Food Substrates and Population Density in the Breeding of Californian Red Worm (Eisenia Foetida)

Abstract

The effect of food substrate and population density on the rearing of californian red worms (Eisenia foetida) was evaluated. A completely randomized design (CRD) was used, with an AxB factorial arrangement, with twelve treatments and two replications, making a total of 24 experimental units (EU). Factor A was the food substrate, with four levels (a1=bovine compost, a2=sheep compost, a3=guinea pig compost and a4=alpaca compost) and factor B was the population density, with three levels (b1=200 worms/EU, b2=400 worms/EU and b3=600 worms/EU) of clitellate worms. The EU were wooden beds of 0,4 m length, 0,4 m width and 0,2 m height, with a capacity of 32 L. In each bed, 25 kg of compost from each food substrate was incorporated, to subsequently inoculate the worms. After 90 days, the biological and productive development capacity was evaluated. It was determined that the alpaca and sheep compost demonstrated a greater biological and productive development capacity. In terms of population density, level b3 stood out (600 worms/EU); however, in terms of humus production, although there were significant differences (p>0.01<0.05) between the levels, this was not higher than 3%.