Vermicompost /Vermi technology /Kenchua khad bnane ki vidi or sampuran jankari/dsapqvk [kkn - mÙke tSfod [kkn/ Life cycle of earthworm
Vermicompost
Vermi-technology is a process by which all types of biodegradable wastes such as farm wastes, kitchen wastes, market wastes, bio wastes of agro-based industries, livestock wastes etc. are converted to nutrient rich vermicompost by using earthworms as biological agents. Vermicompost contains major and minor nutrients in plant available forms, enzymes, vitamins and plant growth hormones.
Vermitechnology
is the use of surface and subsurface local varieties of earthworm in composting
and management of soil (Ismail, 2005).Vermitechnology is the process of
converting organic wastes, by earthworms into valuable, organic fertilizer. It
is very effective eco-friendly, cheap, and easy method of recycling
biodegradable waste using selected species of earthworms.
Earthworms were referred by
Aristotle as “The intestines of earth
and the restoring agents of soil fertility”. They are biological indicators
of soil quality as a good population of earthworms indicates the presence of a
large population of bacteria, viruses, fungi, insects, spiders and other organisms
and thus a healthy soil. These are also called as “Ecosystem engineers” as they increase the numbers and types of microbes
in the soil by creating conditions under which these creatures can thrive and multiply.
The treatment of waste from vermitechnology not only reduce pollution,
eliminating strength of disease but also produces something of immense value to
agriculture, hence vermitechnology is called “Wealth from Waste”.
The need of
vermitechnology in the respect of Indian conditions are-
1. India
spend about Rs. 230 million per year for waste disposal alone, this expenditure
includes the cost of collection, transportation and disposal.
2. Despite
spending money on waste disposal, air and water pollution remain unabated in
India.
3. In
India atleast 60% of the solid waste are organic in nature.
4. Casting
of earthworm contain as much as 5 times more nitrogen, 14 times more calcium, 3
times more magnesium, 11 times more potassium than that of 15 cm. top soil.
5. Large
amount of humic substances are produced during vermicomposting and these have
been reported to have positive effects on plant growth independent of nutrition.
There are four varieties of earthworms available in India, which are
called manure worm. 1. Eisenia foetida 2. Eudrilus
eugeniae 3.Lumbrieus rubellus 4. Lumbrieus
terrestris. These can be cultured on animal dung, poultry, droppings and
vegetables and other kinds of biodegradable wastes.
Desirable attributes of worms suitable for vermicomposting are-
1. Worm
should exhibit high biomass consumption together with a high efficiency of
conversion of ingested biomass to body proteins, a physiological trait required
for achieving high growth rate.
2. Worm
should have wider range of tolerance to environmental factors including
adaptation to feed on a variety of organic residues
3.
Worm
should produce large numbers of cocoons with short hatching time enabling rapid
population growth and, linked to this rapid growth, faster composting of
organic residues.
4.
Life
cycle of the worm should be such that mature/adult phase is quickly reached.
5.
Using
a mixture of species is likely to be more useful than use of single species.
6. Worm
should be disease resistant.
Lee (1985)
recognised three main ecological groups of earthworms, based on the soil horizons in which the
earthworms were commonly found i.e.,
litter, topsoil and sub soil. Bouché (1971, 1977), also recognised three
major groups based on ecological
strategies: the epigeics (Épigés), anecics (Anéciques) and endogeics (Éndogés).
Epigeic earthworms live on the soil surface and are litter feeders eg. Eisenia
foetida. Anecic earthworms are topsoil species, which predominantly form
vertical burrows in the soil, feeding on the leaf litter mixed with the soil eg.
Lumbrieus terrestris. Endogeic earthworms preferably make horizontal
burrows and consume more soil than epigeic or anecic species, deriving their
nourishment from humus eg. Eudrilus eugeniae.
Earthworms occur
all over the world, but are rare in areas under constant snow and ice, mountain
ranges and areas almost entirely lacking in soil and vegetation (Edwards and
Bohlen, 1996). Some species are widely distributed, which are called peregrine,
whereas others, that are not able to spread successfully to other areas, are
termed as endemic (Edwards and Lofty, 1972). Factors which affecting
earthworm distribution are- temperature, pH, moisture, organic mater, texture
etc.
