- Human Pathogen Reduction during Vermicomposting

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“…Like the fat of insects, earthworm fat has a high nutritional value because of higher essential fatty acid contents. The crude fat contents of E. gammiei is almost similar to those of other earthworm species 13,15,16 , but quite lower than those of soybean meal (1 to 1.5%) 24 . 26 .…”

“…Earthworms have been introduced in everyday diet in some parts of Asia, Africa and South America 12 . Studies on nutrient contents of earthworms were restricted mostly to Eisenia fetida, Perionyx excavatus and Eudrilus eugeniae which feed on organic wastes and can be easily cultured 13 . Our present paper aims to study the nutrient contents of giant, geophagous and native earthworm of Tripura, Eutyphoeus gammiei (Octochaetidae) which is widely distributed in Northeast India including Tripura and Bangladesh.…”

Current and Potential Benefits of Mass Earthworm Culture

“…Manures are either used directly from the animal or mixed with a variety of bedding materials, such as straw, sawdust, paper, and wood shavings. These wastes usually require treatment before use, as earthworms are sensitive to ammonia and inorganic salts (Edwards and Niederer, 2011). Precomposting operations can process the material to remove the ammonia and feedstock high in salts; for example, pig manure or kitchen scraps can either be pretreated in this way or washed to reduce the salt content.…”

“…The temperature within vermicomposting systems should be maintained at 15-25 °C, and it should not exceed 35 °C (Edwards and Niederer, 2011). During winter, a slightly thicker layer of feed can be applied (5 cm) to provide greater heat insulation, as necessary.…”

“…To further diminish the heating potential of the feedstock, Edwards (2011) suggested that organic materials ought to be applied to worm beds in thin layers (2-3 cm) and that beds should not be deeper than 1 m. Additional feed should not be applied until the previous application has been consumed to avoid overheating and prevent anaerobic conditions. Epigeic earthworms need an aerobic environment, normally live in the top 10-15 cm of a worm bed, and migrate upward to consume feedstock as it is added to the system (Edwards and Niederer, 2011).…”