Worm Farm DIY Plan

Title of research: Organic farming as an approach to sustainable development, an  
                               economic evaluation.

Aims & Objectives: To find out ways and means to make agriculture sustainable as
                                against the current agriculture, which is grossly nonsustainable?

Introduction: Sir Albert Howard, the noted agricultural scientist  brought in to India by the British during the Raj, wrote in his ” Agricultural Testament” (1940), ” Since industrial revolution, agriculture has become unbalance, the land is in revolt, diseases of all kinds are on the increase, the nature of removing the worm out soil by erosion”. In India, he worked with the Indian farmers, learnt from them and developed the famous “Indore process” virtually eulogizing the role of “humus” in restoring soil fertility. He also discovered the factor in plant nutrition, the symbiotic mycorrhizal association, the living fungus bridge between humus in the soil and the sap of plants. According to him, the maintenance of soil fertility is the first and foremost condition of any permanent system of agriculture.

            In the post independence period, especially since the inception of first five year plan there exited a gap between the demand and production of food in India. To achieve parity, Indian Agricultural scientists proposed paradigm shift from the traditional to the western methods. This was called, the Green Revolution. New seeds called high yielding or hybrid seeds were introduced together with chemical fertilizers. The crop plants which grew from these green revolution seeds were hungry is terms of chemical fertilizers and grew luxuriantly inviting pests and disease causing microbes. Pesticides and other toxic chemicals were applied to contain them.

            The green revolution scientists argued that the miracle seeds would dramatically change the agronomic practices and solve the food problem. Four decades of Green revolution showed another paradigm shift, crop failure, diminishing yield, soil, food and water contaminations, increased green house gas and farmers’ suicides. The Indian agricultural planners were alerted when United States Environment Protection Agency (USEPA) revealed in 1991 that the projected estimate of “Methane Emission” from the Indian paddy field was staggeringly high, as much as 37.8 metric tones per year. Although they disputed the amount, they however, could not deny the report. This together with other such reports against massive use of agrochemicals might have contributed to the Indian agricultural planners when they formulated the National Agriculture Policy in July 2000 where in emphasis was attached to the promotion of Sustainable Agricultural Practices, advocating control use of agrochemicals both for plant nutrition and pest management, another paradigm shift. In the input management chapter, the role of organic manures and bio-fertilizers together with bio-pesticides were given their due importances The necessity of environmental protection was duely recognized. The role of agro-forestry for efficient nutrient cycling, nitrogen fixation, and organic matter addition and for improving drainage etc. was expressly felt and spelt.

            The term organic farming refers to a holistic approach to a farm as a living organism and the soil as a living object in which all the component parts, the minerals, the humus, the micro-organisms, the soil biota and the human interaction, in developing these components to the level of an ecosystem that is sustainable.

            Sustainable agriculture is that where there are no purchasable inputs or are in minimum and all inputs are internal and on farm generated ones, thus making the farmers the real producers. It is to ensure food safety together with food security.

            It is well known that applications of artificial chemical fertilizers (ACFs) in crop field ecosystems though enhance crop yield, it is only in terms of carbohydrate components and there occurs a deficiency in net protein content of food grains by 20-25% w/w with the amino acid balance greatly impaired, thus lowering the protein quality. Besides, ACFs also impede and set in imbalance the entire mineral and, micro nutrient pattern in crop plants. Application of super phosphates cause deficiency of copper and zinc components in the food grains. Excessive potassium applications decrease the amount of vitamin – C (ascorbic acid) and carotene in food grains. Besides, ACFs interfere with and possibly eliminate many of the soil microbes who are naturally helpful in building the productive top soils in the presence of adequate quantities humus/compost, more preferably well prepared vermicompost.

Material-Method:
             As proposed, approach was first made to achieve soil fertility through different organic amendments irrespective of the soil types. In kharif of 2003 Pongam oil cake was used @ 1.5 Q/Acre. In Rabi of 2004, Azolla green manure was applied with pongam oil cake. In Kharif of 2004-05, Sesbania (Dhanicha) green manure was applied with pongam oil cake, bacterial fertilizers, vermicompost and repeated applications of fresh cow urine.   .         The organic plots were run parallel to but away from the chemical plots of same size. The selected site was divided into 9 plots and each plot was relpicated 3 times. Each plot was applied with different organic treatments. The results thus obtained with reference to inputs used, crop yield and revenue generated were recorded and the same were reflected in the tables, together with B: C ratios and soil fertility status at different stages of cultivation.

