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INTRODUCTION

Agriculture in India has a significant history. Today, India ranks second worldwide in farm output. Agriculture and allied sectors like forestry and fisheries accounted for 16.6% of the GDP in 2009, about 50% of the total workforce. The economic contribution of agriculture to India's GDP is steadily declining with the country's broad-based economic growth. Still, agriculture is demographically the broadest economic sector and plays a significant role in the overall socio-economic fabric of India. Per 2010 FAO world agriculture statistics, India is the world's largest producer of many fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, major spices, select fresh meats, select fibrous crops such as jute, several staples such as millets and castor oil seed. India is the second largest producer of wheat and rice, the world's major food staples. India is also the world's second or third largest producer of several dry fruits, agriculture-based textile raw materials, roots and tuber crops, pulses, farmed fish, eggs, coconut, sugarcane and numerous vegetables. India ranked within the world's five largest producers of over 80% of agricultural produce items, including many cash crops such as coffee and cotton, in 2010 .India is also one the world's five largest producers of livestock and poultry meat, with one of the fastest growth rates, as of 2011. But, A 2003 analysis of Indias agricultural growth from 1970 to 2001, by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, identified systemic problems in Indian agriculture. For food staples, the annual growth rate in production during the six-year segments 1970-76, 197682, 198288, 19881994, 1994-2000 were found to be respectively 2.5, 2.5, 3.0, 2.6, and 1.8 percent per annum. Corresponding analyses for the index of total agricultural production show a similar pattern, with the growth rate for 1994-2000 attaining only 1.5 percent per annum. The low growth rates may constitute in part a response to inadequate returns to Indian farmers. The main Problem is cost of production is high due to artificial Fertilizers and the well solution is the Natural fertilizers. The one of t he very best natural fertilizer is Vermi Compost.

Types of Artificial Fertilizers:

Organic nitrogen: alfalfa, blood meal, bone meal, cottonseed meal, fish emulsion, and fishmeal.

Inorganic nitrogen: ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, urea, and sulfur-coated urea. Organic phosphorus: steamed bone meal, hard rock phosphate, and colloidal phosphate. Inorganic phosphorus: superphosphate, triple superphosphate, and ammonium phosphate. Organic potassium: greensand, sulfate of potash, kelp meal, and wood ash. Inorganic potassium: potassium chloride (muriate of potash), potassium nitrate, and potassium sulfate.

Disadvantages of Artificial Fertilizers: 1. It destroys the crumb structure of the soil. 2. It destroys microbes present in soil. 3. Causes land degradation. 4. They are costly. 5. Constant Application Needed

While their quick-releasing action means synthetic fertilizers offer up their nutrients quickly, it also means that these nutrients quickly dissipate. This requires constant applications throughout the growing season to maintain soil nutrient levels. In contrast, natural, organic fertilizers release their nutrients slowly over time and don't need to be replenished as often.

6. Environmental Pollution

Irrigation or rainfall can leech artificial fertilizers' nutrients, specifically high levels of nitrogen, away from their direct application spot. This excess nitrogen can then end up in nearby waterways and groundwater. This can cause various forms of environmental pollution and side effects, including fish kills in rivers and algae blooms in lakes.

7. Plant Toxicity

Because synthetic fertilizers have higher levels of quick-releasing nitrogen, it can be easier to accidentally overdose your soil with nitrogen. This can result in chemical burns to your plants' roots and green tissue.

Types of Natural Fertilizers: 1. Manure 2. Organic 3. Synthetic 4. Lime

Organic: Prepackaged organic fertilizers are often used on farms as an alternative to manure and synthetic fertilizers. Food waste is a primary ingredient in slow-release fertilizers, which provide nutrients to soil over an extended period of time. Organic fertilizers made from sludge are not advisable for farms, though, because the mineral buildup in the soil can be too heavy. Unlike slow-release fertilizers, liquid organic fertilizers are much more fast-acting, and seaweed and fish-processing waste are popular ingredients in these. Liquid fertilizers must be diluted with water, however, before they're applied to crops. In organic the most power full Fertilizer is the Vermi Compost .

The Vermi Compost is very powerful because of the following : It contains vitamins to the plants. It conducts organic manners. It conducts Macro nutrients. It contains Micro nutrients It contains Beneficial Micro Organisms. It contains plant growth hormones.

Vermi Compost: Let's start with a very simple definition: Vermicomposting is the process of having redworms and other decomposer organisms process our organic waste and turn it into a great natural fertilizer (called vermicompost).

And one more definition: Vermi compost contains: worm castings ("vermicastings"), good aerobic compost from other worm bin organisms, and some material (food waste, bedding, etc.) that's on its way to the worms or other critters. Vermicomposting is easy, requires very few supplies, and can be done by anyone. A simple box or container makes a fine worm bin and keeps worms and decomposing food scraps in one area. The worm bin is kept indoors or out, depending on your needs and preferences and may be fed most of your non-meat food scraps. They require very little attention, do not get sick, and don't mind if you go on vacation. In addition, redworms are voracious eaters that are extremely happy to spend the day eating organic waste, excreting worm castings and making more worms, providing you with high quality compost! Thus, in a few months, redworms will have turned your food scraps into vermi compost.

Usage of Vermi compost: Soil


Improves its physical structure Enriches soil with micro-organisms (adding enzymes such as phosphatase and cellulase) Microbial activity in worm castings is 10 to 20 times higher than in the soil and organic matter that the worm ingests

Attracts deep-burrowing earthworms already present in the soil Improves water holding capacity

Plant growth

Enhances germination, plant growth, and crop yield Improves root growth and structure Enriches soil with micro-organisms (adding plant hormones such as auxins and gibberellic acid)

Economic

Biowastes conversion reduces waste flow to landfills Elimination of biowastes from the waste stream reduces contamination of other recyclables collected in a single bin (a common problem in communities practicing single-stream recycling)

Creates low-skill jobs at local level Low capital investment and relatively simple technologies make vermicomposting practical for less-developed agricultural regions

Environmental

Helps to close the "metabolic gap" through recycling waste on-site Large systems often use temperature control and mechanized harvesting, however other equipment is relatively simple and does not wear out quickly.

Production reduces greenhouse gas emissions such as methane and nitric oxide (produced in landfills or incinerators when not composted or through methane harvest).

Benefits of Vermi compost: he mainstay of organic (for our purposes, sustainable) agriculture is maintenance of soil health and environmental balances through continual applications of compost. The benefits of compost are outlined below:

Compost increases soil workability, water holding capacity, porosity and drainage, compost minimizes wind and water erosion. Soil temperatures are moderated, making plants less susceptible to extremes of heat or cold.

Compost nutrients are released slowly, allowing them to stay in the soil for a period of up to five years. So, while chemical fertilizers may contain more available nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium than compost, compost allows these and other nutrients to be consumed by plant roots as they are needed. Slow release of nutrients in compost means there is also no danger of over-fertilizing plants.

Compost creates enhances microbial action in the soil. This creates a stable ecosystem for beneficial insects, birds, and other organisms, which keeps pests in check and trigger plants natural defenses against disease. Healthier plants lessen the need for fertilizers or pesticides. Less fertilizers and pesticides pose less of a danger to animals and humans who are exposed to toxic residuals through food, water, soil and air

BASIC PROCESS OF VERMI COMPOST


For vermicomposting , a large variety of bins are commercially available, or a variety of adapted containers may be used. They may be made of old plastic containers, wood, Styrofoam, or metal containers. The design of a small bin usually depends on where an individual wishes to store the bin and how they wish to feed the worms. Some materials are less desirable than others in worm bin construction. Metal containers often conduct heat too readily, are prone to rusting, and may release heavy metals into the vermicompost. Some cedars, Yellow cedar, and Redwood contain resinous oils that may harm worms, although Western Red Cedar has excellent longevity in composting conditions. Hemlock is another inexpensive and fairly rot-resistant wood species that may be used to build worm bins. Bins need holes or mesh for aeration. Some people add a spout or holes in the bottom for excess liquid to drain into a tray for collection. Worm compost bins made from recycled or semirecycled plastic are ideal, but require more drainage than wooden ones because they are nonabsorbent. However, wooden bins will eventually decay and need to be replaced. Small-scale vermicomposting is well-suited to turn kitchen waste into high-quality soil amendments, where space is limited. Worms can decompose organic matter without the additional human physical effort (turning the bin) that bin composting requires. Composting worms which are detritivorous (eaters of trash), such as the red wiggler Eisenia fetidae, are epigeic (surface dwellers) together with symbiotic associated microbes are the ideal vectors for decomposing food waste. Common earthworms such as Lumbricus terrestris are anecic(deep burrowing) species and hence unsuitable for use in a closed system. Other soil species that contribute include insects, other worms and molds.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name of the Company Address : : A.A.S FERTILIZERS No. 32/52, CTC Colony, Kottur Road, Pollachi, Coimbatore-641 014. Investment Profit Owner Name Starting Year Mobile Employees Type of Business Field Capacity : : : : : : : : : 30,000. 75000 (as per 2009). A. Aravindhan. 2005. 8012778686. 2. Sole Proprietorship. 30 metres. InputOutput3-5 tons. 1 ton.

