Assessment of sustainable vermiconversion of water hyacinth at different reactor efficiencies employing Eudrilus eugeniae Kinberg

The viability of vermireactors fed with different proportions of water hyac inth (WH) and cowdung (CD) was assessed over six-month trials. All reactors performed sustainably with a steadily rising vermicast output, worm zoomas s, and number of offspring. There was no mortality in any of the reactors. A change in the WH:CD ratios from 4:1 to 6:1 had no discernable impact on t he reactor performances. Attempts were also made to improve the efficiency of the reactors in terms of vermicast production per unit time and per unit digester volume. These attempts led to the 'high-rate' vermireactor in whi ch 5.6 times greater vermicast was produced per litre of digester volume pe r day than in the 'low-rate' reactors. The high-rate vermireactors also per formed sustainably, with steady vermicast output, animal growth, and reprod uction. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.