Vermiculture and Vermicomposting

TESDA Training Center – General Santos

City
Program on Organic Farming

Prepared by:
 Presentation Outline
Importance of the earthworm;
Biology of the earthworm;
Vermicomposting
Steps in Vermicomposting
Benefits of Vermicompost
 Earthworm Taxonomy
Phylum Annelida Common Species
Lumbricus terrestis – Night crawler
Class Chaetopoda
Allolobophora caliginosa – Grey worm
Order Oligochaeta Allolobophora chlorotica – Green worm

Five families Lumbricus rubellus – Red worm

Eisenia fetida – Red Wiggler

3000 species
 Biology of worm

Segmented body
No eyes, but are light sensitive
Breathe through their skins –must remain
moist
Hermaphrodites
Live on diet of organic materials
Cold blooded
No teeth
They have instinct
The Internal Body Parts of Earthworm
 REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

Hermaphrodites, but not

self-fertilizing
Mutual exchange of sperm
Ova are fertilized in
cocoons
 Clitellum: light-colored
band - produces cocoons
 Cocoons contain ~ 4 eggs
 Eggs incubate 3 weeks
 NERVOUS SYSTEM

Brain = a knot of nerves

Ganglion serve as impulse centers
Super sensitive to touch
 Allows worm to select food,
avoid predators and objects, and
reproduce;
 Can feel bird’s footsteps
Eyes are sensitive to blue light
and skin to ultraviolet rays =
 DIGISTIVE SYSTEM

Eats composted waste in soil & OM daily

Processed in alimentary canal
 Muscular mixing with enzymes releasing amino
acids, sugars, organic molecules;
 Includes microorganisms
 Molecules absorbed through intestinal
membranes
Result: CASTINGS
 NUTRITION
Earthworms get their nutrition
from many forms of organic
matter in soil
decaying roots and leaves, tiny
organisms that live in the soil,
bacteria, and fungi
decomposing remains of other
animals
can consume up to one-third of
its own body weight in just one
day!
The 100 kg substrate can be
consumed by 1 kg worm in 30
days
LIFESPAN OF EARTHWORM

Lifespan
Conservative estimate: 4-8 years
Barrett estimates 15+
Mortality by accident
Primitive physiology is unchanged

Body composition:
70-95% water
Balance = protein, fat, minerals absorbed
from soil
Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting is …
“using earthworms and microorganisms to
convert organic waste into black, earthy-
smelling, nutrient-rich humus.”

- Mary Appelhof
 STEPS IN VERMICOMPOSTING

1. Site Selection
2. Prepare Food for the Worms
3. Maintain the Worm Beds
4. Harvest and dry the Vermicompost
5. Storage of the Vermicompost
 1. Site Selection

cool
protected from direct sunlight
Protected from flood
Accessible water source
Available raw materials
airy
2. Prepare Food for the Worms

Shredding the
substrate
 2. Prepare Food for the Worms

1 kg worms in 2
m2 vermi bed

Pre-composting of
the substrate 1 to 2
weeks

The 100 kg
substrate can be
consumed by 1 kg
worms in 30 days
3. Bed Maintenance

maintain at 70-80 % moistu

5 -7 drops

protect from sunlight and

predators

gently loosen substrate

periodically
 4. HARVESTING

The vermi cast may be harvested every two to three weeks if

about 60 to 80 per cent of the cast are found at the surface . The
frequency of harvest depend on the population of worm in the
bed .
4. HARVESTING METHODS VERMI WORMS

1. Manual
Extraction
4. HARVESTING METHODS VERMI WORMS

1. Mechanical
extraction
4. HARVESTING METHODS VERMI WORMS

Migration
technique
4. HARVESTING METHODS VERMI CAST
 5. Drying and Storage

air drying under shade

 5. Drying and Storage

2. Store out of the sun.

1. Check for 30%
moisture
 Earthworm Benefits the Soil

Stimulate microbial activity

Mixing and aggregation
Increase water infiltration
Improve water-holding capacity
Provide channels for root growth
Bury and shred plant residue
Five (5) times more nutritious than ordinary compost
- Has five (5) times higher nutrients
content than the ordinary compost thus
called super compost
- Vermicast is bioavailable thus easily
available
- Contains microroganisms that helps
control some of the soil pathogens
Earthworm Benefits to Gardening
Earthworm plays a significant role in
suppressing several common soil-borne plant
pathogens.

A greenhouse study was carried out with

asparagus, eggplant, and tomatoes grown in pots
infected with common Fusarium and Verticillium
plant diseases.