THE ESSENTIALS OF VERMI COMPOST 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.

Bedding Bedding is any material that provides the worms with a relatively stable habitat. This habitat must have the following characteristics:

High absorbency. Worms breathe through their skins and therefore must have a moist environment in which to live. If a worms skin dries out, it dies. The bedding must be able to absorb and retain water fairly well if the worms are to thrive.

Good bulking potential. If the material is too dense to begin with, or packs too tightly, then the flow of air is reduced or eliminated. Worms require oxygen to live, just as we do. Different materials affect the overall porosity of the bedding through a variety of factors, including the range of particle size and shape, the texture, and the strength and rigidity of its structure. The overall effect is referred to in this document as the materials bulking potential.

Low protein and/or ntrogen content (high Carbon: Nitrogen ratio). Although the worms do consume their bedding as it breaks down, it is very important that this be a slow process. High protein/nitrogen levels can result in rapid degradation and its associated heating, creating inhospitable, often fatal, conditions. Heating can occur safely in the food layers of the vermiculture or vermicomposting system, but not in the bedding.

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Some materials make good beddings all by themselves, while others lack one or more of the above characteristics and need to be used in various combinations. Table provides a list of some of the most commonly used beddings and provides some input regarding each materials absorbency, bulking potential, and carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratios. Both materials performed well, with the horse manure having the edge. Since horse manure was available free of charge and is a renewable resource, it was used in the balance of the trial (See Appendix C for a full description of this experiment). If available, it is generally considered to be an ideal bedding. Its high C:N ratio (for a manure), good bulking characteristics (because of the high straw content), and relatively good moisture retention make it an excellent environment for E. fetida. It can be improved somewhat by the addition of a high-absorbency material such as peat moss or shredded paper/cardboard (which will increase absorbency and also increase the C:N ratio a bit another positive).

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Bedding Material Horse Manure Peat Moss Corn Silage Hay general Straw general Straw oat Straw wheat Paper from municipal waste stream Newspaper Bark hardwoods Bark -- softwoods Corrugated cardboard Lumber mill waste -- chipped Paper fibre sludge Paper mill sludge Sawdust Shrub trimmings Hardwood chips, shavings Softwood chips, shavings Leaves (dry, loose) Corn stalks Corn cobs

Absorbency Medium-Good Good Medium-Good Poor Poor Poor Poor Medium-Good

Bulking Pot. Good Medium Medium Medium Medium-Good Medium Medium-Good Medium

C:N Ratio 22 - 56 58 38 - 43 15 - 32 48 - 150 48 - 98 100 - 150 127 - 178

Good Poor Poor Good

Medium Good Good Medium

170 116 - 436 131 - 1285 563

Poor

Good

170

Medium-Good Good Poor-Medium Poor Poor

Medium Medium Poor-Medium Good Good

250 54 142 - 750 53 451 - 819

Poor

Good

212 - 1313

Poor-Medium Poor Poor-Medium

Poor-Medium Good Good


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40 - 80 60 - 73 56 - 123

If available, shredded paper or cardboard makes an excellent bedding , particularly when combined with typical on-farm organic resources such as straw and hay. Organic producers, however, must be careful to ensure that such materials are not restricted under their organic certification standards. Paper or cardboard fibre collected in municipal waste programs cannot be approved for certification purposes. There may be cases, however, where fibre resources from specific generators could be sourced and approved. This must be considered on a case-by-case basis. Another material in this category is paper-mill sludge, which has the high absorbency and small particle size that so well complements the high C:N ratios and good bulking properties of straw, bark, shipped brush or wood shavings. Again, the sludge must be approved if the user has organic certification.

In general, it should be noted by the reader that the selection of bedding materials is a key to successful vermiculture or vermicomposting. Worms can be enormously productive (and reproductive) if conditions are good; however, their efficiency drops off rapidly when their basic needs are not met (see discussion on moisture below). Good bedding mixtures are an essential element in meeting those needs. They provide protection from extremes in temperature, the necessary levels and consistency of moisture, and an adequate supply of oxygen. Fortunately, given their critical importance to the process, good bedding mixtures are generally not hard to come by on farms. The most difficult criterion to meet adequately is usually absorption, as most straws and even hay are not good at holding moisture. This can be easily addressed by mixing some aged or composted cattle or sheep manure with the straw. The result is somewhat similar in its bedding characteristics to aged horse manure. Mixing beddings need not be an onerous process; it can be done by hand with a pitchfork (small operations), with a tractor bucket (larger operations), or, if one is available, with an agricultural feed mixer. Please note that the latter would only be appropriate for large commercial vermicomposting operations where high efficiency levels and consistent product quality is required. Some of these materials also have revenue-generating potential, through commercial tipping fees.

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Worm Food : Compost worms are big eaters. Under ideal conditions, they are able to consume in excess of their body weight each day, although the general rule-of-thumb is of their body weight per day. They will eat almost anything organic (that is, of plant or animal origin), but they definitely prefer some foods to others. Manures are the most commonly used worm feedstock, with dairy and beef manures generally considered the best natural food for Eisenia, with the possible exception of rabbit manure. The former, being more often available in large quantities, is the feed most often used. Table 2 summarizes the most important attributes of some of the more common foods that could be used in an on-farm vermicomposting or vermiculture operation. Please note that the provision of instructions for composting high-protein wastes (e.g., animal mortalities) is beyond the scope of this manual.

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FOOD Cattle manure

ADVANTAGES Good nutrition; natural food, therefore little adaptation reqd

DISADVANTAGES Weed seeds make pre-composting necessary

NOTES All manures are partially decomposed and thus ready for consumption by worms

Poultry manure

High N content results in good nutrition and a highvalue product

High protein levels can be dangerous to worms, so must be used in small quantities; major adaptation required

Some suggest that poultry manure is not suitable for worms because it is so hot; however, research in Nova Scotia

for worms not used to (GEORG, 2004) has this feedstock. May be pre-composted but not necessary if used cautiously (see Notes) shown that worms can adapt if initial proportion of PM to bedding is 10% by volume or less.

Sheep/Goat manure

Good nutrition

Require precomposting (weed seeds); small particle size can lead to packing, necessitating extra bulking material

With right additives to increase C:N ratio, these manures are also good beddings

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FOOD Hog manure

ADVANTAGES Good nutrition; produces excellent vermicompost

DISADVANTAGES Usually in liquid form, therefore must be dewatered or used with large quantities of highly absorbent bedding

NOTES Scientists at Ohio State University found that vermicompost made with hog manure outperformed all other vermicomposts, as well as commercial fertilizer

Rabbit manure

N content second only to poultry manure, there-fore good nutrition; contains very good mix of vitamins & minerals; ideal earthworm feed

Must be leached prior Many U.S. rabbit to use because of high urine content; can overheat if quantities too large; availability usually not good growers place earthworm beds under their rabbit hutches to catch the pellets as they drop through the wire mesh cage floors.

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
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Some food wastes are much better than others: coffee grounds are excellent, as they are high in N, not greasy or smelly, and are attractive to worms; alternatively, root vegetables (e.g., potato culls)

FOOD Pre-composted food wastes

ADVANTAGES Good nutrition; partial decomposition makes digestion by worms easier and faster; can include meat and other greasy wastes; less tendency to overheat.

DISADVANTAGES Nutrition less than with fresh food wastes (Frederickson et al, 1997).

NOTES Vermicomposting can speed the curing process for conventional composting operations while increasing value of end product.

Biosolids (human waste)

Excellent nutrition and excellent product; can be activated or nonactivated sludge, septic sludge; possibility of waste management revenues

Heavy metal and/or chemical contamination (if from municipal sources); odour during application to beds (worms control fairly quickly); possibility of pathogen survival if process not complete

Vermitech Pty Ltd. in Australia has been very successful with this process, but they use automated systems; EPA-funded tests in Florida demonstrated that worms destroy human pathogens as well as does thermophillic composting

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

Beef farmer in Antigonish, NS, producing certified organic vermicompost from cattle manure, bark.

