[Digestion] vermiculture of digested solids

[Anand Karve]

Dear Theo,
 It is an accepted principle in agriculture that there is direct and
positive correlation between the population densiy of micro-organisms in the
soil and soil fertility.  One applies organic matter to the soil because one
wants to increase the number of microbes per unit of soil. This is best done
by applying a small quantity of non-composted, high calorie organic
material to the soil and not by applying predigested and composted organic
material to an agricultural field. You can test this just by applying a
couple of grams of sugar to a square meter of soil and you would notice,
that with such a small quantity of an organic carbon source, the microbial
population in the soil increases about 500 times, within 24 hours of
application.  Thus, when a suitable organic carbon source is available to
the microbes in the soil, the microbes multiply their numbers, taking up the
necessary minerals directly from the soil minerals. Plants cannot take up
the soil minerals because the soil minerals have a very low solubility. But
the microbes can absorb them even from solutions having minerals in PPM or
PPB concentration. When the organic carbon source has been exhausted, the
microbes die due to starvation, releasing the minerals sequestered in their
body. These minerals, now in the form of enzymes, co-enzymes, proteins etc.
are highly water soluble, and they become available to the plants. Literally
thousands of farmers in the region of India where I live, have started to
use this technique. They apply either 25 kg sugar or 125 kg green leaves per
hectare to their field, once every two or three months, and get good
yields. It amounts to soil mining, but just one meter thick layer of soil
contains enough minerals to support agriculture for 25,000 years. And new
soil is continuously being formed due to geological processes. So, don't
worry that the minerals in the soil would ever get exhausted.
Yours
A.D.Karve

On Mon, Nov 15, 2010 at 8:23 PM, <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
> >
> >
> >
> > Theo Bijman
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > 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/
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> May your troubles be less, your blessings more,
> and may nothing but happiness, come through your door.
>
>
>
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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/
>
>


-- 
***
Dr. A.D. Karve
President, Appropriate Rural Technology Institute (ARTI)

*Please change my email address in your records to: adkarve at gmail.com *
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