            All plots were of 20 square meters. Each application was replicated and the mean values were reflected in the tables. Since the experiments were fields trials the crops were influenced by the nature and natural calamities like flood, hail storm and draught.

           Paddy was selected as the crop because it was the principal crop that had acquired a monoculture pattern, the paddy field ecosystem of India have been singled out by the USEPA as the contributors of the green house methane gas and the crop whose yield was under distress sale for the last two years..

            Pest problems were mostly non existent.  Occasionally, the same was managed by using various traps such as light traps and pheromone traps and application of Trichocards besides application of botanical sprays of leaf extracts of  Vitex negundo  and  Azadirachta indica. The traps and cards kept the yellow stem borers at check when the sprays kept the hoppers at check. Attacks of diseases like BLB was not observed in any of the experimental fields, although positive results of cow dung water in containing BLB were achieved in a few non experimental fields.

Techniques employed:

           Soil fertility indices were generated through prescribed methods such as Subiah and Asija (1956) for Nitrogen, Olsen’s method for Phosphorous and Ammonium Acetate method for Potash.

Results:

Cropping
Season

Crop Type

Farmers Name

Soil type

              B.C Ratio
Chemical   I  Organic   

2003-04 Kharif

Swarna(HYV Paddy)

RamChandra Mahrna

Sandy loam

1.33

2.04

2003-04 Kharif

Swarna(HYV Paddy)

Shaktidhara Mandal

Forest soil

1.65

2.25

2003-04 Kharif

Swarna(HYV Paddy)

Dibakar Biswal

Clay loam

2.111

2.652

2003-04
Rabi

Lalat(HYV Paddy

Surendranath Patra

Deltaic Alluvial

1.788

2.561

2004-05
Kharif

Pooja(HYV Paddy)

RamChandra Mahrna

Sandy loam

1.468

1.987

2004-05
Kharif

Mugei(Native Paddy)

RamChandra Mahrna

Sandy loam

1.451

1.890

2004-05
Kharif

CR-1018(Improved Paddy)

Shaktidhara Mandal

Red forest soil

1.67

2.151

2004-05
Kharif

Jangalijata(Native Paddy)

Shaktidhara Mandal

Red forest soil

1.49

1.978

2004-05
Kharif

Pooja(HYV Paddy)

Raghunath Barik

Coastal alluvial

1.971

2.429

2004-05
Kharif

Mugei(Native Paddy)

Raghunath Barik

Coastal alluvial

1.587

2.962

2004-05
Kharif

Swarna(HYV Paddy)

Bijay Patra

Coastal saline

1.668

2.064

2005
Rabi

Khandagiri(HYV Paddy)

Benudhara Dey

Sandy loam

1.677

2.088

2005
Rabi

Lalat(HYV Paddy)

Debendra Mishra

Sandy loam

1.663

2.042

2005
Rabi

Lalat(HYV Paddy)

Sridhara Sethi

Sandy loam

1.564

1.914

2005
Rabi

Lalat(HYV Paddy)

Kanheiyalal Dalpati

Coastal saline soil

1.313

1.839

2005
Kharif

Kasturi(HYV Paddy)

Pitambar Jena

Clay loam

 Not done

4.47

Inference:

               Organic amendments were applied on-field by the research team but the job of repeated applications fresh cow urine was left to the farmers which they had grossly neglected except Pitambar Jena. Consequently, varied B: C ratios were obtained and they were appraised of this Himalayan blunder which they had committed.

Author: Dr. Ashok Kumar Panigrahi, Principal Investigator, UGC MRP, FM (Auto.) College, Balasore (Orissa), 2003-06.

Acknowledgement: Financial support from University Grants Commission, New Delhi-2.   

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Integrated Fish Farming

Indian agriculture is known for its multifunctionalities of providing employment, livelihood, food, nutritional and ecological securities .Today the Indian economy is based on mainly in the field of agriculture and software development in the area of Information Technology. For achieving rapid progress in rural area, our strategy must focus on; conserving natural resources, enhancing efficient of resource use, increasing productivity and profitability and improving quality and competitiveness through reduced unit cost of production.

