Vermicomposting of biosolids with cow manure and oat straw

Journal of Environmental …, 2010

Million tons of organic wastes are land filled or incinerated annually. Each of these methods for disposal of wastes can make various damages to environment. Also, gathering, landfill or incineration of these materials imposes high costs. In landfill of wastes in addition to problems related to costs and occupying of ground by wastes, there is infiltration threat of nitrate and other contaminants to groundwater. One of the useful methods for processing the organic wastes is recycling to organic fertilizer. As a result of this process, in addition to health and environmental problems' reduction, considerable amount of organic fertilizer produced. Nowadays, applying earth worms for production of organic fertilizer from wastes, which is called vermin-compost, has found special popularity. In process of compost production by worms, worms are fed by organic wastes and the worms change it to fertilizer. In this process, by feeding the worms with organic materials, some useful bacteria for organic wastes decomposition are added which expedited the process. Also these bacteria have positive effects on stabilization and making minerals that are applicable for plants. Positive effect of adding vermi-compost to soil in tomato field had shown by Federico. In another research, the increasing of rice stalks and soil fertility obtained by adding vermi-compost. Iran has a production potential of 4 million tons compost from municipal solid wastes, annually. So attention to this matter can be useful in solid waste management for improving the produced compost's quality. Methods Preparation of media Preparation of wastes are done for 18 days in aerobic condition, then the prepared wastes added to worms' bed, in lower part of pots placed 350gr vermin-compost as bed which made proper height in pot for lair of worms. We set 5 pots containing 350gr bed, including blank, with no worm, and 4 pots with 6, 12, 18 and 24 worms. The worms scaled to maintain weight arrangement of worms among the pots, then 70gr of prepared wastes added to each pots and 100gr vermin-compost placed on the wastes for conversion. The pots marked BO(blank pot), Bl, B2, B3, and B4 respectively and monitored for a month. Chemical analysis For measurement of pH, samples after drying in 105°C for 24hr, suspended in distilled water and mixed for one minute, after 10 minute stabilization it filtered through Whatman no. 1 filter paper and their pH measured. Measurement of carbon content was done in 550°C for 2 hr And Carbon content was calculated with determination of VS. Measurement of Nitrogen content was accomplished by micro Kjeldahl Titrimetric method on O.1grsamples. Sampling Homogenized samples of each pot's waste was taken in 10 days during a month. For sampling first the cover layer removed and then after taking the sample the covering layer was returned again. Statistical analyses We applied multivariate and linear regression tests for statistic analysis of data.

European Journal of Soil Biology, 2007

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of thermophilic pre-composting followed by vermicomposting on compost characteristics compared with thermophilic pre-composting and windrow composting. Source segregated household waste was thermophilically composted (14 days) to sanitise the waste. Organic matter and nitrogen losses were 9% and 5% respectively. The waste was then matured (84 days) using either vermicomposting beds (n ¼ 5) or composting windrows (n ¼ 5). At the end of the 98 days processing there was a significantly greater mass (P < 0.01) of fine particles (<10 mm) in the vermicomposting beds (65.3% m:m) compared with the compost windrows (36.9% m:m) suggesting enhanced fragmentation of the paper-based feedstock components by the earthworms. When screened, the windrow compost (<10 mm) contained significantly higher (P < 0.01) concentrations of total N, P and K and total Cu (P < 0.01), Pb (P < 0.001), Ni (P < 0.05) and Cd (P < 0.01). Significantly higher levels of electrical conductivity (EC) 3.08 mS.cm (P < 0.001) and water-soluble K 6366 mg kg À1 (P < 0.01) were recorded for the windrow compost compared with the vermicompost (1.78 mS.cm; 3328 mg kg À1 ). The vermicompost NO 3 concentration (2660 mg kg À1 ) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than for the windrow compost (1531 mg kg À1 ). In a programme of plant response tests based on B.S.I. PAS 100 (2005), the screened (<10 mm) vermicompost and windrow compost performed comparably when formulated into growing media based on equalising EC levels.

Annals of Tropical Research, 2014

This study, evaluates the process flow of nutrient from raw materials to compost to vermi fertilizer, and to assess the possibility of on-site organic fertilizer production technique. Four different types of weeds such as Cogon (), Imperata cylindrica Hantutuknaw (), Hagunoy () Melastoma malabaticum Chromolaena odorata and Bugang () were collected in the project site of Saccharum spontaneum Guinsangaan, Inopacan, Leyte. These were shredded (using the mobile Plant Power Shredder) and placed inside a 1 m × 1 m × 1 m black plastic screen (9 mesh per cm). The materials were allowed to decompose simulating the 2 field condition. A 3/7 parts of chicken manure, 3/7 parts of soil taken from the project area and 1/7 parts of the compost were mixed together inside the screen container (approx ½ m mixture). Three hundred grams of night 3 crawler vermi were placed inside the container with the mixture. Each plastic screen was also placed inside the bin with silk screen (approx 200 mesh) bottom which were laid flat in the shaded and moist area. The temperatures inside the bin ranged from 23 C to 30 C which were 0 0 conducive for the growth of the worms. The Night Crawler thrived and grew in the open field condition-the weight of the stocked worms increased by 3.33% to 16.67%. NPK contents of the vermicast from the different bedding materials were more or less similar, although initially, these were obviously different. Hagonoy composts which was abundant in the marginal uplands was 2.5% higher in N compared to Cogon, Bugang and Hantutuknaw.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), 2022

Vermicompost is a highly nutritive organic fertilizer that helps to increase crop production. It is produced by plants and animals. Vermicompost is the product of the decomposition of organic wastes by earthworms. It is the process of making compost. Organic waste includes municipal solid waste, industrial waste, food waste, agriculture waste, etc. The bagasse, press mud, cow dung, urine, and earthworm were collected. Mass production of earthworms was done in the vermicompost unit. Physiochemical analysis of raw material (bagasse and press mud) and cow dung was done. In this paper, we observed that analyzed bagasse and press mud, and cow dung are nutrient-rich and can be used for vermicompost. Production of vermicompost can be increased by using these as raw materials.

