Study of agricultural waste (Paddy straw) during Vermicomposting with respect to changes in number of earthworms and cocoons

The increasing rate of agricultural wastes due to the large scale of urbanization and a consequence of economic development has become a problem that produces the huge quantities of waste in India and causes a serious environmental problem which is difficult for management. For the present research work, composting of paddy straw waste done along with various fungal strains such as Pleurotus sajor-caju, Trichoderma harzianum and Aspergillus niger and Chaetomium globosum in various combination for 40 days and followed by vermicomposting with Eisenia foetida for 30 days of period. As fungi helps in degradation of plant material quickly by secreting enzymes along with increase in number of earthworms and cocoons in the paddy straw vermicompost . As earthworm number increases from initial 15 to control 23 in control to 49 in final set up where as cocoons number in control was 8 to last set up were 23. As paddy straw supports more number of earthworms and cocoons when treated with various fungal strains.