                                                                                        Integrated plant nutrients and protection systems of crop, livestock and aquaculture production are being updated for various agro-ecologies. Water is emerging as national challenge and its most efficient management as well as recycling has been given high priority in the plan of formulation. Recycling of crop residue as well as agricultural by products inclusion of nitrogen fixing legumes in rotation, bio fertilizers, vermicultres,Agro forestry, nutrient solubbizing micro-organisms, efficient nutrient up taking plant varieties etc. are being strategies in the research mandate. Improved efficiency farm machinery energy, agro- input and resource conservation technologies of minimum tillage are being researched to minimize the cost of production.

                                                                  In certain areas, paddy fields remain flooded with water for a period of 3-8 months in a year, during which some growth of fish is easily possible. Hence, fish is cultivated in paddy field to give sustainable additional supply to the farmer. This practice is common in Italy, Japan, Malaysia, several African countries and to some extent in India various techniques are employed for fish culture in paddy fields depending upon the climate local conditions, species of fish available and the variety of paddy cultivated. The cultivation of paddy is the primary purpose of farmer; hence fish culture is to be adapted to the schedule of paddy cultivation. Species that are suitable for culture in paddy fields must be able to thrive in shallow water. They should be able to tolerate relatively higher temperature and turbidity. Certain carps, murrels and tilapia are suitable for culture in paddy fields. Fish culture is beneficial to the paddy also to some extent. Fish perform tillage; destroy weed and insect that cause damage to the paddy plants, thus increasing paddy production. 

                                                             In India, experiments conducted on fish culture in paddy fields in W.Bengal have shown that the survival rate of Labeo, Catla and Mrigal ranges from 34-40%, and the species show more rapid growth in paddy fields than in ponds. Fields that are left flooded for a long or short period after harvesting can be easily utilize for fish culture.

.                        The wetland area which is generally waste land can be used as integrated fish farming with Makhana culture .This type of mixed culture will offer greater efficiency in resource utilization, will reduce risk by diversifying crop and will provide additional food and income. This system will be of special significance as it will improve the socio-economic status of weaker rural fisher community.                                                                  

     Fish culture in  Makhana  ponds can  be  grouped as:-

   a) secondary crop of  fish  after  a  Makhana  corp.                                   

   b) along  with  the  Makhana during  the  period  of  cultivation; and      

   c) continuous  fish  culture, transferring  the fish  to  specially  prepared  ponds  or  channels  during  the  harvesting  period  of Makhana.`

                                   The various stages of Makhana cultivation in ponds and tanks considerably alter as well as disrupt the ecological conditions of the water body. The planktonic productivity of such ponds remains very meager due to shaded surface imparted by Makhana leaves which mostly cover the entire surface of the pond. So that the air-breathing fishes, by virtue of the presence of accessory respiratory organs can thrive well in such adverse, low- oxygen environmental conditions. It is a common view that the air- breathing fishes in such ecologically disrupted ecosystem are probably made for each other by nature itself. These fishes are well known for their high protein, high iron, high calcium and low fat content and easy digestibility and such, suitable for all people.

                  There are various species of air- breathing fishes most ideally suited for stocking in Makhana ponds. These are generally carnivorous in nature and in culture operation they adopt themselves excellently to supplementary feeding with dried trash fish, oil cake and rice bran. Among these fishes Magur (Clarias batrachus) and Singhi  (Heteropneustes  fossilis) are known to be feeding gastropods, insects, micro crustaceans, and other larvae. Koi (Anabas testudineus) is generally a micro plankton feeder in younger stages and takes to insectivorous habit in later stages.

                   Makhana cum fish culture has certain advantage and disadvantage. The main advantages are :-                           

 1) the most economical utilization of pond or wetland area, since the same pond would be

   used for the production of both Makhana and fish.        

 2) Utilization of limited extra labour to take care of fish, since both Makhana and fish may be taken care at the same time.                     

 3) The quantity of supplemental of fish feeds, if it all given, will be comparatively less   

  compared to feed  given to the fish in general  pond culture and the unused feed in Makhana   pond increases the  fertility  of  the  pond  by  acting  as  organic manure.

  4) Fish eat harmful organisms, such as insect larvae and some other water insects, fresh water   mollusks. The Makhana yield would increase due to reduced insect pest pressure and  increased organic fertilization.  

