VERMICOMPOSTING IN SERICULTURE USING MIXED CULTURE OF EARTHWORMS (EUDRILLUS EUGINEAE, EISENIA FOETIDA AND PERIONYX EXCAVATUS) A REVIEW.

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1 Agric. Rev., 31 (2) : , 2010 AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATION CENTRE / indianjournals.com VERMICOMPOSTING IN SERICULTURE USING MIXED CULTURE OF EARTHWORMS (EUDRILLUS EUGINEAE, EISENIA FOETIDA AND PERIONYX EXCAVATUS) A REVIEW. A. Venugopal, M. Chandrasekhar, B.V. Naidu and Satyanarayana Raju Regional Sericultural Research Station, Post Box No: 50, Anantapur , India. ABSTRACT Vermicomposting is an eco-friendly technology and has a tremendous scope in the recycling of sericultural residue. Proper utilization of sericulture waste as raw material for vermicomposting serve as organic manure which can substantially bring down the expenditure on chemical fertilizers and helps in improvement of soil health and nutrient availability to mulberry plants leading to leaf quality improvement. Key words: Vermicompost, Mulberry, Soil health. There is a growing awareness and inclination of farmers towards organic farming with little or no use of chemical fertilizers. The mulberry cultivation can be made sustainable and economical by recycling all the organic residues of sericultural origin as compost and vermicompost. Though, the response of crops to chemical fertilizers is immediate, the role of organic manure in increasing the yield cannot be under estimated especially in tropical countries like India, where the soil contain less than one percent of organic matter. A judicious combination of organic and inorganic fertilizer, promote agricultural crop production besides improving soil health. Vermicompost is an ecofriendly technology and has a tremendous scope in the recycling of sericultural residue. Vermicompost technology involves earthworms and composting of any organic waste which is completed by days after introducing earthworms in vermicompost pits, while anaerobic composting in pits takes 4-5 months. The material can be easily handled. It contains useful microorganisms and rich in plant nutrients including micro-nutrients. It has been estimated that from one hectare of mulberry farm, approximately 15 MT of sericultural waste is generated annually in the form of silkworm rearing waste and other farm wastes which is equivalent to Kg of nitrogen, Kg of phosphorus and Kg of potash (Das et al.,1997). Proper utilization of these raw materials as organic manure can substantially bring down the expenditure on chemical fertilizers. Vermicompost technology was, therefore, opted for rapid conversion of these wastes into nutrient rich compost for applying to mulberry garden to bring down the cost of cultivation as well as to improve the soil health and mulberry leaf yield and quality. The vermicompost technology: The protocol of vermicomposting is organic residue comprising silkworm litter, bed refuse and farm weeds etc., They are first loaded in a open pit/trench and charged with sufficient amount of water mixed with cow dung or biogas plant slurry and left for days for semi decomposition. This serves as starter feed for earthworms. During this process the temperature of the semi-decomposing material will rise to C. To reduce the temperature, once or twice

2 Vol. 31, No. 2, the material should be turned up and down, then the temperature will come to normal state. Later, the chamber should be filled up with Kg semi-decomposed Sericultural wastes having 30-40% moisture. The vermiculture units in recommended model are then loaded with semidecomposed feed as per the size and capacity of the models as vermibed. Mixed culture of earthworms (Eudrillus eugineae, Eisenia foetida and Perionyx excavatus) in juvenile 1.5 kg population per MT of residue is then released in each case. Water is sprinkled once in every 2-3 days to maintain sufficient moisture (30-40%) and covered with dry weeds to prevent predators. Worms start depositing brown to black coloured vermicast on the top of the feed within 1-2 weeks. Once the vermicast is detected watering is stopped for drying and easy collection of vermicasts. The vermicast is harvested by scraping the top layer (6 inches) with the help of a garden rake after every week. The conversion of wastes into vermicompost may range from 65-80% of the raw materials in different vermi-units. In a span of days from the release of earthworms, the entire semi decomposed residue will be converted into vermicasts. The material can be harvested and sieved through wire mesh to separate earthworms and cocoons for reusing. The cycle can be repeated 2-3 times in a year with the new feed (Dandin et al., 2006). Vermicomposting of sericultural residue was carried out at Regional Sericultural Research Station, Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh by using mixed culture of Juvenile earthworms (Eudrilus engeniae, Eisenia foetida and Perionyx excavatus) in a vermary. The final product as vermicompost produced out of sericultural farm residue contains % nitrogen, % phosphorus and % potash besides various micronutrients and microorganisms. This was found to be much superior than Farm yard manure (Dandin et al., 2006). Conversion of bio-mass to vermicompost is around 60% (Veeraiah and Subrahmanyam, 2006). The economics worked out revealed a cost benefit ratio of 1: 2.3. Vermiculture technology was popularized at farmer s conditions and financial assistance was provided under Catalytic Development programme in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, (Geeta Devi and Kumaresan, 2005). The normal recommended dose of Vermicompost for mulberry is 7.5 MT/ha/year or 20 MT FYM and 300:120:120 kg NPK/ha/year. To test the efficacy of various vermicomposts prepared out of sericultural farm wastes on mulberry leaf yield and quality, a field experiment was conducted at CSRTI, Mysore. Pooled data on ten crops mulberry leaf yield revealed that application of compost and vermicompost (1.8% N) at reduced doses ( MT/ha/yr), on the basis of nitrogen present in the traditional farmyard manure (0.5%) with full dose of chemical fertilizer (300:120:120 NPK kg/ha/yr) resulted nonsignificant difference in the leaf yield ( MT/ha/yr). The impact of use of vermicompost on mulberry leaf and cocoon yield under field conditions at Chamarajanagar area of Karnataka was reported (Gururaj, 2005). The data were collected on the leaf yield, quantity of disease free layings (DFLs - silkworm eggs) brushed before and after application of vermicompost and silkworm rearing performance. The analyzed data on mulberry indicated that the leaf production in treated garden was significantly greater i.e., 5.29 MT/ha in irrigated M-5 mulberry variety and 7.23 MT/ha in V-1 mulberry variety in comparison to yield of 4.43 MT/ha and 6.04 MT/ha respectively without vermicompost application. The average cocoon yield also significantly increased from to kg and kg to kg by feeding M5 and V-1 mulberry varieties respectively cultivated under irrigated conditions. This resulted in higher returns. This is attributed to the enhancement of organic matter and fertility in the soil, thereby improving mulberry leaf as well as cocoon yield (Das et al., 2002). Several reports on vermicomposting are available utilizing semi decomposed agriculture waste and cow dung. The available reports revealed that application of vermicompost in combination

