Effects of reed mixing ratios in cow manure on the chemical composition and heavy metal content of earthworm castings

Soon Hwangbo; Ji-Hong Lee

doi:10.7744/kjoas.520417

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2025 Vol.52, Issue 4 Preview Page Next Page

Animal

Effects of reed mixing ratios in cow manure on the chemical composition and heavy metal content of earthworm castings

1 December 2025. pp. 611-618

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Abstract

This study aimed to determine the effects of different mixing ratios of reed (Phragmites communis) with cow manure on the chemical properties and heavy metal concentrations of earthworm (Eisenia foetida) castings, in order to establish optimal vermicomposting conditions for sustainable agriculture and environmental protection. The earthworm castings used in this work came from an earlier test where cow manure and reed were mixed in different volume ratios (100 : 0, 90 : 10, 80 : 20, 70 : 30, and 60 : 40) and given to E. foetida for 70 days. Chemical analyses included organic matter (OM), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), and the carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio. Heavy metals such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb) were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) or inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) method, while mercury (Hg) was not found in the samples. The OM content of the castings (51.60 - 57.63%) was lower than that of the feed (61.10 - 67.10%), but it showed a significant increase as the mixing ratio of reed increased (p < 0.05). Casting pH (6.77 - 7.25) and EC (0.576 - 0.830 mS·cm^-1) were lower than in feed and decreased significantly as reed proportions increased (p < 0.05). TC increased from 28.67% in pure manure to 32.01% at 40% reed, while TN peaked in pure manure (1.58%) and at 10% reed (1.55%). The C/N ratio in castings (18.11 - 22.84) was lower than in feed but increased with reed addition. The heavy metal content in the castings was 19 - 25% lower than that in the feed. Levels of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, and Pb all showed a significant decrease as the proportion of reed increased (p < 0.05). When the reed portion in cow manure increased during vermicomposting, OM and TC showed higher values, while pH, EC, and heavy metal contents became lower in the castings. These findings indicate that higher reed ratios can enhance the agronomic quality and environmental safety of earthworm castings for use as organic fertilizers and soil amendments.

Keywords

cow manure

earthworm castings

heavy metals

reed

vermicomposting

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Information

Publisher :Institute of Agricultural Science, Chungnam National University
Publisher(Ko) :충남대학교 농업과학연구소
Journal Title :Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
Journal Title(Ko) :농업과학연구
Volume : 52
No :4
Pages :611-618
Received Date : 2025-10-20
Revised Date : 2025-10-27
Accepted Date : 2025-10-28
DOI :https://doi.org/10.7744/kjoas.520417

Korean Journal of Agricultural Science ISSN:2466-2402(Print) 2466-2410(Online) 농업과학연구

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