Featured Article (from link) #2

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TOPIC#3: Taken from: www.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph/consortia/starrdec/Highlights/high_01vermi.htm

VERMICULTURE AND VERMICOMPOSTING TECHNOLOGY:

Technology Description:

     Enough food supply for the ever-increasing Filipino populace poses a big challenge to increased crop production. Quality of produce is another concern that consumers look into before buying goods. Organic agriculture has been recognized to aid in increasing crop production and ensuring quality harvest. It involves the use of farm wastes as source of nutrients for crops being raised. Similar environment-friendly technologies such vermiculture and vermicomposting are components of organic agriculture.

     Vermiculture is the production of earthworms as fresh or processed feeds, while production of quality organic fertilizer is through vermicomposting. The species of earthworms being used in these technologies is the African Night Crawler (Eudrilus euginae). Earthworms can be used as live feed or vermimeal for fish, prawn, fowl and birds. Vermicompost, on the other hand, are the black granules produced by earthworms appearing on top of the mound of the substrate where said earthworms are raised.

     A series of studies/trials was conducted in relation to the mass production of earthworms using different substrate combinations and applying the vermicompost as organic fertilizer to different crops.

     It was found out that using coco(nut) dust/sawdust (75%) and ipil-ipil (Leucaena Sp.) leaves (25%) as substrates showed a 200-500% increase in earthworm population, leading to higher production of earthworms for feed.

     With respect to the production of quality organic fertilizer through vermicomposting, combining grasses (75%) and kakawate (Gliricidia Sp.) leaves (25%) gave significant amount of macro- and micro-elements beneficial to crop production. Further, crops applied with vermicompost gave higher yield and better quality of harvest than crops grown in soil alone.

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Advantages:

    * Increases crop yield and lessens dependence on chemical fertilizers.
    * Converts farm wastes into organic fertilizer, making it an environment-friendly technology.
    * Can be made into a livelihood program and become a source of extra income.

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Researcher:

Lina G. Villegas
BPI-Los Baños National Crop Research and Development Center (LBNCRDC)
Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines

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