Alternative Feed Sources for Vermicompost Production

Abstract

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

Evaluation of the effect of organic fertilizers on the morphophysiological parameters and antioxidant compounds of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L.).

“…Although it can be grown all year round, as a monoculture, it has high fertilization requirements, especially regarding nitrogen. In addition, the excessive use of pesticides, from the beginning of plant growth to the end of cultivation (Ninfali et al, 2017), requires finding ecological alternatives for its production, remarkably the addition of compostan organic fertilizer formed by the microbial degradation of waste subjected to a natural decomposition process (Spaccini and Piccolo, 2020;Ro et al, 2022). The application of this type of materials has become very important, as they increase the organic matter of agricultural soils, improving their fertility, structure, and water retention and preventing erosion and degradation.…”

Evaluation of the Concentration of Phytotoxic Chemicals and Microbial Load of the Vermicompost Prepared from Coffee Processing Waste

“…The method is the least expensive and produces high-quality vermicompost. Vermicompost is a peat-like substance with excellent aeration, porosity, drainage, and water-holding capacity [10]. Vermicompost is rich in macro and micronutrients, and trace elements in plant-available forms.…”