Vermicomposting
is the biological degradation and stabilization of organic waste by earthworms
and microorganisms to form vermicompost. This is an essential part in organic
farming today. It can be easily prepared, has excellent properties, and is
harmless to plants. The earthworms fragment the organic waste substrates,
stimulate microbial activity greatly and increase rates of mineralization.
It
has been estimated that earthworms add 230 kg N/ ha/ year in grasslands and 165
kg N/ha/year in woodland sites. Earthworms increase the nitrate production by
stimulating bacterial activity and through their own decomposition. There are
reports that concentrations of exchangeable cations such as Ca, Mg, Na, K,
available P and Mo in the worm casts are higher than those in the surrounding
soil.
Procedure to prepare vermicompost-
It is an
aerobic, bio-oxidation, non-thermophilic process of organic waste decomposition
that depends upon earthworms to fragment, mix and promote microbial activity.
The basic requirements during the process of vermicomposting are
1.
Suitable bedding
2. Food
source
3. Adequate
moisture
4. Adequate
aeration
5. Suitable
temperature
6.
Suitable pH
Bedding is any
material that provides a relatively stable habitat to worms. For good
vermicomposting,
this habitat should satisfy the following criteria:
·
High
absorbency: As worms breathe through skin, the bedding must be
able to absorb and retain adequate water.
·
Good bulking
potential: The bulking potential of the material should be such
that worms get oxygen properly.
·
Low nitrogen
content (high Carbon: Nitrogen ratio): Although worms consume
their bedding as it breaks down, it is very important that this be a slow
process. High protein/nitrogen levels can result in rapid degradation and
associated heating may be fatal to worms.
Regular input of
feed materials for the earthworms is most essential step in the
vermicomposting
process. Earthworms can use a wide variety of organic materials as food but do
exhibit food preferences. In adverse conditions, earthworms can extract
sufficient nourishment from soil to survive. However earthworms feed mainly on dead
and decaying organic waste and on free living soil microflora and fauna. Under ideal
conditions, worms can consume amount of food higher than their body weights,
the general rule-of-thumb is consumption of food weighing half of their body
weight per day. Livestock excreta, viz., goat manure, cattle dung or pig manure
are the most commonly used worm feedstock as these materials have higher
nitrogen content. When the material with higher carbon content is used with C:
N ratio exceeding 40: 1, it is advisable to add nitrogen supplements to ensure
effective decomposition. The food should be added only as a limited layer as an
excess of the waste many generate heat. From the waste ingested by the worms,
5-10% are being assimilated in their body and the rest are being excreted in
the form of vermicast.
Perhaps the most
important requirement of earthworms is adequate moisture. They require moisture
in the range of 60-70%. The feed stock should not be too wet otherwise it may
create anaerobic conditions which may be fatal to earthworms.
Factors such as
high levels of fatty/oily substances in the feedstock or excessive moisture combined
with poor aeration may render anaerobic conditions in vermicomposting system.
Worms suffer severe mortality partly because they are deprived of oxygen and partly
because of toxic substances (e.g. ammonia) produced under such conditions. This
is one of the main reasons for not including meat or other fatty/oily wastes in
worm feedstock unless they have been pre-composted to break down the oils and
fats.
The activity,
metabolism, growth, respiration and reproduction of earthworms are greatly influenced
by temperature. Most earthworm species used in vermicomposting require moderate
temperatures from 10 – 35̊C. While tolerances and preferences vary from species
to species.
Worms can
survive in a pH range of 5 to 9, but a range of 7.5 to 8.0 is considered to be the
optimum. In general, the pH of worm beds tends to drop over time due to the fragmentation
of organic matter under series of chemical reactions. Thus, if the food sources
are alkaline, the effect is a moderating one, tending to neutral or slightly
acidic, and if acidic (e.g., coffee grounds, peat moss); pH of the beds can
drop well below 7. In such acidic conditions, pests like mites may become
abundant. The pH can be adjusted upwards by adding calcium carbonate
1. Pit
Method
2. Windrows
Method
•
Pit method is commonly used for small
scale production of vermicompost.
