Vermicomposting: Recycling Wastes into Valuable Organic Fertilizer

Abstract The large quantity of organic waste, nearly 700 million t yr -1 , generated in India is either burned or landfilled posing a problem of safe disposal. To mitigate this problem all the waste can be converted intohighly valuable nutrient-rich compost in an environment friendly manner. Vermicomposting is one of thebest methods of composting any kind of organic matter, which could provide a ‘win-win’ solution to tacklethe problem of safe disposal of waste and also provide most needed plant nutrients for sustainableproductivity.Vermicompost improves growth, quality and yield of different field crops, flower and fruit crops.Vermicomposting contributes to recycling of nitrogen and augments soil physico-chemical as well asbiological properties. Microbial biodiversity was checked and higher diversity was recorded in the partiallydecomposed organic material for the vermicompost than in the vermicompost. All kinds of organic materialcan be used for vermicomposting however, Gliricidia , tobacco leaves and chicken droppings are not suitablefor earthworm multiplication but can be composted with earthworms. The optimum temperature forvermicomposting is about 20–30°C and moisture content ranges from 32 to 60% only. It is a very simpleprocess and easy to practice as well as cost-effective pollution abatement technology.The training programs for women self-help groups (SHGs) covered technical aspects of makingvermicompost and its application to various crops. These programs have been conducted by ICRISAT withsupport from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and District Water ManagementAgency (DWMA) in Adarsha watershed (Kothapally) in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and easternRajasthan. A noxious weed,

[1]  N. Karmegam,et al.  Effect of vermicompost on the growth and yield of green gram Phaseolus aureus Roxb 143 , 1999 .

[2]  M. S. Rao,et al.  Vermicompost: a viable component of IPNSS in nitrogen nutrition of ridge gourd. , 2000 .

[3]  Clive A. Edwards,et al.  Comparing vermicomposts and composts , 1998 .

[4]  R. Correll,et al.  Field evidence for reduced severity of Rhizoctonia bare-patch disease of wheat, due to the presence of the earthworms Aporrectodea rosea and Aporrectodea trapezoides , 1994 .

[5]  N. Karmegam,et al.  Effect of biodigested slurry and vermicompost on the growth and yield of cowpea, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. variety Cl. , 2000 .

[6]  P. Ramakrishnan,et al.  Role of earthworms in nitrogen cycling during the cropping phase of shifting agriculture (Jhum) in north-east India , 1996, Biology and Fertility of Soils.

[7]  D. Coleman.  Through a ped darkly: an ecological assessment of root-soil-microbial-faunal interactions , 1985 .

[8]  A. D. Jadhav,et al.  INFLUENCE OF THE CONJUNCTIVE USE OF FYM, VERMICOMPOST AND UREA ON GROWTH AND NUTRIENT UPTAKE IN RICE , 1997 .

[9]  L. S. Ranganathan,et al.  INFLUENCE OF PRESSMUD ON THE ENZYMATIC VARIATIONS IN THE DIFFERENT REPRODUCTIVE STAGES OF EUDRILUS EUGENIAE (KINBERG) , 1998 .

[10]  M. Brzeski,et al.  Suppressive Effect of a Commercial Earthworm Compost on some Root Infecting Pathogens of Cabbage and Tomato , 1993 .

[11]  Nitrogen and carbon mineralization in soil of vermi‐composted and unprocessed dry olive cake ("Orujo Seco") produced from two‐stage centrifugation for olive oil extraction , 1999 .

[12]  D. Dayal,et al.  RESPONSE OF SUNFLOWER (HELIANTHUS ANNUUS) TO ORGANIC MANURES AND FERTILIZERS , 1998 .

[13]  S. Grego,et al.  Influence of organic and mineral fertilisers on soil biological and physical properties , 2000 .

[14]  S. Wani,et al.  Sustainable agriculture in the semi-arid tropics through biological nitrogen fixation in grain legumes , 1995, Plant and Soil.

[15]  김성진,et al.  Vermicomposting에 의한 우분의 처리 , 1994 .

[16]  A. Mitchell.  Production of Eisenia fetida and vermicompost from feed-lot cattle manure. , 1997 .

[17]  M. C. Manna,et al.  Growth and reproduction of the vermicomposting earthwormPerionyx excavatus as influenced by food materials , 1997, Biology and Fertility of Soils.