Soils & Pastures
where I had to truck in 60 ton manure to get 30 ton vermicompost, my mind was made up. I only had to feed the earthworms in the soil and keep them happy and they will produce compost where the plants needs it most, i. e. at root level. H o w d o y o u k e e p y o u r s o i l ' s earthworms happy? It is by farming with them and not against them. I stopped every practice that might harm the earthworm popultion on my farm. I stopped tilling between my trees. I stopped using herbicides and pesticides. Instead of killing the weeds I started mowing or mulching them. In three years time I can say that I don ' t use any chemical fertilisers anymore. In a year or two ' s time, the nitrogen fixing plants in my system will also make applying extra N redundent. The easiest way to start farming with e a r t h w o r m s i s b y a d o p t i n g Conservation Agriculture( CA) Principles. With CA principles you minimize soil disturbance, armour the soil( covered it with mulch), have a living root system inside the soil all year around( cover crop) focusing on biodiversity and introducing animals in the system. I don ' t want to say that farming with earthworms is superior to earthworm farming. I still have a vermiculture and – composting system going on my farm. What I want to say is that one has to determine what your needs are. If you want to reduce on-farm waste, vermicomposting is the way to do it. If you need to truck in manure and other organic waste to make compost to fertilise your crops, I suggest going the CA route and start farming with earthworms. The rewards in both cases are much more than the money you make or save. The rewards also extends to the local environment, community and healthy lifestyle.
By Erdwurmboer
Eisenia Fetida( Red wigglers) in vermiculture & compost system
www. farmersreviewafrica. com July- August 2016
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