5)  The movement of fish would result in better aeration of the water and greater tillering of

    the Makhana crop.

            The disadvantages of the Makhana cum fish culture are: -    

 1) If the fish are introduced to early, they may damage the young Makhana plants.

2) The huge sprawling leaves of Makhana plant keep the water surface shaded from May to August. During this period sun-light will not penetrate inside the water surface due to

      which the grazing chain gets disrupted. As a result of this the dissolved oxygen content of

       water gets depleted which makes the environment unfavorable. 

                                    Another example of mixed farming is prawn culture in combination with fish, like major carps. There is no competition for food or space, as carps are non predatory. The faecal matter of fish might serve as an additional source of food for prawns, which are detritus feeder or scavengers. For extensive pond culture, fertilization of the pond and artificial feeding play a significant role. Rice bran, broken rice, ground nut oil cake, fish meal, worms and meat are used as artificial food.                                                                                                                                                                 

                Thus by applying modern method for integrated fish farming on large scale by the people living in the wetland region will definitely play an important role in the rural economy.

If you are wondering how to start off a business in pig farming, then this article is for you. It contains a list of tips for beginners which all experienced pig breeders should know by now. To become one of the good pig breeders, you basically must have a goal just like most of the breeders – to generate profit. And if you want profit, your ultimate goal when it comes to pigs is to have them well-rounded and healthy. Here is how you should get started.

You probably know by now that this business is all about breeding. Pigs are ideal animals for breeding because it takes shorter time but with many produce. And so first thing you should do is take time to look for the right boars and sows. You need to go to a reliable buyer who has been well known to provide healthy piglets. You also need to ask for recommendations when it comes to buying needed equipment for raising pigs. In other words, ask for advice from the experienced pig breeders.

When it comes to choosing sows, you even have to be more particular. If you’re ready to get started right away then buy those that are around ten months of age. As for the boars, those that are around eight months of age are actually almost ready to breed. Raise them for a couple of months or until they reach one year old and they will be able to breed at least 30 sows for each boar.

However, before they even begin mating, make sure that your sows are in a perfectly healthy condition. Examine them regularly so that if there are any diseases or bacteria present, you can treat them ahead of time. It would cost you time and money if that disease spreads and contaminates the litter and the other sows. You better treat it fast before the sows become ready for mating. Pig breeders know that when a sow is already fertile, the vulva becomes enlarged. Right then and there mating can happen.

Now the time has come that the sows are pregnant. This is a very crucial stage because you have to keep them healthy at all times. They need to be properly fed and taken care of. This includes giving them vitamins as well as cleaning their pens more often than usual. You have to get rid off of all kinds of worms and bacteria. If the sows become infected, you should treat them before they give birth. Most pig breeders use a mild but effective cleanser. Again, ask for recommendations.

Let’s summarize some points on nutrient dense produce.

Work only with consultants and experts who fully understand how to achieve nutrient dense produce.

Be mindful of how critically important soil life is to nutrient density and its symbiotic relationship to minerals, gases and organic matter.

Be familiar with the importance of basic minerals, compost and compost teas and their effect on soil life.

Be aware of the difference between compost tea, compost extract, compost leachates and worm leachates.

Use laboratories that also measure soil life – eg. Bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes in your soil sample.

Use laboratories that can analyse your compost. Compost has to be made to have the correct balance of soil life in it to suit your crop particularly the ratio of bacteria to fungi in the compost.

Be aware of what good laboratory tested compost consists of versus decayed/aged/randomly “composted” plant material and animal manures. There is a lot of professional ignorance when it comes to composting many composts are really just good mulch.

Be mindful that free ammonia gives gutless plant growth that attracts insect attack fungi and other problems free ammonia is found in raw manure and manures that have not been fully composted.

Use a brix meter to test progress of your crop and although it is not a fool proof measure of goodness, it is a quick, easy and economical indicator.

Learn the practice of biologically activating inert mineral fertilizers before or after they have been applied.

More is not always better. The balance or what it takes to promote a biological active soil is what matters.

Understand the ratio of bacteria to fungi that is needed in the soil for you particular crop. Understanding and implementing that dramatically increases production and reduces weed problems.

