Vermibiotechnology: Relevance, Challenges and Future Prospects for India

Abstract

In India and other developing countries, management of the urban solid waste is one of the most neglected areas of urban development. In addition, the continuous and indiscriminate use of easily soluble chemical fertilizers in high doses in agriculture has been found to be one of the major factors con-tributing to soil deterioration. Incidentally, earthworms have remarkable capability of effectively degrading waste biomass into vermicompost as their excreta. A major proportion of municipal solid waste generated is organic, which can be used as substrate for vermicomposting thereby minimizing pressure on the landfill sites. As the vermicompost application can significantly improve the soil fertility and in-turn plant health, the potential of earthworms in agriculture was realized soon and they became farmers’ friend. The modern researchers identified the environmental conditions optimal for earthworm activity for their effective utilization in organic waste degradation. Despite the worthwhile significance of vermibiotechnology in mu-nicipal solid waste management and in sustainable agriculture, it has not yet reached effectively to the stakeholders. This review attempts to elaborate the relevance of vermibiotechnology in Indian context for solid waste man-agement and in agriculture. Further, various challenges with respect to using this technology are highlighted. After detailed and critical analysis of the existing scientific literature, we also discuss future prospects of vermibi-otechnology in Indian context.