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VermiCompost

'er$co$po%t

'er$co$po%t (&arth worm compost) is an organic manure (bio#

fertili'er) produced as the vermicast by earth worm feeding on biological waste

material, plant residues. $his compost is an odorless, clean, organic materialcontaining adeuate uantities of , *, + and several micronutrients essential for

plant growth. ermicompost is a preferred nutrient source for organic farming. It

is eco#friendly, non#toxic, consumes low energy input for composting and is a

recycled biological product. -ere Earthworms eat cow dung or farm yard

manure along with other farm wastes and pass it through their body

and in the process convert it into Vermicompost. The municipal

wastes; non-toxic solid and liquid waste of the industries and

household garbages can also be converted into Vermicompost in the

same manner. Earthworms not only convert garbage into valuable

manure but eep the environment healthy. !onversion of garbage by

earthworms into compost and the multiplication of earthworms are

simple process and can be easily handled by the farmers

"ig Earthworm Earthworm #uring !omposting

ermicomposting is a process that has been adopted throughout the

world, but it is particularly popular in India. any countries, such as %ustralia, the

0% and several &uropean countries, have developed thriving vermicomposting

industries, but these cannot be compared with the enthusiasm to which India has

T.K.C.P., Warananagar


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VermiCompost

ta"en to 1ermi23.4riginally vermicomposting was carried out for the purpose of

breeding and selling the worms (vermiculture), with the worms being used for

fishing bait, and sometimes also for fish feeding. In recent years, people have

become aware that earthworms, by their activity in the compost, are able to

decompose and stabilise a wide variety of wastes.

$his has changed the focus of many operators from producing

earthworms to producing vermicompost, and many more operators have been

attracted by the realisation that earthworms are capable of producing an

extremely high uality compost. 5urthermore, this product has become a highly

sought#after, and valuable product.$he truth is that in practice the breeding of

earthworms and processing organic wastes go hand in hand, and many

vermicomposting businesses benefit greatly by developing by both aspects for

maximum benefit.

In the attempt by some, to mar"et commercial vermicomposting systems,

exaggerated claims have sometimes been made about both the large number of

earthworms that can be produced and the almost magical uality of the resulting

vermicompost. !hile many of these claims are 6ustified, and good vermicompost

is incomparably good, some of these claims are still being researched.

ermicomposting produces a premium price product, and it can therefore more

economically be transported from the more remote regions to mar"et in towns

where the demand for this product is high.

If you have not tried growing with vermicompost we recommend that you

try it soon.If you have a flower garden, grass or a vegetable garden, a compost

tumbler is a very sound investment. It is basically a bin that you spin around to

"eep your fertili'er turned without the need for bac"brea"ing pitchfor" wor". 7ousimply spin the bin and your compost is mixed, and there are many other

advantages to buying a compost tumbler.



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VermiCompost

o one wants a huge pile of compost sitting in his or her garden. $he

compost tumbler can be placed in a discreet part of the garden. Compost

tumblers also come in a variety of si'es and designs to compliment your personal

taste. ost compost tumblers come with attached wheels, ma"ing them easier to

move around the garden. Instead of lugging a pitchfor" full of compost, you can

move the compost tumbler to the desired area and empty the compost directly.

% big problem with compost left out in the open air is that it dries uic"ly in

hot weather. Compost needs to be "ept damp, and this is easy to acheive with a

compost tumbler. If the weather is wet, the compost "ept in the tumbler will not

become heavy with water. %nother plus, especially for the neighbors, is that the

compost tumbler eradicates the smell of open#air fertili'er. %ny smell from the

compost will be "ept loc"ed inside the bin.$he compost tumbler will also be a

great deterrent for pets or animals that roam around your garden. % compost

tumbler also ma"es it easy to collect compost liuid or, as it is sometimes "nown,

compost tea. $his is not some new age type of drin"8 it is a nutrient filled liuid

produced by compost.

It can easily be drained from the tumbler and used on your flowers,

vegetables or grass. $he compost tumbler can also be set to disperse the liuid

straight into the ground.!ith the turn of a handle, your compost will be aired and

mixed. $he tumbler ma"es compost ready to use more uic"ly than an open#air

pile of compost.

