1. EFFECT OF VERMICOMPOSTING ON SOIL QUALITY AND SOIL FERTILITY.
COURSE SEMINAR ON
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry
Institute of Agricultural Sciences
Banaras Hindu University
Varanasi
PRESENTED BY
Srinidhi P
I.D- 18430SAC008
M.Sc.(Ag.)- Soil Science-Soil and
Water Conservation
SUPERVISOR
Dr.Y.V.Singh
Assistant Professor
Department of Soil Science and
Agricultural Chemistry

2. CONTENTS
1. Objective
2. Introduction
3. Anatomy of earthworm
4. Kinds and types of earthworms
5. Methodology of vermicomposting
6. Decomposition process
7. Chemical characteristics of vermicompost
8. Effect of vermicompost on soil quality and fertilty
9. Case study
10.Conclusion
11.Bibliography

3. OBJECTIVE OF VERMICOMPOSTING
• The chief objective of vermicomposting is to compost
and recycle the solid wastes by producing value added
end product
• An alternate income to the farmers
• A source to improve soil quality and fertility

4. Vermicompost
Vermicompost (also called worm compost, vermicast, worm castings, worm humus or worm manure) is the
end-product of the breakdown of organic matter by some species of earthworm. Vermicompost is a nutrient-
rich, natural fertilizer and soil conditioner. The process of producing vermicompost is called
vermicomposting.
Vermiculture
Vermiculture (derived from the Latin word “vermis” meaning worm) involves the scientific mass production
of earthworm for waste degradation, the output of Vermiculture is vermicompost.
INTRODUCTION

5. ANATOMY OF EARTHWORM
• Cylindrical in shape having grooves
• Belongs to phylum Annelida
• There are total of 2500-3000 species in India and more than
350 species are found in India.
• Its conducts its respiration through its skin
• Earthworms are Hermaphrodites
• Invertebrates
• An adult earthworm can be from 10mm long and 1mm wide
• Longest worm Amynthas mekongianus extend upto 3m long
• Earthworm have “light cells of hiss”
• The photoreceptors are distributed in most part of epidermis but more
Concentrated on back side of worm

6. Kinds of earthworms
1. Epigeic Earthworms
• Live on the surface of the soil in leaf litter. And tend to
no make burrows
• Epigeic earthworms are bright red or red-brown.
• E.g.Eisenia foetida, Eudrilus engenie, Perionyx
exacavatus.
2. Endogeic Earthworms:
• Live in and feed on the soil. And make horizontal
burrows
• They are pale coloured, grey, pale pink, green or blue.
• E.g. Pentoscolex Spp, Eutopeius Spp, Drawida Spp.
3. Anecic Earthworms:
• Anecic earthworms make permanent vertical burrows
in soil. They feed on leaves on the soil surface..
• They are darkly coloured at the head end (red or brown)
and have paler tails.
• E.g. Polypheretima elongate, Lampito marutt

7. Types of earthworm
1. The Compost Worm
• They live in the first 12 cm of topsoil .
• They can be found in manure heaps and leaf piles, but you won't find them in normal garden soil.
• Burrow randomly through the topsoil and rotting matter.
• hibernate to conserve energy.
There are four main species of compost worms available:
Eisenia foetida
• Common Names - Tiger worm, manure worm, brandling worm
• Colour - Rust brown with yellow stripes around it's body- just like a Tiger!
• Length - Up to 130mm
• Ideal Working Temperature Range - 15-25°C
Eisenia foetida

8. Dendrobaena venta
• Common Names - Dendras, blue noses
• Colour - Violet, purple or olive brown and sometime striped
• Length - Up to 155mm
• Ideal Working Temperature Range - 18-25°C
Lumbricus rubellus
• Common Names - Red worm, bloodworm, red wiggler
• Colour - Dark red to maroon, no strips and light yellow underneath
• Length - Up to 105mm
• Ideal Working Temperature Range - 18-23°C
Eisenia andrei
• Common Names - Red tiger worm
• Colour - Dark red to purple with maybe some stripes
• Length - Up to 130mm
• Ideal Working Temperature Range - 18-23°C
Dendrobaena venta
Lumbricus rubellus
Eisenia andrei

