Vermicomposting for Sustainable Agriculture

India is in the process of attaining Higher levels of food production for matching the Demand of the growing population. Much emphasis has been laid on intensive Agriculture sustainable practices because of indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizer and Pesticides has led to the deterioration of Soil health, contamination of air, Water and food. It is an alarming issue at global level, especially among the Agricultural and Environmental scientists. Therefore, attention has now been given to conventional system of agriculture for harmful chemicals-free and safe food for human consumption. Organic Farming is an agriculture without chemical input. India needs organic farming as a farmers' movement. This will Help to get safe food, control soil erosion, structure and improve fertility, renewable energy unit, nutrient Balance and complete organic content build up.

The book includes chapters like, Vermicomposting: Nature's Way to Organic Farming, Vermicomposting: An Over View, Vermicomposting Materials, Earthworms, Ways to Make Compost, • Methods of Earthworms Measurement, Vermicomposting: A World Scenario. In the end Worm Questions and Answers, Directory of Vermiculture Resources, Important Web Sites and E. Mail Addresses, Format of Vermicompost Project (as proposed by Khadi and Village Industry Commission or KVIC) and Subject Index have been appended.

I. VERMICOMPOSTING : NATURE'S WAY TO Organic Farming :
1. Sustainable Agriculture :
i. Principles of Composting

2. Relevance of Composting :
i. Fertilizers use and Deterioration of Soil Environment
ii. Organic Manures : A Boon for Soil Health
iii. Vermicompost - A Quality Manure
iv. Recycling of Wastes Through Vermicomposting
v. Minimizing Pollution Hazard
vi. Providing Growth Promoters
vii. Vermicomposting : Advantages
viii. Adverse Effects on Crops
ix. Economic Viability

II. VERMICOMPOSTING : AN OVER VIEW :
1. Advantages of Vermicomposting
2. Vermicomposting in Daily Life
3. Vermiculture V/s Vermicomposting
4. Vermitechnology (Vt)
5. Progress of Worm Industry
6. Turning Garbage into Money
7. Chemical Composition of the Vermicompost
8. Vermicomposting at Home
9. Vermicomposting on the Farm
10. The Business of Worms
11. Interaction of Vermicompost-Earthworm-Mulch-Plantroot (VEMP)
12. Earthworm Farming is Not Hard
13. A Case Study in India

III. VERMICOMPOSTING MATERIALS :
1. Farm Wastes and their Potential

2. Feeding Vermicomposting Materials :
i. What should not be Fed to Earthworms?
ii. How much Earthworm Eat
iii. How to Feed Earthworms?

iv. Vermicomposting : Types :
a. Indoor Vermicomposting
b. Outdoor Vermicomposting

v. Vermicomposting : Requirements
a. Environmental Requirements
b. Other Requirements
c. Large Barrel or Drum Composter
d. Three-chambered Bin
e. Making of Three-chambered bin

vi. Bedding Materials :
a. Other Factors Affecting Earthworm's Growth

3. Remember

IV. EARTHWORMS :
1. White Worm
2. Scientific Classification
3. Behavior of Earthworm :
i. Phosphorescent Type of Earthworm
ii. Sex Hormone

4. Earthworms as Indicators of Soil Fertility
5. Earthworm as Bioreactors
6. Earthworms and Plant Growth :
i. Organic Matter Dynamics and Nutrient Cycling
ii. Soil Structure
iii. Distribution

7. Feeding Habit and Food
8. General Morphology of Earthworm :
i. Body Structure
ii. Segmentation
iii. Clitellum
iv. Setae
v. Apertures
vi. Genital Papillae
vii. Colour

9. Internal Anatomy of an Earthworm :
i. Muscular System

10. Biology of Earthworm
11. Earthworms : Burrowing Habit (Locomotion)
i. Diapause

12. Reproduction
13. Growth
14. Regeneration
15. Water relationship

16. Earthworm : Types :
i. Red Worms (Eisenia foetida) :
a. Optimum Conditions for Redworms
b. Common Business Applications for Redworms
c. Europian Earthworm

V. Ways TO MAKE COMPOST :
1. Selection of Suitable Species
2. Composting Material : Pre-Digestion or Pre Composting :
i. Proper Ingredient Mixture :
a. Browns
b. Greens
c. Pre-Digestion

3. Production of Vermicompost at Home :
i. Vermicomposting in Pit
ii. Selection of Earthworm
iii. Size of Pit
iv. Preparation of Vermin-bed
v. Inoculation of Earthworms
vi. Organic Layering
vii. Wet Organic Layering
viii. Harvesting of Vermicompost
ix. Rate of Application

4. Production of Vermicompost at Agricultural Farms
5. Harvesting The Compost and Worms
6. Vermicomposting : KISS Plan
i. Advantages of KISS Plan :
a. Step 1 : Windrow Preparation
b. Step 2 : Extending the Windrow
c. Step 3 : Making Quality Castings
d. Step 4 : Moisture and Irrigation
e. Step 5 : Windrow Cover
f. Step 6 : Harvesting

ii. Vermicompost Applications :
a. Seed Beds, Domestic Lawns and Flowers Pots
b. Horticulture
c. Agricultural Crops

7. Establishment of Vermicompost Unit for Marginal Farmer
8. Establishment of Medium Sized Vermicompost Unit
9. Vermicomposts : Characterization
10. Vermiwash
i. Problems in using Vermiwash :
a. Earthworm Paste

11. Earthworms : Predators and Parasites
i. Mite Pests in Earthworm Beds
a. White or Brown Mites
b. Red Mites
c. Mite Prevention
d. Removal of Mite
e. Parasites and Pathogens

ii. Worm Bin Trouble Shooting

VI. METHODS OF EARTHWORMS MEASUREMENT :
1. Sampling Methods
i. Hand Sorting
2. Washing and Sieving
3. Use of Chemical Repellants
4. Electrical Methods
5. Trapping Methods
6. Other Methods :
i. Flotation

7. Heat Extraction :
i. Number of Casts

8. Measurement of Earthworm Biomass
9. Storage and Identification :
i. Storage
ii. Identification

VII. VERMICOMPOSTING : A World Scenario :
1. Grace McKellar Centre, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
2. Hobart City Council, Tasmania, Australia
3. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, U.S
4. Newcastle City Council, New South Wales, Australia
5. Oregon Soil Corporation, Beaverton, Oregon, U.S
6. Pacific Southwest Farms, Ontario, California, U.S
7. Resource Conversion Corporation/Canyon Recycling, San Diego, California, U.S
8. Rideau Regional Hospital, Perth, Ontario, Canada
9. San Quentin Prison, California
10. Seattle Kingdome Stadium, Seattle, Washington, U.S.
11. Sovadec, La Voulte, France
12. Vermiculture Production Center, Pinar del Rio Province, Cuba
13. Vermicycle Organics, Inc., Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
14. India
15. Role of NGOs
16. Green Cross Society of Mumbai, India
17. Indian Aluminum Co. Ltd, Belgaum, India
18. M.R. Morarka - GDC Rural Research Foundation, Jaipur
19. Biogenic Systems, Mumbai