Production and efficiency of organic compost generated by millipede activity

• Main Authors: Luiz Fernando de Sousa Antunes, Rafael Nogueira Scoriza, Dione Galvão da Silva, Maria Elizabeth Fernandes Correia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Federal de Santa Maria 2016-05-01
• Series: Ciência Rural
• Subjects: diplópodes; substrato; hortaliças.
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0103-84782016000500815&lng=en&tlng=en

ABSTRACT: The putrefactive activity of organisms such as diplopods in the edaphic macrof auna can be leveraged to promote the transformation of agricultural and urban waste into a low-cost substrate for the production of vegetable seedlings. This research aimed to evaluate: (1) the quantity of Gervais millipedes ( Trigoniulus corallinus ) needed to produce an acceptable quantity of organic compost; (2) the main physical and chemical characteristics of different compost types; and (3) compost efficiency in the production of lettuce seedlings. The first experiment lasted 90 days and was conducted using 6.5L of Gliricidia, 6.5L of Flemingia, 13.5L of grass cuttings, 4.5L of cardboard, 4.5L of coconut husk, and 4.5L of corncob. Treatments consisting of 0, 0.10, 0.30, 0.50, and 0.90L of millipedes were applied. This experiment compared millicompost and vermicompost, using four repetitions. After 23 days, the heights of grown lettuce plants and the weights of the fresh and dry mass of above ground lettuce and of the roots were assessed. A millipede volume of 0.1L proved to be sufficient for the production of an acceptable volume of organic compost. However, the addition of greater volumes leads to increased calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous content. Millicompost has similar physicochemical characteristics those of vermicompost, and both are equally efficient as a substrate for the production of lettuce seedlings.