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FOOD Legume hays

ADVANTAGES Higher N content makes these good feed as well as reasonable bedding.

DISADVANTAGES Moisture levels not as high as other feeds, requires more input and monitoring

NOTES Probably best to mix this feed with others, such as manures

Grains (e.g., feed mixtures for animals, such as chicken mash)

Excellent, balanced nutrition, easy to handle, no odour, can use organic grains for certified organic product

Higher value than most feeds, therefore expensive to use; low moisture content; some larger seeds hard to digest and slow to break down

Danger: Worms consume grains but cannot digest larger, tougher kernels; these are passed in castings and build up in bedding, resulting in sudden overheating

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 (nonwaxed) prior to feeding

Some worm growers claim that corrugated cardboard stimulates worm reproduction

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Moisture

The need for adequate moisture was discussed in relation to bedding in Section 2.1.2 above. The bedding used must be able to hold sufficient moisture if the worms are to have a livable environment. They breathe through their skins and moisture content in the bedding of less than 50% is dangerous. With the exception of extreme heat or cold, nothing will kill worms faster than a lack of adequate moisture. The ideal moisture-content range for materials in conventional composting systems is 45-60% . In contrast, the ideal moisture-content range for vermicomposting or vermiculture processes is 70-90%. The 80-90% range to be best, with 85% optimum, while Nova Scotia researchers found that 75-80% moisture contents produced the best growth and reproductive response. Both of these studies found that average worm weight increased with moisture content (among other variables), which suggests that vermiculture operations designed to produce live poultry feed or bait worms (where individual worm size matters) might want to keep moisture contents above 80%, while vermicomposting operations could operate in the less mucky 70-80% range.

Aeration Worms are oxygen breathers and cannot survive anaerobic conditions (defined as the absence of oxygen). When factors such as high levels of grease in the feedstock or excessive moisture combined with poor aeration conspire to cut off oxygen supplies, areas of the worm bed, or even the entire system, can become anaerobic. This will kill the worms very quickly. Not only are the worms deprived of oxygen, they are also killed by toxic substances (e.g., ammonia) created by different sets of microbes that bloom under these conditions. This is one of the main reasons for not including meat or other greasy wastes in worm feedstock unless they have been pre-composted to break down the oils and fats.

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Although composting worms O2 requirements are essential, however, they are also relatively modest. Worms survive harsh winters inside windrows where all surfaces are frozen: they live on the oxygen available in the water trapped inside the windrow. Worms in commercial vermicomposting units can operate quite well in their well insulated homes as long as there are small cracks or openings for ventilation somewhere in the system. Nevertheless, they operate best when ventilation is good and the material they are living in is relatively porous and well aerated. In fact, they help themselves in this area by aerating their bedding by their movement through it. This can be one of the major benefits of vermicomposting: the lack of a need to turn the material, since the worms do that work for you. The trick is to provide them with bedding that is not too densely packed to prevent this movement

Temperature Control Temperature requirement for optimal results is 20-30 C. However, survival of earthworms is even at lower temperatures and up to 48 C air temperature. Obviously with little provision of shade, temperature within worm feed substrate (material to be vermicomposted) can be reduced. For this it is desirable that substrate should be tightly packed in containers. Active decomposition happens at average outdoor summer temperatures. While higher pile temperatures will speed the rate of decomposition, it is not true that compost piles have to be hot to decompose properly. The worms survive a fair amount of variation in their climate. They only do so if these variations occur slowly, over a period of time. Taking a worm-bin from a house which is a comfortable 20 C, and moving it out into a winter temperature of -1, even if only briefly while on the way to the car, is a sure way to solve the problem of overpopulation in the bin. The same problem can occur in reverse. If you have the worms out on the balcony for instance, and fearing an early frost you move them from a temperature of 5C into the heated living room, try not to be surprised if you later notice that a lot of the survivors are in mourning for missing loved ones.

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The most suitable temperature range for Eisenia foetida and Lumbricus rubellus have been shown to fall between 13 - 22 C, a range, which is also quite convenient for those of us who live with them. Temperatures which fall outside this range can affect the worms in several different ways, not all of which are as final as death. As the temperature drops below 10C, the amount of food eaten by the worms will also decrease. The worms will be less active, and possibly move a little lower into the bedding (unless it is a cold floor causing the problem, in which case they will move nearer the surface. At 4 or 5 C, the adult worms may stop producing cocoons, and the growth rate of the younger worms will diminish. Redworms can survive a wide range of temperatrues (40-80F), but they reproduce and process food waste at an optimum bedding temperature range of 55-77F. The worms should never be allowed to freeze. Bins kept outside may have to be insulated with straw in the winter to keep the worms from freezing. Portable bins can be kept by a hot water heater in the garage during the winter to keep them warm. It is important to note that if the worm-bin has sufficient moisture content, the temperature in the bedding will average anywhere from 5 to 10 degress lower than the surrounding air. There are times when this will be an important consideration. Controlling temperature to within the worms tolerance is vital to both vermicomposting and vermiculture processes. This does not mean, however, that heated buildings or cooling systems are required. Worms can be grown and materials can be vermicomposted using low-tech
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systems, outdoors and year-round, in the more temperate regions of Canada . Section 3 discusses the different vermicomposting and vermiculture systems in use world-wide and provides some basic information on how these systems address the problem of temperature control. The following points are general and are intended to provide background for the more systemspecific information.

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Low temperatures. Eisenia can survive in temperatures as low as 0 C, but they dont reproduce at single-digit temperatures and they dont consume as much food. It is
o

generally considered necessary to keep the temperatures above 10 C (minimum) and


o o o

preferably 15 C for vermicomposting efficiency and above 15 C (minimum) and preferably 20 C for productive vermiculture operations. Effects of freezing. Eisenia can survive having their bodies partially encased in frozen
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bedding and will only die when they are no longer able to consume food . Moreover, tests at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC) have confirmed that their cocoons survive extended periods of deep freezing and remain viable (GEORG, 2004). High temperatures. Compost worms can survive temperatures in the mid-30s but prefer a
o o o

range in the 20s ( C). Above 35 C will cause the worms to leave the area. If they cannot leave, they will quickly die. In general, warmer temperatures (above 20 C) stimulate reproduction. Wormss response to temperature differentials. Compost worms will redistribute themselves within piles, beds or windrows according to temperature gradients. In outdoor composting windrows in wintertime, where internal heat from decomposition is in contrast to frigid external temperatures, the worms will be found in a relatively narrow band at a depth where the temperature is close to optimum. They will also be found in much greater numbers on the south-facing side of windrows in the winter and on the opposite side in the summer

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Other Important Parameters :

Salt content: Worms are very sensitive to salts, preferring salt contents less than 0.5% . If saltwater seaweed is used as a feed (and worms do like all forms of seaweed), then it should be rinsed first to wash off the salt left on the surface. Similarly, many types of manure have high soluble salt contents (up to 8%). This is not usually a problem when the manure is used as a feed, because the material is usually applied on top, where the worms can avoid it until the salts are leached out over time by watering or precipitation. If manures are to be used as bedding, they can be leached first to reduce the salt content. This is done by simply running water through the material for a period of time. If the manures are pre-composted outdoors, salts will not be a problem.

Urine content: The manure is from animals raised or fed off in concrete lots, it will contain excessive urine because the urine cannot drain off into the ground. This manure should be leached before use to remove the urine. Excessive urine will build up dangerous gases in the bedding. The same fact is true of rabbit manure where the manure is dropped on concrete or in pans below the cages.

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Other toxic components: Different feeds can contain a wide variety of potentially toxic components. Some of the more notable are: De-worming medicine in manures, particularly horse manure. Most modern deworming medicines break down fairly quickly and are not a problem for worm growers. Nevertheless, if using manure from another farm than your own, it would be wise to consult your source with regard to the timing of de-worming activities, just to be sure. Application of fresh manure from recently de-wormed animals could prove costly. Detergent cleansers industrial chemicals, pesticides. These can often be found in feeds such as sewage or septic sludge, paper-mill sludge, or some food processing wastes. Tannins. Some trees, such as cedar and fir, have high levels of these naturally occurring substances. They can harm worms and even drive them from the beds

The pre-composting of wastes can reduce or even eliminate most of these threats. However, pre-composting also reduces the nutrient value of the feed, so this is a definite trade-off.

