Vermicompost Production Research Articles

Role of Nalanda college of agriculture in promoting agricultural education in Tamil Nadu

The Study focuses on major areas in which agricultural education is imparted by incorporating major and minor courses which are related to agriculture and allied subjects which are helping in the promotion of career orientation. Another aspect of the study is Promoting greenery to the environment by the students of agriculture and earns hands on training in the areas like bee keeping, mushroom cultivation, Ornamental Nursery, Entrepreneurial Development, Commercial Seed Production, Dry land farming, sericulture, vermicompost production, azolla production which are giving way to the students in practicing of agribusiness and its initiatives in their region of residence. In this respect, this article addresses how an educational institution could train the students in making use of the available dry lands for effective crop production front by employing the agricultural labour force in making the dry lands into a big greenery. This might be an example to the dry land farmers to cope with and elevate their lifestyle in an appreciable way and it will also promote the farming initiatives with courage and confidence wherever the land and irrigation facility are available. Certain students are also taking the lands on lease to promote agriculture in a big way. This paper is a paradigm for the persons who are taking initiatives in agriculture to make farming as their career path.

I-optimal mixture design and artificial neural network for the sustainable production of vermicompost

I-optimal mixture design and artificial neural network for the sustainable production of vermicompost

A deep learning based system for real-time detection and sorting of earthworm cocoons

Vermicompost, created by earthworms after eating and digesting organic waste, plays an important role as an organic fertiliser in sustainable agriculture. In this study, a deep learning-based smart system was developed to separate earthworm cocoons used in the production of vermicompost from the compost and return it to production. In the first stage of the study, a dataset containing 1000 images of cocoons was created. The cocoons in each image were labeled and training was performed using a deep learning architecture, one-stage and two-stage models. The models were trained over 2000 epochs with a learning rate of 0.01. From the experimental results, faster R-CNN with ResNet50-FPN model detected the earthworm cocoons better compared to other models. The best performance was obtained by this model with an average precision (AP) of 0.89. In the other stage of the study, the cocoons detected by the software were separated from the compost using a specially designed conveyor belt system. In this process, the detected cocoons are separated from the compost using 10 pneumatic valves that spray air at the separation point. The study is the first of its kind that enables earthworm cocoons to be returned to production with the use of a real-time intelligent system. It also contributes to the literature on small object detection using deep learning.

An Economic Analysis of Vermicompost Production under Gothan and Godhan Nyay Yojna: A Case Study of Chhattisgarh Plains

The present study examined the economics of vermicompost production of Gothan established under the Gothan and Godhan Nyay Scheme in Chhattisgarh. The study was based on primary data; conducted in three districts of Chhattisgarh plains, viz. Bilaspur, Janjgir-Champa and Raigarh. Criteria of Gothan selection were as follows; Model Gothan, Non-model Gothan, village Gothan and city Gothan. The results revealed that Model Gothan's Cost of production was lower as compared to Non-model, village and city Gothan. The study suggested that the education and training programmes might help the women's SHGs.

Karakteristik Produksi Cacing Tanah (Lumbricus rubellus) dengan Pakan Limbah Pasar Berupa Sayur Sawi Hijau dan Pepaya

Environmental pollution can be minimized by utilizing traditional market waste through the cultivation of earthworms. Market waste that is commonly found is vegetable and fruit waste. Market waste that is used as feed can minimize the production budget in worm farming. This research used a completely randomized method, four treatments and three replications. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of feed with mustard green waste and papaya waste on the productivities (body weight and body length) of Lumbricus rubellus, vermicompost production, and that economic value. The results of the study stated that the treatment significantly (P<0.05) affected the parameters of worm body weight, worm body length, and vermicompost production. Papaya waste (P400) treatment produce the highest body weight of L. rubellus in 1.108 ± 0.128 g, body length in 9.367 ± 0.446 cm, and waste degradation in 45.62 %. The papaya waste showed the highest results in terms of body weight gain and body length of L. rubellus. The cultivation of earthworm can provide economic value for Rp 514.428,60/4 months by producing earthworms and vermicompost.

