Addition Of Vermicompost Research Articles

Growth, Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity in Chincuya (Annona purpurea Moc & Sesse ex Dunal) Cultivated with Vermicompost and Phosphate Rock

ABSTRACTThe aim of this investigation was to determine the effect of vermicompost and phosphate rock on plant growth, total phenols, flavonoids, flavanones, and antioxidant activity in Annona purpurea Moc & Sesse ex Dunal leaves. Annona purpurea seedlings were planted according to factorial 32 experimental design with nine repetitions. The factors were vermicompost (0, 50, and 100 g plant−1) and phosphate rock (0 and 10 g plant−1). Plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, and chorophyll content were determined one month after application of the different treatments and total phenols, flavonols, flavanones, total flavonoids, and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity in dry leaves after 4 months. Plant height and stem diameter increased by phosphate rock, but not by vermicompost. Total phenols in leaves decreased by vermicompost. Flavonol content decreased by rock phosphate, whereas flavanones increased by vermicompost. Antioxidant activity decreased by vermicompost addition.

Effect of vermicompost fertilizer on photosynthetic characteristics of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under drought stress

Water availability is an important factor for plant growth in arid environments. In recent decades, vermicompost (VC) fertilizer has been used in agriculture as a safe and effective fertilizer with high water-holding capacity. The aim of the present study was to characterize effects of VC fertilizer on photosynthetic activity of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L. cv. Karaj) under drought conditions at three different growth stages. Tests were carried out with four volumetric ratios of VC to soil, i.e., 0:100, 10:90, 20:80, and 30:70, and three levels of drought stress, i.e., no stress (NS), moderate drought (MS), and severe drought (SS) (100, 75, and 25% of field capacity, respectively). Evaluations were performed at the seedling, flowering, and podding stage. We found that the VC treatment under NS conditions significantly increased total chlorophyll content [Chl (a+b)], intercellular CO2 concentration (C i), net photosynthetic rate (P N), transpiration rate (E), and maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm) at all three stages. The VC addition of 10 and 20% significantly enhanced the Chl content and Fv/Fm under MS and Fv/Fm, C i, and P N under SS at the flowering stage. In conclusion, our results proved a positive effect of the VC fertilizer on photosynthesis of chickpea under NS conditions, but it was not found under MS and SS.

Effects of Vermicompost and Water Treatment Residuals on Soil Physical Properties and Wheat Yield

Abstract The application of vermicompost and water treatment residuals to improve the physical properties in the salt affected soils is a promising technology to meet the requirements of high plant growth and cost-effective reclamation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of vermicompost and its mixtures with water treatment residuals on selected physical properties of saline sodic soil and on wheat yield. The treatments were vermicompost, water treatment residuals, vermicompost + water treatment residuals (1:1 and 2:1 wet weight ratio) at levels of 5 and 10 g dry weight kg-1 dry soil. The considered physical properties included aggregate stability, mean weight diameter, pore size distribution and dry bulk density. The addition of vermicompost and water treatment residuals had significant positive effects on the studied soil physical properties, and improved the grain yield of wheat. The treatment of (2 vermicompost + 1 water treatment residuals) at level of 5 g kg-1 soil gave the best grain yield. Combination of vermicompost and water treatment residuals improved the water treatment residuals efficiency in ameliorating the soil physical properties, and could be considered as an ameliorating material for the reclamation of salt affected soils.

Off-site impacts of agricultural composting: role of terrestrially derived organic matter in structuring aquatic microbial communities and their metabolic potential.

While considered as sustainable and low-cost agricultural amendments, the impacts of organic fertilizers on downstream aquatic microbial communities remain poorly documented. We investigated the quantity and quality of the dissolved organic matter leaching from agricultural soil amended with compost, vermicompost or biochar and assessed their effects on lake microbial communities, in terms of viral and bacterial abundances, community structure and metabolic potential. The addition of compost and vermicompost significantly increased the amount of dissolved organic carbon in the leachate compared with soil alone. Leachates from these additions, either with or without biochar, were highly bioavailable to aquatic microbial communities, although reducing the metabolic potential of the community and harbouring more specific communities. Although not affecting bacterial richness or taxonomic distributions, the specific addition of biochar affected the original lake bacterial communities, resulting in a strongly different community. This could be partly explained by viral burst and converging bacterial abundances throughout the samples. These results underline the necessity to include off-site impacts of agricultural amendments when considering their cascading effect on downstream aquatic ecosystems.

