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Production of Vermicompost and Its Impact on Upland Crops

MD. SOHRAB ALl
Department of Zoology, Rajshahi University, Rajshahi

MD. SARWAR JAHAN
Department of Zoology, Rajshahi University, Rajshahi

MD. NASIRUDDIN PRAMANIK
Department of Zoology, Rajshahi University, Rajshahi

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

To initiate the vermiculture and vermicomposting technology in Bangladesh a field experiment was conducted in Rajshahi University Campus from July 2000 to June 2001. The worms selected for vermiculture and vermicomposting were the epigeic P. excavatus and the anecic L. mauritii. The organic waste used as substrate material was a mixture of household garbage and city wastes. The vermiculture bed inoculated with P. excavatus produced more vermicompost than L. mauritii. Almost 57% of the organic wastes were converted into vermicompost. Chemical analyses of the compost treated with and without earthworm shows remarkable difference in most of the nutrient elements. It was found that the vermicompost contained 2.29 times more organic carbon, 1.60 times more potassium, 1.76 times more total nitrogen and 3.02 times more phosphorus than natural compost. Moreover, application of vermicompost stimulated the growth rate and yield of sesame and lady's finger than control treatment. The amount of vermicompost application varied considerably depending on crop.

Keywords: Excavated pits, Vermicompost. and Natural compost

Location: Rajshahi

Start Date: 01-07-2000

End Date: 30-06-2001

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Vermicompost and vermiculture

Objectives:

To develop the vermiculture and vermicomposting methods for the production of vermicompost and test of fertility efficiency of the vermicompost in better crop production in field level.

Methodology:

Seven concrete circular rings (1.61 m diameter x lm height) were set into excavated pits, keeping 80 cm apart from each other, in such a way that two-thirds of the rings remain under the soil. The pit site was covered by a shade (22 x 10 m) made with tall grass straw and bamboo. Vermicomposting beds in six pits were prepared with some modifications of the techniques as described by Dash et al. (1996) and Ismail (1997). The circular ring pits filled from bottom upwards with broken bricks (4 cm thick), coarse sand (4 cm thick), loamy soil plus straw clippings at a ratio of 1:3 (4 cm thick) and loamy soil plus cow dung mixture at a ratio of 15:1 (12 cm thick) to make the vermicomposting beds. Water was sprinkled to make the bed wet, then covered with gunny cloth to prevent evaporation, left for seven days to incubate the media to be acceptable for the worms. The other pit was used as storing pit to condition the wastes before loading. Biodegradable household garbage and city wastes ere collected and shredded by a chopper to reduce the size and volume by about 50 -70%. The wastes were sun dried, mixed with cow dung slurry and kept in the storing pits for seven days For the cultivation of lady's finger, 30 plots (3 x 3 m) were established in a complete randomised block design with six blocks each containing one replicate of the six nutrient treatments: (i) 6 kg of vermicompost. (ii) 5 kg of vermicompost; (iii) 4 kg of vermicompost; (iv) recommended dose of chemical fertilizer (0.25 kg NPK); (v) 5 kg of cow dung and (vi) control. The growth rate and yields of lady's finger was also estimated . The data were analyzed in a computer with IRRISTAT programme .

Source of Information: J. Asiat. Soc. Bangladesh, Sci, 28(1): 119-128, June 2002

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Application of vermicompost enhanced the plant growth and yield of sesame. In case of lady's finger, the vermicompost have played very effective role in all economic aspects of the vegetable crop. Estimated yield of lady's finger per hectare was 18.40 tones from the experimental plots treated with vermicomposts in one season. On the contrary, production of 12.43 tones per hectare was estimated on the basis of harvested crop from untreated plots. NOTURBA vermicomposting centre in France processes about 20 tonnes of city wastes per day with treatment of 20,000 earthworms to get rid of the noxious environmental pollution. In our capital city Dhaka 0.34 kg/capita/day of organic wastes are being accumulated to pollute the environmental health. This burning problem of the day can be solved easily through establishment of vermicomposting projects like NOTURBA with combined activities of government and NGO's. Practice of the technology may open a new avenue for the production of hazard free crops as well as means for the maintenance of soil health and diminution of obnoxious organic pollutants.

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