Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Vermicompost
Vermicompost
Phylum: Annelida
Class: Clitellata
Order: Haplotaxida
Family: Lumbricidae
Genus: Eisenia
Species: E. fetida
• 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 Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Class: Clitellata
Subclass: Oligochaeta
Order: Haplotaxida
Family: Lumbricidae
Genus: Lumbricus
Species: L. rubellus
• 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.
02 Collection of biomass
060 - 01 Inoculation of earthworms
090
02 Biodung preparation
03 Biomass collection
090 - 01 Vermicompost ready and migration of earthworms from pit
120 1 to pit 2.
02 Vermicomposting
03 Biodung preparation
04 Biomass collection
120 - 01 Harvesting of compost and collection of biomass
140
02 Vermicompost ready and migration of earthworms from pit
2 to pit 3.
03 Vermicomposting
04 Biodung preparation
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.
• www.wikipedia.org.
• http://www.erfindia.org/exotic.asp
• http://agri.and.nic.in/default.htm
• www.kidcyber.com.au