Transformation of Organic Solid Waste into Nutrient Rich Compost Using Earthworm

Abstract

Household and farm yard solid wastes are mainly from domestic and agricultural recedes containing recyclable substances, compostable organic matter and others. With rapid increase in population and manifold increase of agricultural productivity, the generation of household solid wastes and agricultural by products has increased several folds during last few years. Disposal of solid wastes can be done by methods like land filling, incineration, recycling, conversion into biogas, disposal into sea and composting. Vermicomposting is one of the recycling technologies which will improve the quality of the products. The present study aims to find out the possibility of utilization of household and agricultural organic wastes for vermiculture. Earthworm E. fetida cultured in charies containing soil alone (control - T1), cow dung and saw dust (T2), cow dung, saw dust and green leaves (T3), cow dung, waste paper, saw dust, kitchen garbage and green leaves (T4), cow dung, waste paper, saw dust, kitchen garbage, green leaves and water hyacinth (T5) and cow dung, waste paper, saw dust, kitchen garbage, green leaves, water hyacinth and rice straw(T6) for 80 days. Nutrient values were determined from the compost and compared with that of the control. From these results, it was found that E. fetida is able to use the used materials as feed stock and mineralize them into nutrient rich compost. At the same time the study shows that increased use of organic household and agricultural waste for vermicomposting increases the proportion of both plant macro (N, P, K) and micro nutrient (S, Cu, Zn) in the output worm casting (vermicompost).