Feasibility of vermicomposting for vegetable greenhouse waste recycling

This study was conducted in order to evaluate the feasibility of Eisenia andrei for vermicomposting heterogeneous-plant (HP), tomato-plant (P), and damaged tomato-fruit (T) greenhouse vegetable wastes. Earthworm growth and reproduction were monitored over a 12-week period, and variations in chemical parameters, enzyme activity, phytotoxicity test, and genetic fingerprinting of bacterial communities were evaluated. While high rates of salinity prevented earthworm survival in HP and P (>10 dS m(-1)), T was vermicomposted recording an adequate earthworm growth and cocoon production. The latter waste was successfully stabilized, as indicated by the significant decrease in its TOC content ( approximately 13-26%) and C:N ratio ( approximately 16-36%) and its high germination indices ( approximately 39-72%). The similar enzyme activities levels and bacterial community fingerprintings recorded in diverse vermicomposts obtained from T waste indicate that this type of waste favoured the existence of analogous bacterial communities responsible for the high degree of stabilization and maturity detected.