The total biomass
and the number of worms recovered at the end of the experiment
were high in the treatments incorporated with a high
proportion of CD. Kaur et al. (2010) reported that cattle dung increased
suitability of paper mill sludge as feed for both microbes
and the earthworm which is evident from higher nutrient content
and better population buildup in the mixtures over 100% paper
mill sludge. The recovery of a high number of earthworms in the
treatment inoculated with P. ceylanensis showed the short life cycle
of this earthworm species which is an essential characteristic of
vermicomposting species (Karmegam and Daniel, 2009b).