Production of Nutrient-Enriched Vermicompost from Aquatic Macrophytes Supplemented with Kitchen Waste: Assessment of Nutrient Changes, Phytotoxicity, and Earthworm Biodynamics

Vermicompost is an organic fertilizer rich in nutrients, beneficial microbes, and plant growth hormones that not only enhances the growth of crops but also contributes to the improvement in the physicochemical and biological properties of the soil. However, its lower nutrient content makes it less preferable among farmers and limits its applicability. Here, we investigate, for the first time, nutrient enrichment of vermicompost by supplementing the free-floating macrophyte biomass with cow manure and organic nutrient supplements (eggshell, bone meal, banana peel, and tea waste). Free-floating macrophytes are aquatic plants that are found suspended on the water surface, playing a significant role in the structural and functional aspects of aquatic ecosystems. However, uncontrolled proliferation of these macrophytes endangers these ecosystems, having both economic and ecological implications; therefore, they need to be managed. Results showed an enhanced total nitrogen (2.87%), total phosphorus (0.86%), total potassium (3.74%), and other nutrients in vermicompost amended with cow manure and nutrient supplements. Highest biomass gain (710–782 mg), growth rate (11.83–13.04 mg), and reproduction rate (3.34–3.75 cocoons per worm) was also observed, indicating that amending bulking agent and nutrient supplements not only enhance the nutrient content of the final product but also improve overall earthworm activity. The stability and maturity of vermicompost, as indicated by C/N (<20) and Germination Index (>80), indicates that vermicompost obtained is suitable for agricultural applications. The study concluded that amendment of cow manure and organic nutrient supplements results in producing mature and nutrient-enriched vermicompost suitable for sustainable agricultural production.

Alternative Feed Sources for Vermicompost Production

Locally-available materials could be used to address soil fertility constraints. Vermicomposting is a promising technology where various organic materials are converted into processed compost by earthworms. This study evaluated local feed sources and their potential for vermicompost production. The vermicompost production was carried out in the plastic container under a roofed and net-sided production house. The plot design was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with nine replications. Vermiculture feedstock treatments were cow manure (CM) and three cow manure and alternative feed stock treatments (75:25 on a dry basis) that included water hyacinth (WH), used coffee grounds (coffee), or Azolla. The results showed that cow manure combined with Azolla tended to produce more vermicompost after four weeks, but post-harvest earthworm weight was lower. The cow manure treatment produced higher earthworm weights. However, the earthworm population was not influenced by feed sources. The chemical characteristics of vermicompost were not different among feed source ratios or combination. A comparison of the feed stock material before and after vermiculture composting show that EC and total P increased in the compost, total K, organic C and the C:N ratio decreased, but pH and Total N remained constant.

Analysis of energy efficiency of production of compost from manure of cattle

Organic fertilizer is a source of necessary for agricultural plants macro-, microelements and carbon dioxide. Due to their gradual mineralization nutrients enter the plants during the whole period of vegetation. In the production, in particular organic fertilizers, the main factor determining profitability is the effective use of energy. The aim of the work was carry out analysis of energy efficiency of production of compost and vermicompost from manure of cattle. Research materials was data of technical information, scientific literature for technologies of composting and vermicomposting manure of cattle, Internet information and the results of own research. Energy efficiency of producing organic fertilizer from animal waste was determined by the method of direct cost of energy. It was determined that at the production of compost and vermicompost from manure of cattle, to a great degree, using energy of diesel fuel (98.3%). A small percentage is occupied by energy of workers (1.7%). It is established, that at the production of compost from manure of cattle consumption of energy, in particular diesel fuel and human accounts for 0.39±0.08 MJ/kg. The most energy-intensive production processes are mixing of compost and watering his water, which is spent 0.17±0.05 MJ/kg. Less energy-intensive: transporting of manure and formation of stacks (0.06±0.01 MJ/kg); filling a container with water and its transporting (0.07±0.01 MJ/kg); covering of stacks, drying and packing of compost (0.11±0.02 MJ/kg). When preparing of 1 kg of substrate from manure of cattle for later vermicultivation consumption of energy (diesel fuel and human) amounted to 0.16±0.04 MJ. During the process of vermicultivation, consumption of energy amounted to 0.41±0.08 MJ/kg. During vermicomposting, more energy is spent on mixing of stacks and watering their water 0.23±0.07 MJ/kg. Less energy-intensive such production processes as: formation of vermi bed and colonization of their vermiculture (0.07±0.01 MJ/kg); separating of worms from vermicompost and drying of biohumus (0.07±0.01MJ/kg); covering of stacks and packing of biohumus (0.05±0.1 MJ/kg). At the production of 1 kg of vermicompost, consumption of energy amounted to 0.57±0.12 MJ, worth 0.87±0.12 UAH. At the production of organic fertilizers through composting, consumption of energy is reduced of an average of 31.6% and its cost by 26.4%.

