Ca and 0.4 to 1.1 % S. The experiment indicated that instead of burning, terrestrial weeds should be used as resource materials for production of good quality vermicompost and applied to cultivated field for crop production.
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