VermicompostFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

• A large system usually uses a windrow . Often windrows are used on a concrete surface to prevent predators from killing the worm population.

• Another property of large scale windrows is that when fed on one side consistently a wave motion is generated over time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Wormbedwave.jpg

• The bedding should be moist (often similar to the consistency of a wrung-out sponge) and loose to enable the earthworms to breathe and to facilitate aerobic decomposition.

• Worms used in composting systems prefer temperatures of 55 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (12-21 degrees Celsius). The temperature of the bedding should not drop below freezing or above 85 °F (29 °C).

• Vermicompost is beneficial for soil in three ways:• It improves the physical structure of the soil. • It improves the biological properties of the soil

(enrichment of micro-organisms, addition of growth hormones such as auxins and gibberellic acid, and addition of enzymes, such as phosphates, cellulase, etc.).

• It attracts deep-burrowing earthworms already present in the soil.

• Vermicompost can be used to make compost tea, by mixing some vermicompost in water and steeping for a number of hours or days. The resulting liquid is used as a fertilizer

Eisenia fetida

E. fetidaSpecies:

EiseniaGenus:

LumbricidaeFamily:

HaplotaxidaOrder:

ClitellataClass:

AnnelidaPhylum:

AnimaliaKingdom:

• Eisenia fetida, known under various common names, including redworms, brandling worms and red wiggler worms, is a species of earthworm adapted to the environment of decaying organic material. It thrives in rotting vegetation, compost, and manure. It is rarely found in soil, and instead, like Lumbricus rubellus, prefers conditions where other worms cannot survive

• When introduced into soils where they are not endemic, they will damage ecosystems by changing soil composition. These areas include soils of sandy loam, pine barrens, and possibly others

Lumbricus rubellus

L. rubellusSpecies:

LumbricusGenus:

LumbricidaeFamily:

HaplotaxidaOrder:

OligochaetaSubclass:

ClitellataClass:

AnnelidaPhylum:

AnimaliaKingdom:

• Lumbricus rubellus is usually reddish brown or reddish violet, iridescent dorsally, and pale yellow ventrally.

• They are usually about 25 to 105 mm in length, and have around 95-120 segments.

• has smooth, reddish, semi transparent, flexible skin segmented into circular sections. Each segment contains four sets of setae, or bristles, and the total number of segments per matured organism ranges from 95-105.

• The habitat Lumbricus rubellus naturally lives in consists of soils high in organic matter, preferably dung and feces. The worms require loose soil to burrow in and soil moist enough for gas exchange.

• pH is of particular importance, and that a range of 5.5 to 8.7 is acceptable with a preference for neutral soils.

• an ideal temperature of 10.6 degrees Celsius. • most earthworm species are photonegative to

strong sources of light and photopositive to weak sources of light. This is attributable to the effects of intense light, such as drying and a lack of food sources found above ground for earthworms.

• The presence of such earthworms as Lumbricus rubellus increases concentrations of vitamin B12 producing microorganisms and vitamin B12 in the soil. The result in an increased barley yield and an increased volume of organic material for the earthworms. In this way a positive feedback relationship exists between the barley, microorganisms and Lumbricus rubellus

• Local species of earthworms that are generally used in India are Perionyx excavatus and Lampito mauritii.

• The pit may then be covered with coconut or Palmyra leaves or an old jute (gunny) bag to discourage birds. Plastic sheets on the bed are to be avoided as they trap heat.

• Turning over can be done on every fifth or seventh day with the help of a forked spade.

FOUR-TANK SYSTEM

• To simplify the loading procedure for composting in rural sectors where the availability of organic material is not in bulk, a four-tank system can be set up based on a combination of biodung composting method and vermitech technique that enables continuous compost production

• A tank 4m x 4m x 1m (l x b x h) is preferably made under shade of tree.

• This is then divided into four equal parts with 22.5cm brick walls that have vents to facilitate aeration as well as migration of earthworms from one tank to another.

• This unit is designed especially for the small farmer who approximately collects 20 to 30 kg of cattle or farm waste per day.

Biodung preparation04

Vermicomposting03

Vermicompost ready and migration of earthworms from pit 2 to pit 3.