3 152 AGRICUTURAL REVIEWS with 25% reduced dose of chemical fertilizer enhanced production in wheat, guinea grass and ridge gourd over the application of FYM in the combination with NPK (Ranwa and Singh, 1999; George and Pillai, 2000 and Sreenivas et al., 2000). Production of vermicompost using semidecomposed cow dung is also in practice in commercial sector. Every 50 days about 46 MT of cow dung and FYM were filed in the pit and harvested 31 MT of vermicompost. Annually, about 225 MT vermicompost was produced and sold to the farmers in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu (Venkatesh et al., 2006). The exotic earthworms, Eisenia foetida was reared in vermicompost pits by feeding the predigested organic waste (Cow dung, agriculture waste residue) obtained through bio dung composting process. The vermicompost was used in mulberry field, agricultural and horticultural crops for sustainable agriculture. Studies indicated that the vermi-compost reduced the cost of cultivation of irrigated crops by 20% and increased the produce by 25%. Subsequently, a survey on the effect of vermicompost in drought conditions showed that the average yield increased significantly than comparable conventional agriculture crops. It is estimated that 1.5 MT of raw material required for conversion to 1 ton of vermicompost (Jayakumar, 2005). Further, studies on vermiculture using sericulture waste were conducted at University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, during 2000 to study the effect of fertigation (NPK fertilizers) and vermicompost on yield and quality of mulberry leaves. There is an increase of 17% in leaf yield obtained using recommended dosage of fertilizer (250:120:120 kg/ha/yr) with 2.5 MT/ha vermicompost (Patil et al., 2001). Vermiculture for sustainability of sericulture income was conducted in semi-arid conditions of Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh and indicated that there is an increase in average yield of seed cocoons from 33,430 to 43,712 by number and 48 Kg to 76 Kg by weight was recorded from the rearings of silkworm race CSR2 without any chemical fertilizers (Deepa et al., 2006). Method of preparation of Vermicompost on large scale: A thatched roof shed preferably open from all sides with unpaved floor is erected in East-West direction length wise to protect the site from direct sunlight. A shed area of 12 X12 is sufficient to accommodate three vermibeds of 10 X3 each having 1 space in between for treatment of 9-12 quintals of waste in a cycle of days. The length of shed can be increased/decreased depending upon the quantity of waste to be treated and availability of space. The height of thatched roof is kept at 8 feet from the centre and 6 feet from the sides. The base of the site is raised at least 6 inches above ground to protect it from flooding during the rains. The vermibeds are laid over the raised ground as per the procedure given below. The site marked for vermibeds on the raised ground is watered and a 4"-6" layer of any slowly biodegradable Sericultural residue is laid over it after soaking with water. Production of vermicompost is practically feasible and economical on large scale. Farmers can produce in small quantities for their own use by family members alone with out engaging additional man power. Advantages of vermicompost application: Vermicompost is an eco-friendly natural fertilizer prepared from biodegradable organic wastes and is free from chemical inputs. It does not have any adverse effect on soil, plant and environment. It improves soil aeration, texture and tilth thereby reducing soil compaction. It improves water retention capacity of soil because of its high organic matter content. It promotes better root growth and nutrient absorption.

