Characterization of Bacterial Isolates in Vermicompost Produced from a Mixture of Cow dung, Straw, Neem leaf and Vegetable Wastes

ABSTRACT Vermicomposting is a non-thermophilic biological oxidation process of composting where certain species of earthworm are used to enhance the process of conversion of organic waste to compost. Earthworm helps in influencing the growth of certain microbial species, and also improves the physical and chemical properties of the soil. The microbial population present in vermicompost play an important role in increasing the productivity of crop as well as maintain the structural stability of the soil. Different types of bacteria found in vermicompost and is depends on the environmental condition and the raw materials used in vermicomposting. Owing to this, a study was carried out to identify the bacteria exist in vermicompost produced from cow dungs, straw, neem leafs and vegetable wastes. The phenotypic studies such as colony morphology, microscopic studies, and biochemical characterization have identified eight bacterial species namely Actinomyces israelli, Azotobacter, Micrococus luteus, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtillis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter in the vermicompost. All these bacteria were present in the gut of Eesenia Foetida and found beneficial for the soil and crop plants.