9epending on its si'e, the compost tumbler has the capability to produce

up to :;; pounds (


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VermiCompost

'er$co$po%tn( and tradtonal co$po%tn(

In traditional composting, the compost piles are mixed and aerated

mechanically. !ith vermicomposting it is the earthworms that fragment, mix and

help aerate the waste.!hile vermicomposting and traditional composting both

involve the aerobic decomposition of organic matter by micro#organisms, there

are important differences in the way the two processes are carried out. $he most

notable is that whereas the temperature of composting piles can exceed >; ?C,

vermicomposting is carried out at relatively low temperatures (under @A ?C). It is

vitally important to "eep the temperature below BA ?C, otherwise the earthworms

will be "illed.

any years experience of vermicomposting has shown that it can be a

useful method of composting and one which is suited to a wide variety of wastes,

but the process has both advantages and disadvantages compared with

traditional composting.

Ad)anta(e% and d%ad)anta(e% o* )er$co$po%tn( O)er Tradtonal

co$po%tn( o)er tradtonal co$po%tn(

4ne big advantage of using earthworms to compost waste is that the

resulting compost often contains much more nitrogen and plant available

nutrients than windrow compost. 5or this and other reasons, vermicompost has

proven to be highly mar"etable. ermicomposts have are usually sold for three#

to five#times the price for garden waste compost.In addition to the excellent

compost produced, vermicomposting can produce a net excess of earthworms

and these may be harvested for a variety of purposes.

any vermicomposting systems have been started or sold on the basis of

the profits to be earned from selling the worms.$he primary disadvantage of

vermiculture, is that it can ta"e many months, or even years, to build up a large

wor"ing population of earthworms capable of vermicomposting significant



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VermiCompost

uantities of waste. %s well as this, earthworms (sometimes in large numbers)

tend to escape during damp weather conditions or when food is in short supply.

aintaining constant illumination and sealing the surface of

vermicomposting beds or containers helps minimise escape.!indrow

composting systems involve high operating temperatures and intense microbial

activity, so that pathogens are destroyed. %s vermicomposting wor"s at relatively

low temperatures, it is less easy to destroy most pathogens at lower

temperatures. any practitioners of vermiculture therefore use windrowing as the

first stage of compost production, adding worms only in the final stages before

the compost material is sent to mar"et.

Complete elimination of pathogens during the vermicomposting process is

not normally thought possible. It is recommended that wastes "nown to contain

human pathogens, such as sewage sludge, are either pre#composted at

controlled high temperatures before vermicomposting. or else the resulting casts

should be saniti'ed as an additional final stage, before sale or use of the

compost.

Ho+ 'er$co$po%t % *or$ed&

$he worms eat, chew and churn up the waste. $he other organisms which

accompany them also brea" it down. % simplified description of the overall

mechanism is described below

D. $he worms ingest organic matter, fungi, proto'oa, algae, nematodes and

bacteria. $his is passed through the digestive tract. $he ma6ority of the bacteria

and organic matter pass through undigested (although the organic matter has

been ground into smaller particles). $his forms the casting along with metabolite

wastes such as ammonium, urea and proteins. $he worms also secrete mucus,

containing polysaccharides, proteins and other nitrogenous compounds. $hrough



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VermiCompost

the action of eating food and excreting their casts, worms create 1burrows3 in the

material. $his in turn increases the available surface area and allows aeration.

@. $here is an abundance of oxygen and nitrogenous compounds (urea,

proteins and -B) in the excreta (vermicast) and mucus secreted from the

external tissues of the worms. 0ome bacteria reuire oxygen (aerobic bacteria)

whereas some ob6ect to oxygen and prefer its absence (anaerobic bacteria).

