Reprodução de minhocas em diferentes substratos orgânicos e a percepção de agricultores familiares sobre a minhocultura.

Abstract

All human action generates waste and its inadequate disposition can compromise the environmental resources, contaminating the soil and the water, bringing with it serious problems for the quality of life. There are, however, efficient methods that seek to combine the reduction of residues with soil fertility, with gains for the environment, such as vermicomposting. The process, low cost and high environmental value, vermicomposting depends on the decomposition of the residues and the reproduction of earthworms, which is directly related to the type and origin of the organic material. Despite the advantages of vermicomposting, this is little used by farmers. The objective of this research was to evaluate the reproduction of Eisenia foetida on different substrates and the understanding of the family farmers of three rural communities of Coxixola-PB on vermicomposting. The experiment was conducted in two stages: a perception study with the farmers and a field trial, set up at the experimental farm of the CDSA / UFCG, to test the efficiency of different substrates for the reproduction of earthworms. The experiment was conducted from March to May 2017, with a completely randomized experimental design, using five treatments: bovine (EB), sheep (EO) and goat manure (EC) for a period of 15 days, organic compost ( CO) and the proportional mixture of these four organic sources (MIX); in 4 replicates, totaling 20 experimental units. After 60 days of the experiment, the number of young and adult individuals, the number of cocoons, the length and biomass of all the individuals and the multiplication index of the worms were evaluated. It can be concluded that the Eisenia foetida, at 60 days of breeding, had a siquinificativa breeding rate, and the treatments Mix and bovine manure were the ones that presented the best results for the studied variables. Regarding the study of the farmers' perception of the use of earthworms in agricultural production, 100% said they did not know and did not use this practice, presenting a distorted view of the presence of these representatives of the soil macrofauna.