Transcript Vermiculture-CFSA-Conf

Vermiculture
CFSA Conference 2016
Rhonda Sherman
Horticultural Science Department
Vermiculture
• Raising earthworms for resale
• Focus: ideal conditions for worm growth, reproduction,
and health
• Usually purchase and haul feedstock or pay for feedstock
to be delivered
• Make money from sales of earthworms
• Sometimes sell vermicompost
• Some sell related products: shipping boxes, worm bins,
harvesters, soil mixes, books, videos
Vermicomposting
• Earthworms and microorganisms convert organic debris
into vermicompost
• Focus: processing waste (not increasing reproduction)
• Earthworm size and reproductive rates often lower than in
vermiculture systems
• Large vermicomposting facility income
– tipping fees for waste materials
– vermicompost sales
– sales of earthworms
Vermicomposting Definition
Vermicomposting is a process that relies on earthworms
and microorganisms to help stabilize active organic
materials and convert them to a valuable soil amendment
and source of plant nutrients.
Not!
Vermicomposting is Not Composting
Vermicompost is Not Compost
Vermicompost Tea is Not liquid from worm bin
Vermicomposting is Not Composting
• 30 days
• 6 – 9 months
• Ambient temperature
• Pile must heat up
• Passive aeration
• Must aerate or turn pile
– No turning!
Vermicompost is Not Compost
• Has passed through worms
• Microbes broke it down
• Contains multitude of microbes
due to stable ambient temp.
• Microbe species and
quantities changed by heat
• Sells for $400-$1800 cubic yard • Sells for $0-$35 cubic yard
Vermicompost Tea…NOT!
• LEACHATE: dark liquid that leaks out of bin
• Passed through undigested, anaerobic areas of
worm bin
• May contain pathogens & anaerobic microbes
harmful to people, animals, or plants
• Could have sulfides, acids, or high salts
• Not recommended for indoor or sensitive plants
• Do not use on food crops
More “Nots”
• “I use red worms not earthworms.”
• “We sell 100% pure castings.”
• “Some landfill diversion sites are using thousands of
pounds of worms to convert tons of waste into
vermicompost.”
Earthworm Basics
• Cold-blooded animal
• Hermaphroditic
• No lungs: breathes through skin
• Dies if skin dries out
• Light causes paralysis in ~1 hour
Aren’t All Earthworms Alike?
• ~9,000 species of earthworms
• Half-inch to 22 feet long
Three Earthworm Ecological Groups
Anecic
Live in soil (vertical burrows)
Eat soil & litter
Endogeic
Live in soil (horizontal burrows)
Eat soil
Epigeic
Live in litter (no burrows)
Eat litter
Use Eisenia fetida for Vermicomposting
• Adapts well to living in a bin
• Tolerates wide range of
environmental conditions
• Won’t invade the natural
environment
They Make More Worms
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Cocoon laid 2 days after copulation
Incubation period 18 – 26 days
~3 hatchlings
Sexually mature in 21 – 30 days
Life expectancy 4.5 – 5 years
Conditions for Vermicomposting
• Temperature: 59 - 77F (limits 32 – 95F)
• Moisture: 80% (limits 60 - 90%)
• Oxygen requirement: Aerobic
• pH: 7 (limits >5 and <9)
• Ammonia and Salt: Low
What Will Your Worms Eat?
– Kitchen scraps, plate scrapings
– Coffee grounds
– Livestock manure
– Agricultural crop residues
– Leaves
– Paper, cardboard
– Organic byproducts from industries
Actually, They Eat…
…microorganisms and tiny organic particles
Vermicomposting Process
• Earthworms ingest microbes
• Some are digested, others pass through gut unharmed
• E. fetida has indigenous microflora in gut that contributes
to microbial community in castings
• Grinding action of gizzard promotes microbial activity in
wastes as pass through gut
• Mucus from intestinal tract covers castings
– Provides carbon source for soil microbes
– Leads to flush of microbial activity in fresh casts
Who is Vermicomposting?
