Earthworms and Vermicomposting : Species, Procedures and Crop Application / Sohan Singh Walia and Tamanpreet Kaur.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Walia, Sohan Singh, author.

Kaur, Tamanpreet, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Earthworm culture.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (153 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Singapore : Springer, [2024]

Summary:

This book explains the lifecycle of earthworms, biological features, multiplication of worms, species of earthworms that are suitable for vermicomposting, different sources of vermicompost, nutrient recovery and different procedures for making of vermicompost and importance of application of vermicompost in cereal, fruit and vegetable crops. The tremendous increase in population, urbanization, industrialization and agricultural production results in accumulation quantities of solid wastes. This has created serious problem in the environment. In order to dispose this waste safely it should be converted effectively. This is achieved by bio-composting and vermicomposting of farm, urban and agro-industrial waste. It is being increasing realized that composting is an environment friendly process, convert wide variety of wastes into valuable agricultural inputs. Compost is excellent source of humus and plant nutrients, on application of which improve soil biophysical properties and organic matter status of the soil. India generates about 350 million tonnes of agricultural waste every year. Agricultural wastes include crop residues, weeds, leaf litter, sawdust, forest waste, and livestock waste. Under appropriate conditions, worms eat agricultural waste and reduce the volume by 40 to 60%. Vermicompost produced by the activity of earthworms is rich in macro and micro-nutrients, vitamins, growth hormones, enzymes such as proteases, amylases, lipase, cellulase and chitinase and immobilized microflora.This book will assist farmers, students and scholars to guide them about lifecycle of earthworms, biological features, multiplication of worms, species of earthworms that are suitable for vermicomposting and different procedures for making of vermicompost. This book will also benefit students of agriculture at graduate and post graduate level as students have a designated course on vermicomposting.

Contents:

Intro

Preface

Contents

About the Authors

1: Earthworms and Vermicomposting

1.1 Introduction

1.1.1 Vermicomposting

1.2 Origin and Evolution

1.3 Distribution of Earthworm

1.4 Size of Earthworm

1.5 Food and Feeding Habits

References

2: Anatomy of Earthworms

2.1 Body Structure

2.1.1 Earthworm Body

2.1.1.1 External Characters

2.1.1.2 Digestive System

2.1.1.3 Body Cavity or Coelom

2.1.1.4 Body Wall

2.1.1.5 Locomotion

2.1.1.6 Excretion

2.1.1.7 Circulatory System

2.1.1.8 Nervous System

2.1.1.9 Reproductive System

2.1.1.10 Reproduction and Cocoon Formation

2.1.2 Shape, Size, and Color of Cocoons

3: Earthworms, Their Species, and Biological Features

3.1 Earthworm Species

3.1.1 Redhead Worm

3.1.2 Common Earthworm

3.1.3 Green Worm

3.1.4 European Night Crawler

3.1.5 Brandling Worm

3.1.6 Giant Gippsland Earthworm

3.1.7 Washington Giant Earthworm

3.1.8 Gray Worm

3.1.9 Composting Worm

3.1.10 African Night Crawler

3.2 Biological Features of Earthworm

3.3 The Morphology and Anatomy of the Earthworm Are Discussed Below

3.3.1 Anatomy of Earthworm

3.3.2 Digestive System

3.3.3 Circulatory System

3.3.4 Respiratory System

3.3.5 Excretory System

3.3.6 Nervous System

3.3.7 Sensory System

3.3.8 Reproductive System

3.3.9 Multiplication of Worms

3.3.10 Earthworm Sexuality

3.3.11 Ready for Reproduction

3.3.12 Copulation and Fertilization

3.3.13 No Partner Needed

4: Vermitechnology: History and Its Applications

4.1 History

4.2 Wastes Utilized in Vermitechnology

4.3 Earthworms Used in Vermitechnology

4.3.1 Earthworm Species Suitable for Waste Degradation

4.4 Role of Earthworms in Vermitechnology

4.4.1 Effects of Earthworms on.

4.5 Applications of Vermitechnology

4.6 Issues Related to Vermitechnology

4.7 Vermitechnology in Other Countries

4.8 Vermitechnology in India

4.9 Vermitechnology in Northeast India

4.10 Recent Works Related to Vermitechnology

4.10.1 Aerobic Sponge Method Vermitechnology for Macro-Level Conversion of Organic Garbage

4.10.2 Treatment of Agricultural Wastes with Biogas: Vermitechnology

4.10.3 Assessment of Different Organic Supplements for Degradation of Parthenium Hysterophorus by Vermitechnology

4.10.4 Application of Vermitechnology in Aquaculture

4.10.5 Vermitechnology for Organic Waste Management and Sustainable Agriculture (Gopi 2017

Chattopadhyay 2017)