%naerobic bacteria are responsible for the stench from stagnant drains, refuse

sac"s and landfill sites. !ith the aerobic conditions in vermicompost, aerobic

microbiological growth increases. It is believed that the initial burst of

microbiological activity mainly consists of nitrogen fixing bacteria, nitrification

bacteria, and to a lesser extent, aerobic bacteria. $his is based upon previously

established information that burrow walls have a high proportion of the total

nitrogen fixing bacteria and that casts have higher concentrations of soluble salts

and greater nitrifying power. %ccompanying this microbiological growth is the

brea"down of organic nitrogen compounds to ammonia and ammonium.

$he good news is that the sweet smelling aerobic process overcomes the

ugly smell of anaerobes. $hat is why worm compost piles (properly fed and

maintained) smell so nice2

B. $he whole process consumes organic matter and creates a ruffled surface inthe burrow walls. $he large surface area and improved aeration results in

favorable conditions for obligate aerobes (such as *seudomonas spp., Eoogloea

spp., icrococcus spp. and %chromobacter spp.). $he continued growth of the

microbiological population continues to increase the rate of decomposition of the

material.

%ir flows through the material more readily, minimi'ing the li"elihood of anaerobic

biochemical reactions occurring. $his minimi'es the formation of sulfide and

ammonia gasses, odors that are typically present if anaerobic conditions are

established. 4b6ectionable odors disappear uic"ly, due to microorganisms

associated with the vermicast.



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VermiCompost

'er$ca%t '% . Che$cal ,ertl-er%

Crtera *orCo$par%on

Che$cal ,ertl-er% 'er$ca%t

acro nutrientcontents

ostly contains only one ( inurea) or at the most two ( F * in9%*) nutrients in any one type ofchemical fertili'er

Contains all i.e. nitrogen (),phosphorus (*) F potassium (+)in sufficient uantities

0econdarynutrientcontents

ot availableCalcium (Ca), magnesium (g) Fsulphur (0) is available inreuired uantities

icro nutrient

contents ot available

Einc (En), boron (G), manganese(n), iron (5e), copper (Cu),

molybdenum (o) and chlorine(Cl) also present

p- balancing9isturb soil p- to create salinityand al"alinity conditions

-elps in the control of soil p- andchec"s the salinity and al"alinityin soil

&C correctionCreates imbalance in soil &Caffecting nutrients assimilation

-elps in balancing the &C toimprove plant nutrient adsorption

4rganic carbon ot availableery high organic carbon andhumus contents improves soilcharacteristics

oistureretentioncapacity

Reduces moisture retentioncapacity of the soil

Increases moistures retentioncapacity of the soil

0oil $exture9amages soil texture to reduceaeration

Improves soil texture for betteraeration

Geneficialbacteria F fungi

Reduces biological activities andthus the fertility is impaired

ery high biological life improvesthe soil fertility and productivity onsustainable basis

*lant growthhormones

ot available0ufficient uantity helps in bettergrowth and production



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VermiCompost

Nutrent ro*le o* 'er$co$po%t

Nutrent Vermicompost Farm Yard Manure

N(%) 1.6 0.5

PO(%) 0.7 0.2

O(%) 0.! 0.5

"a(%) 0.5 0.#

M$(%) 0.2 0.2

Fe(ppm) 175.0 16.5

Mn(ppm) #6.5 6#.0

&n(ppm) 2.5 1.5

"u(ppm) 5.0 2.!

"'N ratio 15.5 1.

Nutrent ro*le o* 'er$co$po%t

(H)

*4(H)

+4(H)

Ca(H)

.g(H)

5e(ppm)

.n(ppm)

En(ppm)

Cu(ppm)C ratio



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VermiCompost

1./ O0ect)e% !

$o study the process of vermicompost.

$o study vermicomost beneficial to farmers.

$o study the role of vermicopost in maintainance of environment.

$o study how it is economical and benificial.

$o create awareness about vermicompost.



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VermiCompost

1.2 H#pothe%% !

D. se of epigeac ear hworms in the production of ermicompost. $his

technology can be used for urban and rural waste recycling tr cc), version of

organic wastes to manure.

@. ermicompost as manure in agricultural oras inoculums tot improving and

maintaining soil fertility.

B. &arthwormJs species tar the treatment of industrial wastes.


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VermiCompost

1.3 Re%earch and Methodolo(# !

$he need of the hour is to review bac" our environment , which has been

deteriorated by the use of agrochemicals.