NUTRIENT POTENTIAL FROM VERMICOMPOST OF TWO CONTRASTING ORGANIC WASTES USING TROPICAL EARTHWORM AND MOSQUITO NET AS CULTURE MATERIAL

The biochemical break down of plant litters by earthworm and the associated micro-organisms are the main process of humus development. Nutrient potential from vermicompost of two contrasting organic wastes using tropical earthworm (Eudrilus eugeniae) and mosquito net as culture material was studied. The organic wastes diet is fruit wastes (FRW) and vegetable wastes (VGW). Ten earthworms were inoculated to each of the eight (8) sacks. The result of the experiment after three (3) months and three (3) weeks inoculation showed that the Eudrilus eugeniae can be cultured in sack made from old window mosquito net and the vermicompost produced in each waste are of high-quality humus. The nutrient content of the vermicompost varied among the wastes. The pH level of the wastes was found to be alkaline of which VGW recorded higher value (9.15) compared to FRW. The OC content and electrical conductivity (EC) were significantly different among the treatments. Higher values of Na, OC, K, and P were recorded in FRW, while VGW recorded higher values in Ca, Mg and EC. The highest dry matter weight of 115.75gkg -1 of vermicompost was recorded in VGW as against 109.5gkg-1 recorded in FRW. Earthworm production measured by the number survived, number of cocoons, and biomass weight at the end of the study showed VGW as best culture for earthworm production. FRW did not record any cocoon at harvest. Findings of the study confirm that tropical earthworm - Eudrilus eugeniae can be easily used for high quality vermicompost production which is socioeconomically very beneficial for soil fertility improvement and sustainable crop production. The wastes and the earthworm are in abundance in the study area and within the reach of the farmer. The farmers are therefore encouraged to harness this technology for their soil and crop production.

Potential of vermicompost extract in enhancing the biomass and bioactive components along with mitigation of Meloidogyne incognita-induced stress in tomato.

Increasing inorganic fertilizer and pesticide use has been linked to increased health risks for humans and cattle, as well as substantial water and soil contamination. In recent years, vermicomposting has shown to be a viable alternative to chemical pesticides. Vermicompost and vermicompost products such as extract and leachate assist plants in a number of ways. According to recent studies, vermicompost extract (VCE), when used as a supplement, is thought to work as a growth and stress tolerance booster for plants. These liquid supplements also help to suppress a range of pests, such as root knot nematodes. In the present study, neem- and cattle dung-based vermicompost extracts of different concentrations (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%) were prepared and used for their application against nematode infection in tomato seedlings under laboratory conditions. Apart from its antagonistic action against Meloidogyne incognita, the influence of VCE on plant growth was investigated by analyzing its morphological characteristics in tomato seedlings infected and uninfected with M. incognita. Seeds were pre-soaked in VCE for the seed priming process before being allowed for germination. After 10days of nematode inoculation, biochemical parameters like protein content, activity of antioxidative enzymes, non-enzymatic antioxidants, stress indices, photosynthetic pigments, proline content and secondary metabolites were also analyzed. The results revealed that neem-based VCE was fatal to second-stage juveniles, with an 82% mortality rate following exposure to the highest dose. When eggs were exposed to 100% VCE, 33.8% of hatching was suppressed, indicating that VCE had an antagonistic effect on nematode egg hatching. Further, all the morphological and biochemical parameters were significantly enhanced in VCE-treated tomato seedlings as compared to untreated seedlings. Stress indices were also found to be significantly lowered by the VCE treatments in the infected plants. The effect of VCE on seedling growth and physiology was shown to be concentration dependent. As a result, the current findings show that VCE has the potential to be used as a plant growth accelerator as well as an environmentally friendly biocontrol agent against nematode pathogenesis in tomato plants.

Vermicomposting of patchouli bagasse—A byproduct of essential oil industries employing Eisenia fetida

This study was designed to explore the vermicomposting potential of patchouli bagasse (PB) and cowdung (CD) mixtures in different treatment ratio employing Eisenia fetida under the 50 days of trial. The results recorded a decrease in pH (8.4–24.1%), organic carbon (25.7–46.2%), C/N ratio (62.9–82.3%), C/P ratio (35.1–58.94%), total K (41.12–87.37%) whereas increase in electrical conductivity (4.8–57.9%), ash contents (31.6–67.3%), total N (2.0–3.1 folds), available P (1.1–2.1 folds), total Ca (1.5–2.0 folds) and Mg (3.0–3.5 folds). The vermicomposting end products showed permissible level of heavy metals such as Fe (53 ± 0.73 to 71.3 ± 0.89 mg/kg), Mn (2.4 ± 0.02 to 8.81 ± 0.21 mg/kg), Zn (0.78 ± 0.02 to 2.1 ± 0.02 mg/kg), Cu (0.72 ± 0.01 to 0.9 ± 0.02 mg/kg), Cr (0.17 ± 0.02 to 0.27 ± 0.01 mg/kg) and Ni (0.62 ± 0.01 to 1.15 ± 0.03 mg/kg); enhancement in the beneficial bacterial population (1.6–4.4 folds), earthworm numbers, and biomass (1.08–2.6 folds). Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) had confirmed the humification of PB materials, reduction in aromatic compounds and elevation in nitrogenous substances in the end products. Finally, germination index (GI) values (>100%) also confirmed the absence of phytotoxic compounds and the maturity of the vermicomposted materials. Based on vermicompost production, the treatment ratio 5:5 (T6) and 4:5 (T7) has been found to be suitable combination for vermicomposting of PB with CD.