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MANUFACTURING PROCESS

(1) Raw Material:

(A) 100 Kilograms of organic matter such as house organic waste including waste food, all weeds including parthenium. The parthenium species which is a menace can be profitably utilized in this way but it should be cut before seed formation to avoid multiplication. (B) Cattle dung about 16 Kilograms for mixing with 100 kg organic matter in order to do its partial decomposition. (C) Earthworms 4000 for four 3 ft. x eft. X 3ft. chambers. Names of earthworms are:

a. Eudrilus eugeniae b. Eisenia fetida c. Perionyx excavatus

Note: Mixture of these earthworms (1:1) is required after one months. These should be procured on the day of use.

(2) Procedure for partial decomposting of raw material: a. Keep the 100 kg. raw materials (organic matter) in raised cemented chamber. b. Take 16 kilograms of cattle dung and mix it with 25 liters of water. c. Mix mixture with 100 Kilograms of raw material. d. Keep this mixture moist and stir once every week for five weeks. It will be partially decomposed. this

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(3) Making of vermicompost from partially decomposed raw material a. Make four raised chambers measuring 3ft. x 3ft. x 3 ft. with cemented floor. b. Fix an asbestos sheet six foot above for protection from rains. c. Keep the partially decomposed matter in these chambers at least one inch below the top. d. Cover it with a perforated cover (Metallic) having two mm holes.

e. Put the mixture of 4000 there earthworm (1:1:1) over the surface of partially decomposed organic matter. f. Keep it moist by little water spray. These worms will eat the partially decomposed organic matter and put out the excreta as vermicompost. Spray little water once in three days. (4) Processing of the vermicompost a. After every ten days by hand remove the vermicompost (excreta). b. Keep this vermicompost in heap in order to separate the very small earthworms. In 24 hours these earthworms comes to vermicompost, which are then removed and placed the bottom part of on the partially

decomposed organic matter. c. The vermicompost is sieved by use of one mm sieve and spread in thin layer for air drying. d. Matter which could not be sieved is placed back on partially decomposed organic matter for breakdown by earthworms. e. In about one month all the partially decomposed organic matter gets converted into vermicompost. f. After 10 days of drying, vermicompost is collected and put in a heap. The idea is to remove any remaining earthworm. For this purpose about half Kilogram of cattle dung is put inside this heap. In about two days all remaining earthworms collect in the cattle dung. This cattle dung is removed and placed on the recharged matter.
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Nutrient status of vermicompost : According to Radha D Kale (1998) vermicompost has following status of nutrients. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Organic Carbon Total Nitrogen Available Phosphorus Available Potassium Calcium and Magnesium Copper Iron Zinc Sulphur 9.15 to 17.98 % 0.5 to 1.5 % 0.1 to 0 % 0.15 to 0 % 22.67 to 47.60 Mec/100 gm 2.0 to 9.5 ppm 2.0 to 9.5 ppm 5.7 to 11.5 ppm 128.0 to 548.0 ppm

Calculating Rates of Reproduction Epigeic worms such as E. fetida do reproduce very quickly, given good to ideal conditions. Compost worm populations can be expected to double every 60 to 90 days, but only if the following conditions are met: Adequate food Well aerated bedding with moisture content between 70 and 90%; Temperatures maintained between 15 and 30 C; Initial stocking densities greater than 2.5 kg/m but not more than 5 kg/m .
2 2 o

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The issues of food, aeration, moisture and temperature are discussed above. The issue of initial stocking density, however, was not discussed previously and requires elaboration here. Stocking density refers to the initial weight of worm biomass per unit area of bedding. For
2

instance, if you started with 5 kg of worms and put them in a bin with a surface area of 2 m ,
2

then your initial stocking density would be 2.5 kg/m . Starting with a population density less than this will delay the onset of rapid reproduction and, at very low densities, may even stop it completely. It seems that worms need a certain density in order to have a reasonable chance of running into each other and reproducing frequently. At lower densities, they just dont find each other as often as the typical worm grower would like.
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On the other hand, densities higher than 5 kg/m begin to slow the reproductive urge, as competition for food and space increase. While it is possible to get worm densities up to as much
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as 20 kg/m or 4 lbs per square foot, the most common densities for vermicomposting are between 5 and 10 kg/m . Worm growers tend to stock at 5 kg/m and split the beds when the density has doubled, assuming that the optimum densities for reproduction have by that point been surpassed. If the above guidelines are followed, a grower can expect a doubling in worm biomass about every 60 days. Theoretically, this means that an initial stock of 10 kg of worms can become 640 kg after one year and about 40 tonnes after two years. In practice, this is difficult to achieve, though not impossible. For instance, American Resource Recovery, a recycling firm in northern California, started with 50 pounds of earthworms. In four years, they had enough to cover over 70 acres of windrows, within which the worms convert huge quantities of sludge from a cardboard recycling plant into worm castings. On the other hand, OACCs three pilot projects accomplished in total only a 10-fold biomass increase over 12 months, when in theory the increase should have been by a factor of 64. The factors that kept this number lower than optimum included various problems with bedding, feed, moisture, and temperature control. These are documented in Appendices C and D.
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The main barriers to achieving optimum rates of reproduction appear to be the following: Lack of knowledge and experience. Growing worms is part science, part green thumb. You need the knowledge (as in this Manual), but you also need to do it to learn how to do it well. Lack of dedicated resources. Increasing worm populations requires paying attention to what is happening and responding accordingly. This takes time and effort. If the beds or windrows are neglected, the worms will likely survive, but the population will not increase at an optimum rate. Lack of preparation for winter. Although harsh winter conditions are unlikely to
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completely destroy a worm population , they can (as in the OACC pilot project) reduce the rate of increase considerably. The various vermicomposting and vermiculture systems have different ways of dealing with this problem. Pests and Diseases Compost worms are not subject to diseases caused by micro-organisms, but they are subject to predation by certain animals and insects (red mites are the worst) and to a disease known as sour crop caused by environmental conditions. The following is a brief overview of the most common pests and diseases likely to be experienced in Canada. Moles. Earthworms are moles natural food, so if a mole gets access to your worm bed, you can lose a lot of worms very quickly. This is usually only a problem when using windrows or other open-air systems in fields. It can be prevented by putting some form of barrier, such as wire mesh, paving, or a good layer of clay, under the windrow. Birds. They are not usually a major problem, but if they discover your beds they will come around regularly and help themselves to some of your workforce. Putting a windrow cover of some type over the material will eliminate this problem. These covers are also useful for retaining moisture and preventing too much leaching during rainfall events. Old carpet can be used for this purpose and is very effective.

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Centipedes. These insects eat compost worms and their cocoons. Fortunately, they do not seem to multiply to a great extent within worm beds or windrows, so damage is usually light. If they do become a problem, one method suggested for reducing their numbers is to heavily wet (but not quite flood) the worm beds. The water forces centipedes and other insect pests (but not the worms) to the surface, where they can be destroyed by means of a hand-held propane torch or something Ants. These insects are more of a problem because they consume the feed meant for the worms (Myers, 1969). Ants are particularly attracted to sugar, so avoiding sweet feeds in the worm beds reduces this problem to a minor one. Keeping the bedding above pH 7 also helps (see mites and sour crop below). Mites. There are a number of different types of mites that appear in vermiculture and vermicomposting operations, but only one type is a serious problem: red mites. White and brown mites compete with worms for food and can thus have some economic impact, but red mites are parasitic on earthworms. They suck blood or body fluid from worms and they can also suck fluid from cocoons (Sherman, 1997). The best prevention for red mites is to make sure that the pH stays at neutral or above. This can be done by keeping the moisture levels below 85% and through the addition of calcium carbonate, as required. Sour crop or protein poisoning. This disease is actually the result of too much protein in the bedding. This happens when the worms are overfed. Protein builds up in the bedding and produces acids and gases as it decays. According to Ruth Myers when you see a worm with a swollen clitellum or see one crawling aimlessly around on top of the bedding, you can just bet on sour crop and act accordingly, but fast. Her recommended solution is a massive dose of one of the mycins, such as farmers give to chicken or cattle. Farmers wishing to avoid these or similar antibiotics should work to prevent sour crop by not overfeeding and by monitoring and adjusting pH on a regular basis. Keeping the pH at neutral or above will preclude the need for these measures.

