Cultivation of worms on a substrate containing poultry droppings fermented with addition of biodestructors

Abstract

Significant accumulations of poultry droppings near large poultry enterprises are a problem both in Ukraine and abroad. An urgent issue is the search for rational methods of disposal of these wastes with the involvement of natural, ecologically safe methods such as composting with the use of microorganisms and vermiculture. The use of microorganisms during the fermentation of broiler chicken droppings with litter (in the form of sawdust of non-coniferous trees) leads to a reduction of time for preparation of organic biomass for vermiculture. However, it is of scientific and practical interest to establish the effectiveness of growing worms on a substrate containing broiler chicken droppings fermented with various doses of microorganism preparations compared to the option where the droppings were fermented in the traditional way during 18 months. During the research, 4 groups were formed with 4 micro-beds in each. The weight of the compost and the volume of the micro-beds were identical. In the control version, the compost contained 92.0 % (by weight) of broiler chicken manure fermented during 18 months and 8.0 % of shredded wheat straw. In the experimental micro-beds, the ratio of manure to straw was identical by mass, however, the manure was fermented during 180 days using 143, 1430 and 2860 mg of bio-destructors per ton of biomass. The influence of broiler chicken droppings on the number of sexually mature and immature worms, their mass and the number of laid cocoons was studied for 100 days. The content of protein, biotic metals, and toxic metals in vermiculture biomass was studied. It was proven experimentally that the inclusion of broiler chicken droppings with a litter of fermented droppings in the amount of 2860 mg/t of bio-destructors leads to an increase in the number of sexually mature and immature worms in the micro-bed and their mass by 45.5 and 29.3 % respectively, and 63.9 and 56.7 % relatively to the control where the litter was fermented during 18 months. Cultivation of vermiculture on compost with manure fermented for 180 days (III experimental group) makes it possible to obtain 41.4 % more cocoons and 17.1 % more cocoons compared to the control group. The biomass of worms grown on compost containing manure fermented with the highest dose of bio-destructors probably did not differ by the content of biotic metals and toxic metals. Key words: worm cocoons, protein, biotic metals, toxic metals, bio-destructors, vermiculture, compost.