Vermicomposting Of De-Oiled Cake Of Brassica Juncea By Eisenia Foetida

De-oiled cake of Brassica juncea is produced in large quantities in India and Worldwide. It has no economic importance. Present experiment is an attempt to convert it in nutrients rich vermicompost through the activities of Eisenia foetida. The experiment was laid down with four treatments viz. Control: Buffalo dung + Eisenia foetida, Buffalo dung + Brassica juncea cake, T-2: Buffalo dung + Brassica juncea cake + Eisenia foetida and T-3: Brassica juncea cake + Eisenia foetida. The experiment was performed in above ground pits made from bricks of size (45x45x21 cm) (lxbxh). Treatments were replicated thrice. Vermicomposting material was analyzed at 0, 30, 60 and 90 days period for its various chemical properties like pH, electrical conductivity, total organic carbon, available phosphorus, potassium, sodium, lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose and degradation of substrate was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. Yield of vermicompost was also recorded at maturity. Results reveal that in 90 days produced vermicompost show slightly alkaline pH, increased values of electrical conductivity, available phosphorus, potassium, sodium; and decreased values for total organic carbon, cellulose and hemicellulose compared to their initial values. This effect of treatments was found significant at 5% level for some parameters.