Vermiculture and Vermicomposting

RU Foundry and Machine Shop Corporation

and Ecological and Agricultural Development
Foundation, Inc. (EcoAgri)
“Slogan”

I am Proud of being a Farmer

I am a Farmer
Kung Wala Ako Gutom Ka!!
By: Mr. Ramon C. Uy
Safe and Healthy Food/s

Food Security (Household Level)

Situationer
Philippines – in the eyes of other countries?
Opportunities and
Potentials
Facts:
1. Abandoned biomass from 2. As of January 2008, swine
livestock industry (swine, population was 13.7 million pigs
cattle, carabao, goat, chicken and hogs of which 71 % are on
and duck) in the Philippines is backyard farms and the
27,876.65 metric tons per year remaining 29 % on commercial
(Source: Engr. Santiago R. Baconguis, farms (Source: International
2007). Institute for Energy Conservation, 2009).

3. It is estimated that 1.17 million 4. Rice Straws burnt per year

tons of sugarcane trash is – 8,164,728 million tons
recoverable as a biofeedstock in (Source: Philrice Statistics)
the Philippines (Source: T. Mendoza
and A. Elepano).
 Global Warming

Source: Nanding of DOST – Region IV-A

“ We abuse land because we regard it
as a commodity belonging to us.
When we see land as a community to
which we belong, we may begin to
use it with love and respect ”
“ The earth we abuse and the living
things we kill, in the end, take their
revenge; for in exploiting their
presence we are diminishing our
future ”
Why Vermiculture and
Vermicomposting
Vermicomposting…
…Is a LOW-COST, LOW-TECH but
SCIENTIFICALLY-BASED technology

Low cost because materials used in

vermicomposting are abundant and available
all over.
Example of materials that can be used:

- Grass
- Rice straw
- Corn stalks
- Cane tops
- Madre de cacao leaves
- Ipil-ipil leaves
- and other nitrogenous materials
Low tech because the procedure is
simple…

STEPS
1. Gathering
2. Mixing
3. Shredding
4. Composting
5. Vermicomposting
6. Harvesting
Scientifically based…

because many scientists all

over the world have attested to the
efficacy of vermicompost.

A study conducted by Ms. Lina

Villegas of BPI (Bureau of Plant
Industry) funded by Dr. Guerrero
of PCARMD shows its
benefits.
 What is Vermiculture?
Vermiculture - is culture of earthworms.

The goal is to continually increase the number

of worms in order to obtain a sustainable
harvest.

• The worms are either used to expand

a vermicomposting operations or sold to
customers who use them for the same or
other purposes.
• Glenn Munroe-Manual of On-Farm Vermicomposting and Vermiculture(Organic
Agriculture Centre of Canada)
 What is
Vermicomposting?

Vermicomposting - is the process by which worms are

used to convert organic materials (usually wastes)
into humus-like material known as vermicompost.

• The goal is to process the material as quickly and

efficiently as possible.

Glenn Munroe-Manual of On-Farm Vermicomposting and Vermiculture(Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada)

 Vermicomposting (Production Process)

Gathering/Mixing of Raw Mat. 75 Shredding

% Carbon Source and 25 % Pre-Compositing
Nitrogen Source

Packaging Stocking
Harvesting
 Actual Output – Shredding of Various Biodegradable Materials
(Vermicomposting- RU Shredder - 6.5 HP- May 20, 2010)

Biodegradable No. of Kgs. Time Output per Hour

Materials (Trial (kgs.)
Evaluation)
Coconut Husk 11 32 seconds 2,062
(Fresh)
Coconut Husk 6 1.08 minutes 333.00
(Dried)
Rice Straw 9 1.13 minutes 477
Banana Bracts 10 24 seconds 2,500
(Fresh)
Mixed Vegetables 11 33 seconds 1,909
Jackfruit Peeling 16 36 seconds 2,666
Pineapple Crown 11 33 seconds 2,000
 The African nightcrawler, known
scientifically as Eudrilus eugeniae, is the
compost or manure earthworm that feeds
on decaying organic materials. It can stay
up to the 6-inch portion of the top soil but
is dependent on decaying organic
materials above the soil for survival.
Miss Earth Promotes Vermiculture and
Vermicomposting
Improved Practices on Vermiculture and
Vermicomposting Introduced by RU Foundry and
Machine Shop Corporation and EcoAgri
Development Foundation, Inc.

Vermi Bed - 2 X 2 meters

Stocking - 5 kgs. per square meter
Vermicasting Production per month – 400 kgs.
 Vermi-bed

Vermicompost
Worm (African Night
Crawler )
Vermiculture/vermicomposting model in Brgy.,
Puypoy, BAY, Laguna
Quezon

Source: Mr. Almeda

SWAC- Region IV-A
Cavite

Source: Mr. Ariel Almeda

SWAC-Region IV-A
Result and Analysis
 BPI’s TEST RESULTS By Mrs. Lina Villegas

VERMICOMPOST COMPOSITION

Determination Animal Manure Plant/Leaves______________

% Rat Chicken Peanut Neem Azolla Ipil-ipil Kakawate Cocodust
+ Ipil-ipil
Total Nitrogen (N) 1.40 1.52 1.33 1.06 2.26 2.33 2.74 0.15