5or manufacturing of vermicomposti various species are used a) &rurillus

b) &isenia foetida c) *erionyx sansbaricus.

5or studying actual process of manufacturing of vermicopost we have

visited !arana Gioearth (ermicompost *lant). 5or the manufacturing of

vermicompost different methods are used li"e pit method, two tan" method, four

tan" method, rac" method warana vermi compost palnt only ran" method is

used.

D$en%on% o* 'er$culture tan4 !

D. Kength of $an" @; 5eets

@. !idth of $an" B 5eets

B. 9epth of $an" @ 5eets

Da(ra$ o* Ideal 'er$culture Tan4



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VermiCompost

Chapter /REORTING

/.1 Stud# Area

"arana 5oeart 'er$co$po%t lant

!e were visited to the !arana Gioearth ermicompost *lant and

observed following things about the plant. $his plant was established in year

@;;B by !arana 0aha"ari dyog 0amuha ,warananagar.$he no. of farmers

benefited by this biofertili'ers and helps them to prevent ill effects of chemical

fertili'ers.

ow#a#days sell of biofertili'ers is reached in "wintols of per day. $hereare total


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VermiCompost

/./ D**erent t#pe o* the $anu*acturn(method of the vermicompost are available. $hese methods are described

below.

t $ethod

Compost pit of any convenient dimension can be dug in the bac"yard or

garden or in a field. $he most

convenient pit of easily manageable

si'e is @m x Dm x ;.>Am. M% tan"

may be constructed with bric" and

mortar with proper water outlets, or a

plastic crate (L;; mm x B;; mm x

B;; mm) with holes drilled at the

bottom or empty wooden crates

(deal wood boxes/apple cases) or

well rings made of cement or clay of

>A; mm diameter and B;; to Am, with a vermibed of

about DA to @; cm thic". $he vermibed should always be "ept moist, but should

never be flooded.



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VermiCompost

Regular watering should be done to "eep the right amount of moisture in

the pits. In L; to :; days the compost should be ready as indicated by the

presence of earthworm castings (vermicompost) on the top of the bed.$he

compost should be turned occasionally since this allows for aeration. If the

weather is very dry it should be dampened periodically. $he pile should be moist

not wet and soggy. ermicompost can now be harvested from the bin/pit. $he

material should be placed in a heap in the sun so that most of the worms move

down to the cool base of the heap. $he compost is then sieved before being

pac"ed. . $he earthworms and the thic"er material, which remains on top of the

sieve, goes bac" in the bin and the process starts again. Compost wor"s best

with a mixture of coarse and fine materials, layered together. %n interesting fact

is that it was Charles 9arwin who was one of the first persons who noted the

importance of earthworms, more than a century ago. $hese Pcreepy#crawlyP

creatures are the most useful gardeners. $hey brea" down dead plant material

and other organic wastes, recycle the nutrients,and turn over the soil. 7ou can

collect earthworms from your neighbourhood or get earthworms from nurseries.

4ne can also contact the local agriculturaldepartment, municipalities, and

nurseries of the forest departments for earthworms. 0ince earthworms are now

becoming big business one can also chec"in the firms/horticultures/nurseries,which deal in earthworms, but is always desirable to collect them yourselves.

T+o tan4 $ethod

%nother layering of waste over a period of time follows this and it ta"es about

two months for the tan" to be filled. $his is then covered with a blac" polythen

sheet. $he waste is now added to the second tan". $he polythene sheet is

removed after DA to @; days, allowed to cool for a day and about DA; to @;;

local collected earthworms are released into the biomass. It ta"es

approximately


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VermiCompost

the second tan" through the vents. ermicompost is harvested from the first tan",

which is now again ready for being filled.

$he tan" may be "ept

closed with a steel mesh cover to

"eep other animals away from

damaging the set up. 4ut door

plan reuires about D;#@;H

more worms than the indoor

method, as there are more

predators and other climatic variables in open cage system.