9. 2.The Earth worker Worm
• This type of earthworm your are most likely see in your garden.
• They make long vertical burrows of up to a few feet deep, leaving
• their worm casts at their entrances.
• They eat some soil and are particularly partial to leaves.
eg: Lumbricus terrestris
3.The Root Dwelling Worm
• These worms are deep burrowers, inhabiting the areas around plant.
• We won't see these worms, as they never venture above ground.
Eg: The squirting worm Didymogaster sylvaticus and the huge
gurgling Australian Megascolides australis
Lumbricus terrestris
Didymogaster sylvaticus Australian Megascolides australis

10. Methodology of vermicomposting
Materials required
Any types of biodegradable wastes-
1.Crop residues
2.Weed biomass
3.Vegetable waste
4.Leaf litter
5.Hotel refuse
6.Waste from agro-industries
7.Biodegradable portion of urban and rural wastes
Phases of vermicomposting
Phase 1: collection
and seperation
Phase 2:
predigestion
Phase 3:preparation
of earthworm bed
Phase 4: harvesting
of vermicompost
and collection of
earthworm
Phase 5: packing
and storing of
vermicompost

11. What Worms Need
The Five Essentials
Compost worms need five basic things:
1.An hospitable living environment, usually called “bedding”
2.A food source
3.Adequate moisture (greater than 50% water content by weight)
4.Adequate aeration
5.Protection from temperature extremes
Vermicompost Production Methodology
i) Selection of suitable earthworm
• Surface dwelling worms are used for production
• African earthworm, red worms and composting worms are used
• African worm is preferred that other two due to high production
of vermicompost in short time

12. )
ii) Selection of site for Vermicompost production
• Vermicompost can be produced in any place with shade, high
humidity and cool.
• A thatched roof may be provided to protect the process from
direct sunlight and rain.
• The waste heaped for Vermicompost production should be
covered with moist gunny bags.

13. iii) Methods of Vermicompost production
1.PIT METHOD
• Pit method is commonly used for small scale production of
vermicompost.
• Size of a pit of 3 x 2 x 1 m size (L x W xD)
• Fill the pit with following four layers:
• Inoculate the earth worm @ 1000 earth worms per square
meter area or 10kg earth worm in 100kg organic matter.
• Water the pit and maintain 50-60% moisture by periodically
spraying the water
1st layer: sandy soil 5-6cm 2nd layer: crop residue 30cm
3rd layer: cow dung of thickness
20-30cm
4th layer: pre-digested material
about 50cm

14. WINDROWS METHOD
• This method is largely adopted for large scale production of vermicompost
• Bed size:10ft*3ft*1.5ft
Steps to be done:
Loading and covering the bed Watering the bed
Mixing of the bed Harvesting of the bed

15. iv) Vermiculture bed
• Vermiculture bed or worm bed (3 cm) can be prepared by placing saw dust or husk or coir waste or
sugarcane trash in the bottom of tub / container.
• A layer of fine sand (3 cm) should be spread over the culture bed.
• All layers must be moistened with water.
V) Worm Food
Food Advantages Disadvantages
Cattle manure Good nutrition; natural food, therefore little adaptation required Weed seeds make pre-composting necessary
Poultry manure High N content results in good nutrition and a high-value product
High protein levels can be dangerous to worms, so must be used in small quantities; major
adaptation required for worms not used to this feedstock. May be pre-composted but not
necessary if used cautiously
Sheep/Goat manure Good nutrition
Require pre-composting (weed seeds); small particle size can lead to packing,
necessitating extra bulking material
Hog manure Good nutrition; produces excellent vermicompost
Usually in liquid form, therefore must be dewatered or used with large quantities of highly
absorbent bedding
Rabbit manure
N content second only to poultry manure, there-fore good nutrition; contains very good
mix of vitamins & minerals; ideal earth-worm feed
Must be leached prior to use because of high urine content; can overheat if quantities too
large; availability usually not good
Fresh food scraps (e.g., peels, other food
prep waste, leftovers, commercial food
processing wastes)
Excellent nutrition, good moisture content, possibility of revenues from waste tipping
fees
Extremely variable (depending on source); high N can result in overheating; meat & high-
fat wastes can create anaerobic conditions and odours, attract pests, so should NOT be
included without pre-composting
Pre-composted food wastes
Good nutrition; partial decomposition makes digestion by worms easier and faster; can
include meat and other greasy wastes; less tendency to overheat.
Nutrition less than with fresh food wastes.
Biosolids (human waste)
Excellent nutrition and excellent product; can be activated or non-activated sludge,
septic sludge; possibility of waste management revenues
Heavy metal and/or chemical contam-ination (if from municipal sources); odour during
application to beds (worms control fairly quickly); possibility of pathogen survival if
process not complete
Seaweed
Good nutrition; results in excellent product, high in micronutrients and beneficial
microbes
Salt must be rinsed off, as it is detrimental to worms; availability varies by region
Legume hays Higher N content makes these good feed as well as reasonable bedding. Moisture levels not as high as other feeds, requires more input and monitoring
Legume hays Higher N content makes these good feed as well as reasonable bedding. Moisture levels not as high as other feeds, requires more input and monitoring
Corrugated cardboard (including waxed)
Excellent nutrition (due to high-protein glue used to hold layers together); worms like
this material; possible revenue source from WM fees
Must be shredded (waxed variety) and/or soaked (non-waxed) prior to feeding
Fish, poultry offal; blood wastes; animal
mortalities
High N content provides good nutrition; opportunity to turn problematic wastes into
high-quality product
Must be pre-composted until past thermophillic stage