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Farms
Households
Prisons
Hospitals
Universities & colleges
Office buildings
Schools & daycare
Military bases
Entrepreneurs
Community gardens
Vermicomposting Basics
• Start with ~6 inches (15.24cm) bedding
• Add composting earthworms
• 1-lb (.45 kg) per sq ft (929 sq cm)
• Apply 1 inch (2.5 cm) layer of feedstock
• Wait until feedstock is eaten before adding more
• Cover food scraps with shredded paper, cardboard,
cloth, plastic, tarp, etc.
How to Vermicompost
• Build or buy a bin
• Prepare bedding
• Add earthworms
• Bury food scraps
• Harvest and use
vermicompost
Space Needed
• Collect/store feedstock
• Worm bins up to 8-ft (2.44-m) wide
• Length: depends on your limits
• Area to chop/grind food
• Place to pre-compost?
Utility Needs
• Water
– Keep worm beds
moist (see next)
• Electricity
– Fans and heating
systems
– Lights to discourage
worms from leaving
bins
Factors in Choosing Systems
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Available on-site area
Quantity of feedstocks
Funding available
Existing buildings
Labor needs & availability
Climate
Predators
State composting regulations
Local zoning and health rules
Wooden or Plastic Bin with Lid
Bedding for Household Bins
• Newspapers
• Office paper
• Dried leaves
• Cardboard
• Coir (coconut fiber)
• Compost
Bedding helps keep bin moist,
dark, and discourages fruit flies
Pre-Moisten Bedding
• Soak 10 minutes in water
• Wring out like sponge
• Fill bin half way
• Add more as it disappears
• Spritz with plant mister
Bedding for Larger Scale
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Stable compost not high in soluble salts
Aged horse manure
Aged leaf mold or shredded brown leaves
Shredded paper, cardboard
Coconut coir
Add Eisenia fetida
• Start with 1 pound (~1,000)
• 1 pound worms to 1 square foot surface of bin
• Eat 25-35% of body weight daily
• Do not get from yard or bait shop
– Would need 33 - 40 bait cups
• Buy from a worm grower
• Prices vary widely ($22 - $50 lb)
Gently Add Worms
Add Food Scraps to Small Bin
• Use 3-prong garden tool
• Pull back bedding
• Put in food
• Cover w/ bedding
• Do not bury food in
vermicompost
• Wait until food is gone
before adding more
Cover well to prevent
fruit flies and odor
Feeding Worms: Larger Scale
• Overfeeding is common problem
• Add more after last feeding consumed
• Nitrogen and mineral content (protein
and food value) varies for different
feedstocks
– Fruit/veggies, manures, grains
– VC will differ (effects on plant growth
and use rates)
• Do not cover top of bed with food;
leave room on sides
Larger Scale Feedstock Issues
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Particle size
Homogeneity
Pathogens
De-worming medicine
Persistent herbicides
Heating up
Pre-composting
Pre-Composting
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Reduce volume
Destroy pathogens
Kill seeds
If gets hot enough!
Reduce heat in feedstock
Courtesy: Patrick McNelly
Persistent Herbicide Effects on Plants
• Stunted growth (main growth tip stops
growing and lateral buds begin to grow)
• Reduced fruit set
• Cupping of leaves
• Failure of secondary leaves to grow after
seed leaves emerge
• In legumes, compound leaves stay single
Herbicide Carryover in
Hay, Manure,
Compost, and Grass
Clippings: Caution to
Hay Producers,
Livestock Owners,
Farmers and Home
Gardeners (Jeanine
Davis, Katie Jennings)
http://content.ces.nc
su.edu/herbicidecarryover
Healthy Worm Bin Traits
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Bin smells earthy like forest
Few earthworms are on sides, lid of bin
Bedding is fluffy (has air spaces)
Contents of bin damp not soggy
Earthworms have moist, glistening skin
Small quantities of other critters in bin
Vermicompost accumulating on bottom
Be Safe!
• Protect yourself and others
• Pathogens (e.coli, salmonella, etc.)
