International Journal of Innovative Horticulture

The vermicomposting of solid organic wastes from industrial, agriculture/horticulture as well as municipal origin can be a suitable alternative technology for the managing the wastes. The horticultural utilization of vermicompost would help in recycling the plant nutrients to soil and also restrict soil degradation. There are several species of earthworm used worldwide but the most suitable one which is used in vermicomposting is Eisenia foetida. Vermicompost is also known as bio-fertilizer as it contains the abundance of microbial diversity, organic matter and various minerals like N, P, K and humic acid. In the vermicompost production, substrates, most commonly used along with cowdung are kitchen waste, crop wastes, poultry waste, garbage waste and paper waste, etc. The vermicompost obtained showed variation in the diversity of microbes, their enzyme activities and their influence on the growth of the plant. Vermicompost may also add to the economy by reducing the load on inorganic fertilizer for increasing the plant yield and productivity.