Comparison of the performance of intra and interspecific earthworm species in vermicomposting coral vine (<i>Antigonon leptopus</i>)

Three epigeic earthworm species Eudrilus eugeniae, Eisenia fetida, and Perionyx excavatus were utilised to understand the intra and interspecific competition for food and space by comparing the process efficiency of vermicomposting coral vine. Coral vine was subjected to vermicomposting directly without any supplementation of animal manure or any pre-processing. Over a period of 150-day pulse-fed operation, all the reactors fed with coral vine were sustainably vermicomposted with the increase in earthworm zoomass, and offspring generated. The most efficient production of vermicompost was achieved by E. eugeniae followed by other two species. There was no significant difference, statistically, in the reactor performance when two or three of the species were used together. Overall, it is affirmed that the interspecific population of earthworms has no perceptible advantage over intraspecific population in the vermicomposting of coral vine.