International Journal of Innovative Horticulture

  • Year: 2013
  • Volume: 2
  • Issue: 1

Vermicomposting- A technology for waste management and recycling and its relevance to horticulture

  • Author:
  • Rajni Singh1,, Arti Nigam2, Geeta Verma2, Rachana Kapila2
  • Total Page Count: 8
  • DOI:
  • Page Number: 44 to 51

1Amity Institute of Microbial Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector-125, Noida

2Department of Microbiology, Institute of Home Economics, University of Delhi, F-4, Hauz Khas Enclave, New Delhi-110016, India

*Corresponding author: Email: rsingh3@amity.edu; rajni_vishal@yahoo.com

Online published on 4 December, 2019.

Abstract

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.

Keywords

Vermicompost, Eisenia foetida, "agrowaste", bioinoculant, biofertilizer, humic acid