Basic Knowledge in Agriculture #55

Source

What is Vermiculture.

Vermiculture could be taken to mean the rearing of earthworms in order to break down the organic wastes materials into fertile compost referred to as vermicompost. It is a green solution to recycling of organic wastes such as vegetable peels, paper and plant remains into good fertilizer. Encountering it, the waste elements can be biodegraded by special classes of worms like the red wigglers (Eisenia fetida) which helps to create fine compost with a humus-like nature that enhances soil health and productivity.

Vermiculture assists in avoiding pollution of the waste, environment preservation, and sustainable agriculture. The vermicompost resulting is high in all the necessary essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium which result in growth and high yield of plants. It is an easy and useful method, which helps to promote organic agriculture and soil protection.

What are the Importance of Vermiculture.

Vermiculture is important because it facilitates the waste management in a sustainable way and maintain soil. It helps in changing the organic waste such as food scraps and farm residues into compost that is rich in nutrient and therefore, decreases the wastes that are deposited in land fills. The vermicompost produced improves the soil texture, has high water retention and supply the right nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are utilized in the growth of healthy plants. It also increases the good microorganisms of the soil, which increases the soil structure and productiveness.

Vermiculture assists in the organic farming as it provides a natural alternative to the chemical fertilizers so that the environment is not endangered. It also offers income generation to farmers and households since they sell compost and worms and it is an economic and environmental win.

Discuss on the Advantages and also the limitations to Vermiculture.

Source

The advantage of Vermiculture to the agriculture and waste management industry is several. The organic waste is converted into nutrient enriched vermiculite cast which improves the soil structure, soil fertility, and increases the capacity of the soil to retain water. It promotes sustainable farming by use of fewer fertilizers which are composed of chemicals and also enhanced output of crops. The other advantage of Vermiculture is that it is eco friendly, and it reduces the problem of pollution and disposal of waste products, and offers employment, especially in the countryside.

It is, however, limited also. It is a long procedure which requires controlled temperature and moisture, thus is not applicable in high weather conditions. The worms are chemical and acid sensitive that can destroy their growth. As well, it needs to be regularly controlled and monitored to maintain positive conditions. However, vermiculture remains as one of the most effective and plausible methods of organic waste management and soil enrichment.

Thanks for reading my post I'm inviting @chant @abdullahw2 and @jyoti-thelight to participate.