Gunadi and Edwards (2003) reported the death of Eisenia foetida after 2
weeks in the fresh cattle solids although all other growth parameters such as
moisture content, pH, electrical conductivity, C: N ratio, NH4
+
and NO3 -
contents were suitable for the growth of the earthworms. They attributed the
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deaths of earthworms to the anaerobic conditions which developed after 2
weeks in fresh cattle solids. Gunadi and Edwards (2003) studied the growth,
fecundity and mortality of E. foetida in a range of different wastes (cattle manure
solids, pig manure solids and super market waste) for more than one year. They
concluded that worms could not survive in fresh cattle solids, pig solids, fruit
wastes and vegetable wastes. The growth of E. foetida was found faster in pig
wastes than in cattle waste. The multiple additions of substrates prolonged the
fecundity of worms, but there was a tendency of decreasing of the weight by
worms after 60 weeks of the experiment (Gunadi and Edwards, 2003).