Total Phosphorous (P) 2.53 0.49 0.47 0.73 0.69 0.69 1.33 0.23

Total Potassium (K2O) 0.37 1.28 0.37 0.38 1.52 1.10 3.54 0.04

Total Calcium 3.10 0.43 1.09 0.63 0.05 0.15 0.29 0.08

Total Magnesium (Mg) 0.40 0.24 0.51 0.30 0.31 0.33 0.52 0.0

Total Iron (Fe) 1.50 1.47 0.62 0.33 0.49 0.17 0.43 0.16

Total Manganese (Ma) 0.16 0.06 0.04 0.02 0.06 0.02 0.03 0.00

Total Copper (Cu) 0.02 0.02 0.0003 0.0003 0.008 0.004 0.005 0.01

Total Zinc (Zn) 0.11 0.04 0.02 0.02 0.06 0.04 0.01 0.02

Moisture Content (%) 15.53 33.27 -- -- 19.70 22.52 10.85 --

PH (%) 6.70 7.20 7.20 6.80 6.80 5.70 7.20 4.4

Analysis of substrate combination of grases (75%) +kakawate
leaves (25%) before and after feeding to earthworms for the
poduction of vermicompost.
Basic Requirement
(practical and appropriate
practices)
Five Basic Things That
Worms Need:
1. A hospitable living environment, usually
called “bedding”.
2. Adequate moisture (greater than % water
content by weight)
3. A food source
4. Adequate aeration
5. Protection from temperature extremes
 CARBON TO NITROGEN RATIO (C:N 3:1)

(3) (1) NITROGEN SOURCE

CARBON
SOURCE Animal
Plant Source
Manure

Grass • Kakawate
Rice straw Leaves
Corn • Ipil-ipil Leaves
Stalks/Stover All animal
• Mongo
Wood manures
• Kudzu
Some examples of Saw dust except dog,
Cocodust
• “Baging Ilog”
cat and
carbon and nitrogen Cococoir • Wild Sunflower
human
• Katuray leaves
sources Paper
• Azolla
Cane tops
Cane trash • Peanut
Gathering of Materials/
Identifying of Materials
Source of Carbon 75%
Grass, Rice Straw, Corn Stalks,
Sugar Cane Tops, Yard Waste

Source of Nitrogen 25 %
- Vines, Madre de Cacao/Kakawate and
Ipil-ipil
- Animal Manure - Chicken, Cow, and Pig
Profile of African
Night Crawler
The African Night Crawler
 More prolific in a controlled environment

 One kilo of worms may contain 800-1,000 pcs.

(ready to breed)
 Productivity of Earthworms in Animal and
Vegetable Waste:
The Worm’s sexual
Life
Resume’
Cycle

TIME FOR TIME TO TIME EGG

TO
SPECIES COCOONS MATUR
TO SEXUAL ITY

HATCH MATURITY
(DAYS) (DAYS) (DAYS)

Eisenia fetida 32-73 53-76 85-149

Eudrilus
Eugeniae 12-27 32-95 43-122
Perionyx
excavatus 16-21 28-56 44-71

Dendrobaena
veneta 40-126 57-86 97-14
Each worm is divided by two, and the part
that contains the vital organs
(hearts, a gizzard, intestines, male and
female sex organs) is the only part that
regenerates in time. The other half of it
dies.
Clitellum
 Other species of earthworms

Giant Earthworm of Australia Giant Earthworm of Banawe

(Megascolides australis) (Pheretima sp.)
Source: Rafael D. Guerrero III
PCAMARD
 Biology of Earthworms
 Life Span
 1-2 years in nature
 More than 10 years in captivity

 Growth Rate
 the “African nightcrawler” can grow to more than 30
cm in length and 3 grams each
Some facts:
 They are hermaphrodite and some species live for ten
years or longer.

 The optimum temperature for growth and survival is 25C

but they died at temperatures below 9C and above 30C.

 The moisture content for optimal growth is 50-80% MC,

with considerable decreases in growth at 70-90% MC.

 All species are very sensitive to ammonia and cannot

survive long in organic wastes containing much ammonia
(e.g., fresh poultry manure).

 They are tolerant to pH but given a choice, they prefer

more acid material, with an apparent pH of 5.0.
Under favorable condition:
 Stocked earthworms would start mating. Two
earthworms bind together in a clitellum and
exchange sperm.
 Mating is done once a week.
 Rate of egg production is 3-5
eggs/week/earthworm.
Next victim
Output and
Indicators
When compared with soil, worms casts also
contain 1.5 times calcium, 3 times more
exchangeable magnesium and 8 times as
many microorganisms which promotes
healthy plant growth.

The casts are rich in humic acid, which

condition the soil, have a perfect pH balance,
and have plant growth factors similar to
those found in seaweed.

Source : IRRI Research Study

Application to Rice, Vegetables and other Crops
Vermicompost can be used as
Feed/s to Swine (10 to 20 percent
on Biofeeds Formulation)
 Vermicompost can be
processed into vemi-tea which
is a good foliar fertilizer.
 Instrumental in the process of ………..

Turner Mineral Shredder Shredder

Bicycle Shredder Chopper Decorticator

“Local Ingenuity World Class Technology”

Circular Mixer
Reflection and
Realities
“Lets Work for a Better
Environment and a
Sustainable Future “