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Rapid composting is the need of the hour for reducing the time required for obtaining good quality compost. This Vermicomposting is a very effective method of converting wastes into useful manure with the help of earthworms to
technology is especially suitable for recycling of kitchen waste and vegetable wastes. ICAR-IISS developed this recycle decomposable organic wastes such as animal excreta, kitchen waste, farm residues, forest litters, etc..
technique in collaboration with ICAR-CIAE, Bhopal and ICAR-NBAIM, Mau. Lignocellulolytic thermophilic organisms Salient Features
were isolated, screened and identied by ICAR-IISS.
l Open permanent pit in the size of 10 x 3 x 1.5 feet are made in shady site where there is a source of water near the pit.
Ingredients Required Brick walls are constructed above the oor of the pits leaving 5-6 gaps in the pit of wall of 10 cm diameter to facilitate
aeration. These holes blocked with nylon screen to prevent escape of earth worms from the pits (Fig. 2).
For the preparation of 100 kg compost, 150 kg fresh biomass (waste material), 50 kg fresh cowdung, 1.1 kg urea, 50 g l 3-4 cm thick layer of partially decomposed dung about (2 months old) is spread on the bottom of the pits. A layer of
fungal inoculum (105 viable cell), 1 litre bacterial (108 viable cell), and 1 litre actinomycetes (108 viable cell) inocula are dung and decomposable organic wastes, chopped, dried and mixed in the ratio of 1:1 (w/w) is then added. A second
required. layer of dung is then applied followed by another layer of litter/crop residue in the same ratio up to the height of 1.5
feet. The material is allowed to decompose for 20-21 days to stabilize the temperature after the initial thermophilic
Salient Features stage.
l After partial decomposition of materials, the earthworm species Eisenia foetida, Eudrilus eugeniae and Perionyx
l A new technology has been developed to speed up the composting using consortium of Ligno-cellulolytic excavatus (identied by the institute) are directly inoculated in each pit by hand on the surface materials on the basis
thermophilic organisms of 1kg/ 100 kg materials (Fig.3).
l For this purpose, rapo-compost technology has been designed with a capacity of 100 kg (Fig. 1) l Water should be sprinkled with can, immediately after the release of worms. Moisture content is maintained at 60-
l Biowaste materials like domestic wastes and vegetable wastes are collected and partially dried 70% throughout composting period. Jute bags (gunny bags) should spread uniformly on the surface of the materials
l Fresh cowdung mixed with the waste materials in the ratio of 1:0.2 (on dry weight basis) to facilitate maintenance of suitable moisture regime and temperature conditions.
l Microbial consortia are inoculated to accelerate the decomposition processes at 7 and 14 days of decomposition
l Moisture content is maintained throughout the composting period at 60% of water holding capacity Advantages of Vermicomposting
l Temperature is maintained at 550C during rst 21 days of composting
l Periodic turning is done using hand peddle to homogenize the inside materials ü It provides efcient conversion of organic wastes/crop/animal residues
for production of vermicompost within 1.5 months to 2.5 months.
ü Vermicompost is storehouse of plant nutrients.
ü It improves physical, chemical and biological properties of soils and
Earthworms inoculation in pits over shade
therefore better crop productivity.
ü It is economically viable and environmentally safe nutrient supplement
for organic food production.
ü It is an easily adoptable low cost technology.
ü About 3 tonnes of vermicompost can be produced from 10 beds of 10 x 3
Fig. 1: Steps followed for Rapo-composting Watering in beds x 1.5 feet size bed. The cost of earthworms is Rs 400 per kg. A 50 kg
bags of vermicompost can be sold for Rs 150 (Rs 3000/tonne).
Impact and Benets of Rapo-compost Steps for Rapo-composting ü This technology is better in terms of faster decomposition of the waste
ü Rapo-compost would prepare compost within 1-1.5 months from Collection of biowaste materials over conventional method.
domestic and vegetable waste ü Secondly the nutrient composition of the vermicompost is higher than
ü The manurial value improved such as total nitrogen 0.89 to 1.75 % Segregation of non-biodegradable
conventional compost.
ü At 30 days of decomposition the colour of the compost was dark materials
Field demonstration ü Application of vermicompost @ 5 tonne/ha in cropping system and 1-10
brown and with no foul odour
ü C:N ratio of matured compost is 14:1, CEC reached to 94 waste materials mixed with fresh Fig. 2: View of Vermicomposting Technology kg/tree in plantations, depending on the size of trees is recommended.
cowdung
cmol(p+)/kg, lignin/cellulose ratio increased to 2.4%, CEC/TOC
ratio was 0.27 (initial) reached to 4.56 at 30 days of decomposition,
Inoculation with consortium of organisms
water soluble carbon reached to 0.5% whereas the content of NH4-
N and NO3-N varied from 1.3-0.28 and 0.14-0.84 g/kg, respectively All materials mixed together and fed to
ü Large quantities of wastes materials may be recycled back to the rapo-compost bioreactor
eld after converting them to quality manure
ü The production of a valuable soil amendment from many organic After one month the humied organic
materials which normally might be wasted manure was allowed for curing
ü Pathogens and weed seeds do not survive at high temperature Perionyx excavatus Eisenia foetida Eudrilus eugeniae
during the composting process Sieved (4 mm sieves) and stored at 25%
moisture condition Fig. 3: View of different epigeic earthworms
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