Hissar (Haryana), July 17 - Earthworms and some animal manure could convert waste from the textile industry into a rich compost for agriculture, researchers here have found.

Most gardeners will tell you earthworm is their best friend as it aerates the soil and helps break down the soil materials, releasing nutrients for improved plant growth.

A particular species of earthworm, known as Eisenia foetida, thrives in rotting vegetation, compost, and manure. This species is grown commercially for composting because of its skills at converting organic waste into rich compost.

Vinod Garg, Renuka Gupta and Priya Kaushik of Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology here say the red earthworms could be used to produce compost from the huge volumes of solid sludge produced by the textile industry.

Sludge from the textile industry is usually difficult to dispose of.