4 Vol. 31, No. 2, Table 1: Nutrient profile of vermicompost and Farm Yard Manure Nutrient Vermicompost Farm Yard Manure N (%) P (%) K (%) Ca (%) Mg (%) Fe (ppm) Mn (ppm) Zn (ppm) Cu(ppm) C:N ratio 14.5:1 31.3:1 (source: Bulletin of CSR&TI, Mysore on composting and vermicomposting) Chemical ph Organic Carbon % Nitrogen % Phosphorus % Potassium % Carbon : Nitrogen : 1 Calcium % Magnesium % Sodium % Sulphur Traces to 0.40 % Iron % Zinc % Manganese Traces to 0.40 % Copper % Boron % Aluminium Traces to % Cobalt, Molybdenum Present in available form (source: Bulletin of CSR&TI, Mysore on composting and vermicomposting) It improves nutrient status of soil-both macronutrients and micro-nutrients. Precautions: Vermicompost pit should be protected from direct sun light. To maintain moisture level, spray water on the pit as an when required. Protect the worms from ant, rat and bird Physical Chemical and Biological Specifications of vermicast: Physical 1. Vermicast is a dark brown/black humus like coarse material, soft in feel and free from any foul smell, live weed seeds and other contaminations.

5 154 AGRICUTURAL REVIEWS Criteria for Comparison Macro nutrient Vermicast vs. chemical fertilizers in soil. Chemical Fertilizers Mostly contains only one (N in urea) or at the most two (N & P in DAP) nutrients in any one type of chemical fertilizer Vermicast Contains all nutrients i.e. nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) & potassium (K) in sufficient quantities Secondary nutrient Calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) & sulphur (S) is available in required quantities Micro nutrient Zinc (Zn), boron (B), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo) and chlorine (Cl) also present ph balancing Disturb soil ph to create salinity and Helps in the control of soil ph and checks the alkalinity conditions salinity and alkalinity in soil EC correction Creates imbalance in soil EC Helps in balancing the EC to improve plant affecting nutrients assimilation nutrient adsorption Organic carbon Very high organic carbon and humus improves soil characteristics Moisture retention Reduces moisture retention capacity Increases moistures retention capacity of the capacity of the soil soil Soil Texture Damages soil texture to reduce Improves soil texture for better aeration aeration Beneficial bacteria & Reduces biological activities and Very high biological life improves the soil fungi thus the fertility is impaired fertility and productivity on sustainable basis Plant growth Sufficient quantity helps in better growth and hormones production 2. Mucus type substance coated on each particle that increases aeration in the soil, provides excellent water retention properties and improves the drainage in heavy soils. 3. Contains sufficient moisture (25-35%) at the time of packing. Biological Total bacteria count of 2.5 X 10 6 comprising of Azotobacter, PGPR, PSB, Actinomycetes. Also contains Gibberellins, Auxins and Cytokinin in sufficient quantities. REFERENCES Dandin, S.B., Das, P.K. and Bhogesha, K. (2006). National Seminar on soil health and water manangement of sustainable sericulture, held on 27 th and 28 th September, 2006 at RSRS, Central Silk Board, Bangalore, Pp Das, P.K., Bhogesha., B.M., Katiyar, R.S., Vijayakumari, K.M., Mahava Rao, Y.R. and Rajanna, L. (2002). In: Advance in Indian Sericultural Research. Edited by S.B. Dandin and V.P. Guptha, CSRTI, Mysore. Deepa, P., Venkata Reddy, V. and Sujathamma. (2006). National Seminar on soil health and water management of sustainable sericulture, held on 27 th and 28 th September, 2006 at RSRS, Central Silk Board, Bangalore, Pp. 57. Geetha Devi, R.G. and Kumaresan, P. (2005). National Seminar on Composting and Vermicomposting held on th October, 2005 at C.S.R.T.I, Pp George, S. and Raghavan pillai, G. (2000). Indian J. Agron., 45 (4), Pp Gururaj (2005). National Seminar on Composting and Vermicomposting held on th October, 2005 at C.S.R.T.I, Pp Rabwa, R.S. and Singh, K.P. (1999). Indian J. Agron., 44 (3) Pp Sreenivas, C.H. Muralidhar,S. and Singha Rao, M. (2000). Annals Agri. Res., 21(1): Veeraiah, T. M. and Subrahmanyam, M.R. (2006). National Seminar on soil health and water management of sustainable sericulture, held on 27 th and 28 th September, 2006 at R.S.R.S. Central Silk Board, Bangalore, Pp. 56. Venkatesh, G.K.O., Samuthiravelu, P. and Qadri, S.M.H. (2006). National Seminar on soil health and water management of sustainable sericulture, held on 27 th and 28 th September, 2006 at R.S.R.S., Central Silk Board, Bangalore, Pp. 58.

ORGANIC SERICULTURE FOR BIVOLTINE PRODUCTION

ORGANIC SERICULTURE FOR BIVOLTINE PRODUCTION B.N. Susheelamma Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute, Mysore - 570 008, India. Need of Sericulture Industry The soil biological management