THE JOURNAL OF KMUTNB

Volume 32, No. 04, Month OCTOBER, Year 2022, Pages 1025 - 1032

Impact of biochar application on earthworm survivor and growth of african night crawler (eudrilus eugeniae) species

Saowakon Hemwong, Atikom Suwannakan

Abstract Download PDF

Organic agriculture production focuses on efficient use of locally available resources, such as biochar application, which helps improve soil quality and uncover a positive effect on plant growth and soil living organisms, especially earthworms. The objective of this research was to study the impact of different biochar types on the viability and growth of African Night Crawler (Eudrilus eugeniae) earthworms (30 samples per treatment group). The experiment was established in the CRD model, consisting of 4 treatments with 4 replications, i.e., 1) cow manure, 2) cow manure + rice husk biochar, 3) cow manure + rice straw biochar and 4) cow manure + pig bone biochar. The results found that African Night Crawlers died starting from the first week after culture. At 6 weeks after culture, the treatment group using cow manure + rice straw biochar showed the highest number of survival (21 surviving worms or 71 percent survival rate), which proved to be higher than the cow manure alone treatment (15 surviving worms or 48 percent survival rate). However, the growth of earthworms was not statistically different when compared with the cow manure alone treatment. The cow manure + pig bone biochar treatment contributed to the lowest survival and growth rates among the species. In comparison with different types of biochar, the application of the combination of rice straw biochar and cow manure in a 1 : 1 ratio exposed the greatest positive effect on earthworm survival and growth.

Keywords

Earthworm; Biochar; Population; Viability; Growth

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