Vermiculture Revolution

A revolution is unfolding in vermiculture studies (rearing of useful earthworms species) for multiple uses in environmental protection and sustainable development. The global scientific community is searching for a technology which should be 'economically cheaper' (to be afforded by all nations), 'environmentally sustainable' (friendly to the environment) and 'socially acceptable' (beneficial to the society). Vermiculture Biotechnology with the use of earthworms combines all these virtues together. Vermiculture (rearing of earthworms) is a 'big business' today and they are also helping in 'employment generation' and 'poverty eradication programs' in several developing countries. This book reviews research on earthworms and how they promise to provide cheaper solutions to several social, economic and environmental problems of human society.

Waste management is the collection, transport, processing, recycling or disposal of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, aesthetics or amenity. Waste management is also carried out to reduce the materials' effect on the environment and to recover resources from them. Waste management can involve solid, liquid or gaseous substances, with different methods and fields of expertise for each. Waste management practices differ for developed and developing nations, for urban and rural areas, and for residential and industrial, producers. Management for non-hazardous residential and institutional waste in metropolitan areas is usually the responsibility of local government authorities, while management for non-hazardous commercial and industrial waste is usually the responsibility of the generator. This book concentrates on the newest research in the field.

This edited book collates the research done mainly in Africa on vermicomposting and related technologies that can assist African smallholder farmers in making nutrient rich organic fertilizers from their animal and crop residue wastes. Information on the development of organic sources of liquid fertilizer development for hydroponics is also presented. The book presents research findings on vermicomposting in a simplified way that will allow farmers and extension workers to adopt the indicated technologies. The book also covers critical aspects of standardization of vermicompost preparation, earthworm biology, nutrient enrichment of composts and organic liquid fertilizer production. Vermicomposting is a technology that employs earthworms to enhance the biodegradation and fertilizer value of organic wastes. The earthworms optimize the biodegradation ecosystem during composting, resulting in a final nutrient rich product with more recalcitrant forms of carbon and much lower levels of veterinary antibiotics and their metabolites. Vermicompost as an organic fertilizer is highly preferred over other forms of soil enhancers. A lot of research has been done on vermicompost and related activities in Africa but remain scattered across various publications. The book is an invaluable source of information for farmers especially those practicing organic crop production, vermicomposting researchers, as well as extension workers.

Advanced Organic Waste Management: Sustainable Practices and Approaches provides an integrated holistic approach to the challenges associated with organic waste management, particularly related to sustainability, lifecycle assessment, emerging regulations, and novel approaches for resource and energy recovery. In addition to traditional techniques, such as anaerobic digestion, composting, innovative and emerging techniques of waste recycling like hydrothermal carbonization and vermicomposting are included. The book combines the fundamentals and practices of sustainable organic waste management with successful case studies from developed and developing countries, highlighting practical applications and challenges. Sections cover global organic waste generation, encompassing sources and types, composition and characteristics, focus on technical aspects related to various resource recovery techniques like composting and vermicomposting, cover various waste-to-energy technologies, illustrate various environmental management tools for organic waste, present innovative organic waste management practices and strategies complemented by detailed case studies, introduce the circular bioeconomy approach, and more. Presents the fundamentals and practices of sustainable, organic waste management, with emerging regulations and up-to-date analysis on environmental management tools such as lifecycle assessment in a comprehensive manner Offers the latest information on novel concepts and strategies for organic waste management, particularly zero waste and the circular bioeconomy Includes the latest research findings and future perspectives of innovative and emerging techniques of waste recycling, such as hydrothermal carbonization and vermicomposting

