Vermicomposting Training

Concise Vermicomposting
Training(CVT)
Nepal Science Foundation Trust(NSFT)
Non-Resident Nepali Association(NRNA)
January 29 2016
Innovation hub, FNCCI building, Teku

Purposes
 Agriculture productivity
 Clean and green city
 Replication to traditional composting
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Vermicast, also called worm castings or
worm manure, is the fecal matter of an
earthworm.
Vermicompost is the product or process
of composting using various worms,
usually red wigglers and other earthworms to
create a heterogeneous mixture of
decomposing vegetable or food waste and
vermicast.
This process of producing vermicompost is
called vermicomposting.
Vermiculture (rearing earthworms) is
actually an animal husbandry
3

4
Ecological categories of Earthworm (Bouché 1977)
Epigeic Anecic Endogeic
Live Organic Litter Horizontal burrow Vertical
Feed Organic matter Soil + organic matter Soil + humus
(Phytophagous) (Geophytophagous) (Geophagous)
Discharge Holorganic feces Organomineral feces Organomineral
Example Eisenia Lampito Pheretima
Eudrilus
Perionyx
Epigeic worms are commonly used for vermicomposting.

EARTHWORMS SUITABLE FOR VERMICOMPOSTING
 Epigeic species of earthworms, with their natural ability to colonize
organic wastes
 High rates of consumption, digestion, and assimilation of organic matter
 Tolerance to a wide range of environmental factors
 Short life cycles
 High-reproductive rates
 Endurance and tolerance of handling
Only few earthworm species display all these characteristics: Eisenia andrei,
Eisenia fetida, Lumbricus rubelus, Perionyx excavatus, Eudrilus eugeniae,
Lampito mauritti
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1 Cocoon
Per
worm
2 worms
in mating
A matured
worm
12 hatchlings
from a
cocoon
Life cycle
Of
Earthworm
Temperature 25oC
Moisture 75%
6

Eisenia fetida is widely used due to
it’s :
1.Good reproductive potential
2.Good digestive potential
3.Good adaptation
8

Requirements
Space and bin
Bedding materials
Biodegradable wastes
Earthworms
Cover
Water
Screening mesh
13

Space with protection from direct sun light
and rain water is preferable.
Bin/Box
 Plastic bins and buckets
 Earthen pots
 Wooden boxes
 Styrofoam basket
Permanent RCC structure
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Biodegradable wastes
 Kitchen scraps
 Cattle dung except dog and cat
 Waste papers
 Waste cotton clothes
 Farm weeds
Things to be avoided:
 Acidic materials like pickles, citrus, orange
etc.
 Excessive Garlic and onion
 Excessive Radish
 Meat products
 Milk products
 Alcoholic products
19

Earthworms
 1 Kilogram worm for space of 1m length
and 1 m breadth
 1 Kilogram worms need ½ kilogram waste
per day.
 Vermizyme enzyme in mucus
Cover
 Jute sheet, paper, hay etc.
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Water
Water should be sprayed time by time to
prevent from making dry.
Spraying is necessary at dry season than at
rainy season
Screening mesh
 Mesh of size 1.5 mm is suitable.
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Method
 Selection of space and bin
 Holes at bin/drainage at pit
 Bedding: 3 inch of saw dust, rice bran, leaf litter,
hay etc. can be placed at bottom and water can be
sprayed.
 Waste and scraps can be laid above bedding.
 Suitable amount of worms can be placed at one
corner where they spread with time.
 Wet cover can be used to cover whole process.
 Wastes can be added with interval of 2 days.
 Wastes should not be given to worms for 1 week
before harvesting vermicompost.
 Vermicompost can be harvested after 3 months.
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Harvesting
 Heaping method
 News paper is laid down in the floor and
vermicompost in the bin is poured on the paper at
dusk time with dim light.
 The vermicompost is then made small heaps and left
for an hour.
 Whole worms settle down at bottom where compost at
upper surface can be removed.
25

Sideway method
 Vermicompost is moved to one side and fresh
wastes is filled in space. This setup is left for 1
week where all the worms of vermicompost move
to fresh waste.
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 Enemies of worms
 Rats- Castanopsis spikes, cactus, traps etc.
 Mites- cattle urine, EM, Jeevatu
 Frogs
 Centipede, Millipede
 Birds
 Red ants- cattle urine, EM
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 Points to be remembered
 Waste in small size is better for worms.
 Vegetables may contain pesticide residue which may
affect worms. So it is better to give after 2 days of
storage.
 High moisture or low moisture can cause death of
worms.
 Place or bin should be free of sunlight and rain.
 Vermicompost should be harvested after 3 months and
should not exceed 3 months.
 Harvested compost can not be used immediately as
small worms and cocoons are present. So this compost
can be used after 3-4 weeks of harvesting.
 Fresh cattle dung can not be used which may harm
worm due to heat.
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Vermitea
Liquid formed during vermicomposting process
or liquid formed dissolving proportionate
amount of vermicompost in water is called
vermitea.
Vermitea can be used as liquid fertilizer and as
nutrient medium in Hydroponics and Aeroponics
system.
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Properties of Vermicompost
Physical properties
 Easily dissolved in water
 High porosity
 Fine particle size
 Grey and black in color
Chemical properties
pH :7.0 - 7.5
C:N ratio :12 -15:1
N :1.7- 2.5%
P :1.5 -2.25%
K :1.25-2.0%
Ca, Mg, SO4 :3.0-5.0 times better than FYM
Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu : 200-700 ppm
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Biological properties
Total bacterial count :more than 1010 (1 mg/L)
Actinomycetes, Fungi, Azotobacter, Rhizobium :Approx.102-106
(1 mg/L)
Method of enhancing quality of vermicompost
 Addition of concrete powders to increase
Phosphorus
 Addition of EM, Jeevatu to raise Nitrogen level and
microbial activity
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Multiple uses of earthworms
In piggery
In poultry
Fish meal
Human meal
Aquarium fish meal
Ethno zoological purposes like medicine for
wounds, mammary secretion facilitation, Asthma
etc.
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Thank You
38
Shreeram Ghimire(9851154104)

Vermicomposting Training

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