Vermiculture
'Vermiculture' literally means worm growing or worm farming. When earthworms are used
primarily for the production of compost, the practice is referred to as vermicomposting. Why all the excitement about earthworms?
Earthworms are truly amazing creatures that hold vast potential for addressing many of our
current ecological concerns, including climate change and food security. Perhaps surprisingly,
this is not breaking news.
After writing The Origin of Species Charles Darwin devoted much of the rest of his life to the
study of earthworms. In his book
The Formation of
Vegetable Mould through the Actions of Worms with Observations on their Habits
Darwin wrote “The plough is one of the most ancient and most valuable of man's inventions,
but long before he existed, the land was in fact regularly ploughed, and still continues to be
ploughed by earthworms. It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have
played so important a part in the history of the world as have these lowly organised creatures.
Earthworms aerate, till and fertilize the soil, breaking down organic waste into plant-available
forms, improving the soil structure and nutrient and water-holding qualities of soil. In the past 50
years in particular, the use of chemical fertilizers, over-tillage of the soil and the use of
pesticides have killed earthworms and other beneficial organisms, leading to poor soil fertility,
loss of soil structure and soil erosion. At the same time, rotting organic waste dumped in
landfills is polluting our underground water supply and releasing vast amounts of the
greenhouse gases responsible for global warming.
Earthworms eat organic waste and give us healthy soil and organic fertilizer in return. Put
simply, it is a deal that humanity cannot afford to pass up.
Some earthworm facts
As worms move through soil and decaying organic matter, they ingest (eat) and aerate it,
depositing castings as they go. These castings are rich in nutrients and beneficial soil
organisms. Inside the gut of one worm there are enzymes and masses of bacteria and
microbes. Everything that passes through the gut of an earthworm is coated with these
beneficial microbes and bacteria.
While fertile soil has in the region of 5-million microbes per gram, worm castings have been
found to contain up to 100-million microbes per gram - up to 20 times more! In the soil, these
microbes continue to break down organic matter into plant-available forms, thereby enabling
plant roots to take up nutrients that would otherwise have stayed bound in the soil. These
beneficial organisms also suppress the growth of pathogens, which means healthy soil and
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healthy plants.
Not surprisingly, it is these very microbes that play a major role in determining soil fertility, so it
is ironic that earthworms are the very creatures that are killed by inorganic fertilizer applications.
While we have been taught that bacteria are 'bad', the vast majority of bacteria are not
pathogenic to humans, in fact many are beneficial and essential to sustaining the processes of
life.
As long as the decaying organic matter is maintained at the correct pH and prevented from
becoming anaerobic (when there is too little oxygen), no foul odours are created, pests are not
attracted and the process remains hygienic. It is only when the pH is out of balance or the
decaying organic material becomes anaerobic that pathogens and toxin-producing bacteria
begin to proliferate, and pests are more likely to be attracted.
Researchers have identified and named thousands of distinct species of earthworm, but to
date only around six have been identified as useful in vermiculture systems. These species
have the ability to tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions and fluctuations and they
are not adversely affected by handling and disruption of their habitat. Other qualities that make
these species suitable include relatively short life spans, and rapid growth and reproductive
rates.
Eisenia fetida, its close relative, Eisenia andrei, and Lumbricus rubellus are the earthworm
species most commonly used in vermiculture. They are referred to by a variety of common
names, including red worms, red wigglers, tiger worms, brandling worms, and manure worms.
They are often raised together and are difficult to tell apart.
What is FullCycle's interest in vermiculture?
Earthworm systems are typically managed for one of three reasons; waste management,
production of worm biomass and production of castings (vermicomposting). FullCycle's interest
in vermiculture primarily has to do with the promotion of environmentally sound waste
management practices, but also the beneficial re-use of waste/resources through the production
of solid (vermicompost) and liquid fertilizer (vermi-tea or worm tea).
FullCycle sells Can-O-Worms and Worm Factory, among the most popular domestic worm bins
worldwide. FullCycle aslo designs, commissions and manages modular vermiculture systems
for on-site organic waste management at hotels and businesses. At these commercial
installations, maintenence schedules and the health of the system can be monitored via an
SMS system called EMON, which stores data in a database for later analysis on-line. The
system automatically warns managers by SMS if the data received is outside pre-defined
parameters, or if there are problems requiring attention.
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Our goal is to supply, develop and in certain cases maintain well-run systems that meet the
stringent requirements of our clients, providing both exceptional service and environmental
quality.
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