all details necessary for vermiculture

1. COMPOSTING:THE ROTTEN TRUTH
Sabin
Saman
Rhitika
Nilisha
Prakash
Ankita
Submitted to Btech 6th term (Biotechnology)

2. COMPOSTING

3. INTRODUCTION
 Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as
a fertilizer and soil amendment.
 At the simplest level, the process of composting simply requires making a
heap of wetted organic matter known as green waste (leaves, food waste) and
waiting for the materials to break down into humus after a period of weeks or
months.
 Modern, methodical composting is a multi-step, closely monitored process
with measured inputs of water, air, and carbon- and nitrogen-rich materials.
 Aerobic bacteria and fungi manage the chemical process by converting the
inputs into heat, carbon dioxide and ammonium.

4. KINDS
Bin composting
Tumbler composting
Sheet composting
Anaerobic composting
Vermicomposting

5. COMPOSTING BINS
Ready made
Homemade
Bin-less pile

6. WHAT YOU CAN
COMPOST
 Brown composting
material: Leaves ,
straw, paper sawdust ,
coffee ground and filters,
nuts and shells, animal
bedding mixed with
manure (Manure
provides food for micro-
organisms which enrich
the soil)
 Green composting
material: fruits, veggie
scraps, egg shells, tea
bags, tea leaves, fresh
green grass clippings,
garden refuse, plant
 Meat scraps
 Bones
 Dairy products
 Pet waste
 Diseased plants
 Invasive weeds
 Any material containing
pesticides or herbicides
in the compost pile
What not to
compost

7. WHEN IS COMPOST FINISHED?
Compost is mature when
 The color is dark brown
 It is crumbly, loose,
and humus-like
 It has an earthy smell
 It contains no readily
recognizable feedstock
 The pile has shrunk to
about 1/3 of its original volume

8. TUMBLER COMPOSTING
 A compost tumbler is a compost bin
designed to be rotated, so that materials
inside are remixed for aeration and faster
composting.
 Its design may be ‘on the ground’ or ‘end
over end’ or ‘barrel-roll’.
 Compost happens when there is even mix of
Carbon-rich and Nitrogen-rich materials.

10. STEPS FOR USING TUMBLER COMPOST
1. Select a location for your compost
tumbler
2. Add composting materials
3. Help the process
4. Give your compost tumbler a spin
5. Monitor the compost temperature
6. Use it!

11. BENEFITS OF TUMBLER COMPOSTING
 Quick
 Easy
 Tidy
 Waterwise

12. SHEET COMPOSTING OR MULCHING
 Sheet mulching is a practice which harnesses the goodness
of large volumes of organic material collected in your own
yard and neighbourhood to create rich, healthy soil for your
garden plants
 Sheet mulching can be used either in establishing
landscape, or to enrich existing plantings. In both cases,
mulch is applied to bare soil or on top of cut or flattened
weeds.

13. PROCEDURE OF SHEET MULCHING
1. It begins by mowing or scalping grass or other vegetation
down to the lowest possible level to the length and width.
2. Removing any pernicious or persistent weeds such as
blackberry, bindweed, morning glory or quackgrass.
3. Covering the ground with 4-6 overlapping layers of
newspaper or cardboard
4. Watering the newspaper or cardboard layer thoroughly and
covering it with a one-inch layer of a nitrogen source such
as manure.

14. CONTINUED..
5. Layer (weed free) well conditioned compost, grass
clippings, seaweed or leaves about 8-12inch thick .
6. Apply (weed free) chopped up leaves, straw, untreated
wood chips, mulch, sawdust, bark, etc. about 3 to 5” deep.
This will eventually compost down providing nutrients for
the future. Water the mulch.
7. If you plan to garden immediately, a layer of topsoil helps
especially if planting seeds.
8. Transplant vegetable plants right into the to top layer.