• Wash hands after handling feedstocks, worms,
products
• Watch for snakes, things that bite or sting
• Mold allergies
• Products may contain pathogens, plant
diseases, herbicide residues, etc.
Harvesting Vermicompost: Small Scale
Harvest Vermicompost
Method #1: Light Separation
Harvesting Vermicompost
Method #2: Sideways Separation
Harvesting Vermicompost
Method #3: Vertical Separation
Harvesting Vermicompost: Larger Scale
Harvesting Vermicompost: Larger Scale
Method #1
• Remove top 4 inches of worm bed
– Use a pitchfork
– Most worms will be in this layer
• Set on top of new bed
• Use shovel to remove VC from bed
• Draw remaining worms out of VC by laying
screen or mesh cloth on top with food on it
Harvesting Vermicompost
Method #2: Sideways Separation
• Start new bed next to working
worm bed
• Apply food to entice worms to
move to new bed
• Only feed new bed
• After a few weeks, most of the
worms should be in the new
bed
Harvesting Vermicompost
Method #3: Vertical Separation
• Set tray on top of working worm bed
• Tray has screen on bottom or holes that
worms can move through
• Only feed top tray, ignore bottom tray
• Eventually most worms will move up into
new tray
Harvesting Vermicompost
Method #4: Continuous-flow System
Harvesting Vermicompost
Method #5: Trommel Screen
• Remove top 4-6 inches of
worm pile with pitchfork
• Pitch into rotary trommel
screener
• Vermicompost comes out
through 1/2-inch or ¼ inch
screen, worms come out
of end
• Use shovel for rest of pile
What Vermicompost Does For Soil
• Improves soil structure
• Increases moisture infiltration
• Improves & stabilizes soil pH
• Increases moisture-holding capacity
Courtesy of Tom Herlihy
VC Effects on Plant Growth,
Disease & Pest Suppression
• Increased rates of germination, growth, flowering
and fruiting
• Improved root development and stress tolerance
• Decreased transplant shock
• Increased plant vitality and flavor profile
• Decreased attacks by plant pathogens, parasitic
nematodes, and insect pests
Turnips Grown w/ 0%, 10%, 20% Swine
Manure Vermicompost
Disease Suppression Rating
Pythium Suppression
4.0
3.5
Control
a
Sterilized VC
ab
b
3.0
Unsterilized VC
b
2.5
2.0
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1.5
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c
1.0
SMM
SMM + SMM +
10%
20%
SVC
SVC
SMM +
40%
SVC
SMM + SMM +
10%
20%
VC
VC
SMM +
40%
VC
Pythium symptom suppression in cucumber seedlings planted in a soil-less medium
(MM360) substituted with vermicompost, inoculated with Pythium (mean ± SE). SMM
is sterilized MM360, VC is vermicompost and SVC is sterilized vermicompost. Plants
received all needed nutrients.
Courtesy of Dr. Norman Arancon
Effects of Vermicomposts on Mealy
Bug Infestations on Peppers
Number of mealy bugs per plant
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0
20
40
Percentage Vermicompost
100
80
Percentage MM360
60
Courtesy of Dr. Norman Arancon
Storing Vermicompost
• Dark, warm place
• Inside bag or bin with lid
• Aerated yet retains moisture
– Tiny pinprick holes
More Information
• Worms Can Recycle Your Garbage
• Raising Earthworms Successfully
• Vermiculture Technology: Earthworms,
Organic Wastes, and Environmental
Management
NCSU Compost Learning Lab (CL2)
NC State 18 th Vermiculture
Conference - 2017
– Benefits & uses of vermicompost
– Vermicomposting technologies
– Vermicompost research studies
– Marketing products
– Testing vermicompost, soil and feedstocks
– Brewing and using vermicompost tea
https://composting.ces.ncsu.edu/vermiculture-conference/
Slide Set Created By:
Rhonda Sherman
Horticultural Science Department
North Carolina State University
E-mail: [email protected]
https://composting.ces.ncsu.edu/
Copyright: All rights reserved