It is far more profitable to strive for nutrient dense crops no matter what crop you are growing and it’s more rewarding. Astute buyers know the difference, whether they be flour millers, bakers, wine makers, butchers, lot feeders, dairy farmers, pig or poultry farmers.

Be aware of the difference between compost tea, compost extract, compost leachates, worm leachates.

Be aware of the symbiotic relationship between cosmic/atmospheric influences, existing minerals/applied minerals, soil life and the conditions plants require.

Avoid products and practices that hamper or destroy soil life. It is a balanced soil that gives nutrient density in plants.

If you think earthworms would not be useful in orchards, you are mistaken. Worms are small soil-inhabited creatures that are present wherever there is moist soil. They are present in farms, vegetable gardens, backyards and yes, even orchards. There are numerous large and sturdy trees in orchards, but earthworms are still thriving in the areas’ soil, however large and strong roots of towering fruit trees may become. Thus, the creatures are essential and necessary in making biodynamic farming work.

Orchards are specific and specialized land areas for planting and habitation of shrubs and trees. Purposely, such land areas are allotted for food production through the dominance of fruit trees. There are also nut-producing trees that are planted and maintained in orchards for commercial production of food.  

Natural orchards are usually located near water bodies, where climates are extremes and moderated. Man-made or artificial orchards are commercially funded and are artificially provided with water supplies and temperate climates. There are many consumer businesses and food manufacturers that are establishing and maintaining their own orchards, especially those in the fruit marketing and processing operations.  

Naturally or artificially, earthworms are common features of orchards. As usual, they are helpful in that they help make the soil more nutritive. Worms feed on organic matter like fallen leaves and tree barks. They also feed on soil. When they excrete, their castings are mixed to the soil, which is made fertilized due to high levels of potassium, magnesium, nitrogen and phosphorus. Aside from that, the natural burrowing action of earthworms facilitates further aeration and transport of nutrients from the topsoil down to the subsoil, where most active root parts are located.  

Natural orchards have abundant volumes of earthworms. Artificial orchards can be implanted with heavy volumes of vermiculture or artificially raised and cultivated earthworms. Orchard keepers and agriculturists know how advantageous having earthworms in orchard soils could be. More volumes of earthworms should be present in such land areas because there are more risks of exposure to predators like birds, possible soil dryness and exposure to harmful sunlight, which are all usual in acres of orchards.  

As such, vermicultured earthworms are more appropriate for orchards. The presence of more worms in orchards has been proven to help make fruit trees more productive. The need for expensive and tediously applied fertilizers can also be significantly reduced, if not totally eliminated. There will also be fewer problems about disposal of organic wastes from the trees and from animals and insects roaming the areas.

The soil in orchards should be maintained rich and fertile. That may be hard to do but through the help of earthworms, it would be possible. Such creatures are usually disgusting and scaring people, but you should not be scared and disgusted of them. In fact, if you really want your orchard to be productive as it can be, you should learn to appreciate and recognize the importance of earthworms in biodynamic farming, particularly in helping keep the richness and conduciveness of the soil.

Earthworms or night crawlers are best used as fertilizers for vegetables, whether in small or large areas. Such organisms are best suited for a type of composting called vermicomposting. The composting type is a process wherein worms are fed to excrete a form of soil that is very rich in necessary and productive nutrients essential to growth of vegetable crops. This is clearly one technique to implement biodynamic farming. It is not surprising that these days, more and more farmers are treating earthworms as their real best friends.

Studies commissioned by different governmental agriculture institutions globally have found that vermiculture castings or earthworms’ excretions, when mixed in the soil, have seven times more phosphorus, five times nitrate, 11 times potash, thrice amounts of magnesium and almost two times more calcium than normal soil used optimally for vegetable cropping in the most fertile agricultural lands. Vermiculture is indeed one effective way to maintain richness and fertility of soil.  

In the past, or in some agricultural areas elsewhere in the globe today, some vegetable farmers regard earthworms as pests. That is why they keep on killing and removing worms they see around their crops. Little did such farmers know that earthworms are actually helpful. As such, the small organisms should be left alone and should be allowed to make burrows in the soil. Such small diggings have proven to be advantageous because they facilitate the flow and entry of air to the soil and down through the roots.  