02

Harvesting of compost and collection of biomass01120 - 140

Biomass collection04

Biodung preparation03

Vermicomposting02

Vermicompost ready and migration of earthworms from pit 1 to pit 2.

01090 - 120

Biomass collection03

Biodung preparation02

Inoculation of earthworms01060 - 090

Collection of biomass02

Soaking of biomass with water, cattle dung slurry, and covering it with black polythene sheet. This could be called

as Biodung preparation.

01030 - 060

Collection of biomass and cattle dung01000 - 030

ProcessTankPeriod

TWO-TANK SYSTEM

• This is a smaller tank 1m x 1m x 1m made above ground under shade.

• The tank is divided into two equal halved units vertically by a wall containing vents.

• An average family produces 250 to 500 gm of garbage that is added daily into one of the tanks.

• After a few days when a layer is formed 15 to 20 cm dry/green leaves and a thin layer of soil are made to cover it.

• Another layering of waste over a period of time follows this and it takes about two months for the tank to be filled.

• This is then covered with a black polythene sheet.

• The waste is now added to the second tank.

• The polythene sheet is removed after 15 to 20 days, allowed to cool for a day and about 150 to 200 locally collected earthworms are released into the biomass.

• It takes approximately 45 to 60 days for the biomass to be now converted into vermicompost.

• In the mean time the second tank gets filled and starts decomposing.

• The earthworms from the first tank by now start migrating into the second tank through the vents.

• The vermicompost is harvested from the first tank, which is now again ready for being filled.

• The tank may be kept closed with a steel mesh cover to keep other animals away from damaging the set up.

• Out door plan requires about 10-20% more worms than the indoor method, as there are more predators and other climatic variables in open cage system.

EXOTIC SPECIES OF EARTHWORMS • Internationally three species of earthworms have

received acclaim for vermicomposting, they being Eisenia foetida and Eudrilus eugeniae, which are exotic, and Perionyx excavatus, which is endemic.

• Since 1982, E. eugeniae has been promoted for waste degradation. Eudrilus eugeniae is reported to have surpassed both in feeding and reproductive rates compared to other species of earthworms.

• Frequent harvesting of Eudrilus eugeniae is necessary to reduce population pressure and enables continuous growth of earthworm population.

• Eisenia foetida however is used in certain areas in India for domestic waste composting.

• these earthworms do not feed on the soil.

VERMIWASH Design ERF, Chennai

• Worm worked soils have burrows formed by the earthworms.

• Bacteria richly inhabit these burrows, also called as the drilospheres.

• Water passing through these passages washes the nutrients from these burrows to the roots to be absorbed by the plants.

• This principle is applied in the preparation of vermiwash. • Vermiwash is a very good foliar spray.

• Two barrels of 250 litres each can produce minimum of Five litres of vermiwash every day after the 20th day of commissioning.

• Vermiwash is diluted with water (10%) before spraying. • If need be vermiwash may be mixed with cow's urine

and diluted (1 litre of vermiwash, 1 litre of cow's urine and 8 litres of water) and sprayed on plants to function as an effecting foliar spray and pesticide.

SETTING UP OF A VERMIWASH UNIT • An empty barrel with one side open is

taken. • On the other side, a hole is made to

accommodate the vertical limb of a 'T' jointed tube in a way that about half to one inch of the tube projects into the barrel.

• To one end of the horizontal limb is attached a tap.

• The other end is kept closed. This serves as an emergency opening to clean the 'T' jointed tube if it gets clogged.

• The entire unit is set up on a short pedestal made of few bricks to facilitate easy collection of vermiwash.

• Keeping the tap open, a 25 cm layer of broken bricks or pebbles is placed.

• A 25 cm layer of coarse sand then follows the layer of bricks.

• Water is then made to flow through these layers to enable the setting up of the basic filter unit.

• On top of this layer is placed a 30 to 45 cm layer of loamy soil.

• It is moistened and into this are introduced about 50 numbers each of the surface (epigeic) and sub-surface (anecic) earthworms.

• Cattle dung pats and hay is placed on top of the soil layer and gently moistened.

• The tap is kept open for the next 15 days. Water is added every day to keep the unit moist.