Influence of vermicompost application in potting media on growth and flowering of marigold crop

This paper reports the influence of vermicomposts prepared from cow dung and house hold waste on the growth and flowering of marigold crop. A total of seven potting media were prepared containing soil, cow dung vermicompost and cow dung + house hold waste vermicompost. The fertility status of soil and vermicomposts was quantified. In these media, growth and flowering of marigold plant seedlings was studied for 60 days. The results showed that the vermicomposting process converted the cow dung and household waste into a highly stabilized product having C:N ratio <20.0. The NPK content of vermicomposts was higher than soil. The plant grown in vermicompost-containing potting media had 2.3 times more plant height than control. Results showed that the addition of vermicompost, in appropriate quantities, to potting media has significantly positive effects on growth and flowering of marigold seedlings including plant biomass, plant height, number of buds and flowers. It was concluded that addition of vermicompost, in appropriate quantities, to potting media has synergistic effects on growth and yield of marigold.

Short-term effect of vermicompost application on biological properties of an alkaline soil with high lime content from Mediterranean region of Turkey.

This study was conducted to investigate direct short-term impact of vermicompost on some soil biological properties by monitoring changes after addition of vermicompost as compared to farmyard manure in an alkaline soil with high lime content from semiarid Mediterranean region of Turkey. For this purpose, mixtures of soil and organic fertilizers in different doses were incubated under greenhouse condition. Soil samples collected in regular intervals were analyzed for biological parameters including dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, urease, alkaline phosphatase activities, and total number of aerobic mesophilic bacteria. Even though soil dehydrogenase activity appeared to be dose-independent based on overall evaluation, organic amendments were found to elevate dehydrogenase activity when sampling periods are evaluated individually. β-glucosidase, urease, alkaline phosphatase activity, and aerobic mesophilic bacterial numbers in vermicompost treatments fluctuated but remained significantly above the control. A slight but statistically significant difference was detected between organic amendments in terms of urease activity. Vermicompost appeared to more significantly increase bacterial number in soil. Clearly, vermicompost has a potential to be used as an alternative to farmyard manure to improve and maintain soil biological activity in alkaline calcareous soils from the Mediterranean region of Turkey. Further studies are needed to assess its full potential for these soils.

Effect of Application of Vermicompost and Conventional Compost Derived from Different Residues on Pea Crop Production and Soil Faunal Diversity in Agricultural System in Garhwal Himalayas India

Sedentary crop-livestock mixed farming is the predominant agricultural land use in Central Himalaya upland and largely rainfed; agrochemicals are not used at all. Farmers focus on increasing yields with poor soil fertility management practices resulted in sharp decline in production of pea crop in the study site. Therefore in present study options are being looked into devising some conservation strategies that increase yields of pea while reducing harm to soil biodiversity at a local scale here. The present study explores the efficiency of P. excavatus as endemic earthworm species for vermicomposting, the potential utilization of Conventional oak based farmyard manure (FM-O); Conventional pine based farmyard manure(FM-P); Earthworm fed ? Cow dung + oak leaves based vermicompost (VC-O); Earthworm fed ? Cow dung + pine leaves based vermicompost (VC-P); freshly fallen leaf litter (LM) on pea crop productivity and soil faunal diversity in agricultural system, and if the changed soil faunal biodiversity scenario in any way affected the crop production. The higher uptake of nitrogen, higher germination percentage enhanced seedling growth, early emergence flower, increase number of pods, seed, husk , and root biomass was significantly higher in plants which received VC-O followed by VC-P as manure input treatments. The change in the diversity of soil micro arthropods in relation to quality change in organic residues input in experimental plots and expressed as the Simpsons diversity index showed that the diversity of soil fauna is related to improvements in soil conditions resulting from nutrient manipulations through vermicompost and conventional compost treatments. This response of soil biota to increased production most likely represents an increase in the availability of resources through addition of vermicompost when compared to other compost treatments. Alternatively, an increase in predators and therefore predation, could, increase the diversity of its prey, thereby decreasing dominant competitors and reducing the possibility of competitive exclusion, but this needs further studies. Chronosequence study during cropping season indicated that the composition and abundance of soil fauna in agricultural fields changed considerably with time under cultivation. This technology has now been adopted by the farmers in the area once again for growing the pea crop.

