Vermicast: A Sustainable Solution for Soil Health and Crop Productivity

Earthworms are important soil macrofaunal components, which not only maintain soil physicochemical properties by their activity but also directly or indirectly participate in the soil biogeochemical cycle. By their feeding action, they produce excreta termed ‘vermicast’. Vermicast has better properties than soil, as it passes through an earthworm’s gut, many enzymes and hormones mix up, which improves its properties and makes it better than simple soil. Vermicomposting is a controlled process of vermiculture in which selected species of earthworms are fed organic matter to produce humus, an advanced and improved form of vermicast. The properties of vermicast highly depend on the type of earthworm and feeding material. Vermicast application can be used in agricultural practices to improve the yield of various crops and vegetables such as wheat, rice, tomatoes, beans, chili, peanuts. An integrated approach of using vermicompost with inorganic fertilizer can reduce the single use of fertilizer up to an optimum level. Production of vermicast by using earthworms can become a sustainable tool for the management of organic waste.