Manual of On-Farm Vermicomposting and Vermiculture

Vermicompost is the product or process of composting through the utilization of various species of worms, usually red wigglers, white worms, and earthworms, to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste (excluding meat, dairy, fats, or oils), bedding materials, and vermicast. Vermicast, also known as worm castings, worm humus or worm manure, is the end-product of the breakdown of organic matter by species of earthworm. Vermicomposting is widely used in North America for on-site institutional processing of food waste, such as in hospitals and shopping malls. This type of composting is sometimes suggested as a feasible indoor home composting method. Vermicomposting has gained popularity in both these industrial and domestic settings because, as compared to conventional composting, it provides a way to compost organic materials more quickly (as defined by a higher rate of carbon-to-nitrogen ratio increase) and to attain products that have lower salinity levels that are therefore more beneficial to plant mediums.

The earthworm species (or composting worms) most often used are red wigglers (Eisenia fetida or Eisenia andrei), though European nightcrawlers (Eisenia hortensis or Dendrobaena veneta) could also be used. Red wigglers are recommended by most vermiculture experts, as they have some of the best appetites and breed very quickly. Users refer to European nightcrawlers by a variety of other names, including dendrobaenas, dendras, Dutch Nightcrawlers, and Belgian nightcrawlers.

Containing water-soluble nutrients, vermicompost is a nutrient-rich organic fertilizer and soil conditioner in a form that is relatively easy for plants to absorb. Worm castings are sometimes used as an organic fertilizer. Because the earthworms grind and uniformly mix minerals in simple forms, plants need only minimal effort to obtain them. The worms' digestive systems also add beneficial microbes to help create a "living" soil environment for plants.[citation needed]

Vermicompost tea in conjunction with 10% castings has been shown to cause up to a 1.7 times growth in plant mass over plants grown without.

Researchers from the Pondicherry University discovered that worm composts can also be used to clean up heavy metals. The researchers found substantial reductions in heavy metals when the worms were released into the garbage and they are effective at removing lead, zinc, cadmium, copper and manganese.

Manual of vermicomposting can be downloaded from the link.

oacc.info/docs/vermiculture_farmersmanual_gm.pdf

VERMI-TECHNOLOGY

VERMI-TECHNOLOGY is an eco-friendly, economic and enduring process to reclaim problem soils, especially the sodic (salt-affected) soils.

It is a more suitable bio-remedial measure than chemical treatment with gypsum and other amendments according to Prof. (Dr.) Sultan Ahmed Ismail, Managing Director, Ecoscience Research Foundation (ERF), Chennai.

In extensive field experiments conducted in the sodic soils of Uttar Pradesh, scientists have established that vermi-technology brought about remarkable change in the soil structure.

Application of compost and earthworm management improved the soil nutrient level and crops such as wheat, rice, spinach, onion and potato grew well in reclaimed sodic soils.

In Uttar Pradesh more than 1.2 million hectares of farmlands are salt-affected, and agricultural productivity remains low. With a view to reclaiming the salt-affected fields and to improve the farm productivity, the Institute of Research in Soil Biology and Biotechnology (IRSBB), New College, Chennai, initiated a project with the Uttar Pradesh Bhumi Sudhar Nigam (UPBSN), Lucknow, in 1996.

Prof. Ismail, the then director of IRSBB and his team of young scientists, successfully completed the five-year project, and concluded that vermi-technology is the most cost-effective and ever lasting solution to reclaim salt-affected fields.

Prof. Ismail, a pioneer in vermi-technology in the country, has been actively involved in solid waste management using vermi-technology and has successfully demonstrated that tannery effluents can be effectively managed using this technology.

His new institution, ERF, is a non-governmental organization (NGO) committed to the popularisation of this low-cost and ecologically sound and farmer-friendly approach for rural livelihood security and sustainable agricultural development.

"About two thousand five hundred species of earth are recorded around the world, and more than five hundred of them can be cultured or used in composting through simple processes. The earthworms can be grown in a host of systems including pits, crates, tanks, concrete rings or any other containers.

The organic material to be used for vermi-composting should be pre-processed or pre-digested through partial anaerobic phase (using a black polythene cover or with a clay seal layer).

The biodung composting technology standardised by Dr. Priti Joshi is highly recommended as a pre-digestion mechanism," said Prof. Ismail.

Diversity of earthworm species varies with different types of soils and hence choosing a local or native species of earthworm for the local soil and for vermi-composting is an important step, according to him. "There is no need to import earthworms from anywhere. Local species of earthworms that are generally used in India are Perionyx excavatus and Lampito mauritii," said Prof. Ismail. The compost pits are to be kept under shade, and they may of any size convenient to the farmers, according to him.

Thursday, Jul 01, 2004

Source: http://www.hindu.com/seta/2004/07/01/stories/2004070100261500.htm