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Dear Theo and readers,<br>
<br>
The people using vermiculture with biogas digestate claim that it
further improves the fertilizer value of the compost. When I visited
a village that was using the system, we met a commercial coconut
grower who was prepared to pay in cash the equivalent of $60 per
tonne for the compost from the vermiculture unit. The farmers claim
an increase in production of 30% over three years of using the
compost, as well as improved quality of the produce (rice, millet,
ginger, potatoes, vegetables, coconuts and betel nut trees). The
growers said they saw is a much reduced drop of immature nuts from
coconut and betel nut trees when they used vermiculture compost.<br>
<br>
The digestate is added to dry biomass material (leaves, grass, old
grass mats etc.), so the liquid is absorbed into the compost. The
mix is allowed to aerobically compost for about 3 to 4 weeks before
the worms are added. This process allows a much increased amount of
compost than is available from just the digestate and it allows the
liquid component of the digestate to be absorbed. <br>
<br>
In India, when the digestate is used on its own, the liquid often
evaporates, with a loss of nitrogen in the form of ammonia. The
digestate is usually left in a lagoon until it is required, as it
needs to "mature" before it can be used. Absorbing the liquid
component in dry biomass allows the nitrogen to be retained. <br>
<br>
The vermiculture material is kept moist with water, to give the
worms the right conditions. Excess water is drained off and the
liquid can be used as a foliar feed. It is claimed that it repels
pests and improves plant health. <br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
David F<br>
<br>
On 11/11/2010 23:09, Theo Bijman wrote:
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Dear readers,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Referring to the
question about vermiculture. </span><span style="font-size:
12pt; font-family: "Times New
Roman","serif"; color: black;" lang="EN-US"> 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?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif"; color:
black;" lang="EN-US">Thanks<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif"; color:
black;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif"; color:
black;" lang="EN-US">Theo Bijman<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif"; color:
black;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif"; color:
black;" lang="EN-US">Matt and listers, Hello,<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
The Ashden Award links are: </span><span style="font-size:
12pt; font-family: "Times New
Roman","serif"; color: black;"><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.ashdenawards.org/winners/skgsangha"><span
style="color: blue;" lang="EN-US">www.ashdenawards.org/winners/skgsangha</span></a></span><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New
Roman","serif"; color: black;" lang="EN-US">
and </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif"; color:
black;"><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.ashdenawards.org/winners/vknardep"><span
style="color: blue;" lang="EN-US">www.ashdenawards.org/winners/vknardep</span></a></span><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New
Roman","serif"; color: black;" lang="EN-US">.
A direct link to SKG Sangha is: </span><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New
Roman","serif"; color: black;"><a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://www.skgsangha.org"><span
style="color: blue;" lang="EN-US">www.skgsangha.org</span></a></span><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New
Roman","serif"; color: black;"> <span
lang="EN-US">and to VK-Nardep is: </span></span><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New
Roman","serif"; color: black;"><a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://vknardep.org"><span
style="color: blue;" lang="EN-US">vknardep.org</span></a></span><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New
Roman","serif"; color: black;" lang="EN-US">.<br>
<br>
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times
New Roman","serif"; color: black;">Regards,<br>
<br>
David Fulford<br>
<br>
On 11/11/2010 01:33, Matt Lorig wrote: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;
font-family: "Times New
Roman","serif"; color: black;"
lang="EN-US">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? <br>
<br>
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif";
color: black;">Matt Lorig<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:mattlorig@yahoo.com"><span
style="color: blue;">mattlorig@yahoo.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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_______________________________________________<br>
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<pre wrap="">Digestion mailing list
to Send a Message to the list, use the email address
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Digestion@bioenergylists.org">Digestion@bioenergylists.org</a>
to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/digestion_lists.bioenergylists.org">http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/digestion_lists.bioenergylists.org</a>
for more information about digestion, see
Beginner's Guide to Biogas
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.adelaide.edu.au/biogas/">http://www.adelaide.edu.au/biogas/</a>
and the Biogas Wiki <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://biogas.wikispaces.com/">http://biogas.wikispaces.com/</a>
</pre>
</blockquote>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
<p align="center">********************************************************************<br>
Dr David Fulford CEnv MEI, 15, Brandon Ave, Woodley, Reading RG5
4PU <br>
<a href="mailto:d.j.fulford@btinternet.com">d.j.fulford@btinternet.com</a>,
Tel: +44(0)118 326 9779 Mob: +44(0)7746 806401 <br>
Kingdom Bioenergy Ltd, <a href="http://www.kingdombio.com">www.kingdombio.com</a>,
<a href="mailto:davidf@kindombio.com">davidf@kindombio.com</a> </p>
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