PRACTICAL

VERMICULTURE

Income Projections in Crop Pro

duction
 WORM COMPOSTING
• Relies on hungry worms to break
down farm waste into a very
nutrient rich fertilizer for plants.

• Casting are often called

“Black Gold”, looks like
dark, rich coffee grounds

• AUXIN – a naturally occurring growth

hormone is present in the casting

• Vermi castings contain more nutrients

than conventional compost

• Sanitary and odorless if done properly

 WORM COMPOSTING
ANC- “African Night Crawler”
(Eudrilus Euginae). A kilo of these
worms can consume a kilo of farm
waste per day

They reproduce quickly under

favorable conditions, doubling
their population in month

Started in the Philippines in the

1970’s.
 ABOUT EARTHWORMS
 African Night Crawler (Eudrilus
Eugenae) or referred to as the
composting worm have no scales
and are soft bodied.

 They breathe through their skin

with a mouth at the tip of their
anterior portion.

 They feed on moist organic

materials that have been
decomposed by bacteria and other
microorganisms.
 ABOUT EARTHWORMS
 Most earthworms are
hermaphrodites (Have
both male and female sex
organs)

 The two worms as

hermaphrodites on
copulation, are both
capable of producing
offsprings. (Both become
pregnant)
 ABOUT EARTHWORMS
 The African Night crawler is
capable of breeding weekly and
produces up to three fertilized
eggs per capsule.

 They can mature within a month,

attain a length more than 20 cm
long and live for more than a year.

 Worms eat as much as their

bodyweight per day.
 FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT OUR
WORMS
 No RH Bill- They double their
population every month;
 Hermaphrodites – when they mate,
the two worms will both become
pregnant;
 Voracious appetite-They can
consume as much as their body
weight per day;
 They breath through their skin
 They shy away from light  Very efficient farm workers
 They have 5 hearts – works 24 hours without
 Very complex digestive system pay! All you need to do is
just to give them food.
 Site SELECTION
CONSIDERATIONS

 It must be shaded (earthworms

shy away from strong light)

 Flood free

 Accessible to water supply and

source of compost material

 Well ventilated
DIFFERENT TYPES OF
HOUSING (WORM BIN)
COSTALES NATURE FARMS VERMICULTURE
SECTION
VERMICULTURE IN LAYERED
CRATES
VERMICULTURE IN A DRUM
VERMICULTURE IN CEMENTED
PLOTS
VERMICULTURE IN PIGPENS
VERMICULTURE IN IRON BARS
AND LAMINATED SACKS
THE MOST PRACTICAL VERMI BIN
OPTION - 1
THE MOST PRACTICAL VERMI BIN
OPTION - 2
YOU CAN PLANT LETTUCE ON TOP OF VERMI
BIN
DESIGN OF VERMI BIN
DESIGN OF VERMI BIN
DESIGN OF VERMI BIN
 Stock filling of substrate

 Sandwich: stock with 2-inch layer

alternating substrate. Water every layer
with EMAS(Dilution rate: 10ml EMAS for
every liter of water)
 Protection from predators

Cover the bin with leaves, sacks or nets

SELECTION OF RAW MATERIALS
NSIDER THE SOURCES OF MATERIALS
 Market waste/Farm waste/Kitchen waste

 Livestock manure/Leguminous plants

 Identify materials rich in nitrogen

• Sea weeds • All legumes

• Wild • Vegetable Peels • All animal manure
Sunflower • Ipil-Ipil
except dog
• Katuray • Duckweed and cat.
• Peanut • azolla
 SELECTION OF RAW
MATERIALS
 Identify materials rich in carbon:
Grass Saw dust (from non treated wood)
Rice Straw Coco dust(from non treated wood)
Corn Stalks
Paper
Wood

 Size and kind of materials:

• Small material sizes are more favorable. Shredded
materials decompose more easily.
• Easily composted materials like banana leaves,
stalks and fruit peelings

 Materials readily available in forms (decomposed kitchen

waste, EM Kitchen garbage, cow and carabao manure, paper
shreds and other biodegradable materials.
 RECOMMENDED MIXTURE

BY VOLUME RATIO

 50% animal manure and 50% farm waste

 50% nitrogen rich plant and 50% grasses or farm

waste
 GRASS
MANURE

MADRE DE CACAO LEAVES / CHOPPED BANANA TRUNK

LEGUMES
Anaerobic and Aerobic Decomposition
 Anaerobic Stage
AFTER PREPARING THE SUBSTRATE IN A SANDWICH TYPE STOCK
FILLING

 Spray or drench EMAS at a rate

of 1:100
.

