Agricultural Reviews

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Agricultural Reviews, volume 31 issue 3 (september 2010) : 172 -183

PRODUCTION OF VERMICOMPOST FROM AGRICULTURAL WASTES- A REVIEW

T. Barik*, J.M.L. Gulati, L.M. Garnayak, D.K. Bastia
1Department of Agronomy, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar 751 003, India

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Cite article:- Barik* T., Gulati J.M.L., Garnayak L.M., Bastia D.K. (2024). PRODUCTION OF VERMICOMPOST FROM AGRICULTURAL WASTES- A REVIEW. Agricultural Reviews. 31(3): 172 -183. doi: .

ABSTRACT

A cris-cross review on vermicompost from agricultural wastes reveals that C-N ratio, pH, moisture
content and temperature of the substrates are the most important parameters for proper
vermicomposting as they determine the litter palatability in detrivorus earthworms. Feed material
having C-N ratio less than 40 can be used successfully for vermicomposting. A temperature of 18 to
250C and moisture content of 40 to 60% were most congenial. Substrate treatment by bioinoculants
and or addition of rock phosphate enriches the vermicompost through increase in the total nitrogen
and available phosphorus and potassium content of vermicompost. Vermicompost prepared out of
the mixture of crop residues amended with cow-dung in the ratio of 1:1 also exhibits higher nutrient
content. Mixed culture of Eisenia foetida, Eudrilus eugeniae and Perionyx excavatus in
vermicomposting shows higher multiplication rate of the worms. Cow-dung has widely been accepted
as the best substrate provided its pH is below 9.5. Cereal and leguminous wastes, tree leaves and
weeds are also found suitable while fresh poultry and pig manure and glyricidia stems are unsuitable.
Vermicompost from obnoxious weeds like Eichhornia crassipes, Salvinia molesta, Lantana camara,
Trapa sp. can be prepared with in 6 to 7 weeks with recovery of about 50 to 53%. Substrates containing
1 to 5% green leaves of leguminous trees can be suitably used for vermicomposting but poisonous
plants or plants sprayed with insecticides are always fatal to the earthworms. Overall high rate of
growth and reproduction of earthworms in the substrates are the best indicators of effective
vermicomposting. Storage of vermicompost beyond 10 weeks decreases the microbial biomass, plant
hormone concentration and enzyme activity.

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