Organic waste management by two-stage composting process to decrease the time required for vermicomposting

A fully matured product from a traditional vermicomposting method takes 45–60 days, which is 25–30 days longer than a rotary drum composting technique. Therefore, the use of rotary drum compost would minimize the vermicomposting period by 15–20 days. Very limited studies were available on combined technologies used for the biodegradation of invasive weeds. In this research, in-vessel composting and vermicomposting technologies are proven to be best in time reduction and produce mature, stable, and nutrient-rich compost that is more superior quality than conventional rotary drum compost. Esenia fetida, Eudrilus eugeniae, and Perionyx Ceylanesis were used to choose the best earthworm species for surviving with a low death rate and producing high-quality compost. For vermicomposting of pre-degraded waste, four separate reactors were set up: one with E. fetida (VrEF), one with E. euginae (VrEE), one with P. ceylanesis (VrPC), and one sans earthworm species (VrC). Vermicompost made from waste by all earthworm species exhibited a better nutritious value than control. Furthermore, E. fetida produced vermicompost with total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) content of 3.24%, 12.87 g/kg total phosphorus (TP), and 22.08 g/kg potassium. The breakdown of complicated chemicals into simpler forms is confirmed by FTIR spectra. To confirm the vermicompost product, a germination assay was conducted on Vigna radiata. As a result, vermicomposting is the most effective nutrient recovery method. Weed management and the usage of two-stage compost products in the agro-industry could benefit from the current research.

Draft Genome Sequence of the Earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae.

Background: Earthworms are annelids. They play a major role in agriculture and soil fertility. Vermicompost is the best organic manure for plant crops. Eudrilus eugeniae is an earthworm well suited for efficient vermicompost production. The worm is also used to study the cell and molecular biology of regeneration, molecular toxicology, developmental biology, etc., because of its abilities like high growth rate, rapid reproduction, tolerability toward wide temperature range, and less cost of maintenance. Objective: The whole genome has been revealed only for Eisenia andrei and Eisenia fetida. Methods: In the present work, we sequenced the genome of E. eugeniae using the Illumina platform and generated 160,684,383 paired-end reads. Results: The reads were assembled into a draft genome of size 488 Mb with 743,870 contigs and successfully annotated 24,599 genes. Further, 208 stem cell-specific genes and 3,432 non-coding genes were identified. Conclusion: The sequence and annotation details were hosted in a web application available at https://sudhakar-sivasubramaniam-labs.shinyapps.io/eudrilus_genome/.

Assessment of trade-offs, quantity, and biochemical composition of organic materials and farmer's perception towards vermicompost production in smallholder farms of Ethiopia

Assessment of trade-offs, quantity, and biochemical composition of organic materials and farmer's perception towards vermicompost production in smallholder farms of Ethiopia

Study on the knowledge level of organic farmers in production of vermicompost in Palghar district of Maharashtra

Study on the knowledge level of organic farmers in production of vermicompost in Palghar district of Maharashtra

Optimal preparation time in the vermicompost production process

Today, the vermicompost production process is considered one of the most economically, hygienically, and environmentally friendly methods for the stabilization of organic waste. The aim of this paper was to investigate the effect of food waste preparation time without initial modification and without continuous aeration on the vermicompost process before feeding the worms with organic waste material in order to pass the calorific stage of decomposition of organic matter and not to damage the worms that are sensitive to high temperatures, and the process of fertilizer production is faster, organic matter is composted for a while without the presence of worms. In this paper, four periods, including 0, 7, 14, and 21 days of waste preparation, were examined. The results showed that the difference in ratio between different preparation times was significant 7-14 days the most suitable time for waste preparation without initial modification was obtained.

