Fitting Fixtures and Services

Fittings, Fixtures And Services 3(1+2)

Lesson 16 : Vermicompost

Preparation of compost pit

• Compost pit of any dimension can be constructed in the backyard or garden.
• The pit may be single, two pits, or tank of any desirable size filled with brick and mortar with proper water outlets.
• The size of the pits is determined by the volume of biomass and agricultural waste.
• To combat the ants from attacking the worms it is good to have a water column in the centre of the parapet wall of the vermipits.
• A bed of 10 cm height using any of the base materials (coir waste, paddy husk, sugar cane trash etc.) is collected and prepared.
• A layer of soil is given on it.
• Water is sprinkled on it to get a moisture level of 40-45%.The bed should appear wet.
• The organic waste is mixed with cattle dung in equal quantity and is poured with appropriate quantity of water over it so as to make a homogenous mixture.
• Effluent slurry from bio-gas plant is best used for this.
• This mixture is kept for two weeks. During this period heating of substrate takes place. The materials are turned 2-3 times at 4-5 days interval and then transferred it on the layer of bedding prepared earlier.
• Introduction of cocoons or worms (if culturing is done for the first time , it is advisable to introduce worms) in the bed at the rate of 2000 worms for 400 kgs of feed mix. as prepared in third step. Then the feed mix is to be spread uniformly on the culture bed .Add 5-10 % neem cake in the feed mix. Neem cake in small quantities has beneficial effect on the growth of worms.
• The bed is covered with Gunny cloth and water is sprinkled over the cloth periodically to keep gunny cloth wet.
• The worms feed actively on organic matter and assimilate only 5-10 % and rest is excreted as loose granular mounds of vermicastings on the surface away from the feed source ,Thus the worms converts the feed mix into vermicastings in 60 days . The vermin compost once formed completely will give the smell of moist soil.
• The vermi compost is taken out and made a heap in sunlight on a plastic sheet.
• It is to be kept for 1-2 hours .The worms will gather at the bottom of heap.
• Remove vermin compost on top and the worms settled down at the bottom can be carefully collected for use in the next batch of vermi composting.