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And some other Notes are : 1. Moisture level in the bed should not exceed 40-50%.Water logging in the bed leads to anaerobic condition and change in pH of medium.This hampers normal activities of worms leading to weight loss and decline in worm biomass and population . 2. Temperature of bed should be within the range of 20-30 degree centigrade. 3. Worms should not be injured during handling . 4. Bed should be protected from predators like red ants, white ants, centipedes and others like toads,rats, cats , poultry birds and even dogs. 5. Frequent observation of culture bed is essential as acumaulationd of casts retards growth of worms. 6. Space is the criterion for grow th and estblishment of culture .Minimum space required is 2 square meter per 2000 worms with 30-45 cm thick bed. 7. Earth worms find it difficult to adopt themselves in new environments hence addition of inoculam as a bait from earlier habitat helps in early adaptation to new site of rearing. Mixture 0f cattle ,sheep, and horse dung with vegetable wastes forms ideal feed for worms. Addition of neem cake in small quantity enhances growth of worms. Biogas slurry aged aerobically for 15 days enhances vermi composting process.

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VERMICOMPOSTING MATERIALS Earthworms can be fed all forms of food waste, yard and garden waste, paper and cardboard, etc. Yard wastes, such as leaves, grass clipping, straw, and non woody plant trimmings can be composted. Leaves, are the dominant organic waste in most backyard compost plies. If grass clippings are used, it is advisable to mix them with other yard wastes, otherwise the clippings may compact and restrict airflow. Branches and twigs greater than inch in diameter should be put through a shredder/chipper. Kitchen wastes such as vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and eggshells may also be added. Sawdust may be added in moderate amounts if additional nitrogen is applied. Approximately 1 kg of actual nitrogen is required for 100 kg of dry sawdust. Wood ashes act as a lime source and if used should only be added in small amounts (5 kg per ton of waste). Ordinary black and white newspaper can be composted; however, the nitrogen content is low and will consequently slow down the rate of decomposition. If paper is composted, it should not be more than 10% of the total weight of the material in the compost pile. The biologically degradable and decomposable organic wastes commonly used as composting materials in vermiculture and vermicomposting are as follows: Animal dung Cattle dung, sheep dung, horse dung, goat dung and poultry dropping etc may used for this purpose. In use of animal dung other than cattle dung, various preliminary testing and precautions for pathogens and responses to earthworms are necessary. The uses of horse dung should be done carefully because tetanus virus is common in horse dung and is lethal to human beings. Agricultural waste Agricultural waste obtained after harvesting and threshing may be used. They include stem, leaves, husk (excepting paddy husk), peels, vegetable waste, orchard leaf litter, processed food wastes, sugarcane rash and baggase; and processing wastes.

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Forestry wastes These are plant products such as wood shavings, peels, saw dust and pulp. All these besides various types of forest litter can be used. The unutilized forest waste such as leaf litter may also be used for Vermicomposting. City leaf litter The burnt leaf litter from avenue or residential areas may be used, however, reports are not available. If it is used, this would keep cities clean and would provide useful product. The leaf litter of mango, guava, grasses and certain weeds (free from seeds) may be used, but we need more information on this aspect. Waste paper and cotton cloth etc. These are decomposable organic waste. These if are not being recycled for other useful products, can be recycled with Vermicomposting. City refuge City refuge or garbage on daily production basis comprise important items of city factors and a considerable portion of city refuge can be sorted and recycled or composted. Most of household as kitchen waste with little manipulation can be used for vermicompose. Biogas slurry After recovery of biogas, if not required for agricultural use, viz., in conventional composting can be used for Vermicompositing. Industrial wastes The industrial wastes like waste from food processing, distillery etc. can also be used in vermiculture with some manipulations. More specifically following combinations can be used as feed for earthworms for vermiculture and vermicomposting. However, exact proportions may have to be adjusted with little pre-testing.
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1. Biogas slurry with some leaf letter and some soil sprinkled over. 2. Cow dung + Sheep droppings + horse dung mixed in equal quantities. 3. Cow dung or mixed dung + Agricultural wastes in ratio of 10: 3. 4. Cow dung or mixed dung + Gram bran in ratio of 10: 3. 5. Cow dung or mixed dung + Kitchen wastes in ratio of 10: 3. 6. Cow dung or mixed dung + Rice polish in ratio of 10: 3. 7. Cow dung or mixed dung + Semi crushed leaf litter in ratio of 10: 3. 8. Cow dung or mixed dung + Sewage sludge in ratio of 10: 3. 9. Cow dung or mixed dung + Vegetable waste in ratio of 10: 3. 10. Cow dung or mixed dung + Wheat bran in ratio of 10: 3. 11. Old cow dung of minimum 7 days 12. Only agricultural waste or sewage sludge or kitchen waste or leaf litter or their mixtures. 13. Weed, leaves, grass clippings + cow dung or table waste + soil 70: 15: 15. Standard diet by Prof. R.D. Kale includes cow dung or mixed dung + gram bran + wheat bran + vegetable waste in ratios of 10 : 1 : 1:1 + some powdered egg shell. Any of the above material combinations can be taken up. These are thoroughly mixed with upturning with a spade to mix. Heaps are watered and kept in shade for partial digestion for 2 to 3 weeks. Then it is beaten to break lumps, i.e. to make it some-what powdery and used as feed for earthworms (preliminary treatment of composting material). In addition to above numerous other combinations have been tried and or can be tried with care. For example de-oiled Neem Kernel cake can also be used after it has been partially matured or decomposed. Fresh de-oiled Neem cake has been reported to reduce reproduction and so does sheep dung. Vermin-stabilization is also delayed in some combinations. For all such problems best is to subject it to initial pretesting. Some weeds and spent or used substrates after mushroom harvest can also be used. Treatment of this material too is same and is to be mixed with any of the feed materials. The weeds should be free from seeds.

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FEEDING VERMICOMPOSTING MATERIALS It is important to note that do not feed them; metals, foils, plastics, chemicals, oils, solvents, insecticides, soaps, paint, etc. Avoid all citrus products (oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit), onions, garlic cloves, extremely hot and heavily spiced foods, and high acid foods. Also, avoid oleanders and other poisonous plants meat, chicken, dairy foods, dog and cat manure. Plants that have been treated with herbicides or pesticides should be avoided for composting, small amounts of herbicide-treated plants (e.g., grass clippings) may be mixed in the pile as long as one is careful to allow thorough decomposition Ideally, clippings from lawns recently treated with herbicides should be left on the lawn to decompose. Some materials may pose a health hazard or create a nuisance and therefore should not be used to make compost. Adding human or pet faeces cannot be recommended because they may transmit diseases. Meat, bones, grease, whole eggs, and dairy products should not be added because they can attract rodents to the site. Most plant disease organisms and weed seeds are destroyed during the composting process when temperatures in the center of the pile reach 150160F. Usually 2 kg of earthworms will recycle 1 kg of organic waste in 24 hours. In absolutely ideal conditions of comfort and group up, moist food, the herd will recycle their own weight in wastes every 24 hours. The earthworm will need a little help from you in the preparation of some of the materials. When feeding the scraps if at all possible chop or break them into small pieces as it will be easier for the worms to process. Leave the scraps in a container for a few days so bacteria will start forming because worms love bacteria. Be sure the overall mix, (or any individual waste), is moist, about like a blueberry muffin or sponge cake. In case of vermicomposting of kitchen waste, most food wastes can be put directly on the worm bed just as it comes from the table. Just scatter it around the top of the bed.

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VERMICOMPOSTING TYPES
There can be several names designated to vermicomposting. Basically all are same but vary only with extent of waste mass to me vermicomposted and composting containers. Some tag with names of mechnical structure used as composting containers viz., vermin excelerator etc.
Small scale or Indoor Vermicomposting

It is done under covered areas (with a shade viz., cattle sheds, poultry sheds, back yards, underneath temporary thatched sheds or in containers). It is preferred in the areas where protection from climatic adversaries like high rains, prolonged spells of high or low temperatures (from les than 10F to more than 45F) is required, and predators like ants, rodents and large insectivorous birds are abundant.
Large scale or outdoor Vermicomposting

Larger scale vermicomposting may be of two types:


