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Evaluation of the Effects of Amino Acid and Sugar on the Activity and Reproductive Performance of Eisenia fetida Earthworms
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Abbas Biabani *   , Abdolghader Piroozeh , Mohammadreza Jafarzadeh , Reza Rezvani |
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Abstract: (3 Views) |
Introduction: Earthworms are considered one of the most important components of soil fauna due to their essential role in improving the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil. Certain earthworm species possess a remarkable ability to decompose organic wastes and convert them into vermicompost. Therefore, optimizing the growth and reproductive conditions of earthworms is of great importance for increasing the efficiency of vermicompost production and related by-products. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of sugar and amino acid supplementation on the growth, reproduction, and biomass production of earthworms under vermicomposting conditions.
Materials and methods: This experiment was carried out in 2018 at Gonbad Kavous University using a factorial arrangement based on a completely randomized design with four replications. The first factor consisted of four sugar concentrations (0, 5, 10, and 20 g L⁻¹), while the second factor included four amino acid concentrations (0, 1, 2, and 3 g L⁻¹). Prepared treatment solutions were applied weekly at a rate of 100 mL per bed. Temperature and moisture of the vermiculture beds were monitored daily throughout the experiment. After approximately 100 days, the vermicomposting process was completed, and earthworms were separated from the produced vermicompost. Traits measured included biomass weight, cocoon production, vermicompost weight, number and weight of adult, juvenile, and newborn worms, total worm population, and cocoon weight.
Results: The results indicated significant differences among treatments in terms of the number and weight of adult, juvenile, and newborn worms, cocoon production, total worm population, and final worm biomass. However, vermicompost yield was not significantly affected by sugar treatments or by the interaction between sugar and amino acid treatments. The highest number and weight of adult worms were recorded in treatment A4S1, with 227 worms and 90.38 g, respectively, whereas the lowest values were observed in the control treatment (A1S1) with only 2 worms and 0.60 g. The highest number and weight of juvenile worms were obtained in treatment A2S3, with 223 worms and 62.16 g, respectively. The greatest number of newborn worms and total worm population were also observed in treatment A2S3, reaching 9,038 and 9,330 individuals, respectively. The highest newborn worm biomass was recorded in treatment A3S3 (42.23 g), while the highest total worm biomass was obtained in treatment A4S1 (176.52 g). Cocoon production was also significantly influenced by treatments, with the highest cocoon number and weight observed in treatment A4S1 (3,017 cocoons and 20.14 g). The maximum vermicompost yield was recorded in treatment A2S2 (7,865 g), whereas the minimum yield was observed in treatment A1S3 (6,505 g).
Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that supplementation with sugar and amino acids significantly enhanced earthworm growth, biomass accumulation, cocoon production, and reproduction. In general, the growth and reproductive performance of earthworms were directly associated with the quality and quantity of available nutrients. Treatments containing sugar and amino acids showed superior performance compared with the control treatment. Therefore, the application of these nutritional supplements can be considered an effective strategy for improving vermicompost production efficiency and optimizing earthworm cultivation systems. |
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| Keywords: Organic waste recycling, Biomass, Clitellum, Clitellum, Cocoon |
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Full-Text [PDF 739 kb]
(3 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Ecophysiology
Received: 2026/09/13 | Accepted: 2025/09/23 | Published: 2025/09/23
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Biabani A, Piroozeh A, Jafarzadeh M, Rezvani R. Evaluation of the Effects of Amino Acid and Sugar on the Activity and Reproductive Performance of Eisenia fetida Earthworms. 3 2025; 10 (18) :36-46 URL: http://arpe.gonbad.ac.ir/article-1-463-en.html
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