Tropical and …, 2011

The issue of organic waste generation is a constant nowadays; recycling and reduction are expensive physical and chemical processes, so the use of vermicomposting techniques reduces production costs and decontaminates the environment. Earthworms decompose organic matter and generate a product called vermicompost. Vermicompost is obtained from a wide variety of organic waste including residual sludge; when sewage sludge is managed with vermicomposting techniques, the resulting product supplies nutriments, more stable organic matter and works as a soil conditioner. The present bibliographic review underscores its importance via the use of diverse sorts of organic waste to reincorporate them into the environment. The parameters considered to produce vermicompost are: pH, temperature, moisture, total solid contents, nitrogen, carbon, C/N ratio and humic acids. The importance of this text is to be found in the need to use vermicompost amendments from the use of sewage sludge to be transformed into fertilizer and be utilized in the growth of plants, thus turning it into an alternative in agricultural soils and a solution for its final end. Separately, earthworms take part as agents that bio-accumulate heavy metals and reduce the levels of toxicity in the environments; thereby these organisms, in addition to produce vermicompost, are considered an agent that bio-accumulates heavy metals from the environment.

Science of The Total Environment, 2019

Impact of different biochars supplemented (10% w/w) to promote vermicomposting of sewage sludge (SS) and kitchen waste (KW) mixture (SS KW, 70:30) was studied on the growth, reproduction and survival of earthworms, and ultimately the quality of vermicompost. Four types of biochar used as secondary material for preincubation (16 days) and vermicomposting (30 days) were: pine tree biochar (PTB), poplar plant biochar (PPB), wetland plant biochar (WPB) and yard waste biochar (YWB). Preincubation and vermicomposting of biomass mixture were undertaken in 60 L and 2 L capacity round-shaped bioreactors, respectively. Samples of biomass undergoing degradation were drawn after every 2 days during preincubation and with 5 days interval during vermicomposting to analyze them for plant nutrients and heavy metals contents. Amendment of vermicompost substrate (SS KW) with biochars; PTB, PPB, WPB and YWB increased the reproduction rate of earthworms (Eisenia fetida) by 44.6, 53.9, 29.3 and 38.8%, respectively as compared to control (no biochar, NB). There has been significant reduction in total content of Cd (0.2-5.1%), Cr (7.3-10.8%), Cu (3.1-7.4%), Mn (3.2-8.4%), Pb (9.0-45.9%) and Zn (1.1-5.7%) by the application of different biochars as compared to NB after vermicomposting. The SEM/EDS images also reflected reduced concentration of these heavy metals in the final vermicompost as compared to initial mixtures. Progressively, biochar amendments increased the concentration of all macronutrients, viz., TN (15.8-31.0%), TP (8.6-9.9%), TK (2.8-17.3%), Ca (4.1-9.9%) and Mg (0.8-12.2%);

Journal of Agricultural Policy, 2020

Vermicompst is a rich source of vitamins and growth hormones and contains most nutrients in plant available form. Ten adult earthworms (Eudrilus eugeniae) were cultured for three (3) months and three (3) weeks in sack made from old window mosquito net. The resultant product at harvest vermicompost made of mostly worm casts was used to incubate sandy and clay soils respectively at the ratio of 50g: 300g for two (2) months and replicated five (5) times. The results of the study shows that the produced vermicompost enriched the two types of soil with favourable pH level, high content of P, Ca, Mg and OM. Available P, pH level, Ca, Mg and OM were significantly (P < 0.05) increased and varied among the treatments. Exch. K and microbial biomass (MB) result showed higher value in clay while sand recorded higher value in N, Na and exchangeable acidity (EA). The findings of this study are of evidence that vermicompost improved the fertility of the soils by releasing mineral elements in the forms that are available for uptake of crops.

Cattle manure is produced in large quantities in industrial breeding facilities and the storage and/or spreading of this waste on land may cause contamination of the atmosphere, soil and water. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the active phases of composting, vermicomposting, and also a combination of composting and vermicomposting for reducing the polluting potential and for stabilizing cattle manure in the short-term. For this, the degree of decomposition as well as the microbial activity and microbial composition of the resulting products after the active phase of composting and vermicomposting were analysed. None of the treatments significantly reduced the dissolved organic carbon and dissolved organic nitrogen contents relative to the control, and therefore more time may be required for stabilization. Nevertheless, the lowest values of microbial biomass and activity corresponded to the earthworm-worked substrates, in which fungal growth was also promoted; the combined treatment (composting + vermicomposting) was the most effective in terms of stabilizing the cattle manure. Moreover, earthworms promoted the retention of nitrogen and gradual release of P, as well as a reduction in electrical conductivity, thereby producing improved substrates for agricultural use.

International Journal of Scientific Reports, 2019

Vermicomposting technology is a popular solid waste management biotechnological process of composting in which earthworms are used to enhance the process of waste conversion and produce a better product. Vermicomposting differs from composting in several ways. 1 Vermicompost is the excreta of earthworms, which are rich in humus, macronutrients, and micronutrients. It can improve soil health status, enhance crop production, and improve the physical properties of the soil. 2,3 Vermicompost also contains various plant nutrients such as N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and B, which improve the nutrient content of different plant components such as the roots, shoots, and fruits. 4 Vermicompost can retain nutrients for a long time, and