Vermiculture for Organic Horticulture: Producing Chemical-Free, Nutritive & Health Protective Foods by Earthworms

Abstract

Earthworms have fed the world as ‘farm managers’ since mankind arrived on earth. Earthworm's vermicompost is scientifically proving to be an ‘extraordinary powerful growth promoters and protectors’ for crops (5-7 times over other bulky organic fertilizers and 20-40 % higher over chemical fertilizers). They are rich in NKP, micronutrients, beneficial soil microbes like ‘nitrogen-fixing’ and ‘phosphate solubilizing’ bacteria, ‘mycorrhizal fungi’, humus and growth hormones – auxins, gibberlins and cytokinins. It has very high ‘porosity’, ‘aeration’, ‘drainage’ and ‘water holding capacity’. It also protects plants against various pests and diseases either by suppressing or repelling them or by inducing biological resistance in plants. ‘Vermiwash’ (liquid from the body of worms) and the ‘vermicompost tea’ (solution of vermicompost) also work as very ‘powerful bio-pesticides’ eliminating the use of toxic chemical pesticides. Presence of live earthworms in soils has been found to significantly influence the development of quality of fruits in vegetable and fruit crops. Earthworms and vermicompost can boost horticultural production without agrochemicals. It will provide several social, economic and environmental benefits to the society by way of producing ‘chemical-free’ safe, ‘nutritive and health protective’ (rich in minerals and antioxidants) foods (even against some forms of cancers) for the people; salvaging human wastes and replacing the dangerous ‘agrochemicals’ from the face of earth. Use of vermicompost in farms also ‘sequester’ huge amounts of atmospheric carbon (assimilated by green plants during photosynthesis) and bury them back into the soil improving the soil fertility, preventing erosion or compaction and also reducing greenhouse gas and mitigating global warming.