Table 11.1
Growth and reproduction rate in some epigeic earthworm species
Earthworm
species
Culture materials
Growth rate
(mg worm
À1
day
À1
)
Reproduction rate
References
Cocoon
(worm
À1
day
À1
)
Juvenile
(adult
À1
week
À1
)
Perionyx
excavatus
Cowdung
22.91
0.25
1.39
Chaudhuri and Debnath
(2020)
Acacia leaf litter-Cowdung
3.47
0.3
3.31
Chaudhuri and Debnath
(2020)
Bamboo leaf litter-Cowdung
12.6
0.23
2.22
Chaudhuri and Debnath
(2020)
Mikania micrantha-Cowdung
9.47
0.13
0.66
Chaudhuri and Debnath
(2020)
Cowdung
2.86
–
2.45
Chaudhuri and
Bhattacharjee (2002)
Cowdung-kitchen wastes
2.47
–
1.37
Chaudhuri and
Bhattacharjee (2002)
Cowdung-straw
4.75
–
14
Chaudhuri and
Bhattacharjee (2002)
Cowdung-leaf litter
4.02
–
11.7
Chaudhuri and
Bhattacharjee (2002)
Rubber leaf litter
5.04
–
0.2
Chaudhuri et al. (2003)
Pressmud-Cowdung
4.81
0.79
–
Birundha et al. (2013)
Perionyx
ceylanensis
Cowdung
1.34
0.94
–
Karmegam and Daniel
(2009)
Perionyx
sansibaricus
Kitchen waste-Mangifera
indica
leaf litter
3.77
0.25
–
Suthar (2007)
Cattle solid wastes
8.00
0.22
–
Suthar (2009)
184
P. Chaudhuri and S. Debnath