,our tan4 $ethod

$o simplify the loading

procedure for composting in rural

sectors where the availability of

organic material is not in bul", a

four#tan" system can be set up

based on a combination of biodungcompost#ing method and vermitech

techniue that enables continuous compost production using cattle dung

produced daily at cattle sheds, weeds, leaf litter and other farm waste. % tan"


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VermiCompost

/.2 INTER'IE" SCHEDULE !

In our seurvey, we have as" various uestion to farmerJs and we have

geted such type of answers from them.

%bout >;H of people "now about the environment. %bout BAH people

have the area below @ acre and @AH of people have below A acre and other has

above A acre. In !arana and +odoli place about =;H of people use flooding

method form waterisation and D;H to use water dripping method and remain use

sprin"ling method. %bout >AH farmer use chemicals fertili'ers, DAH use 57

and remaining uses vermicompost, LAH farmers donJt "now the ha'ards effect of

chemical fertili'ers.



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VermiCompost

"apter

*+MM,-Y ,N "ON"/+*ON

.1 *ummar'

The vast agricultural evolution accompanied by discovery of

different chemical fertili$ers which are used to enhance yield of crops

by means of providing high nutrients.

%ut all advantages are associated with different

disadvantages.&ence the best alternative for chemical fertili$ers is

%iofertili$ers lie Vermicompost. 't has numerous advantages .(n

Vermiculture many research wor were carried out in all over the

world.

)ow*so many Vermicompost plants are established in world in

which most useful speciese of Earthworms are cultured.+e have

performed fleldwor in +arana %ioearth Vermicompost ,lant and

collected information reguarding Vermiculture.

"rom this we were conclude that contents of Vermicompost gives

more crop yield and it is economically cheap and eco-friendly.

2./ Conclu%on!

ecycling the organic waste of a household into compost

allows us to return badly needed organic matter to the soil. +orm

composting is a method for recycling food waste into a rich*

dar* earth-smelling soil conditioner. 'n this way* we participate in

natures cycle* and cut down on garbage going into burgeoning



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VermiCompost

landfills 't improves the physical structure of the soil. 't improves

the biological properties of the soil /enrichment of micro-

organisms* addition of growth hormonessuch as auxinsand gibberellic

acid* and addition of en$ymes* such as phosphates* cellulase* etc.0. 1o

vermicompost is very important for soil*plants and clean environment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Growth_hormones&action=edithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auxinshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibberellic_acidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibberellic_acidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzymeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulasehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Growth_hormones&action=edithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auxinshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibberellic_acidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibberellic_acidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzymeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulase


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VermiCompost

"ON"/+*ON

+e conclude that there is an urgent need of public awareness

regarding the benefits of use of vermin-compost over conventional

fertili$ers* such as chemical fertili$ers* as vermi-compost is

economical* eco-friendly* ecological.

2overnment participations is publici$ing vermi-compost must

increase* a subsidy must be given for those farmers who use vermin-

compost* and this will ensure maximum number of farmers switching

from chemical fertili$ers to vermin-compost.



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VermiCompost

,NN3+-

3. #o you now about environment4

5. &ow many acre of land you have4

6. +hich method you are using for waterisation4

7. +hich type of fertili$ers you are using4

8. #o you now about bio-fertili$ers /vermicompost04

9. :re you used vermicompost4

. #o you now the significance of vermicompost4


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VermiCompost

RE,ERENCES

3= Vermicology> 1ultan :. Esmaile.

5= (rganic ?annure

> 2aur :. !.

6= ?annures @ "ertili$ers

> Aawalar B. 1.

7= http>CCwww. Vermicompost.com

8= http>CCwww.googleCVE?'!DTDE.htm



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VermiCompost

')#EF

"apter

No.

"apter Name Pa$e

No.

3. ntroduction and -esearc Metodo4o$

3.3 2eneral 'ntroduction G3

3.5 (bHective 3G

3.6 &ypothesis 33

3.7 esearch ?ethodology 35

5. -eportin$

5.3 1tudy :rea 36

5.5 #ifferent Types of ?anufacturing 37

5.6 'nterview 1chedule 396. *ummar and "onc4usion

6.3 1ummary 3

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