Introducing Vermiculture 1

Vermiculture 1

Intro

Kim Thomas/ Natural Resources 2012

Hortykim Otago Polytechnic 2012

Vermiculture

In our last session we looked at the importance of the soil food web.

“The soil food web is the community of organisms living all or part of their lives in the soil. It describes a complex living system in the soil and how it interacts with the environment, plants, and animals.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_food_web


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Vermiculture

Introducing vermiculture

Some of the main problems we face at the moment are soil degradation,unhealthy soils and not recycling our organic wastes.

Worms are the key to a more fertile and healthy planet.



There are some startling observations and considerations made by David Murphy which include the following:

2 million years = 1 billion people

2025= 10 billion people





Rapid increase in population=more wealth= more extravagance=more food=more meat.



To get 1 kg of beef onto the BBQ = 7kg grain = 9000 litres of water.

So more people,more food,more land,more water.

We currently use heaps of phosphate to sustain current levels of food production.



Every year 75 billion tons of top soil washes into the sea worldwide = 100 million hectares of productive land gone.

Human existence is not a natural cycle.



We are the only species that does not utilise our waste-we usually bury it in plastic bags in landfill.

Anaerobic rubbish in bags=carbon turning into methane.

In soil carbon sustains life in landfill it creates poison.





The OM content of the earth’s soils used to be 20% it is now 1%.

1kg of wheat =7kg of top soil depleted.

We destroy the soil structure,soil texture and disrupt the soil food web by constant additions of synthetic fertilisers.







The problems seem unsurmountable but the damage we have done and are doing to our soils can be remedied!

We need to turn our organic waste into compost and return it to our soil so that we have healthy soil food webs.



This return of organic life will include increased worm activity and healthy agricultural land.

As horticulturalists we will have the skills to do this and you can start in your own back yard or farm.


What is vermiculture?

The cultivation of earthworms

Aristotle described them as “the intestines of the earth”

Cleopatra established laws to protect them

Darwin doubted whether any other animals played so important a part in the history of the world


What is vermicomposting?

The process of worms and micro organisms to convert dead organic matter into nutrient rich humus.

Organic matter cycles through the worm’s digestive tract and is excreted as castings.


Castings-what are they good for?

They help air and water permeate the soil

Boost nutrients

Enhance soil structure

Can be used for different growing medias in the nursery

Slow or repair soil degradation


Worm classification

There are over 3500 species of earthworms- one of the smallest(American bark worm) is just over a cm. long and one of the the largest(The giant south African) measured 7 meters long.




Worm classification

Marcel Bouche’s system divides earthworms into 3 categories: epigeic,endogeic and anecic.


Worm classification

The worms in the epigeic category are the ones we will focus on for vermicomposting and specifically the tiger worm.

They occur naturally on the soil surface in freshly decaying organic matter.


Worm classification

The unit you are studying will open your mind to the benefits worms can give to develop healthy gardens,improve soil productivity,make money and most importantly counter-act some of the damage we are doing to our earth.




Education

Introducing Vermiculture 1