Vermicomposting " Converting your trash to cash"
Vermicomposting is a cost-effective and more crop-friendly fertilizer
option. It is the method of preparing compost using earthworms. Earthworms eat
biomass and excrete in digested form, called worm casts or Black Gold.
The first step towards vermicomposting is selecting the right kind of
earthworms. In India ,
four varieties of earthworms are commonly used for composting. The worms used
are called ‘manure worms’, which can be grown on animal dung, poultry
droppings, vegetables and other biodegradable matter.
The types of vermicompost depend on the amount required and composting
structures. Small-scale vermicompsting caters to personal use and large-scale
production is done by recycling large amounts of waste with production reaching
upto 200 tonnes annually. While there are several methods of vermicomposting,
the bed and pit methods are most commonly used.
Vermicompost has several advantages:
- It allows efficient
conversion of organic wastes/crop/animal residues
- Stable and richer
soil fertilizer
- Helps reduce
growth of pathogenic microbes
- Helps eliminate
toxicity of heavy metals
- Economically
healthier option and environmentally
safe, nutrient supplement for organic food production
- Easy
production and low cost technology
10 easy steps for vermicompost
preparation:
- Build or
purchase a worm bin
- Purchase
worms for vermicompost bin
- Prepare the
worm bedding
- Add some
amount of soil to the bin to form the bottom layer.
- Add the
worms to the vermicompost bin
- Add food
scraps to the bin and cover it with a layer of soil
- Sprinkle
water sometimes and wait for a period of approx 30-40 days
- Remove the
worms when the compost is done
- Harvest the
vermicompost
- Re-introduce
the worms
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