4.11 Future Prospects

5: Role of Earthworms in Vermicomposting

5.1 Earthworm Species Suitable for Vermicomposting

5.2 Organic Matter and Earthworms in the Soil

5.3 Soil Nitrogen and Earthworms

5.4 Soil Phosphorus and Earthworms

5.5 Heavy Metals and Vermicomposting

6: Different Sources of Vermicompost: Vermicomposting from Household Waste-Vermicomposting from Farm Waste

6.1 Different Sources of Vermicompost

6.2 Vermicomposting from Household Waste

6.2.1 Method

6.3 Vermicomposting from Farm Waste

6.3.1 Methods

6.4 Different Sources and Preparation of Vermicompost

7: Preparation of Vermicompost

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Sequential Method of Composting

7.3 Mechanism of Earthworm Action

7.4 Vermicomposting Systems

7.4.1 Windrow System

7.4.2 Wedge System

7.4.3 Container System

7.4.3.1 Pits, Tanks, and Cement Rings

7.4.3.2 Commercial Model

7.4.3.3 Beds or Bins

Top-Fed Type

Stacked Type

7.4.4 Continuous Flow System

7.5 Maintaining Continuous Flow

7.6 Feeding Rates

7.7 Excessive Heating.

7.8 Method for Preparation of Vermicompost from Paddy Straw/Waste Maize Silage

7.9 Processing: Time and Acceleration

7.10 Maturity and Stability

7.11 Composting v/s Vermicomposting

7.12 Acceleration Process

7.12.1 Organic Nutrients and Other Additives

7.12.2 Effective Micro-organisms (EM)

7.13 Domestic Waste Processing Systems

7.14 Points to Be Considered When Making Compost

8: Influence of Vermicompost on Soil Health

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Influence of Physiochemical Properties of Soil

8.3 Influence of Vermicompost on Biological Properties of Soil

8.4 Modification in Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Feed Waste Through Vermicomposting

8.5 pH and Electrical Conductivity (EC)

8.6 Nitrogen

8.7 Organic Carbon and C:N Ratio

8.8 Phosphorus

8.9 Beneficial Role of Vermicompost in Fruit Crops

8.10 Beneficial Role of Vermicompost in Vegetable Crops

8.11 Nutrient Recovery from Kitchen Bio-Waste

8.12 Integration of Composting and Vermicomposting

8.13 Importance of Vermicompost

8.14 Environmental Applications of Vermicompost

9: Harvesting of Vermicompost

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Vermicompost

9.2.1 Materials for Preparation of Vermicompost

9.2.1.1 Phases of Vermicomposting

9.2.2 The Five Essentials

9.2.3 Harvesting Vermicompost

9.2.4 Harvesting Earthworm

9.2.4.1 Manual Methods

9.2.4.2 Self-Harvesting (Migration) Methods

9.2.5 Storing and Packing of Vermicompost

9.2.6 Precautions During the Process

Reference

10: By-Product and Value-Added Products

10.1 Vermiwash

10.1.1 Steps for Preparation

10.2 Vermicompost Tea

10.3 Vermimeal

10.4 Enriched Vermicompost

10.5 Pelleted Vermicompost

11: Problems in Handling Vermicompost

11.1 Temperature

11.2 Aeration.

11.3 Acidity (pH)

11.4 Pests and Diseases

11.5 Odor

12: Importance of Application of Vermicompost in Cereal, Fruit and Vegetable Crops

12.1 Rice Crop

12.2 Uses of Vermicompost in Urban Areas

12.3 Landfilling

12.4 Incineration

12.5 Animal Feed

13: Beneficial Role of Vermicompost: Nutrient Content in Vermicompost and Success Stories

13.1 Beneficial Role of Vermicompost

13.2 Nutrient Content in Vermicompost

13.3 Success Stories

13.3.1 Success Story of Prateek Bajaj

13.3.2 Success Story of Karan Sikri (Kurukshetra's Young Farmer)

13.3.3 Success Story of Bhikhari Mehta (Kumar et al. 2017)

13.3.4 Success Story of Ravuri Suresh Kumar (Devi and Kumar 2020)

14: Conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

Other Format:

Print version: Walia, Sohan Singh Earthworms and Vermicomposting

ISBN:

9789819989539

OCLC:

1417758630