Choice Reviews, Outstanding Academic Title Techniques and systems for processing food scraps, manure, yard debris, paper, and more Turning waste into wealth sounds too good to be true, but many worm farmers are finding that vermicomposting is a reliable way to do just that. Vermicast—a biologically active, nutrient-rich mix of earthworm castings and decomposed organic matter—sells for $400 or more per cubic yard. Compare that to regular compost, sold at about $30 a cubic yard, and you’ll see why vermicomposting has taken root in most countries and on every continent but Antarctica. Vermicomposting is also one of the best sustainable solutions for organic waste management. Vermicomposting manure and crop wastes on farms improves crop yields while reducing demand for off-farm inputs. Vermicast has higher nutrient levels and lower soluble salt content than regular compost, and it improves soil aeration, porosity, and water retention. Plus, vermicast suppresses plant diseases and insect attacks. Municipalities, businesses, community gardens, schools, and universities can set up vermicomposting operations to process food residuals and other waste materials. The Worm Farmer’s Handbook details the ins and outs of vermicomposting for mid- to large-scale operations, including how to recycle organic materials ranging from food wastes and yard trimmings to manure and shredded office paper. Vermicomposting expert Rhonda Sherman shares what she has learned over twenty-five years working with commercial worm growers and researchers around the world. Her profiles of successful worm growers across the United States and from New Zealand to the Middle East and Europe describe their proven methods and systems. This book digs into all the details, including: Choosing the right production system Regulatory issues and developing a business and marketing plan Finding and managing feedstocks Pre-composting: why and how to do it Monitoring an active worm bed Harvesting, screening, testing, packaging, and storing vermicast Markets for earthworms and vermicast Food security: how vermicast benefits soils and plants Keys to success: avoiding common pitfalls From livestock farms and restaurants to colleges, military bases, and prisons, Sherman details why and how commercial-scale vermicomposting is a fast-growing, sustainable solution for organic waste management. The Worm Farmer’s Handbook is the first and only authoritative how-to guide that goes beyond small-scale operations and demystifies the science and logistics of the fascinating process that is vermicomposting.

The collection of essays in Microbes in Agriculture and Environmental Development explores the applications of microbes for the improvement of environmental quality and agricultural productivity through inoculants and enzymes. These are useful for the conservation and restoration of degraded natural and agricultural ecosystems, crop yield extension, soil health improvement, and other aspects of agriculture and the environment. It discusses the effective use of microbial technology, wastewater treatment, and recycling of agricultural and industrial wastes. It provides detailed accounts of recent trends in microbial application in plant growth promotion, soil fertility, microbial biomass and diversity, and environmental sustainability through bioremediation, biodegradation, and biosorption processes Features: Discusses microbes and their applications for sustainable agriculture and environmental protection in agro-environmental circumstances Presents innovative and eco-friendly approaches for the remediation of contaminated soil and wastewater Focuses on green technologies and sustainability Includes chapters on sustainable agriculture development through increasing soil fertility, physico-chemical properties and soil microbial biomass in nutrient-deprived soils Defines the role of microbial bio formulation-based consortia in the productivity improvement of agricultural crops It will be an invaluable addition to the bookshelves of researchers and graduate students in agriculture and environmental engineering, soil science; microbiology, sustainable agriculture, and ecosystems. Dr. Chhatarpal Singh is presently the President of Agro Environmental Development Society (AEDS), Majhra Ghat, Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, India. Dr. Tiwari is currently working in the field of methanotrophs ecology (methane oxidizing bacteria), which is sole entity responsible for the oxidation of potent greenhouse gas CH4. Dr. Jay Shankar Singh is presently working as a faculty member in the Department of Environmental Microbiology at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University in Lucknow, India. Dr. Ajar Nath Yadav is currently serving as an assistant professor in the Department of Biotechnology, Akal College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, India.

This book gives the latest information on advances in organic agriculture which can be used by agroindustry people as well as agricultural engineers and with practical examples for farmers. It provides important information covering multidisciplinary approaches on environmental awareness, organic agricultural production as well as organic fertilizers. The chapters here are prepared by experts in the field who present and discuss the principles of a wide range of practical ideas with examples. This book also presents novel ideas and suggestions for future research in organic agricultural production. The topics included in this book are based on surveys together with literature reviews to enable the academic and industrial readers to evaluate what they see as specific to their own discipline. The chapters include a wide range of topics which will also make it easy to make comparisons between different disciplines.

Organic crop production is the science and art of growing field crops, fruits, vegetables, and flowers by adopting the essential principles of organic agriculture in soil building and conservation, pest management, and heirloom variety conservation. This book provides detailed insights into organic farming in agriculture, biological efficacy in the management of plant diseases, organic nutrient management, socio-economic dimensions of adoption of conservation practices, nonchemical weed control, plant growth promoting fungi for phytostimulation, nanotechnological approaches, and finally vermicomposting. The book primarily focuses on research and development based organic agriculture and horticulture production technologies, and has attempted to abridge information on organic crop production of the major food grain crops. The book also contains comprehensive information on the various related dimensions of organic crop production.