In the pots that also contained earthworms, plant

weights increased 60% to 80%, and estimates of
disease severity declined 50% to 70%.
 SUBSTRATES IN COMPOSTING
CARBON TO NITROGEN RATIO (C:N
30:1)
NITROGEN SOURCE
CARBON
(3) (1) SOURCE Plant Source
Animal
Manure

Grass •Kakawate
Rice straw •Sesbania
Corn stover •Centrosema
Wood •Crotolaria
Saw dust •Calopangonium All animal
Some examples of Cocodust •Ipil-ipil leaves manures
September 2006

carbon and nitrogen Cococoir •Mongo, peanut

sources Paper •Kudzu, katuray
Cane tops • Madre de agua
Cane trash
 VERMICOMPOST ANALYSIS
USING DIFFERENT SUBSTRATE COMBINATIONS OF GRASSES (75%), COMBINED EITHER WITH 25%
MANURE (RAT/CHICKEN), PLANT (AZOLLA) AND LEAVES (IPIL-IPIL/ KAKAWATE/ PEANUT NEEM) AND
COCODUST (75%) + IPIL-IPIL LEAVES (25%)

VERMICOMPOST COMPOSITION
PROPA
GATION
Animal Manure Plant/Leaves
Determination (%)

COCODUST
RAT CHICKEN PEANUT NEEM AZOLLA IPIL-IPIL KAKAWATE + IPIL-IPIL
LEAVES

Total Nitrogen (N) 1.40

1.52 1.33 1.06 2.26 2.33 2.74 0.15
Total Phosphorous
2.53
(P2O5) 0.49 0.47 0.73 0.69 0.69 1.33 0.23

Total Potassium (K2O) 0.37

1.28 0.37 0.38 1.52 1.10 3.54 0.04

Total Calcium (Ca) 3.10

0.43 1.09 0.63 0.05 0.15 0.29 0.08

Total Magnesium (Mg) 0.40

0.24 0.51 0.30 0.31 0.33 0.52 0.0
September 2006

Total Iron (Fe) 1.50

1.47 0.62 0.33 0.49 0.17 0.43 0.16

Total Manganese (Mn) 0.16

0.06 0.04 0.02 0.06 0.02 0.03 0.00

Total Copper (Cu) 0.02

0.02 0.003 0.003 0.008 0.004 0.005 0.01

Total Zinc (Zn) 0.11

0.04 0.02 0.02 0.06 0.04 0.01 0.02

Ph (%)
Source: Vermicomposting: A Key 6.70
to Organic Farming
7.20 7.20 6.80 6.80 5.70 7.20 4.40
by Lina Villegas, Los Baños National Crop and Development Center, Los Baños, Laguna
 COMPARATIVE SUBSTRATE ANALYSIS

BASED ON A STUDY CONDUCTED LABORATORY TEST OF

BY MRS. LINA VILLEGAS BURO-BURO VERMICOMPOST
FOR COMBINATION OF GRASSES (75%) + KAKAWATE LEAVES (25%): BEFORE
75% GRASS AND 25% KAKAWATE LEAVES DONE AT
AND AFTER FEEDING TO EARTHWORMS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF
NEGROS PRAWN COOPERATIVE, BACOLOD CITY,
VERMICOMPOST
DECEMBER 6, 2001

Before After 16.14

Determination Vermicomposting % ORGANIC MATTER
Vermicomposting

1.89
Total Nitrogen 0.53 2.74 Nitrogen (N)

0.349 Phosphorus (P)

Total Phosphorous
(P2O5) 0.29 1.33 0.80 Phosphorus Pentoxide
(P2O5)

2.435 Potassium (K)

Total Potassium
(K20) 0.65 3.54
2.922 Postash (K2O)

Total Calcium (Ca) 0.02 0.29 2.40 Calcium (Ca)

Total Magnesium 2.89

0.08 0.52 ppm Magnesium (Mg)
(Mg)

Total Iron (Fe) 0.12 0.43 377.50 ppm Iron (Fe)

Total Copper (Cu) 0.001 0.005

Total Zinc (Zn) 0.004 0.01 11.09 ppm Zinc (Zn)

Total Manganese NIL

0.006 0.03 ppm Manganese (Mn)
(Mn)

Ph 8.6 7.20

moisture (%)
10.20
 APPLICATION OF VERMI CAST

 Use 10-20 bags of vermicast per hectare for rice

applied before last harrowing

 Fro vegetable transplant,(tomato, eggplant, pepper,

cabbage, etc) apply as basal , 100 to 200 grams per
hole where to transplant the seedlings

 For established trees, apply 5 to 10 kg vermicast

every three months. The amount will depend on the
inherent fertility of the soil.

 The vermicast can also be prepared to vermitea, and

applied as foliar spray or as soil drench.
Sample worm beds
RUDOLFO CHICO FARM
BRGY MA-AO