16.  Benefits
 Uses simple materials
 Reduces maintenance costs
 Increases water retention in the soil. prevents erosion and
improves soil
 Creates a healthier garden that earthworms love
 A process of construction not destruction
 Mimics nature’s soil-building process
 Works in flower gardens and around trees

17.  Disadvantages
 Some weed seeds (such as those of Bermuda grass and
species of bindweed) may persist under the barrier and
within the soil seed bank.
 Slug populations may increase during the early stages of
decomposition. However they can be kept away or
harvested.
 The system may need a constant supply of organic
material, at least during the early stages.
 Roaming animals may interrupt the sheet mulching
process

18. ANAEROBIC COMPOST
 biological breakdown of organic materials by
living anaerobic organisms (e.g. bacteria)
 anaerobic composting was called "oufei“
 chinese rice farmers to ferment a mix of
pond/canal sediments, leguminous green
manures (e.g. vetch), rice straw, and animal
manures in water-filled pits

19. HOW TO ANAEROBIC COMPOST
1. Regular Static Compost Piles
2. Garbage Bag Compost
3. Submersion Compost
4. Anaerobic Bucket Compost

20. POSITIVE ASPECTS
 Requires a lot less work than aerobic composting
 Produces more usable humus per volume of original
composting ingredients compared to aerobic
composting
 Finished product contains higher levels of
ammonium, since anaerobic microbes tend to use
less nitrogen than aerobic microbes
 produces biogas (e.g. methane and carbon dioxide),
which can be captured and used for energy/fuel

21. DEFECTS
 Putrification of organic materials can lead to
very unpleasant odors, due to release of sulfur-
containing compounds such as hydrogen sulfide
 Process requires a lot more time to produce
usable compost compared to aerobic
composting
 If anaerobic compost is not allowed adequate
time to breakdown (e.g. one year), there are
risks that the compost will contain pathogens.

23. Understanding the Terminology
1. Vermiculture - the culture of
worms
2. Vermicomposting - the use of
worms for composting organic
materials.
3. Vermicompost - the product of
vermicomposting containing worm
castings, bedding materials as well
as organic matter in various stages
of decomposition.
4. Vermicasts - excreta of worms
5. Vermiculturist - the Worm Man or
a person who farms, breeds and
cares for WORMS. eg A professional
WORMfarmer is called
Vermiculturist.

24. WORMS
These invertebrates are classified under
Phylum annelida.
Worms under this group is divided into
three classes. Composting worm
species belong to Class Clitellata under
Order Oligochaeta.
The representative type is the
Lumbricus terrestis or the Nightcrawlers
commonly known as earthworms.
These are also field worms known as
Allolophora. They will attack almost all
organic matters from below.
 .

25. Diagram of an Earthworm
Mouth
Seta
Male Pores
Clitellum
Anus

26. It defines the thrilling potential for waste
reduction, fertilizer production, as well as an
assortment of possible uses for the future.
Vermiculture enhances the growth of plants that
provide food along with producing prosperous and
financially rewarding fertilizer. The “vermi” or
earthworms are important in enriching the soil with
organic matter which comes from biodegradable
materials such as dead plants and animals which the
earthworms ingest.
VERMICULTURE

27. Vermiculture Systems focus on producing
the maximum level of worm biomass
possible in a given space.
Vermicomposting is defined as the practice
of using concentrations of earthworms to
convert organic materials into usable
vermicompost or worm castings. These
systems focus on the waste material and
managing it so that it can be successfully
and efficiently processed in a worm system.

28. The earthworm is one of nature's pinnacle "soil scientists."
Earthworms are liberated, cost effective farm relief. The worms
are accountable for a variety of elements including turning
common soil into superior quality. Worms facilitate the amount
of air and water that travels into soil. They break down organic
matter and when they eat, they leave behind castings that are
an exceptionally valuable type of fertilizer.

29. How often do worms breed?
The breeding cycle is approximately
27 days from mating to laying. Worms
can double in population every 60
days.
How long do worms live?
Researchers don't know the extreme
of the scale, but 2-3 years under the
right conditions is common. A
laboratory experiment in the UK is
said to have had a worm in the
laboratory for over ten years.
Do worms take up heavy metals?
There is much anecdotal, but no
scientific data to confirm this.

30. Earthworm Species used in
Vermiculture
Eisenia fetida* / Eisenia
andreii (common name, Red Worm)
Eudrilus eugeniae
(common name, African nightcrawler)
Amynthas gracilus
(common name, Alabama or Georgia jumper)
Perionyx excavatus
(common name, Indian Blue
worm)

31. Significance of
Vermiculture
?

32. The art of composting has been part of our
global culture since ancient times.
•The basic principles are quite simple, and
adhering to them will result in an efficient and
successful outcome.
•Studies have shown that home composting can
divert an average of 700 lbs. of material per
household per year from the waste stream.
•Municipal composting carries a greater
environmental cost, but not nearly as high as if
leaf and yard wastes are disposed of by
conventional means.