•
Construct a pit of 3 x 2 x 1 m size (L x
W xD) over ground surface using bricks.
Size of pit may vary as per availability of raw materials.
•
Fill
the pit with following four
layers:
i.
1st layer – sand or sandy
soil of 5-6 cm. This layer helps to drain excess water from the pit
ii.
2nd layer - paddy straw or
other crop residue of 30 cm above 1st layer which will be used for providing aeration to the pit.
iii.
3rd
layer - 15 to 30 days old dung over paddy straw layer at a thickness of 20-30
cm. This helps in initiating microbial activity.
iv.
4th layer - pre-digested
material about 50 cm.
Inoculate
earthworm @ 1000 worms per square meter area or 10 kg earthworm in 100 kg of
organic matter. Spray water on the bed and gunny bag. Maintain 50-60% moisture
of the pit by periodical water spraying.
This method is
widely used for large scale production of vermicompost. Important steps are-
i.
Load the organic wastes in the form of
bed (preferably 10 feet L x 3 feet W x 1.5 feet H). Size of bed may vary as per
availability of organic waste.
ii.
After loading, the fresh bed should be
covered with jute mate or dry agriculture wastes such as rice-bran,
banana-leaf, maize residue etc.
iii.
Sprinkle water over the covered vermibed
to maintain 40% moisture in bed.
iv.
Moisture percent can be checked by
forming lump of organic waste using hand. it should easily form lump.
Watering of bed
should be stopped for at least 2-3 days before harvesting. Earthworms go down
in the moist soil and the compost is collected from the top without disturbing
the lower layers of vermibed having earthworm. Vermicompost harvested will be of dark brown
colour and free flowing.
|
Organic carbon |
9.15 to 17.88% |
|
Total Nitrogen |
0.5 to 0.9% |
|
Phosphorus |
0.1 to 0.2 6 |
|
Potassium |
0.15 to 0.256% |
|
Sodium |
0.055 to 0.3% |
|
Calcium magnesium |
22.67 to 47.6 Meq/100 g |
|
Copper |
2.0 to 9.5 mg L-1 |
|
Iron |
2.0
to 9.3 mg L-1 |
|
Zinc |
5.7 to 9.3 mg L-1 |
|
Sulphur |
128.0
to 548.0 mg L-1 |
Vermiwash is a
liquid that is collected after the passage of water through a column of worm
action and is very useful as a foliar spray. It is a collection of excretory
products and mucus secretion of earthworms along with micronutrients from the
soil organic molecules. These are transported to the leaf, shoots and other
parts of the plants in the natural ecosystem. Vermiwash, if collected properly,
is a clear and transparent, pale yellow coloured fluid. Vermiwash seems to possess
an inherent property of acting not only as a fertilizer but also as a mild
biocide.
|
pH |
7.48 ± 0.03 |
|
Electro conductivity |
0.25 ± 0.03 dS/m |
|
Organic Carbon |
0.008 ± 0.001% |
|
Total Kjeldhal
Nitrogen |
0.01±0.005 % |
|
Available Phosphate |
1.69 ± 0.05% |
|
Potassium |
25 ± 2(ppm) |
|
Sodium |
8 ± 1(ppm) |
|
Calcium |
3 ± 1(ppm) |
|
Copper |
0.01±
0.001(ppm) |
Soil
fertility- earthworm modify soil physical, chemical and
biological properties and it is believed that they enhance nutrient cycling by
ingestion of soil and humus and by production of casts. Earthworm greatly
increase the amount of soluble and available N, P and K.
Nitrogen- the
earthworm mortality is the probable source of the increase in plant available
N-pool. However the contribution of the N from this source was relatively
small(3-4%).in relation to the added organic N.
Phosphorus-earthworm
cast are enriched in water soluble P in comparison to the underlying soil. The
plant availability of P in superphosphate and in phosphate rock are influenced
by earth worm.
Potassium- the
cast of earthworm contain 2-3 times more available K than the surrounding soil.
Under controlled conditions, the availability of K is enhanced significantly
following soil ingestion by earthworm.
ii.
Provides major and micro- nutrients to
the plants.
iii.
Improves soil texture and water holding
capacity of the soil.
iv.
