Mass production of soil mesofauna from the Terminalia arjuna forest ecosystem for reintroduction into degraded agroecosystems
Authors:   Department of Agril.Entomology University of Agril.Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru -560065, Karnataka, India Email: ngkumar55@yahoo.co.in, N G KUMAR , T.G. AVINASH , P. NIRMALA 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
The 24-month greenhouse study conducted at GKVK campus of the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, aimed to mass-produce soil mesofauna collected from Terminalia arjuna forest plantations. Over the months, the abundance of mesofauna in soil samples from the forest ecosystem varied, showing lower activity in the summer and increased abundance after rainfall. A particularly noteworthy finding was the highest population (1223 mesofauna/400g soil sample) recorded in January 2020, highlighting the remarkable adaptability and resilience of mesofauna in fluctuating conditions. The study suggested that mesofauna can be mass multiplied in soil by providing household vegetable wastes as food and water. The abundance of mesofauna in the soil samples collected from the forest ecosystem ranged from 32.00 to 163.00/400 g at monthly intervals. In the greenhouse, the mean abundance of mesofauna varied from 74.33 to 204.38/400 g of soil over six months, indicating their ability to survive throughout the year regardless of the season. Mesofaunal diversity indices ranged from 0.7 to 0.85 in the natural forest ecosystem and from 0.21 to 0.90 in the greenhouse conditions throughout the year.
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