Phosphorus release kinetics in a soil amended with biosolids and vermicompost

Wastewater biosolids are large potential sources of macronutrients for agriculture, conservation and restoration of soils; there are, however, few studies on phosphorus (P) release in soils amended with biosolids. Biosolids and vermicomposted biosolids were tested in concentrations (5–30 g amendment kg−1 soil) equivalent to 18–100 Mg ha−1. Desorption of P was determined by successive extractions for 65 days. Soil P was low, and biosolid and vermicompost addition released 8 and 6 times more P, respectively, than soil alone. To describe the release of P, zero-, first- and second-order equations, simple Elovich and power functions and the parabolic diffusion law were compared based on their coefficient of determination (r 2) and standard error (SE). In all treatments, the power function and especially the parabolic diffusion law were the best fit, with 0.898–0.996 r 2 and 0.022–0.732 SE. The general behavior of the kinetic parameters mostly depended on the amendment doses. Eutrophication posited to start beyond 16 mg P kg−1 soil was more likely allayed by a maximum vermicompost dose of 50 Mg ha−1, higher than the 36 Mg ha−1 maximum biosolid dose. The higher vermicompost P addition and lower P release could favor gradual and longer-term P absorption by plants and may reduce leaching or runoff P losses.

Efisiensi Serapan P Tanaman Kentang pada Tanah Andisol dengan Penambahan Vermikompos

Title : Efficiency of P Uptake by Potato in Andisols by Vermicompost Addition. Mostly potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) are planted on Andisols that have problem in phosphate fixation. The aim of this research were to know the efficiency of P fertilizing in Andisols that were added vermicompost and SP36 and to know potatoes yield in Andisol. This research was conducted at Tawangmangu, Karanganyar on October until December 2007. The method used was split plot design, as a main plot was vermicompost, i.e. no vermicompost and 10 ton.ha-1 vermicompost. Sub plot consist of four levels of P fertilizer (SP36), i.e. 100, 250, 400, 550 kg.ha-1 and control. The observation variables are available P, efficiency of P absorption, weight and diameter percentage of potato tuber. F test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and DMRT 5% test is used to analysis data. The result of this research shows that there is interaction betwen vermicompost and 400 kg.ha-1 doses SP36 to highest available P in the soil is 2.157 ppm P2O5, but there is no interaction on yield. The addition of 10 ton.ha-1 vermicompost can increase weight of potato tuber (30.83 %) and decreased percentage of potato tuber amount diameter in 15 cm (37.16%) with 10 tons.ha-1 vermicompost additions. Keywords: vermicompost, P fertilizer, potato, Andisols

THE INFLUENCE OF VERMICOMPOST FROM KITCHEN WASTE ON THE YIELD-ENHANCING CHARACTERISTICS OF PEAS PISUM SATIVUM L. VAR. SACCHARATUM SER. BAJKA VARIETY

This study determined the possibility of using the vermicompost produced from kitchen waste (by Eisenia fetida earthworms) to grow sugar peas. Its influence on the dynamics of sprouting of peas and their growth to 21 st day was investigated in a pot experiment. Four combinations were realised (control – standard garden soil; (50W) – its mixture with 50% of vermicompost; (25W) and (10W) – with 25% and 10% of vermicompost addition respectively (n=5)). Vermicompost from kitchen waste turned out to be useful in the cultivation of peas. No significant differences in the impact of all the analysed substrates on the sprouting of this plant were found. A 10% vermicompost addition (10W) was shown to be the most favourable substrate. Its positive influence was shown in the impact on the increase of total average mass (by 33%; p<0.001) and height of the plants (by 12%; p<0.05) and average mass (by 39%; p<0.001) and length (by 12%; p<0.05) of stems.

