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Worm Castings vs Compost

Earthworms vermicompost is proving to be highly nutritive ‘organic fertilizer’ and more powerful ‘growth promoter’ over the conventional composts and a ‘protective’ farm input (increasing the physical, chemical & biological properties of soil, restoring & improving its natural fertility) against the ‘destructive’ chemical fertilizers which has destroyed the soil properties and decreased its natural fertility over the years. 

Vermicompost is rich in NKP (nitrogen 2-3%, potassium 1.85-2.25% and phosphorus 1.55-2.25%), micronutrients, beneficial soil microbes and also contain ‘plant growth hormones & enzymes’. It is scientifically proving as ‘miracle growth promoter & also plant protector’ from pests and diseases. 

Vermicompost retains nutrients for long time and while the conventional compost fails to deliver the required amount of macro and micronutrients including the vital NKP to plants in shorter time, the vermicompost does. 

In, Argentina, farmers who use vermicompost consider it to be seven (7) times richer than conventional composts in nutrients and growth promoting values

While ‘thermophilic bacteria’ predominate in conventional composting, ‘mesophilic bacteria & fungi’ predominate in vermicomposting. Although the conventional composting process is completed in about 8 weeks, but additional 4 weeks is required for ‘curing’. Curing involves the further aerobic decomposition of some compounds, organic acids and large particles that remain after composting. Less oxygen and water is required during curing. Compost that has had insufficient curing may damage crops. Vermicomposting takes nearly half the time of conventional composting and vermicompost do not require any curing and can be used straightway after production (62). 

Vermicomposts have much ‘finer structure’ than ordinary compost and contain nutrients in forms that are readily available for plant uptake. Vermicomposts have outstanding chemical and biological properties with ‘plant growth regulators’ (lacking in other composts) and significantly larger and ‘diverse microbial populations’ than the conventional thermophilic composts (70; 73; & 193).

Atiyeh (16) found that the conventional compost was higher in ‘ammonium’, while the vermicompost tended to be higher in ‘nitrates’, which is the more available form of nitrogen. They also found that vermicompost has higher N availability than the conventional compost on a weight basis and the supply of several other plant nutrients e.g. phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulfur (S) and magnesium (Mg), were significantly increased by adding vermicompost as compared to conventional compost to soil (17 & 18). 

Vermicompost retains nutrients for long time and while the conventional compost fails to deliver the required amount of macro and micronutrients including the vital NKP (nitrogen, potassium & phosphorus) to plants in shorter time, the vermicompost does.

Application of vermicompost had other agronomic benefits. It significantly reduced the demand for irrigation by nearly 30-40%. Test results indicated better availability of essential micronutrients and useful microbes in vermicompost applied soils. Most remarkable observation was significantly less incidence of pests and disease attacks in vermicompost applied crops.

Full Article:

Read this article by Griffith University of Queensland, Australia. 

https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au/bitstream/handle/10072/30336/62923_1.pdf

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Vermicompost Wards Off Crop Pests

Worm castings are an effective way to repel white flies, aphids and spider mites and any pest that feeds on plant juices. According to recent studies, applying earthworm castings to the soil around your plants increases the production of a certain enzyme chitinase. This enzyme is a degrader of chitin, the substance that comprises the exo-skeletons of most insects. When used properly, worm casting acts as a natural insect repellant. If a bug feeds on the leaves of a plant which has absorbed the chitinase, its exoskeleton will soon begin to dissolve, and death will come quickly.

North Carolina State University researchers have dug deeper into the mechanisms behind insect resistance of plants grown in soil amended with vermicompost, and the preliminary results suggest this may provide an ecological friendly means of managing pests in vegetable crops.

Yasmin Cardoza, an entomologist and soil arthropod ecologist, along with graduate student Amos Little, found that different insect species responded differently to host plant resistance of brassica crops. They also determined that it takes as little as a 20 percent concentration of vermicompost mix in the soil to boost the resistance of host plants against caterpillar and aphid pests.

Be sure to select a quality worm casting that’s pure and not cut with compost or other raw materials. Vermisterra pure organic earthworm castings are fine, aged and readily absorbable by plants.

 

Resources:

https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.950.1099&rep=rep1&type=pdf

https://georgia.growingamerica.com/news/2012/04/ncsu-research-explains-how-vermicompost-amended-soils-ward-crop-pests/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19423335/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317490950_Effect_of_vermicompost_and_chitin_on_the_control_of_Meloidogyne_incognita_in_greenhouse_tomato

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Effect of Vermicompost Tea on suppression of root knot nematodes

JL Organics was happy to work with students from University of California in an agricultural study. UC Riverside PhD student Abira S. performed and documented tests on tomato plants with root knot nematode (meloidogyne incognita) infestations to see how they responded to Vermisterra.Screen Shot 2016-08-09 at 2.48.18 PMSounds gnarly right? Abira found that using Vermisterra tea (labeled vermicompost tea in his study) suppressed root knot nematodes. Plants that received the worm casting tea also had more leaves, greater dry weight, more vegetative and fruiting branches, and significant increase in fruit number and fruit size compared to controls.

If you are interested in seeing his presentation slides, see and download below.

by Abira S. of University of California, Riverside.

Right click here and save as to download the PDF file.