In the US, there are studies conducted by the Ohio State University showing how presence of earthworms in vegetable soil help the plants grow pest-free and ideally better. Vermicompost has been observed to free cabbage, pepper and tomato from savage and harmful pests like aphids, mealy bugs and caterpillars. Though the exact scientific reasons for the events are still yet to be determined, experts suggest that it is because vermicomposts are rich in highly essential nutrients that help vegetable cops become stress resistant and eventually unattractive to pests.  

People should also be corrected and educated for their misconception that worms cause rotting of roots and of tubers. Experts and horticulturists emphasize that maggots and other pests usually cause such problems, not worms. In fact, earthworms are known to feed on decaying matters, decomposing leaves and barks and animal manure. The organisms have never been known to feed on vegetable roots, tubers and crops.  This is surely one biodynamic farming technique that needs trying out.

If you plan to plant and raise vegetables on the big scale, it would be better if you would consider putting earthworms as fertilizers. Doing so would surely result to better and healthier growth of the vegetable crops and eventually to higher yields and harvests. Biodynamic farming is advantageous in such a way that there is no need to spend too much on chemicals just to make plants healthy. By keeping the soil fertile and conducive for planting, anyone could plant and grow vegetables that are of the highest quality.

As kids, you surely can remember fond and fun memories when you chased after worms and killed them. You can have memories of fright, disgust and simply anger of the tiny helpless creatures, which, as you were told by elders, could enter your body and cause so much troubles and illnesses. In reality, earthworms do not deserve such treatment.  In fact, they could play a vital and significant role in what is popularly known today as biodynamic farming, or the use of natural and organic farming techniques to yield agricultural products.  

By now, you should know that earthworms are truly helpful. Their appearance may prompt disgust and scare to people, but they are never harmful. They are the superstars of the soil, and there are more than enough reasons for that. They break down organic matters and excrete castings and slimes that contain nutrients that further enrich the soil.  

You can actually take advantage of the usefulness of earthworms especially if you intend to plant fruit trees. For all you know, you need not spend too much on fertilizers and do much efforts in tilting and digging the soil where your fruit tree seedlings will be implanted. You can leave those jobs to who else but your soil and farming buddies—earthworms.  

If you decided to plant fruit trees late in the planting season (autumn), you still could do so, without the need to wait for the next planting season. Yes, the soil could be invariably damp and too tightened, making it harder to dig. You surely will have a difficult time to dig deeper. Worse, you have to dig around the large area where the fruit tree seedlings will be planted. Do not worry. As long as there are earthworms around, you can be spared from such tedious activities.  

All you have to do is dig the site where the seedling will be implanted and put some earthworms around. Plant the tree and presto, you can leave and just visit the plant occasionally. The earthworms will take care of loosening the damp soil, transporting rich nutrients from the topsoil to the subsoil and making burrows that could facilitate further entry and circulation of air and water into the soil. As worms continue to thrive around the area, they could even provide good natural fertilizers to the fruit trees. Their excreted castings are significantly abundant with the right nutrients perfect for growth of plants.  

Even until the fruit trees have already grown up and become sturdy, earthworms could still continue to be of good service. That is the reason why worms should be considered buddies of plants and trees.  

If there are not enough volumes of earthworms in your meadows, backyard or land areas allotted for planting of fruit trees, you could opt to invest in vermicultured earthworms. Vermiculture is the technology and process of artificially cultivating and growing worms to boost their reproduction and growth. Such earthworms could truly be helpful in making you succeed in using biodynamic farming techniques. It should not be that hard.

When it comes to biodynamic farming, people are turning to natural and traditional ways to help keep the soil fertile and organically rich in nutrients. One of the modernly developed techniques to arrive to biodynamic agriculture is vermiculture technology.

In the past, the use of earthworms and their castings or excretions in promoting plant growth had been widespread. In fact, ancient agricultural lands in Egypt, North America and Asia were abundant of earthworms, which were known to help spur and maintain overall productivity of lands. With the introduction of chemical fertilizers and the robust demand for food, agriculturists switched to the modern technology and systems of cropping to be able to cope up with fast demand and consumption.  

These days, more and more farmers and agriculturists are reverting back to the old, organic and chemicals-free mode of farming. Putting earthworms into farms and plant plots has become a standard in ensuring that plants will grow better and healthier. But because of the adverse weather conditions and other factors, earthworms helpful to farming do not easily grow, thrive and propagate. This is the reason why vermiculture has become an important sector of agriculture.  