 Cover the bin with laminated

sack or used tarpaulin

 Leave for 2 weeks

 Aerobic Stage

AFTER 15 DAYS

 Remove the plastic covering

 Deploy the worms
 The earthworms will start to
feed on the substrate.
 Maintain optimum moisture
 Cover with net or leaves
 Maintenance Of Worm Bin

TEST THE MOISTURE

CONTENT
 Squeeze a fistful of
substrate, five to seven
drops of water indicates
about 80% MC
 Maintenance Of Worm Bin

PROTECT YOUR WORMS FROM NATURAL

PREDATORS
 Birds, chickens, frogs

 mice, snakes,
flatworms and even
pigs love to eat worms
 Maintenance Of Worm Bin

PROTECT YOUR WORMS FROM NATURAL

PREDATORS
 Ants do not eat worms
but they can kill your
population if left
unattended.
UNWANTED MATERIALS IN THE
PILE
 Meat scraps- these can
attract unwanted animal
visitors and create
unpleasant odors. Rotten
meat may produce bacteria
that can pose health hazard.

 Fats, oils and grease- large

amounts of these will give
your microbes indigestion
slowing down composting
process. It also attracts
unwanted pests.
UNWANTED MATERIALS IN THE
PILE

 Droppings from caged

birds- Bird droppings may
contain dangerous disease
pathogens.
UNWANTED MATERIALS IN THE
PILE

 Droppings from dogs, cats

and other carnivores
UNWANTED MATERIALS IN THE
PILE

 Human waste: The

potential for spreading
diseases. Unsanitary.

 Diseased plants:
disease could spread
later when compost is
applied to the plants
 Harvesting

 Manual Pick- Pick the

worms by hand and
transfer them to a new
worm bed. The vermi-
compost may be
allowed to dry in the
shade for few days and
sifted, if finer compost
is desired.
 Harvesting
 Migration-Move the contents of
the whole bed to one side. Fill
the empty half with new
substrate. Allow the worms to
move freely to the new food.
Harvest the castings left by the
worms.
 Harvesting

Vermi castings (earthworm

manure) look like dark, rich coffee
grounds. They can be collected
using:

Top Harvest Method is our favorite

method of harvesting vermicast
 Vermi Compost Screener

Vermicompost can immediately be used after harvest. A 3/16”

mesh wire is recommended to separate pure vermicompost from
the remaining substrate.
Rotary type compost screener
DRYING AND STORAGE
• Dry the vermi-compost
by air, under shades
only. Exposing organic
fertilizer to the sun will
lose it’s nitrogen
content.

• Vermi compost can

be stored at 30%
MC in plastic
bags. Store in cool
place away from
direct sunlight.
SUMMARY OF
PROCEDURES
STEP 1 – PREPARE THE WORM BIN
(BAHAY NG BULATI)
STEP 2 – 1ST LAYER(LIVESTOCK
MANURE)
SPREAD OUT EVENLY
STEP 3 – 2ND LAYER(PLANT
PARTS-LEAVES, TRUNKS,
FRUITS)
STEP 4 – 3RD LAYER(LIVESTOCK
MANURE)
 STEP 5 – 4TH LAYER(PLANT
PARTS-LEAVES, TRUNKS, FRUITS)
STEP 6 – 5TH LAYER(LIVESTOCK
MANURE)
NOTE: SPRAY EMAS IN EVERY
LAYER
STEP 7-COVER THE WORM BIN AND WAIT
FOR 2 WEEKS. MICROBES WILL DO THEIR
DECOMPOSITION JOB!
STEP 8- AFTER 15 DAYS- DEPLOY
THE WORMS
 STEP 9- COVER THE WORM BIN TO
PROTECT FROM PREDATORS. WATER 2-3
TIMES A WEEK
HANDS-ON:VERMI CULTURE
IMPORTANT NOTE TO REMEMBER

IN VERMI CULTURE,
IT IS ALWAYS WHAT
YOU FEED, IS WHAT
YOU GET!
THANK YOU!!!