In-situ culturing of earthworms

It may be (a) simple promotion of vermic activity in fallow fields after harvesting of crops and (b) in-situ development of earthworms in gardens and orchards. Simple promotion of vermic activity in fields In process of simple promotion of vermic activity in fallow fields ridges are to be raised by 8-10'' and whole areas is divided into smaller plots in accordance with existing ground level. Partly digested (decomposed) wastes, largely uniformly spread over plots. It is watered to keep moist and covered with other decomposable organic wastes like weeds and leaf litter etc. This helps conserving moisture and promotes vermic activity, i.e. soil humification. Over this leaf litter dwelling species of earthworms are introduced along with a thin layer of somewhat mature cow dung manure. This process is allowed to continue for 3-4 or more months, but periodic light irrigation or moistening is continued.
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In some parts of America, such natural vermicomposting is practiced. In India, this may be possible at community level, viz., on Panchayati lands (like pastures) and on forestry plantations etc. Bhawalkar Earthworm Research Institute (BERI), Pune, India has developed cost effective package to promote vermic activity. The package consists of an application of 5 tons of vermin castings per hectare (basal dose) and application of 100 mm layer of mulch over them. Any organic matter like weeds, agricultural residues, manures, city wastes, food processing wastes can be used as mulch. An application of this basal dose of vermicastings produce earthworms, below the mulch with in a month. The young ones mature with in two months and soon start reproduction. The population soon reaches a maximum level, depending on the carrying capacity of the soil. Predators also help to control their population. An establishment of earthworm population of 2.1 lakh/ha is considered ideal for soil fertility. In IIT Mumbai vermiculture parks have been established to convert food waste of their canteens in to vermicasting. Development of Eathworms in Gardens and Orchards In situ development of earthworms in gardens and orchards where the land is not of the ploughed often. The organic matter mulch is maintained at the base of the plant and drip/sprinkler irrigation is practiced by these farmers. Most of these farmers developed earthworms in bins and later, as the population of earthworms, started increasing, they released them into plant basins. In such fields, these earthworms are thriving well and the soil living earthworms are also establishing with the formation of organic layer at the top. Coconut gardens, fruit orchards and some mulberry gardens are showing good response to this kind of practice. In case of cardamon plantations, with the increase in earthworms population the visit of rodents also increased and they started destroying the pods of cardamom. The farmers should adopt the practice that is suitable to the region and to the cultivation practices. It is important to note that what is good for one crop and one region may not be congenial for the other. Large Scale Commercialized Vermicomposting in Open Heaps This may be done with any method suits to local availability of raw material and other requirements.
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VERMICOMPOSTING REQUIREMENTS
Environmental Requirements The various species of earthworms have different environmental requirements which are necessary for their propagation and continued health. These requirements will inevitably dictate whether one particular "family" of worms will be suitable for culture in any given circumstance. For instance, though many people may be interested in the possibility of raising Lumbricus terrestris (The Nightcrawler, or Dew Worm) in the house as a source of fishing bait, this is simply not very plausible when we consider that this particular worm prefers temperatures in the area of 5-10C. During the heat of the day, this large number of the earthworm family retreats to the depths of his burrow, venturing out only in the late evening, or early morning, the coolest available times. (Burrows have been found to extend to a depth of over 12 feet) Thus, if we wish to culture this animal in the confines of our homes, we will require the ability to refrigerate at least a part of the available space. Even then, however, the number of additional considerations will eventually convince most people that night-crawlers should be harvested rather than cultured. On the other hand, the two most commonly-used worms for Vermicomposting, Eisenia foetida and Lumbricus rubellus, are the most popular precisely because of the ease in replicating the environmental conditions they prefer. Perfectly suited to an indoor existence, the culturing of these animals presents next to no problem, requiring only a minimum of effort, and presenting no hardship for those of us who share their place of residence. The fact is, in the absence of the normal hazards these worms usually face in their outdoor habitats, they are found to grow faster, stay healthier, live longer, and reproduce at an increased rate indoors. Thus, indoor culture turns out to be heaven for them, and a great benefit to the "Iandlord" who will have a great new way to convert his organic waste materials into a wonderful "food" for his plants, lawn, and garden. These requirements can be broken into three main areas, and we will look at each of these in the following paragraphs. (It is assumed that the worms in question have already been housed in an adequate bedding material, and are being supplied with a sufficient quantity of food.).

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Air (Aeration) The microbes that turn your yard, farm and kitchen waste into compost are aerobes, which means that they need air to live (and to do their work to make compost). Compost piles should allow plenty of air into them. This is usually accomplished by using some kind of "bulky" ingredients such as straw, old weeds (without seeds!), etc. If a pile settles under its own weight and excludes air, it can also be "turned" to get more air into the pile. Turning is the process of dismantling a pile and rebuilding it in a fluffed-up state - the fluffiness allows air into the pile. Some people turn their plies several times as the piles rot, to keep the pile as aerobic as possible. Worms are not fond of anaerobic bacteria, and if subjected to conditions of that nature, they will either leave the offending area or if they are unable to take this course of action, they will die. Worms need to breath, just like most other living creatures. The process of osmosis makes a worm rather different than those of us with lungus, but the end result is pretty much the same. Gradually, the available oxygen is used up and replaced with carbon dioxide and other miscellaneous waste gases. Unlike those of us who live aboveground, however, the poor little worm is stuck beneath the soil, or bedding, in close proximity to the toxic fumes. In addition to this, the decreasing amount of fresh oxygen can result in an increase in heat, and the increase in heat will result in a similar rise in the oxygen requirements of the worm. Fortunately, the whole situation is easily rectified, and only requires very infrequent attention. About once every two or three weeks, the top few inches of the bedding should be gently stirred, allowing for the escape of any builtup gases. This will also go a long way toward preventing the bedding from becoming too densely packed. The lower levels of the bedding can also be stirred, but on a far less frequent basis. If you are in the habit of burying the food you are placing in the worm-bin, it is quite possible that the bedding is already being stirred sufficiently, and all you really need to watch out for in that case is the accidental saturation of the bin. If you are just in the process of setting up a new system, you should keep in mind that a larger surface area is beneficial in this regard. In case of simple promotion of vermic activity in fallow fields, aeration is not at all a limitation.
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Moisture Content The bin contents should be kept moist but not soaked. Do not allow rainfall to run off a roof into the bin. This could cause the worms to drown. A straw convering may be needed in exposed sites to keep the bin from drying our during hot summer weather. If we consider that the earthworm (contrary to what its name implies) is actually a creature of the water, it is not hard to accept that moisture constitutes the most urgent of its requirements for life. However, the problems most often incurred in a worm bed involve too much moisture, rather than not enough. As in most things in life, a suitable balance must be found and maintained for optimum performance, keeping in mind that this balance may have to be altered to accommodate specific needs. Let us first take a look at the lower end of the moisture scale. Under natrual conditions, the greatest abundance of earthworms will be located in soils which average between 12% and 30% moisture content. If this amount of available moisture should fall too low, the earthworm will begin to occur which, if unchecked, will eventually result in the death of the animal. During the final stages of dehydration, a worm will even expel colemic fluid from within itself in a desperate attempt to moisten its own body. At this point, total submersion in water may be the only way to prevent the worm's demise. A situation of too much moisture is very often arrived at when a newer breeder, or vermiculturist, attempts to keep the worm bedding consistently, and evently moistened. Observing that the top layer of the material is dryer than it should be, more water is added to the bed. Adequate moisture is essential for microbial activity. A dry compost pile will not decompose efficiently. If rainfall is limited, it will be necessary to water the pile periodically to maintain a steady decomposition rate. Enough water should be added to completely moisten the pile, but over watering should be avoided. Excess water can lead to anaerobic conditions. Water the pile so that it is damp, but does not remain soggy. The compost will be within the right moisture range if a few drops of water can be squeezed from a handful of material. If no water can be squeezed out, the material is too dry. If water gushes from your hand, it is too wet.
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When you first placed the worms in their new home, the bedding was made up of fresh material, which in due course would become simply another ingredient in the final product. Then food was added, and the worms went about their usual business of eating everything in sight, altering the material as it passed through their remarkable little bodies, and finally excreting it back into the bed from which it will eventually be harvested, and used to feed plant. A worm is unable to remain healthy if forced to live in his own waste material. Thus, we change the bedding on a regular basis, preventing the castings from reaching a level where they would be toxic to the bin's inhabitants. By over watering, however, we spped up the process, spreading the castings with the run-off. (The substance, which will eventually kill the worms, is also the same substance that we wish to save for the plants, and a lot of this can be lost in the excess water). HOW TO CONSTRUCT A WORM BIN Bins can made of wood or plastic, or from recycled containers like old bathtubs, barrels, or trunks. They also can be located inside or outside, depending on your preferences and circumstances. As red wigglers tend to be surface feeders, bins should be no more than 8 to 12 inches deep. Bedding and food wastes tend to pack down in deeper bins, forcing air out. Resulting anerobic conditions can cause foul odors and death of the worms. The length and width of the bin will depend on whether it is to be stationary or portable. It also depends on the amount of food waste you family produces each week. A good rule of thumb is to provide one square foot of surface area per pound of waste in you bin. Wooden bins have the advantage that they are more absorbent and provide better insulation. Do not use redwood or other highly aromatic woods that may kill the worms. Plastic tends to keep the compost too moist. Plastic, however, tends to be less messy and easier to maintain. Be sure containers are well cleaned and have never stored pesticides or other chemicals. Drilling air/drainage holes (- to -inch diameter) in the bottom and sides of the bin will ensure good water drainage and air circulation.
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Each bin should have a cover to conserve moisture and exclude light. Worms prefer darkness. Bins can be covered with a straw mulch or moist durlap to ensure darkness while providing good air ventilation. Outside bins may require a lid to exclude scavengers and other unwnated pests. Outdoor bins should be insulated from the cold to protect the worms. One option is to dig a rectangular hole 12 inches deep and line the sides with wooden planks. The bottomless box can then be filled with appropriate bedding material, food wastes, and worms. Food wastes can be continually added as they accumulate. The pile should be kept damp and dark for optimum worm activity. During the winter, soil can be piled against the edges of the bin and straw placed on top to protect the worms from cold weather. Do not add food waste to outdoor bins the winter because this could expose the worms to freezing weather. Bedding Materials Bedding for bins can be made from shredded newspapers (non-glossy), computer paper, or cardboard; shredded leaves, straw, hay, or dead plants; sawdust; peat moss; or compost or aged (or comosted) manure. Peat moss should be soaked for 24 hours in water, then lightly wrung out to ensure it is sufficiently moist. Grass clippings should be allowed to age before use because they may decompose too quickly, causing the compost to heat up. Bedding materials high in cellulose are best because they help aerate the bin so the worms can breathe. Varying the bedding material provides a richer source of nutrients. Some soil or sand can be added to help provide grit for the worms digestive systems. Allow the bedding material to set for several days to make sure it doesn't heat up ( and allow to cool befrore adding worms). The bedding material should be thoroughly moistened (about the consistency of a damp sponge) before adding the worms. Fill the bin three-quarters full of moist bedding, lifting it gently afterwards to create air space for the worms to breath and to control odors.