Investigation of Different Organic Waste Compositions’ Effects on the Efficiency of Vermicompost Production

Investigation of Different Organic Waste Compositions’ Effects on the Efficiency of Vermicompost Production

Vermicompost production monitoring and the internet of things

This article presents the results obtained by implementing an application with an architecture based on the Internet of Things, applied to the production of red California earthworm, using an interface with which it is possible to monitor and collect data on temperature, humidity and PH with sensors that allow recording the necessary data. For the implementation, an experimental module was built in which the temperature and humidity variables were monitored, with the data obtained from the sensor measurements, the constant changes in temperature (between 20 to 29 ºC) and humidity (from 35% to 50%) were observed, This information made it possible to keep a weekly plan in which irrigation, aeration and compost mixing were attended to in a timely manner, reducing time, cost and human labor in the production of the red California earthworm and maintaining the reproduction of the red California earthworm in optimal conditions.

Performance of vermicomposted wastes for tomato (Lycopersicon Esculentum Mill.), production: A case study of Embu, Kenya

Purpose To investigate the effect of vermicomposted kitchen, market and tea wastes on tomato growth and yield and assess the benefits and costs that arise.Method A field experiment arranged in the randomized complete block design with five experimental treatments: vermicomposted kitchen, market, tea wastes, NPK fertilizer and a control, replicated thrice was conducted. Data were collected on plant height, number of leaves, number of branches, number of flower stalks, fruit number, fruit weight, above-ground biomass, marketable tomato yield, soil nutrient content, pH, texture and exchangeable acidity. Data obtained were analyzed using SAS version 9.4 by subjecting to one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Biophysical crop data means were separated using Tukey’s Studentized Range (HSD) test at p=0.05 significance level. T-test was used to determine the difference in soil nutrient content (Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Carbon (C)) at the beginning and end of the study. The benefits and costs were analyzed using the benefit-cost ratio formula.Results The three vermicomposts had a similar effect (p>0.05) in influencing most of the tomato crop variables such as plant height, leaves number, branch number and flower stalks number. Tea waste vermicompost and kitchen waste vermicompost gave significantly high tomato yields of 115 t ha-1 and 113 t ha-1 at p=0.0001 as well as the highest benefit-cost ratio of 1.4:1.Conclusion Tea, market and kitchen wastes have a potential for use in the production of high-quality vermicompost that can be used as a soil amendment to enhance tomato performance.

GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION OF THE EPIGEIC EARTHWORM, EISENIA FETIDA (SAVIGNY, 1826) CULTURED IN VARIOUS ORGANIC WASTES

: The study was carried out to evaluate the influence and suitability of various organic wastes on growth and reproduction of the epigeic earthworm, E. fetida maintained at uncontrolled laboratory environmental conditions. There was a much variation in biomass, growth rate and cocoon production by this earthworm in different organic wastes such as False Ashoka Waste-FAW (Polyalthia longifolia), Parthenium Waste- PW (Parthenium hysterophorus), Cotton Residue Waste- CRW (Gossypium), Lawn Grass Waste- LGW (Agrostis) and Control- Cattle manure-CM used in these experiments. The mean maximum (923.54 ±1122.59) and minimum (481.47±56.13) biomass of worm was observed in PW and FAW respectively. The mean growth rate of worm was 6316.10±529.36, 11836.00±1086.30, 9053.00±807.22, 6969.00±582.42, 10842.00±1011.50 observed in FAW, PW, CRW, LGW and CM (control) respectively. There is a significant variation (P0.05) in both worm biomass and growth rate of worms was observed among all the organic wastes, whereas no significant variation was noticed in between different organic wastes, except between PW & FAW, CM & FAW, LGW & PW and CM & LGW in biomass and between LGW & FAW; CM & PW and CM & CRW in growth rate respectively.
 The attainment of sexual maturity and 100% maturity was observed early in Control-CM on 6 th week and 8th week followed by all other organic wastes on 7 th week and 9th week respectively. The maximum cocoon production worm/week was observed in Control-CM with 2.86±0.37 followed by CRW (2.16±0.30), PW (2.11±0.30), FAW (1.95±0.27) and it was least in LGW (1.28±0.18). The cumulative cocoon number (CCN)/worm for 17 weeks was 33.27, 35.95, 36.77, 21.77, and 48.65 in FAW, PW, CRW, LGW, and CM respectively. Significant difference (P0.05) was also noticed in cocoon production among and between different organic wastes, except between PW & FAW, CRW & FAW and CRW & PW. Based on the results, it can be concluded that biomass, growth rate, attainment of sexual maturity and cocoon production of the epigeic earthworm, E. fetida were influenced much by different organic wastes, that inturn affect on the production of quantity and quality vermicompost and worm multiplication during vermicomposting process. This work also suggests that epigeic earthworms are very much choosy in selection of particular type of organic wastes for their growth, development and cocoon production