16. vii) Putting the waste in the container
• The pre-digested waste material should be mud with 30%
cattle dung either by weight or volume.
• The mixed waste is placed into the tub / container upto brim.
• The moisture level should be maintained at 60%.
• Over this material, the selected earthworm is placed
uniformly.
• For one-meter length, one-meter breadth and 0.5-meter
height, 1 kg of worm (1000 Nos.) is required.
• There is no necessity that earthworm should be put inside the
waste. Earthworm will move inside on its own.
viii) Watering the vermibed
• Daily watering is not required for vermibed. But 60%
moisture should be maintained throughout the period.
ix) Harvesting Vermicompost
• Harvesting of Vermicompost should be done when raw
materials are fully decomposed and height of the pile is
dropped down to one-third to one-half of the original pile
Harvesting of Vermicompost can be done in following ways:

17. 1. Bulk Harvesting by Pyramidal Heap 2.Screening or Sieving

18. x) Harvesting earthworms
• The earthworm present in the tub / small bed may be harvested by trapping
method.
• Worm harvesting is usually carried out in order to sell the worms, rather than to
start new worm beds.
xi) Storing and packing of Vermicompost
• The harvested Vermicompost should be stored in dark, cool place.
• It should have minimum 40% moisture.
• Sunlight should not fall over the composted material.
• Packing can be done at the time of selling.
• If it is stored in open place, periodical sprinkling of water may be done to
maintain moisture level Vermicompost can be stored for one year without loss of
its quality, if the moisture is maintained at 40% level.

19. Decomposition process

20. PARAMETER VERMICOMPOST
pH 6.80
EC(mmhos/cm) 11.70
Nitrogen(%) 1.94
Nitrate nitrogen(ppm) 902.20
Phosphorus(%) 0.47
Potassium(%) 0.70
Calcium(%) 4.40
Sodium(%) 0.02
Magnesium(%) 0.46
Iron(ppm) 7536.00
Zinc(ppm) 278.00
Manganese(ppm) 475.00
Copper(ppm) 27.00
Boron(ppm) 34.00
Aluminium(ppm) 7012.00
Chemical characteristics of vermicompost

21. VERMICOMPOST EFFECT ON SOIL FERTILITY AND SOIL QUALITY
• The role of earthworms in break down of organic debris on the soil surface and in soil turnover process was
first highlighted by Darwin.
• Soil additives
• Nature's ploughman
• Improve soil physical properties
• Increases the proportion of macro-aggregates
• Increases the infiltration capacity upto 130 mm hr-' against 10 mm hr-I of a conventional farm.
• Bio-pump
• increase preferential flow pathways.
• Hormonal increased activity

22. • Produce biogenic structures
• Enhance mineralization
• Enhance the activity of microorganisms
• Contribute to the stabilization of chemical mechanisms
• physical breakdown of organic waste
• Increase microbial interactions
• Convert insoluble P into soluble forms.
• Enrichment of vermicompost with phosphate solubilizing bacteria like Pseudomonas striata aids in
conversion of phosphorus in plant available form when phosphorus containing substances are added in the
organic feed
• Suppressive effect on some root infecting pathogens i.e., Phytophthora sp, Fusarium sp, Lycopersici sp

