Vermiculture - Boosting The Agriculture

Vermiculture is a special technique used for converting organic waste into special and beneficial fertilizers. It is the practice of harvesting earthworms that are able to decompose and convert complex processes, thus flushing out significant elements and making nutritive fertilizer.

The earthworm mainly consumes Farmyard manure or roughage with farm wastes, thereby producing such efficient vermicompost that promotes plant growth, boosts soil fertility, and enhances farm productivity.

For harvesting earthworms and obtaining vermicompost, the primary materials required are organic waste, fruit, and vegetable waste, waste from municipalities, paddy husk, poultry wastes, and many more. Moreover, they are the real heroes in the agriculture industry, this is because they are able to balance the environment rather than only converting complex processes to beneficial fertilizers.

Different earthworms used for vermiculture includes Eisenia Andrei, Eisenia fetida, Lumbricus rubella, and many others.

TECHNIQUES

Following are the different techniques used in vermiculture:-

Manual Method

In this method, earthworms are harvested on a flat surface. They are kept on organic layered beds when exposed to sunlight they dig deep inside. As they are sensitive to heat it is important to have proper maintenance and care provided to them.

This way only the earthworms are being harvested and sold. Usually, the organic layered bed is agitated which makes it easy for harvesters to harvest the earthworms.

Migration Method

It mainly pertains to two methods, downward and upward migration methods.

In the downward migration process usually, onion bags and screens are used.in this method, worms are forced to move down using light. They will further migrate into a container having peat moss, food, vegetable peels, etc.

In the upward system, the mesh bottom is placed directly into the worm bed. This way following weight and vermicompost is being achieved.

Mechanical Method

This process uses mechanical harvesteR to be able to collect worms. There is a rotary screen that separates materials, which measures around 11 ft long and 4 ft in diameter. The cylinder which is used is regulated by an electric motor. This is used to caste and adds worm beds. As the rotation gets completed worms move across the trammel device and enter into another region which is the wheelbarrow.

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