Vermiculture is the cultivating of earthworms mainly for the purpose of using them to make vermicompost from organic waste. Vermicompost is nutrient-rich compost gotten from the breakdown of organic waste by earthworms. Vermicompost is rich in water-soluble nutrients which are used as organic fertilizers and for soil conditioning.
Vermiculture is used for three main purposes:
- Waste management
In some developed countries, vermiculture has been adopted in waste management and recycling. Unlike other methods of waste recycling and compost making, vermiculture reduces the emission of greenhouse gases. It is also not expensive to manage and uses simple technology.
- Production of worm biomass
Vermicomposting is also used in the production of plant biomass which safer than other forms of biomass conversion.
- Production of castings
Earthworm cast has been explained above under the benefits of earthworms. Vermiculture is used to produce earthworm casts.
Disadvantages of earthworms
Earthworms are not all good and they have their disadvantages too. Worms have the ability to destroy young and tender plants. Also, when they are present in large numbers, they destroy grasslands by making too many burrows in the soil. They increase the chances of soil erosion in sloppy areas.
Despite some disadvantages, earthworms are very beneficial in agriculture for improving soil fertility and agricultural output. That is why the practice of harvesting and selling them for the making of vermicompost is now becoming popular all over the world.
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Source: Legit.ng