23. • Contain high amounts of macro and micronutrients
• The chemical properties of vermicompost often vary by the waste material used for production. Vermi-
compost that are produced from vegetative and paper wastes are significantly different in nutrient content
compared to those produced from manures and municipal solid wastes, primarily in N, P, K concentrations
• Increases rates of conversion of NH4+ into NO3
• Regenerate compacted soils
• Secretion of several hormones, enzymes and vitamins
• Aggregation of soil particles
• Immediate release of plant available nutrients
• Create more favourable environment to plant growth
• Distribution of K between non exchangeable to exchangeable forms

24. • Neutrality in pH.
• Source of readily available nutrient for plant growth.
• Aerates the soil
• Improve soil environment
• Reduce residual effect
• Soil conditioner
• Reduce the runoff thereby reducing erosion
• Mechanical blending
• Reduce the incidence of plant parasitic nematodes

25. Application of vermicompost
• Vermicompost being a rich manure is applied @ 400 – 500g in small fruits
plants
• 2-3kg/plant in large fruit trees
• 3kg/10sqm are in vegetable crops
• In pots 100gms/plot are used
• In cereal crop (e.g. wheat, jowar, maize, bajra etc.) 2 to 3 t/ha

27. A case study was carried out on vermicompost and plant growth enhancers on the
exomorphological features of Capsicum annum was conducted by Govindapillai and
his co workers in Vellore. This was a pot study carried out with 10 replicates and 4 soil
amendment treatments. First treatment was control, second treatment was 50%
vermicompost +soil, third treatment was gibberelic acid@10ml+90ml distilled water,
fourth treatment was indole acetic acid@10ml+90ml distilled water. Capsicum annum
seedlings were raised in board pots of width 60cm and pots are filled with red soil and
sand. The experiment was started after 10days and spraying was at end of each week.
CASE STUDY

28. Treatment Internode length(cm) Shoot length(cm) Number of leaves Number of branches
Control 1.66 10.67 13 Very less
Vermicompost 50% 2.97 22.14 25 29
Gibberelic acid 2.17 20.14 15 18
Indole acetic acid 1.77 18.14 14 19

29. CONCLUSION
Vermicompost has been shown to have several positive impacts on soil, plant growth and
health. In addition, it is considered as a promising alternative to harmful chemical
fertilizers and pesticides in crop production. It is becoming popular as a major component
of organic agriculture to produce healthier foods and better option for management of
organic solid wastes. Exploration of potential species of earthworms in Vermiculture
technology along with soil friendly microbes, use of different high nutrient organic
substances, efficient Vermiculture system, dose specific use of vermicompost, integrated
use of vermicompost with other inorganic fertilizers and research on earthworm-microbe
interactions provide bright future of vermicompost use in organic farming systems.

30. • Gupta, R., Mutiyar, P.K, Rawat, N.K., Saini, M.S., and Garg, V.K. 2007. Development of a water
hyacinth based vermireactor using an epigeic earthworm Eisenia foetida. Bio resource
Technology 98(13):2605-10.
• Parthasarathi, K., Ranganathan, L.S., Anandi, V., and Zeyer, J. 2007. Diversity of microflora in the gut
and casts of tropical composting earthworms reared on different substrates. Journal of
Environmental Biology 28(1):87-97.
• Pramanik, P., Ghosh, G.K., Ghosal, P.K., and Banik, P. 2007. Changes in organic – C, N, P and K and
enzyme activities in vermicompost of biodegradable organic wastes under liming and microbial
inoculants. Bio resource technology 98(13):2485-94.
• Roberts, P., Edwards-Jones, G., and Jones, D.L. 2007. Yield responses of wheat (Triticum aestivum) to
vermicompost applications. Compost Science & Utilization 15(1):6-15.
• Nair, J., Sekiozoic, V., and Anda, M. 2006. Effect of pre-composting on vermicomposting of kitchen
waste. Bio resource Technology 97(16):2091-2095.
• Fuente, M., Gordillo, R.M., Young, M., Smith, S., and Neff, M. 2005. Vermicomposting in urban
settings. Bio cycle 46(12):44.
• Taylor, M., Clarke, W.P., Greenfield, P.F., and Swain, G.J. 2004. Characterizing the physical and
chemical properties of a vermicompost filter bed. Compost Science & Utilization 12(4):383-391.
REFERENCES