Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 11.6
Oil palm
composting pattern.
(Source: KYOTO Energy
2010
)
Composting period
Inputs and actions
Day 1-4
EFB and POME inputs, turnings
Week 1-10
POME inputs only, turnings
Week 11-20
Curing period: no inputs, turnings
11.3.3.1
Vermicomposting
Oil palm waste disposal is a severe problem in many countries in the world. Ver-
micomposting could be a substitute technology for the management of oil palm
waste especially EFB and frond (Sabrina et al.
2013
). Excellent fertilizer made by
means of earthworms by natural conversion is known as vermicomposting and in
this process organic material is converted into humus-like substance called earth-
worm compost.
Earthworm is also identified as soil echo-system engineer (Stork and Eggleton
1992
; Jones et al.
1994
; Lavelle
1997
) or “earth workers” (Appelhof et al.
1996
),
because of their capability to improve soil fertility through their active role in soil
organic transformations and nutrient dynamics at various spatial and temporal
scales, which ultimately cause for nutrient uptake by plants (Lavelle
1997
).
Soil dwelling worms known as earth worker include
Aporrectodea calliginosa
,
A. trapezoids
,
A. rosea
,
A. longa
,
Microscolex dubius
,
Octolasion cyaneum
, and
Lumbricus terrestris
(Appelhof et al.
1996
). Some other species of worms called as
“composter”.
Earthworms are insatiable feeders on organic wastes and even as make use of
merely little portion for their body synthesis they send out a large part of these ob-
sessive waste materials in a partially digested form. Those worms live in high con-
centrations of organic matter, such as piles and litter. The species used for vermi-
composting in Australia and New Zealand (and elsewhere) includes
Eisenia fetida
(it is called “tiger worm” because of its stripes, but also known as the brandling, or
manure worm);
E. andrei
(“red tiger”, a close and non- striped relative of
E. fetida
);
Perionyx excavatus
(the Indian blue worm, a tropical species); and
Eudrillus eu-
geniae
(African night crawler, another tropical species).
Lumbricus rubellus
(red
worm or dung worm) seems to be one of the few worms that can be classified as
both a soil dwelling worm and a composting worm (Appelhof et al.
1996
). Because
earthworm intestine harbor microbes of broad array, hormones and enzymes, these
partially assimilated vermicasts crumble quickly and are changed into a shape of
vermicompost in a little time (Edwards and Lofty
1977
; Lavelle
1988
).
Vermicomposting could bring physico-chemical and biological reaction that re-
sult in alteration in the organic matter. Vermicast produced will be highly disintegrat-
ed and permeable (Edwards
1988
; Edwards and Bohlen
1996
). Vermicomposting
could be a substitute technology to manage oil palm waste especially EFB and frond.
Of the treatments studied, P-enriched vermicompost provided best results for dry
matter yield of setaria grass, nutrient uptake and P availability (Sabrina et al.
2013
).
Some major nutrient like NPK etc converted into available form during ver-
micomposting process (Ndegwa and Thompson
2001
) and through this practice