Provides good aeration to soil, thereby
improving root growth and proliferation of
beneficial soil microorganisms.
v.
Decreases the use of pesticides for
controlling plant pathogens.
vi.
Improves structural stability of the
soil, thereby preventing soil erosion.
vii.
Enhances the quality of grains/ fruits
due to increased sugar content.
ii.
It requires more space because worms are
surface feeders and won’t operate
in material more than a meter in depth;
iii.
It is more vulnerable to environmental
pressures, such as temperature,
freezing conditions and drought;
iv.
Perhaps most importantly, it requires
more start-up resources, either in cash
(to buy the worms) or in time and labour (to grow them).
•
So we can say that vermitechnology
increases farmers production, protect environment from pollution and provide a
strength to national economy.
References-
Palanipappan, S.P
& Annadurai, K.1999.OrganicFarmingTheory&Practices.
Scientific
publisher Jodhpur.
Panda, S.C.2012.Principal
and practices of Organic farming.Agrobios publication.
Gupta,P.K.2012.Vermicomposting
for Sustainable Agriculture . Agrobios publication.
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okyh [kknksa tSls xkscj dh [kkn] ukMsi dEiksLV vkfn dh rqyuk esa 2&3 xquk
vf/kd u=tu] QkLQksjl ,oa iksVSf'k;e rFkk vU; iks"kd rRo çnku djrh gS ;g
[kkn BaMh [kkn gS cfYd xkscj dh [kkn]
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ldrh gS
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gq, D;kjh dks Hkjdj mles 3&4 fnu rd ikuh dk fNM+dko djrs jgrs gS ftlls
D;kjh esa xehZ u jgs
Ø blds i'pkr çfr D;kjh 5&10 fdyksxzke dsapq, NksM+ fn, tkrs
gS
Ø dsapq, NksM+us ds i'pkr D;kjh dks VkV dh cksjh ;k iÙkks ls
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pkfg, rFkk D;kjh esa vf/kd ikuh Hkh ugha Hkjuk pkfg,
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pkfg, tSls gh ikuh nsuk can dj nsrs gS rks dsapq, uhps dh lrg esa pys tkrs gS rFkk Åij dh [kkn dks fudy fy;k
tkrk gS ;k Nyuh ls Nkudj Hkh fudky yh tkrh gS
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[kkn fudydj D;kfj;ka nqckjk Hkj nh tkrh gS
dsapqvk [kkn dk la?kBu
tSfod dkcZu & 9&18 çfr'kr
u=tu & 0-5&1-5 çfr'kr
Q‚LQksjl & 0-2&0-5 çfr'kr
iksVSf'k;e & 0-3&1-5 çfr'kr
lksfM;e & 0-06&0-3 çfr'kr
dSfY'k;e rFkk eSXuhf'k;e 22&47 feyhbDohysaV
çfr 100 xzke
lYQj 128&548 feyhxzke çfr fdyks
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vk;ju 2&9 feyhxzke çfr fdyks
ftad 6&12 feyhxzke çfr fdyks
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u tk ik;sa
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ü 30&4å çfr'kr ueh rFkk 15&25 fMxzh lsfYl;l rkieku cuk;s
j[kuk pkfg,
ç;ksx
·
Qlyksa esa & 5 Vu çfr
gsDVs;j
·
lfCt;ksa esa &
7&10 Vu çfr gsDVs;j
·
Qynkj o`{kksa esa & 5
fdyks çfr ikS/kk
·
Qwyksa dh D;kjh esa &
1&2 fdyks çfr oxZ ehVj
dsapqvk [kkn ds ykHk
v ikS/kksa o Qlyksa dks eq[; iks"kd rRoksa ds lkFk lkFk
xkS.k iks"kd rRo Hkh miyC/k djokrh gS
v Hkwfe dh moZjk {kerk dks yEcs le; rd cuk;s j[krh gS rFkk
HkkSfrd n'kk lq/kkjrh gS
v lLrh ,oa vklkuh ls rS;kj dh tk ldrh gS
v fofHku Qlyksa esa 25&40 çfr'kr mit esa c<+ksrjh djrh
gS
Very good information provided
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