Course: Vermi Production
Module 1: Worm and its food
Earthworms are beneficial terrestrial invertebrates that improve soil structure and fertility through
burrowing and humus production, enhancing microbial activity and serving as food for various
animals.
Key Points:
Not Parasitic: Free-living organisms.
Diverse Species: Over 6,000 species globally, with around 200 native to the Philippines.
Simple yet Varied: Despite simple body structures, earthworms are highly diverse.
Characteristics:
Breathing: Through their skin.
Maturation: Takes 10 to 55 weeks.
Activity: Nocturnal and have a central peripheral nervous system.
Hermaphroditic: Contain both male and female reproductive organs
Diet: Feed on soil microorganisms.
Structure: Have a hydrostatic skeleton.
Environmental Impact and Management
Soil and Moisture: Thrive in loamy, neutral pH soils, require high moisture content, and are
impacted by soil management practices.
Temperature: Prefer temperatures between 10°C to 15°C, cannot tolerate extreme
temperatures.
Organic Waste: Consume organic waste, requiring adequate organic residue in soil.
Classification of Earthworms:
Epigeic: Surface dwellers, found in compost heaps (e.g., Eisenia Fetida).
Endogeic: Soil dwellers, create horizontal burrows just below the surface (e.g., Redhead
worm).
Anecic: Deep burrowers, come to the surface to feed (e.g., African Night Crawler).
Species for Faster Composting
African Night Crawler
Redhead worm
Tiger worm
Blue wor
European Night Crawler
Hawaiian Worm
Earthworms play a crucial role in sustainable agriculture and ecological balance by enhancing soil
health and supporting plant growth. 🌱
The African Night Crawler (ANC)
Size: Typically 6 to 12 inches, sometimes larger.
Maturity: Matures in one month, grows up to 30 cm, weighs 3 grams.
Color: Exhibits an iridescent sheen ranging from dark red to purple in mild sunlight.
Mobility: Moves slowly in hand but very quickly through soil.
Reproduction
Reproduces rapidly, faster than red worms.
Reaches sexual maturity in five weeks under ideal conditions.
Produces up to 3.5 cocoons per week, each yielding about two hatchlings.
Can produce approximately 175 offspring in 20 weeks.
Life Cycle:
Lives 2-3 years in nature and up to 10 years in captivity.
Life stages: Cocoon, Hatchling, Juvenile, Adult, Mating.
The African Night Crawler is known for its rapid growth and reproduction, as well as its significant
role in composting and soil health. 🌱
Worm Food
Higher Vermicompost Production: African Night Crawlers consume more organic matter
than other compost worms.
Composition: Made of biodegradable materials, including:
Nitrogenous: Animal wastes, green biomass.
Carbonaceous: Dry matter.
Optimal Carbon:Nitrogen Ratio: 25-35:1 for efficient bacterial decomposition.
Natural Habitat Mimicry: Materials mimic dried leaves on the forest floor.
Conditions: Must be moist, loose, and partially decomposed before feeding.
Biodegradable Materials:
Agricultural Waste: Rice straw, banana trunk, corn cob and stalk, coconut coir, fruit and
vegetable waste (excluding citrus), sawdust, spent mushroom (with 1% lime), sugarcane.
Urban Waste: Plant-based biodegradables, mudpress, food market and restaurant waste,
brewery waste, Fresh Leaves and Grasses
African Night Crawlers thrive on diverse organic materials, enhancing vermicompost production
and promoting efficient decomposition in a well-maintained environment. 🌱
