POTENTIAL OF VERMICOMPOST PREPARED

FROM SEWAGE SLUDGE AND KITCHEN WASTE

ON THE GROWTH AND PROTEIN PROFILE IN
PISUM SATIVUM

A THESIS
Submitted to the
Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of

MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY IN ZOOLOGY

Submitted by
PRIYA KRISHNA.L
Reg. No: 61012355

POST GRADUATE DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY

NESAMONY MEMORIAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE
MARTHANDAM – 629 165

APRIL - 2017
POST GRADUATE DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY
NESAMONY MEMORIAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE
MARTHANDAM-629165

BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

Certified that this “POTENTIAL OF VERMICOMPOST PREPARED

FROM SEWAGE SLUDGE AND KITCHEN WASTE ON THE GROWTH

AND PROTEIN PROFILE IN PISUM SATIVUM” is a bonafide work of

PRIYA KRISHNA.L (Reg.No: 61012355) who carried out the work under my

supervision. Certified further that to the best of my knowledge the work reported here

in does not form part of any other thesis or dissertation on the basis of which a degree

or award was conferred on an earlier occasion on this or any other candidate.

Signature of the HOD Signature of the Supervisor

Mrs. T.N.Jasmin Roy Dr. C. Sreekumari
Professor and Head Assistant Professor
Department of P.G. Zoology Department of P.G. Zoology
Nesamony Memorial Christian College, Nesamony Memorial Christian
Marthandam– 629165 College Marthandam - 629165
 ABSTRACT

Vermicompost promises to user in the ‘Second Green Revolution’ by

completely replacing the destructive agrochemicals. Earthworms restore and improve

soil fertility and significantly boost crop productivity. Vermicompost is a nutritive

organic fertilizer rich in humus, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, micronutrients,

nitrogen-fixing and phosphate solubilizing bacteria, actinomycets and growth

hormones such as auxins, gibberlins and cytokinins. In view of the growing awareness

about ecofriendly organic farming and biotechnology, sewage sludge and kitchen

waste were used to produce vermicompost which showed enhanced growth promoting

effect in the crop Pisum sativum. Vermicompost was prepared using the

earthworm Eisenia fetida with 21 days maintenance. During composting N, P, K and

pH value were estimated in the vermicompost before composting, after 7 days, 14

days and 21 days. The vermicompost was dark in colour, odourless, fine in texture

after 21 days. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were highly increased in

vermicompost. The pH value of the vermicompost decreased during the experimental

period. Vermicompost enhanced the growth of tested P. sativum. The parameters such

as shoot length, root length, number of leaves and yield were increased than the

control plant. The shoot length, root length and number of leaves increased 18%, 42%

and 66%, respectively in experimental plants than control plant. The pod length was

increased 47% than control plant and the grains increased 35% in experimental plant

than control plant. The total protein content was 62% more in the grains than control

plant. SDS – PAGE showed the variation of protein pattern in the control and

experimental grains.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

At the outset, I praise my Lord Jesus Christ for giving me the health and

wisdom to complete this project work successfully.

I wish to express my deep sense of gratitude and sincere thanks to my guide

and supervisor, Dr. C. Sreekumari, Assistant Professor, Department of Zoology for

suggesting this problem, valuable guidance and helping me in my efforts to complete

this work.

I am extremely thankful to Mrs. T.N. Jasmin Joy, Professor and Head, Post

Graduate Department of Zoology for his encouragement and for the facilities

provided in the Department.

I am in debted to Dr. K. Paul Raj, Principal, Nesamony Memorial Christian

College, Marthandam, for all the necessary facilities during the entire course of my

study.

I am thankful to all our beloved teachers in the Post Graduate Department of

Zoology for their help and the words of encouragement.

I wish to record my thankful to our Laboratory Staff, Post Graduate

Department of Zoology for the help rendered at every stage of this work.

Prayers and help rendered by my parents, classmates and other friends, need

special mention.

Priya Krishna.L
 CONTENTS

CHAPTER NO. TITLE PAGE NO.

ABSTRACT

LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF FIGURES

LIST OF SYMBOLS, ABBREVIATIONS

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 GENERAL

1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 16

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE 17

CHAPTER III MATERIALS AND METHODS 33

3.1 MUNICIPAL SEWAGE AND KITCHEN

WASTE 33

3.2. EARTHWORM COLLECTION 33

3.2.1 SYSTEMATIC POSITIONS OF

Eisenia fetida 33

3.3 EXPERIMENTAL SET UP 34

3.4 ANALYTICAL METHODS 34

3. 5 PLANT AND GROWTH ESTIMATION 34

3. 6 TOTAL PROTEIN ESTIMATION 36

3. 7 PROTEIN PROFILE ANALYSIS USING

SODIUM DODECYL SULPHATE

POLYACRYLAMIDE GEL ELECTROPHORESIS 35

3.8 RESULTS 36
3.8.1 VERMICOMPOSTING OF SEWAGE SLUDGE

AND KITCHEN WASTE 36

3.8.2 EARTHWORM BIOMASS 36

3.8.3 TOTAL PROTEIN, PHOSPHORUS AND

POTASSIUM CONTENT OF VERMICOMPOST 36

3.8.4 pH 36

3.8.5 GROWTH OF PISUM SATIVUM 37

3.8.6 PROTEIN PROFILE ANALYSIS 37

3.9 DISCUSSION 45

3.10 SUMMARY 56

REFERENCES 58
 LIST OF TABLES

Table No. Title Page No.

1 Summary of the growth of P. sativum treated with 44

control and vermicompost
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Title Page No.

No.
1 Municipal sewage sludge and kitchen solid waste 38
2 Vermicompost of sewage sludge and kitchen waste after 38
21 days using earth worm, Eisenia fetida
3 Total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content of 39
vermicompost
4 Variations of pH during vermicomposting 39
5 The control (compost) and experimental (vermicompost) 40
sewage Sludge and seeds of P. sativum
6 Growth of P. sativum on compost (control) and 41
vermicompost sewage sludge after 7 days.
7 Growth and yield of P. sativum using control compost (A) 42
and vermicompost sewage sludge (B) after 45 days in the
field
8 Protein profile of crude protein from the grains of P. 43
sativum
 ABBREVIATIONS

% ---- Percentage

°C ---- degree centigrade

mg ---- millirogram

et al ---- Co-workers

g ---- gram

h ---- hour

i.e., ---- id est

l ---- liter

ml ---- milliliter

mm ---- millimeter

M ---- Molar

PAGE ---- Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

PGR ----- Protien Growth Rate

pH ---- Hydrogen ion

rpm ---- rotation per minute

GHG ----- Green House Gase

KDa ---- Kilo Daltons

MSW ---- Municipal Sewage Waste

Introduction
Review of Literature
Materials and Methods
Result
Discussion
Summary
References