Colonização micorrízica e nodulação radicular em mudas de sabiá (Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia Benth.) sob diferentes níveis de salinidade

O sabiá (Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia Benth.) é uma espécie vegetal nativa do nordeste brasileiro e reúne algumas características fundamentais para compor programas de reabilitação de áreas salinizadas, principalmente quanto associado aos fungos micorrízicos arbusculares (FMAs) e a bactérias fixadoras de nitrogênio (BFN). O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a colonização micorrízica e a nodulação radicular de mudas de sabiá adubadas com composto orgânico e irrigadas com águas de diferentes condutividades elétricas. O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação, com delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial com 2 (presença e ausência de fungos micorrízicos arbusculares) x 2 (presença e ausência de composto orgânico) x 5 níveis de condutividade elétrica da água de irrigação (0,7; 1,2; 2,2; 3,2 e 4,2 dS m-1), com 3 repetições. Os resultados obtidos indicam que: a salinidade reduziu a colonização micorrízica e a nodulação radicular das mudas de sabiá; a intensificação das condições de estresse salino aumentaram a dependência micorrízica das mudas de sabiá; a colonização das mudas de sabiá com os FMAs proporcionou aumentos na matéria seca dos nódulos radiculares da ordem de 1900%; as micorrizas arbusculares reduziram o pH após o cultivo do solo; e a adição de vermicomposto não promoveu efeito sobre a colonização micorrízica das mudas de sabiá, entretanto, aumentou a produção de matéria seca dos nódulos radiculares.

Vermicomposts and/or Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Inoculation in Relation to Metal Availability and Biochemical Quality of a Soil Contaminated with Heavy Metals

A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to investigate how the addition of two vermicomposts (commercial or produced from damaged greenhouse tomatoes) and/or inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi affected availability and extractability of P, K and trace metals and biochemical quality of a soil contaminated with heavy metals. The pots were planted with Trifolium repens L., which was harvested 40 days after germination. Shoot and root dry matter of T. repens increased by the addition of both vermicomposts. P, K, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn uptake by T. repens increased after vermicompost addition, whereas Ni, Pb and Cd concentrations were below the detection limit of the method used. After harvest, AB-DTPA-extractable Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb decreased in the organically amended soil, whereas AB-DTPA P, K and Mn increased. The addition of both vermicomposts, particularly which made from damaged tomatoes, boosted dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase and urease activities in the postharvest soil, implying a higher microbial functional diversity and biochemical quality in this amended soil. Although phosphatase activities were greater in the postharvest soils with higher AB-DTPA-extractable metals, the other enzyme activities were negatively affected. The inoculation of the soils with AM fungi had weak effects on plant growth, as well as on the availability and extractability of metals and enzyme activities compared to non-inoculation.

Evaluation of Fungicides, Soil Amendment Practices and Bioagents against Fusarium solani-Causal Agent of Wilt Disease in Chilli

Chilli is affected by the wilt disease caused by Fusarium solani, under irrigated conditions. In absence of resistant cultivars, the disease needs to be controlled by management practices. In vitro evaluation of six fungicides by Poisoned Food Technique showed that a combination of carbendazim+mancozeb was effective in inhibiting mycelial growth (93.6%), followed by Carbendazim alone (92.4%). In vivo soil drench using the same fungicides proved effective in controlling the pathogen. Integration of different treatments, including seedling dip, with Carbendazim, addition of vermicompost, drenching with fungicide, and application of Trichoderma viride was found to be effective in managing the disease, in comparison to individual treatments.

