[Digestion] vermiculture of digested solids

[Tim Livingstone]

I'm a lurker on the list for AD since it is something I'm interested in 
but cannot devote time to at this point.  We do however, run a good 
sized vermi-composting operation, selling both the worms and the 
castings (earthworm excrement) from them.

You cannot expect to see a lot more total nutrients in a compost after 
the worms have been through it but you can expect that the nutrients 
present will be in a much more available format to the plants.  You also 
get a large amount of soil biology, enzymes, etc. from the worms' 
digestive systems that will be of great benefit to plants.

If nutrients are your only aim, then vermi-composting is not the answer, 
but if you are looking at the whole soil system and interested in 
stimulating the life in the soil while adding the nutrients, then 
composting with earthworms is very worthwhile.  Vermicompost has it's 
biggest benefit on the more valuable crops and crops that need living 
soils.

Hope this helps,
Tim

On 11/15/2010 8:23 AM, bennett at frognet.net wrote:
> Not to answer this, but to expand a bit.....
> Is there documentation backed by laboratory research that tells the
> "fertilizer values" of the digested solid wastes resulting from methane
> production?  Would the vermiculture add to those nutrient values?
> Thanks.
>> Referring to the question about vermiculture.  Why should you want to
>> use vermiculture when you have already digested solid waste that could
>> be applied to the fields directly? With raw manure, I could see the
>> advantage, as you would get a somewhat dry, concentrated and easy to
>> apply organic fertilizer, without the acidifying effect of manure. Is it
>> the reduction in volume that is an advantage?  Or are people used to
>> using vermiculture organic fertilizer and do not know the usage of
>> digested solid waste? Maybe somebody has some thoughts about this. Do
>> you apply liquid waste to the composting heaps  (the liquids which
>> remains when separating digistate into solids and liquids?) to keep it
>> moist?
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>>
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>> Theo Bijman
>>
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>> Matt and listers, Hello,
>>
>> There are two projects in South India doing vermiculture of digestate:
>> SKG Sangha and VK-Nardep that have been highlighted on the list, as they
>> both won Ashden Awards. There are videos available for both projects,
>> although the one for VK-Nardep is a sequence of still photographs taken
>> at the time of the judge's visit.
>>
>> The Ashden Award links are: www.ashdenawards.org/winners/skgsangha
>> <http://www.ashdenawards.org/winners/skgsangha>   and
>> www.ashdenawards.org/winners/vknardep
>> <http://www.ashdenawards.org/winners/vknardep>  . A direct link to SKG
>> Sangha is: www.skgsangha.org<http://www.skgsangha.org>   and to
>> VK-Nardep is: vknardep.org<http://vknardep.org>  .
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> David Fulford
>>
>> On 11/11/2010 01:33, Matt Lorig wrote:
>>
>> There was a project mentioned on the list (maybe a year or two ago)
>> about a vermiculture project using the digestate from a biogas plant.  I
>> think it was in India.  I think they were using sawdust to soak up the
>> water and composting it for a period of time and then introducing the
>> worms.  I can't find the link now.  Does anyone remember what I'm
>> talking about?  Or does anyone have any info about vermiculture combined
>> with biogas?
>>
>> Matt Lorig
>> mattlorig at yahoo.com<mailto:mattlorig at yahoo.com>
>>
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>> for more information about digestion, see
>> Beginner's Guide to Biogas
>> http://www.adelaide.edu.au/biogas/
>> and the Biogas Wiki http://biogas.wikispaces.com/
>>
>>
>

-- 


  Jolly Farmer Products

Northampton, NB

Canada

Ph: 506-325-3850

Fax: 506-325-3890

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