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Vermicomposting: Recycling Wastes into Valuable Organic Fertilizer.Global Theme on Agroecosystems Report no. 8

OAR@ICRISAT

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Title Vermicomposting: Recycling Wastes into Valuable Organic Fertilizer.Global Theme on Agroecosystems Report no. 8
 
Creator Nagavallemma, K P
Wani, S P
Lacroix, S
Padmaja, V V
Vineela, C
Rao, M B
Sahrawat, K L
 
Subject Watershed management
Fertilizer Appications
 
Description The large quantity of organic waste, nearly 700 million t yr-1, generated in India is either burned or land
filled posing a problem of safe disposal. To mitigate this problem all the waste can be converted into
highly valuable nutrient-rich compost in an environment friendly manner. Vermicomposting is one of the
best methods of composting any kind of organic matter, which could provide a ‘win-win’ solution to tackle
the problem of safe disposal of waste and also provide most needed plant nutrients for sustainable
productivity.Vermicompost improves growth, quality and yield of different field crops, flower and fruit crops.
Vermicomposting contributes to recycling of nitrogen and augments soil physico-chemical as well as
biological properties. Microbial biodiversity was checked and higher diversity was recorded in the partially
decomposed organic material for the vermicompost than in the vermicompost. All kinds of organic material
can be used for vermicomposting however, Gliricidia, tobacco leaves and chicken droppings are not suitable
for earthworm multiplication but can be composted with earthworms. The optimum temperature for
vermicomposting is about 20–30°C and moisture content ranges from 32 to 60% only. It is a very simple
process and easy to practice as well as cost-effective pollution abatement technologyThe training programs for women self-help groups (SHGs) covered technical aspects of making
vermicompost and its application to various crops. These programs have been conducted by ICRISAT with
support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and District Water Management
Agency (DWMA) in Adarsha watershed (Kothapally) in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and eastern
Rajasthan. A noxious weed, Parthenium hysterophorus (locally referred as vayyari bhama or congress
weed) was found abundantly on field bunds in Kothapally and other regions of Andhra Pradesh, which
inhibited the crop growth and caused environmental pollution. Some case studies of women who have
come forward to utilize this weed as raw material for vermicomposting, a safe weed disposal mechanism,
have been presented in this report
 
Publisher International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
 
Date 2004
 
Type Monograph
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Rights —
 
Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/3677/1/172-2004.pdf
Nagavallemma, K P and Wani, S P and Lacroix, S and Padmaja, V V and Vineela, C and Rao, M B and Sahrawat, K L (2004) Vermicomposting: Recycling Wastes into Valuable Organic Fertilizer.Global Theme on Agroecosystems Report no. 8. Monograph. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics , Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India.