Short-term effects of combined iprodione and vermicompost applications on soil microbial community structure

The use of compost amendments to bioremediate potential organic pollutants in agricultural soils has recently become an increasingly important field of research. Although several fungicides have been extensively used to control a wide range of soil-borne fungal diseases, little is known about the impact of applying these pesticides on the structure and function of microbial communities in soils amended with vermicompost. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a combined treatment of iprodione and vermicompost on soil microbiological parameters under laboratory conditions. The study was carried out on agricultural and grassland soils to identify the effect of iprodione application at field rate (FR) and 10-times FR (10FR) with and without vermicompost (VCH) on iprodione breakdown, fluorescein diacetate activity (FDA), total fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles, total protein content, and protein profiles by using sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Our results indicate that the addition of vermicompost decreased the iprodione breakdown at days 30 and 60 in non-sterilised agricultural soil and at 60days in sterilised and non-sterilised grassland soil. Independent of vermicompost amended treatments, iprodione was found to mainly alter microbial communities after 30days of incubation. On day 30, separation between communities treated with iprodione 10FR and iprodione 10FR+VCH treatments were well defined in both agricultural and grassland soils. Within each soil type, our results showed no difference in the total protein content. However, the protein content in the grassland soil was clearly higher than in the agricultural soil. SDS-PAGE gels revealed that the treatments applied to the agricultural soil using iprodione at the highest dosages (iprodione 10FR and iprodione 10FR+VCH) resulted in an alteration of the band pattern. In conclusion, the experiments revealed that the addition of vermicompost may decrease the breakdown of iprodione in soils. Furthermore, elevated dosages of iprodione may potentially affect the microbial community structure and diversity of the soil, which may lead to the deterioration of soil quality and fertility.

Influence of Vermicompost on Dry Matter Yield and Uptake of Ni and Cd by Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) in Ni- and Cd-Polluted Soil

An experiment was conducted under simulated condition to study the influence of vermicompost on growth, yield and heavy metal accumulation by chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), an important essential oil bearing crop grown under simulated condition. Nickel and Cadmium applied at 20 mg kg−1 soil significantly enhanced the dry matter yield of the crop as compared to the control (no heavy metal). The results also revealed that addition of vermicompost (at 2.5 g kg−1 soil) enhanced the heavy metal accumulation by chamomile in metal-treated soil. Although a sizeable amount of metals were being translocated to flowers, the essential oil extracted by hydrodistillation of flowers did not contain any heavy metal. Similarly, chemical constituents of the oil of chamomile were within the range of those obtained from chamomile grown under normal soil condition.

Adsorption from Brazilian soils of Cu(II) and Cd(II) using cattle manure vermicompost

The potential of cattle manure vermicompost and Brazilian soils (whole soils and soils incubated with vermicompost) was assessed for adsorption of heavy metals such as Cu(II) and Cd(II) from aqueous solutions. Experimental data have been fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms to obtain the characteristic parameters of each model, with R 2 values from 0.89 to 0.99. Based on the maximum adsorption capacity obtained from the Langmuir isotherm the affinity of the studied metals for the vermicompost and soils have been established as Cu(II) > Cd(II). The values of the separation factor, R L, which has been used to predict affinity between adsorbate and adsorbent were between zero and 1, indicating that sorption was very favourable for Cu(II) and Cd(II) in synthetic solution. Addition of vermicompost to soils resulted in higher distribution coefficient, K d, as compared with whole soils. The thermodynamic parameter, the Gibbs energy changes, was calculated for each system and the negative values obtained confirm that the adsorption processes are spontaneous. The ΔG° values for the substrates were between −2.630±1.41 kJ mol−1 and −13.700±1.250 kJ mol−1. Adsorption tests from multimetal systems confirm the affinity order obtained in the individual metal tests. The adsorption capacity for Cu(II) measured in individual tests is not reduced by the presence of Cd(II). There is also desorption of Cu(II) and Cd(II) previously bound to vermicompost, whole soils and soils incubated with vermicompost by DTPA. The experiment indicates the importance of cattle manure vermicompost and oxisol amended with vermicompost in relation to Cu(II) and Cd(II) adsorption from aqueous solution.

