Vermicomposting - A great method to produce Black gold for Organic Farming
- Oceanzen Farm Naturals
- Sep 16, 2022
- 3 min read
Vermicomposting is the process by which worms are used to convert organic materials (usually wastes) into a humus-like material known as vermicompost. The goal is to process the material as quickly and efficiently as possible.
There are an estimated 1800 species of earthworm worldwide. Eisenia fetida is commonly known as the “compost worm”, “manure worm”, “redworm”, and “red wiggler”. This extremely tough and adaptable worm is indigenous to most parts of the world.
Its cocoons (eggs) have been shown to remain viable after having been frozen for several weeks. In addition, it can take a lot of handling and rough treatment. Perhaps most importantly, like most if not all litter-dwelling
worms, the compost worm has the capacity for very rapid reproduction.
Why should an organic farmer be interested in vermicomposting?
Vermicompost appears to be generally superior to conventionally produced compost in a number of important ways;
Vermicompost is superior to most composts as an inoculant in the production of compost teas;
Worms have a number of other possible uses on farms, including value as a high-quality animal feed;
Vermicomposting and vermiculture offer potential to organic farmers as sources of supplemental income.
Benefis which you should know about vermicompost.
Vermicompost, like conventional compost, provides many benefits to agricultural soil, including increased ability to retain moisture, better nutrient-holding capacity, better soil structure, and higher levels of microbial activity. vermicompost may be superior to conventional aerobic compost in a number of areas.
Plant available nutrients : Vermicomposted manure has higher Nitrogen, Phosphorus & Potassium (NPK) availability than conventionally composted manure on a weight basis.
Beneficial organisms : vermicompost greatly exceeds conventional compost with respect to levels of beneficial microbial activity. vermicompost may be as much as 1000 times as microbially active as conventional compost
Stimulate plant growth : vermicompost stimulates further plant growth even when the plants are already receiving optimal nutrition. vermicomposted organic wastes have beneficial effects on plant growth independent of nutritional transformations and availability. Whether they are used as soil additives or as components of horticultural soil less media, vermicomposts have consistently improved seed germination, enhanced seedling growth and development, and increased plant productivity much more than would be possible from the mere conversion of mineral nutrients into more plant-available forms.
Maximum benefit from vermicompost is obtained when it constitutes between 10 and 40% of the growing medium. It appears that levels of vermicompost higher than 40% do not increase benefit and may even result in decreased growth or yield.
Supress Diseases : There has been considerable anecdotal evidence in recent years regarding the ability of vermicompost to protect plants against various diseases. The theory behind this claim is that the high levels of beneficial microorganisms in vermicompost protect plants by out-competing pathogens for available resources (starving them, so to speak), while also blocking their access to plant roots by occupying all the available sites.
Repel pests : In recent research, report suggested statistically significant decreases in arthropod (aphid, mealy bug, spider mite) populations, and subsequent reductions in plant damage, in tomato, pepper, and cabbage trials with 20% and 40% vermicompost additions. They also found statistically significant suppression of plant-parasitic nematodes in field trials with peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, and grapes.
"Nobody and nothing can be compared with earthworms in their positive influence on the whole living Nature. They create soil and everything that lives in it. They are the most numerous animals on Earth and the main creatures converting all organic matter into soil humus providing soil’s fertility and biosphere’s functions: disinfecting, neutralizing, protective and productive.”
Anatoly M. Igonin21, Ph. D., Professor at the Vladimir Pedagogical University, Vladimir, Russia, as quoted in Casting Call 9(2), Aug 2004.
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