• On the 16th day, the tap is closed and on top of the unit a metal container or mud pot perforated at the base as a sprinkler is suspended.

• 5 litres of water (the volume of water taken in this container is one fiftieth of the size of the main container) is poured into this container and allowed to gradually sprinkle on the barrel overnight .

• This water percolates through the compost, the burrows of the earthworms and gets collected at the base.

• The tap of the unit is opened the next day morning and the vermiwash is collected.

• The tap is then closed and the suspended pot is refilled with 5 litres of water that evening to be collected again the following morning.

• Dung pats and hay may be replaced periodically based on need.

• The entire set up may be emptied and reset between 10 and 12 months of use.

VERMIWASH ANALYSIS REPORT

0.01 ± 0.001 Copper (ppm)

3 ± 1 Calcium (ppm)

8 ± 1 Sodium (ppm)

25 ± 2 Potassium (ppm)

1.69 ± 0.05 Available Phosphate %

0.01±0.005 Total Kjeldhal Nitrogen %

0.008 ± 0.001 Organic Carbon %

0.25 ± 0.03 Electro conductivity dS/m

7.48 ± 0.03 pH

1.46 x 10^3 Total Fungi (CFU/ml)

1.12 x 10^3 Nitrobacter (CFU/ml)

1.01 x 10^3 Nitrosomonas (CFU/ml)

1.79 x 10^3 Total Heterotrophs (CFU/ml)

0.02 ± 0.001 Zinc (ppm)

0.58 ± 0.040 Manganese (ppm)

158.44 ± 23.42 Magnesium (ppm)

0.06 ± 0.001 Ferrous (ppm)

Nutrient Profile of Vermicompost and Farm Yard Manure

31.315.5C:N ratio

2.85.0Cu(ppm)

14.524.5Zn(ppm)

69.096.5Mn(ppm)

146.5175.0Fe(ppm)

0.20.2Mg(%)

0.90.5Ca(%)

0.50.8KO(%)

0.20.7PO(%)

0.51.6N(%)

Farm Yard Manure Vermicompost Nutrient

These values are subject to variation depending upon the type of organic waste. Source: Punjab State Council for Science and Technology, Chandigarh

Earthworms • Worms are food for animals and birds

such as this kingfisher.• Their soft bodies can be brown, pink or even red. In the

Philippines there are blue earthworms and one kind in the United Kingdom is green!

• There are about 2 700 species of earthworms around the world.

• Earthworms are invertebrates.• The earthworm's body is covered with chemoreceptors

(say kee-mow-ree-sep-tuz) which is how the worm tastes things. Chemoreceptors are tiny sense organs which detect chemicals in the soil.

• The smallest earthworms are about 1 centimetre long and the largest can be 4 metres long.

• One of the largest earthworms is the Giant Gippsland Earthworm, found in one part of Australia. There are large earthworms in South Africa too.

Earthworm Life Cycle

• Earthworms are hermaphrodites (say her-maff-row-die-ts). This means that each earthworm has male parts that produce sperm and female parts that produce eggs. All earthworms lay eggs.

• When two earthworms mate, they lie together, and cover themselves in sticky mucus, and pass sperm into each other's body. The sperm makes the eggs inside each earthworm's body grow.

• A thick ring of slime forms around each worm's body and as the earthworm wriggles forward, the ring with eggs inside it slips off and is left on the ground.

• The ring closes at both ends and becomes a hard cocoon that protects the eggs.

• The eggs hatch after two weeks if the weather is warm, but they can take up to three months to hatch when it is cold. Usually one or two earthworms hatch out of each egg.

• The young worms are about 12 millimetres long and light pink in colour.

• Earthworms are able to mate when they are twelve months old.

• How earthworms help soil and plants :

• Earthworms dig large burrows which let water and air into the soil.

• This helps stop erosion and lets the water and air get down to the roots of plants.

• The burrows also helps plant roots to move more easily through the soil and into new spaces.

• Worms drag leaves and plant bits down into the earth.

• As they burrow, the worms swallow soil and eat the plant matter that is in it.