Utilização de vermicomposto como substrato na produção de mudas de Eucalyptus grandis e Corymbia citriodora

The aim of this work was to evaluate the vermicompost efficiency in the seedlings of two eucalyptus species production. The experiment was developed in greenhouse conditions, substrate constituted by different vermicompost proportions and peat for the E. grandis and C. citriodora seedling production. The experimental design was entirely casualized with seven treatments and eight repetitions. After 100 days of experiment were evaluated: seedling height, fresh and dry biomass of aerial part, root volume, dry biomass of the root and Dickson quality index (DQI). The treatment constituted by 80% vermicompost and 20% peat presented the highest results in height, root volume and dry mass of the aerial part and roots. For the species C. citriodora was observed that the vermicompost addition to the peat in the proportions from 40% to 80% was shown efficient in the seedlings growth. The treatment constituted by 80% vermicompost and 20% peat provided highest height and dry mass of the aerial part seedlings and the treatment constituted by 60% vermicompost and 40% peat provided highest root volume. The proportions 60% and 80% vermicompost added to the peat increase the E. grandis and C. citriodora seedlings production. doi: 10.4336/2011.pfb.31.66.75

Benefits of Vermicompost as a Constituent of Growing Substrates Used in the Production of Organic Greenhouse Tomatoes

Six individual growing substrate components were selected. From the individual components, 35 growing substrates were constructed. Preliminary analyses, which included pH, electrical conductivity, and macro- and micronutrient concentrations, combined with environmental and cost implications were conducted to identify which substrates had the appropriate properties for growing tomatoes. From the 35 combinations, four growing substrates were chosen as having preferred properties required for organic greenhouse tomato production. A 22-week growth experiment was performed to determine if any of the selected substrates could improve the marketable yield of tomatoes when compared with rockwool (RW) under greenhouse conditions. The greenhouse crop used for this experiment was Lycopersicon esculentum ‘beefsteak’ tomato, cultivar Matrix F1 Hybrid. Within the experiment, Forterra Royal GRO 1 (GRO 1; coconut coir/vermicompost) and Forterra Royal GRO 2 (GRO 2; aged pine bark/coconut coir/vermicompost) attained significantly higher marketable yields per plant compared with the plants grown in RW. A similar trend was seen in the incidence of Blossom End Rot (BER) with GRO 1 and GRO 2 having reduced numbers of BER incidences per plant when compared with RW. In conclusion, the addition of vermicompost to organic growing substrates is beneficial for tomato growth and yield.

Propiedades bioplaguicidas del vermicompost.

A pesar de la abundante información sobre las propiedades bioplaguicidas de algunos fertilizantes orgánicos como el compost, existen muy pocos trabajos acerca de este tipo de propiedades en el vermicompost. Recientemente se ha investigado el potencial del vermicompost como bioplaguicida contra patógenos vegetales, insectos, ácaros y nematodos parásitos de plantas. La adición de vermicompost al suelo incrementa la diversidad microbiana del mismo y por lo tanto hay un rango más amplio de microorganismos que pueden actuar como agentes biocontrol contra diferentes plagas para las plantas. Además, el vermicompost constituye una fuente de nutrientes de liberación lenta, que se van poniendo a disposición de la planta a medida que ésta los va necesitando, y su aplicación puede aumentar la producción de compuestos fenólicos en la misma, haciéndola más resistente a la herbivoría. Aunque existen evidencias científicas del papel del vermicompost como bioplaguicida, es necesario esclarecer qué factores desencadenan esta supresión y en qué medida éstos dependen del material de origen, de la especie de lombriz de tierra y del proceso de vermicompostaje.

Influencia del vermicompost en el crecimiento de las plantas. Aportes para la elaboración de un concepto objetivo.

Numerosos estudios han demostrado que la adición de humus de lombriz a los sustratos de cultivo tiene efectos beneficiosos sobre el crecimiento y desarrollo de gran cantidad de especies vegetales. Los mecanismos a través de los que se produce esta estimulación incluyen el aporte de nutrientes, la mejora de las propiedades físicas del sustrato y el aporte de microorganismos beneficiosos para el desarrollo vegetal capaces de aumentar la disponibilidad de nutrientes y producir sustancias con efectos fitohormonales. En los últimos años se ha dedicado un importante esfuerzo a la investigación de estos efectos hormonales, y más concretamente al papel de las sustancias húmicas como portadoras de sustancias reguladoras del crecimiento vegetal (PGRs). Sin embargo, la existencia de efectos discordantes en la literatura pone de manifiesto la necesidad de abrir nuevas vías de investigación así como de definir de forma más objetiva y clara el concepto de vermicompost.