Vermiculture is the process and technology of artificially cultivating or rearing earthworms for agricultural and productive purposes. Gone are the days when earthworms are regarded and treated as pests and as disgusting, small and crawling organisms. Now, worms are raised to reproduce faster. They are even fed and given optimal and ideal environment for growth and metabolism.  

Earthworms are the only means to attain vermicomposting, which is in turn a way to significantly boost organic and important nutrients in the soil. The idea behind the process is that worms’ excretions make the soil richer. Scientifically, vermiculture castings or earthworms’ excretions, when mixed in the soil, have seven times more phosphorus, five times nitrate, 11 times potash, thrice amounts of magnesium and almost two times more calcium than normal soil used optimally for vegetable cropping in the most fertile agricultural lands. That is far better than what chemical and synthetic agricultural fertilizers can provide.  

In a nutshell, overall benefits of vermiculture can never be underestimated. Vermiculture worms convert wastes, such as left over foods, tea bags, fruit peelings, vegetable scraps, eggshells and animal manure, into organic matter that fertilizes the soil and provide high humus content. Worms even facilitate entry of air into soil, which in turn helps increase resistance of plants so that there will be natural organic pesticidal features that drive away pests. There are even earthworm species that can be used as animal feed or as extenders to several processed foods.  

Through the modern vermiculture technology, soil friendly earthworms are assisted so that they could reproduce faster and raise population by three to four times in just a month or two. Businesses specializing in the initiatives prepare and allot facilities ideal for earthworm reproduction and cultivation.

Earthworms are naturally demised by too much exposure to light, particularly sunlight, high and extremely freezing temperatures and non-moist soil. Thus, vermiculture involves artificially facilitating good and ideal environments where earthworms could thrive.  This way, biodynamic farming could proceed.

Are your consider using the advantage of biodynamic farming in raising and cultivating house plants? Now is the right time. The technique is not just effective in growing common agricultural crops. Whatever kind of plant, be it ornamental or vegetable, biodynamic farming would surely be useful. The use of earthworms in helping make the soil richer and more fertile for planting is one effective strategy to make it. Thus, vermiculture technology is of great help.

Vermiculture worms are best fertilizers for potted house plants. Those small, crawling creatures, which have been disgusting many people since time immemorial, are actually very helpful when it comes to keeping good health and spurring growth of plants. These times, you can generate significant savings from scrapping the need to spend for commercial fertilizers and for services of professional horticulturists and gardeners. If you are keeping house plants as a hobby, you should by this time understand why and how earthworms can be of good assistance to your endeavor.  

The use of earthworms for cultivation and maintenance of house plants can be traced back to ancient history. In old Egypt, earthworms were used to boost productivity and fertility of food-producing soil, especially around Nile River, which is noted in history as the cradle and site of early agricultural civilization. From Egypt, the use of earthworms as soil fertilizers spread like fire to Europe and eventually to the rest of the Western civilizations.  

In addition, the use of earthworms for potted plants or house plants is a very clear example of how local ecology could benefit from introduction of foreign species of organisms. Did you know that in North America, earthworms were not thriving abundantly until potted plants with earthworms and vermiculture worms were shipped from Europe? A little bit of trivia: Most native earthworms in the region died from the onset of the last Ice Age, about 70,000 years ago.  

The US Department of Agriculture has also been coming out with studies about house plants and earthworms. Several findings indicate that presence of earthworm castings in potted house plants is a usual factor necessary for productivity and optimal growth of such plants. Researches commissioned by the agency have been highlighting improved growth of house plants if alive or even dead earthworms are added to the potted soil.  

Whether your house plants are raised as ornaments or simply as part of your plant collections, it would be better if you would add earthworms to soil. You can opt to buy soil already beefed up with numerous worms or you could buy vermiculture worms from specialty agriculture shops. You need not be scared or be disgusted by the presence of earthworms in your potted house plants. Never worry if you think the worms could leap out from the pots. Earthworms are sensitive organisms and are not usually tolerating too much light, less humidity, lack of moisture and inexistence of soil.

If you are really serious about using biodynamic farming when growing potted houseplants, vermiculture should be an option.