• The soil they swallow passes though the worm's body and is left in little piles on top of the ground. This is called castings and is excellent fertiliser

Vermi-Composting Unit 1. Objective :

2. Location and area of operation :

3. Project components :

4. Project Cost :

5. Margin (20%) :

6. Bank loan :

7. Rate of interest :

8. Repayment period :

9. Income

10. Economics of the Project :

1. Objective :

• To provide cultural material of the desired species and train farmers and entrepreneurs.

• To demonstrate practically the production methodology on the unit that will be set up.

2. Location and area of operation

• Suburbs of cities and villages around urban centres can be ideal locations for practice of vermicomposting on a large scale, from the point of view of availability of raw material and marketing of the produce. Unit may also be located in areas with concentration of fruits and vegetables and floriculture units.

3. Project components :i) Sheds : For a vermi-composting unit, whether small or big, could be of thatched

roof supported by bamboo rafters and purlins, wooden trusses and stone pillars.

ii) Vermi-beds : Normally the beds are 75 cm - 90 cm thick depending on the provision of filter for drainage of excess water. The entire bed area could be above the ground.

iii) Land : About 0.5-1 acre of land will be needed to set up a vermiculture production cum extension centre. Even sub marginal land also will serve the purpose.

iv) Buildings & Furniture : In the activity on a large scale on commercial lines, considerable amount may have to be spent on buildings to house the office, store the raw material and finished product, provide minimum accommodation to the personnel. A reasonable amount could also be considered for furnishing the office-cum-stores including the storage racks and other office equipment.

v) Seed Stock : Worms @ 350 worms per m3 of bed space should be adequate to start with and to build up the required population in about two to three cycles.

vi) Fencing, Roads/Paths and Water Supply System : The site area needs development for construction of structures and development of roads and pathways for easy movement of hand-drawn trolleys/ wheel barrows for conveying the raw material and the finished products to and from the vermi-sheds. There is also need to plan for a water source, lifting mechanism and a system of conveying and applying the water to the vermi-beds.

vii) Machinery : Farm machinery and implements are required for cutting (shredding) the raw material in small pieces, conveying shredded raw material to the vermi-sheds, loading, unloading, collection of compost and such related activities.

viii) Transport : For any vermi-composting unit transport arrangement is a must. A large sized unit with about 1000 tonnes per annum capacity may require a tonne capacity mini-truck.

4. Project Cost :

A. Capital Cost

277,000 6. Total

5,0005. Two NADEP tanks

60,000 4. Water source

60,000 3.Office cum store

80,000 2. Implement and Machinery for a 200tpa unit

72,0001. Construction of a temporary shed for setting up 200tpa vermi-compost unit

(Rs.) Item Cost

B. Recurring Cost

• (Operational cost of two cycles is capatalised)• Total Project Cost : Capital cost - Rs. 2,77,000• Recurring cost - Rs. 1,44,000 capitalised

• Total Rs. 4,21,000

368,000 Total

8,0002. Rent on lease @ Rs. 8,000 per year

360,000 1. Feed stock & handling cost @ Rs. 72,000 per cycle for 5 cycle in a year

(Rs.)Item Cost

5. Margin (20%) : Rs. 0.85 lakhs

6. Bank loan : Rs. 3.36 lakhs

7. Rate of interest : 15% p.a.

8. Repayment period : 8 years including grace period of one year

9. Income

79,200

300,000

300,000

(I year)

Rs.

137,000Net Benefit

505000Total

10,0003. Consultancy and extension services

45,0002. Sale of worms @ 5 kg per tonne of compost and Rs. 50 per kg

450,000 1. Sale of vermi-compost @ Rs. 2500 per ton

(II year)

Rs. Item

10. Economics of the Project :

a. NPW : Rs. 2.35 lakhsb. BCR : 1.12 : 1c. IRR : 36%• note :• Margin of 20% is assumed, but the actual margin

will be as per the discretion of the banks.• Interest rate of 15% is assumed, however, the actual

rate will be as per banks' discretion.• Similarly, the other economic / financial parameters

such as the repayment period, DSCR, IRR, etc., may also vary depending upon the margin, interest rate, etc., taken into account by the bank.

References

• www.wikipedia.org.

• http://www.erfindia.org/exotic.asp

• http://agri.and.nic.in/default.htm

• www.kidcyber.com.au