33. 1. Worms in the soil improve the structure through:
•Creation of a worm-made sponge in the top soil. This "sponge" has
certain qualities that enhance the soil.
a) Increased channels. The worms burrow through the soil and break
down the root mat. They also open up channels for oxygen and rainfall to
penetrate.
b) Increased moisture. This results in the worm-populated soil becoming
wet faster and deeper and consequently the soil that has been in contact
with worms holds the moisture longer.
c) Increased plant-growth. The tunnels created by worms are coated with
mucus, which is rich in nitrates, and plant roots take advantage of the
tunnels as easy-growth channels and pathways. Higher available
nutrient content. As a result of the combined action of the worms and
their bacteria.

34. 2. A POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE
CARBON/NITROGEN MIX.
a) The litter produced by plants mostly has a
carbon:nitrogen ratio greater than 20:1. If the
nitrogen level is above 20:1 it cannot be absorbed
by plants and the soil beneath and surrounding the
litter could become acid, the soluble mineral locked
up and the soil itself then becoming less fertile.

35. b) Therefore, it is essential that the carbon:nitrogen ratio
be reduced to 20:1 or less, and this is greatly assisted by
worms feeding on the rotting litter.
•Although the rotting is started off by bacterial action, it is
accelerated by worms eating the litter and excreting the
castings.
•It can therefore be strongly argued that without the action
of worms, the forests of the world might be very different.
•The same can be said of our fertile plains.
•The castings produced by worms act as a fertiliser.

36. c) This conversion process is optimised in the
Vermitech vermiculture system. The beds
produce ideal conditions for worms to convert
the organic material.
In summary, worm worked soils
 exhibit enhanced water holding capacity,
 improved water infiltration ,
 enhanced microbial activity and significant
mineralisation of organic Nitrogen .

37. Working on Vermiculture

39. Select a place away from direct heat, strong
sunlight and incessant rains. Dig a pit measuring 2
feet x 2 feet x 2 feet. Line the pit with polythene
(PVC) sheet to arrest escape of earthworm
through crevices. (Earthen pot, Brick, Cement tank
or Wooden boxes can also be used to house
earthworms).

40. The pit is systematically filled with four layers of waste.
First layer -- (Bottom of the pit) is filled up to 2 inches
with coconut fibre, rice husk and sugarcane bagasse.
Second layer is 2 inches thick, consisting of sawdust,
chopped rice/wheat straw. Dampen the bed by sprinkling
water.
Third layer is the earthworm food, this includes an
admixture of cow-dung, green foliage, vegetable
remnants, discarded parts of fruits, droppings of horses,
asses, pigs, sheep or biogas slurry, human excreta,
paper or scrap of cardboards etc.
This feed should be spread till a height of 6 to 8 inches.

41. Release about 100 earthworms on the top without hurting them.
These earthworms will start penetrating to the bottom.
Once all these earthworms disappear, cover the surface with jute
bags and keep them wet by sprinkling water in a judicious way.
The jute bags may be turned upside down thrice in the first week,
twice in the second week and only once in the third and following
weeks, without causing any disruption to the top.
Water and heat inside the tank assist the organic matter to decay
- proliferates the number of earthworms - both these take place
simultaneously.
By 4 to 5 weeks, production of heat inside the pit will cease and
will come down to 600‡ to 650 Fahrenheit.
In case no warmth is felt by hands, understand that the manure
is almost ready for use.
From one tank, 50 kg. of manure is produced.

42. ADVANTAGES
• General Advantages:-
• Increases infiltration and permeability of
heavy soil.
• Reduces erosion and runoff.
• Improves water holding capacity, thus
reducing water loss.
• Supplies a variety of macro and
micronutrients.

43. PHYSICAL BENEFIT
a) Improved structure
b) Moisture management

44. CHEMICAL BENEFITS
 Modifies and Stabilizes pH
 Increases Cation Exchange Capacity
 Provides nutrients

45. BIOLOGICAL BENEFITS
 Provides soil biota
 Suppresses Plant Disease

46. ADDITIONAL BENEFITS
 Binds Contaminants
 Degrades Compounds
 Wetland Restoration
 Erosion Control
 Weed control