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OTHER REQUIREMENTS Container The shape and size of the Vermicomposting container, depend on the requirement, that is quantity of waste to be composted and number of live earthworms we want to culture. On an average, 2000 adult earthworms can be maintained in containers of 1 m2 dimension. These with appropriate conditioning of composting material would convert approximately 200 kgs wastes evey month. Interestingly, roughly in a container of 2.23 2.23 m. about 10 kgs of earthworms can convert approximately 1 ton per month. However, to have optimal conversion normally only upper 9-12'' layer is composted. This should be softly scrapped off. Containers: Types A suitable bin can be constructed of untreated, non aromatic wood, or plastic container to be purchased. A wooden box is better if you will keep the worms outdoors, because it will keep the worms cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. If a plastic container is used, it should be thoroughly washed and rinsed before the worms and bedding are added. The bin size depends on the amount of food produced by your household. The general rule of thumb is one sequare foot of surface area for each pound of garbage generated per week. For two people (producing approximately 2 kg of food scraps per week), a box 2 feet wide, 2 feet long, and 8 inches deep should be adequate. A 2-foot-by-3- foot box is suitable for four to six people (about 3 kg of waste per week). Redworms (the type used for vermicomposting) thrive in moist bedding in a bin with air holes on all sides. For aeration and drainage, drill nine -inch holes in the bottom of the 2-foot-by-2-foot bin or 12 holes in the 2foot-by-3 foot bin. Place a plastic tray under the worm bin to collect any moisture that may seep out. Drilling holes on the upper sides of your bin will also help your worms get needed oxygen and prevent odors in your worm bin. Keep a lid on the bin, as worms like to work in the dark. Store the worm bin where the temperature remains between 55 and 77F.

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Small Barrel or Drum Composter The barrel or drum composter generates compost in a relatively short period of time and provides an easy mechanism for turning. This method requires a barrel of at least 55 gallons with a secure lid. Be sure that the barrel was not used to store toxic chemicals. Drill 6-9 rows or inch holes over the length of the barrel to allow for air circulation and drainage of excess moisture. Place the barrel upright on blocks to allow bottom air circulation. Fill the barrel full with organic waste material and add about cup of high (approximately 30% N) nitrogen containing fertilizer. Applying water until compost is moist but not soggy. Every few days, turn the drum on its side and roll it around the yard to mix and aerate the compost. The lid can be removed after turning to allow for air penetration. Ideally, the compost should be ready in two to four months. The barrel composter is an excellent choice for the city dweller with a relatively small yard. Large Barrel or Drum Composter For large quantities of organic wast, bin type structrues are the most practical. As an example, a circular bin can be made by using a length of small spaced woven wire fencing and holding it together with chain snaps The bin should be about three to five feet in diameter and at least four feet high. A stake may be driven in the middle of the bin before adding material to help maintain the shape of the pile and to facilitate adding water. With this design, it is easiest to turn the composting material by simply unsnapping the wire, moving the wire cylinder a few feet, and turning the compost back into it.

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Three-chambered Bin A very efficient and durable structure for fast composting is a three-chambered bin. It holds a considerable amount of compost, and allows good air circulation. The three chambered bin works on an assembly line idea, having three batches of compost in varying stages of decomposition. The compost material is started in the first bin and allowed to heat up for three to five days. Next, it is turned into the middle bin for another 4-7 days, while a new batch of material is started in the first bin. Finally, the material in the middle bin is turned into the last bin as finished or nearly finished compost. Making of three-chambered bin For this purpose use rot resistant wood such as redwood, salt treated wood or wood treated with an environmentally safe preservative or a combination of treated wood and metal posts. Unless the wood is treated or root resistant, it will decompose within a few years. Each bin should be at least three to five feet in each dimension to contain enough volume to compost properly. Using removable slats in the front offers complete access to the contents for turning. Initally, proper collection, sorting or separation of compostable, noncompostable and non-biodegradables like plastics, stone, glass, ceramics and matals should be done. Heavily contaminated wastes (even in kitchen wastes, heavily spicy wastes) with chemicals should be separated. The clean matter selected for composting should be heaped and large lumps should be broken. The separated matter should be spread in a layer up to 1 foot and to be exposed to sun for a day. This helps in killing several unwanted organisms and removes foul smell. The mixing of daily organic waste produce may be done with somewhat pretrated leaf litter in approximate ratio ranging from 10 to 40% of the waste to be vermicomposted.

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Bedding Material This is the lower most layer of earhworm feed substrate that is required to be vermicomposted. The bedding material for startup and future restarts can be any biodegradable matter like banana stem peels, coir pith, coconut and other leaves, sugarcane trash, stems of crops, grasses or husk. Peat moss (soaked in water at least 24 hours), yard clippings, dead leaves wood shavings, newspaper (torn-up and soaked in water). Garden clippings should have "aged" beyond the green stage. Any moistened organic material can be used for bedding. Waste or discarded cattle feed can also be used for bedding. IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR LIFE OF EARTHWORMS Keep them at 55 to 70 deg. F., w/65 deg. being a good average temperature of the bedding. Mean humidity should be 55%, and keep the earth worms out of the rain. They will drown and/or scatter all over under rainy or very humid conditions, Finally, the pH of the bed should be as close to 6.5 as possible, with 7.0 and 6.0 being the upper and lower pH limits. FOOD FOR WORMS Under optimum conditions, redworms can eat their own weight in food scraps and bedding in one day. On the average, however, it takes approximately 2 pounds of earthworms (approximately 2,000 breeders) to recycle a pound of food waste in 24 hours. The same quantity of worms requires about 4 cubic feet of bin to process the food waste and bedding (1 cubic foot of worm bin/500 worms). Composting worms can be purchased from dealers listed in the adsections of many garden magazines. Some dealers sell worms as pit-run worms consist of worms of all ages and sizes. Add worms to the top of the moist bedding when they arrive. The worms will disappear into the bedding within a few minutes.

