VERMICULTURE

Hours/Week: 02                                                                                Exam Hours: 03

Total Hours: 40                                                                                 Exam Marks: 400

 

Objectives:

• To assist the students in Vermitechnology for sustainable agriculture practices.
• To develop the concept of scientific organic natural farming with a key component of making organic manure through earthworms.
• To provide the knowledge of how to turn all kinds of waste garbage to a valuable compost.
• To impart the knowledge of converting the weeds into food of earthworms and preparing vermicompost.
• To provide the knowledge of commercial vermicomposting , including rearing of earthworms and production of earthworm cast.

PAPER – I: Theory: Vermiculture                                                   10 Hours

• Habit and habitat.
• Food and feeding habits of earthworm; worm castings.
• Reproduction and lifecycle.
• Economic importance of earthworms.
• Role of earthworms in soil structure, fertility & productivity.
• Meaning of vermiculture. General planning for vermiculture.
• Ecological classification of earthworms.
• Enemies of earthworms.
• Advantages of Vermiculture.

PAPER – II: Theory: Vermicomposting                                              10 Hours

• Meaning of Vermicoposting.
• Small – scale and Large – scale vermicomposting.
• Indoor and outdoor vermicomposting.
• Materials which can be used for vermicomposting.
• Preparation of vermicompost.
• Harvesting of vermicompost and storing it.
• Vermiwash and its uses.

PAPER – III: Practicals : Vemiculture                                            10 Hours

• Familiarizing earthworms.
• Collection of local earthworms.
• Preparation of vermibed for vermiculture.
• Vermiculturing using local species of earthworms.

PAPER – IV: Practicals : Vermicomposting                                   10 Hours

• Preparing vermicompost using paper waste and weeds.
• Preparation of vermiwash.
• Collection of vermicompost.
• Package and marketing of vermicompost.

Reference:

1. Earthworm: Vermiculture & Vermicomposting – R. K. Bhatnagar & R.K.Palta; 1996;Kalyani publishers, New Delhi.
2. Vermicomposting – Dr. B. Ramesh Chandra Rao; 2006; KUIDFC- KUDCEM, Mangalore.
3. Vermiculture – Mary Cristy; MJP Publishers.
4. Vermicompost – Avinash K Panikkar- https://www.cleanindia.org/waste.htm#introwaste
5. Vermicomposting  technology for solid waste management- Ashaa  Aalok, A. K. Tripathi & P. Soni: https://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/Vermicomposting.pdf