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Adding Food Waste Earthworms eat all kinds of food and yard wastes, including coffee grounds, tea bags, vegatable and fruit waste, pulverized egg shells, grass clippings, manure, and sewage sludge. Avoid bones, dairy products, and meats that may attract pests, and garlic, onions, and spicy foods. Limited amounts of citrus can be added, but too much can make the compost too acidic. The compost should be kept at a pH of 6.5 if possible, with upper and lower limits at 7.0 and 6.0, respectively. Overly acidic compost can be corrected by adding crushed eggshells. Avoid adding chemicals (including insecticides), metals, plastics, glass, soaps, pet manures, and oleanders or orther poisonous plants, or plants sprayed with insecticides to the worm bin. Food wastes should be added to the bin by pulling back the bedding material and burying it. Be sure to cover it well to avoid attracting flies and other pests. Successive loads of waste should be buried at different locations in the bin to keep the food wastes from accumulating. Grinding or blending the food waste in a food processor speeds the composting time considerably. Proper Ingredient Mixture In broad terms, there are two major kinds of food that composting microbes need: Browns Browns are dry and dead plant materials such as straw, dry brown weeds, autumn leaves, and wood chips or sawdust. These materials are mostly made of chemicals that are just long chains of sugar molecules linked together. As such, these items are a source of energy for the compost microbes. Because they tend to be dry, browns often need to be moistened before they are put into a compost system.

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Greens Greens are fresh (and often green) plant materials such as green weeds from the garden, kitchen fruit and vegetable scraps, green leaves, coffee grounds and tea bags, fresh horse manure, etc. Compared to browns, greens have more nitrogen in them. Nitrogen is a critical element in amino acids and proteins, and can be thought of as a protein source for the billions of multiplying microbes. A good mix of browns and greens is the best nutritional balance for the microbes. Halfand-half of greens and browns, or two parts browns to one part greens works pretty well. This mix also helps out with the aeration and amount of water in the pile. Browns, for instance, tend to be bulky and promote good aeration, Greens, on the other hand, are typically high in moisture, and balanced out the dry natrue of the browns. Particle Size The smaller the size of organic wastes, the faster the compost will be ready for use. Smaller particles have much more surface area that can be attacked by microbes. A shredder can be used before putting material in the pile, and is essential if brush or sticks are to be composted. A low cost method of reducing the size of fallen tree leaves is to mow the lawn before raking or run the lawn mower over leaf piles after ranking. Raked piles should be checked to insure that they do not contain sticks or rocks which could cause injury during operation of the mower. If the mower has an appropriate bag attachment, the shredded leaves can be collected directly. In addition to speeding up the composting process, shredding will initially reduce the volume of the compost pile.

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Fertilizer and Lime Microbial activity is affected by the carbon to nitrogen ratio of the organic waste. Because microbes require a certain amount of nitrogen for their own metabolism and growth, a shortage of nitrogen will slow down the composting process considerably. Materials high in carbon relative to nitrogen such as straw or sawdust will decompose very slowly unless nitrogen fertilizer is added. Tree leaves are higher in nitrogen than straw or sawdust but decomposition of leaves would still benefit from an addition of nitrogen fertilizer or components high in nitrogen. Grass clipping are generally high in nitrogen and when mixed properly with leaves will enhance decomposition. Poultry litter, manure or blood meal can be used as organic sources of nitrogen. Otherwise, fertilizer with a high nitrogen analysis (10-30%) should be used. Other nutrients such as phosphorus and potassium are usually present in adequate amounts for decomposition.

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MAINTAINING THE BIN Food scraps can be continually added to the bin for up to 2 to 3 months, or until you notice the beeding material disappear. When the bedding disappears, harvest the worms and finished compost, then refill the bins with new bedding material.

Watering in bin Overloading the bin with food wastes can result in foul odors. If you notice these odors, stop adding the waste until the worms have a Chance to catch up. Overly moist food waste and bedding also cause ordors. To relieve this problem, fluff up the bedding to add air and check the drainage holes. As a general rule of thumb, keep the bedding material moist, but never soggy. Make sure the food waste is buried properly in the bedding. Exposed food wastes can attrat fruit flies, house flies, and other pests. Keeping the bin covered with straw or moist burlap also deters these pests. Garden centipedes can be a problem in the worm bin, especially outside. These predators shuold be destroyed. Overly wet beds also can attract the earthworm mite, which cause the worms to stop eating. HARVESTING THE COMPOST AND WORMS There are three basic ways to separates the worms from the finished compost. One way involves moving the finished compost and worms over to one side of the bin and adding new bedding material and food waste to the other side. Worms in the finished compost should move over to the few bedding with the fresh food waste. The finished compost can then be removed.

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HARVEST FROM A WORM BOX A second way to remove the worms is to build a small harvester frame of 2 4s with a 3/16-inch mesh bottom. Place the worm compost on the frame and sift the worms out. Larger pieces of compost can be returned to a new batch of bedding and worms. Collection of vermicompost The compost also can be placed in small piles on a trap in the sun (or under bright lights inside). Because worms don't like light, they will wiggle to the bottoms of the piles.

After waiting 10 minutes, remove the upper inch or more of finished compost from each pile until you run into the worms. Allow the worms to again wiggle to the bottom of the pile and repeat the process. Combine what's left of the small piles into one big pile and again reapet the process. You should eventually end up with a pile of finished compost and a bal of worms. The worms can be added back to a new bin of bedding and food waste. Larger worms also can be used as bait for fishing.

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FACTORS AFFECTING EARTHWORM'S GROWTH


Eathworm and Insects The major earthworm predator is the mole. This voracious insect predator loves to dine on white grubs and any earthworm it can find. Grubs, attached to the root from which they gain their food, can't escape, but the earthworm can feel the vibrations of the mole digging and quickly try to flee. The moles own digging conceals the noise of the earthworm fleeing, so star nose mole developed a unique method to find earthworms. It uses its fuuny looking nose to detect the faint electrical fields that earthworms (and some other insects) radiate. Not only does this mole detect and find an eathworm, but it knows how to bite it so it is paralyzed but does not die. The mole stores the living worm along the burrow as food for dining at leisure. Another predator, usually not found in the northeast, is a carnivorous snail. These snails are long and thin, just right for invading the shell of another snail and devowering it. But they also love earthworms. When you till the ground, the earthworms flee the tillers vibration. (They must think its really BIG mole.) So the active earthworms are not usually chopped by the tiller. Some earthworms, like night crawlers, have 5 heatrts. If chopped in half, they don't die but try to regenerate; however, sometimes a half gets confused and it end up regenerating a worm with two heads or two tails.

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Tilling and Earthworm Population Tilling the soils does reduce the earthworm population. Not because it kills or disturbs them, but because tilling ariates the soil, and this oxygen quickly reduces the organic matter that the earthworm uses as food. Mulching with green matter will help provide food to earthworms to replenish what is lost in tilling. The population of earthworms, in the north, follows a different cycle then most garden fanua. The population of adults is highest in the spring, and decreases in the dry summer months, followed by a increase of young in the wetter, cooler fall. For a high number of earthworms in the spring, its important to protect the young and the eggs over winter. Earthworms can freeze soild and still live if the freeze is slow and they do not thaw out and refreeze often, Any form of ground cover, cover crops, leaves, mulch or even boards help mediate the freezing and allow more earthworms to survive the winter. Fields that are plowed and left bare are almost devoid of earthworms in the spring. Luckily, earthworms have a high K (reproduction) factor. Earthworm and come Drounding Earthworms come out of their burrows during a rain to avoid drounding. Worms have no lungs, they take their oxygen directly through the skin, either from air or from water. In fact, rather than fear water, they love it. Its drying out they fear and dry soil kills them. When it rains, they come to the surface because its easier to find a mate in the flat open ground theb in the three dimensional burrows. The wet ground allows them to move without fear of drying out. To an earthworm, the wet ground in a wild singles bar.

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GENERAL PROBLEMS IN PRODUCTION OF VERMICOMPOSTING The best approach is prevention. By always burying the food waste you will discourage fruit flies. Keep a tight lid on the container you use to store waste before adding them to the bin. This will prevent flies from laying eggs in the scraps. This does not help if you kitchen is infested with fruit flies, in which case all the peels of your kitchen fruit will have fruit fly eggs. It is unlikely that your worm bin will have an unpleasant odour. If it does, there a number of possible causes and steps you can take to remedy the problem. 1. You have overloaded your bin with too much food waste. Solution: Don't add any more food for a week or two. 2. The bedding is too wet and compacted. Solution (a) gently stir the entire contents to allow more air in and stop adding food waste for a week or so. Make sure that your food waste is still buried. (b) The lid can be removed or left slightly ajar to allow the contents to dry out. 3. Your bin is too acidic. Solution: Add some calcium carbonate and cut down on the amount of citrus beel and other acidic food waste.

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CONCLUSION
Worms hate light and prefer to remain in the dark of their bin. They will not leave their home. They are very sensitive to vibrations. Please try not to disturb them unnecessarily. Worms are living creatures with their own unique needs, so it is important to create and maintain a healthy habitat for them to do their work. If you supply the right ingredients and care, you worms will thrive and make compost for you.

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