Vermicomposting is a non-thermophilic, boioxidative process that involves earthworms and associated microbes. This biological organic waste decomposition process yields the biofertilizer namely the vermicompost. Vermicompost is a finely divided, peat like material with high porosity, good aeration, drainage, water holding capacity, microbial activity, excellent nutrient status and buffering capacity thereby resulting the required physiochemical characters congenial for soil fertility and plant growth. Vermicompost enhances soil biodiversity by promoting the beneficial microbes which inturn enhances plant growth directly by production of plant growth-regulating hormones and enzymes and indirectly by controlling plant pathogens, nematodes and other pests, thereby enhancing plant health and minimizing the yield loss. Due to its innate biological, biochemical and physiochemical properties, vermicompost may be used to promote sustainable agriculture and also for the safe management of agricultural, industrial, domestic and hospital wastes which may otherwise pose serious threat to life and environment.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186%2F2193-1801-1-26.pdf

Microbial diversity of vermicompost bacteria that exhibit useful agricultural traits and waste management potential

In the present review, vermicompost is described as an excellent soil amendment and a biocontrol agent which make it the best organic fertilizer and more eco-friendly as compared to chemical fertilizers. Vermicompost is an ideal organic manure for better growth and yield of many plants. It can increase the production of crops and prevent them from harmful pests without polluting the environment. Application of vermicompost increased seed germination, stem height, number of leaves, leaf area, leaf dry weight, root length, root number, total yield, number of fruits/plant, chlorophyll content, pH of juice, TSS of juice, micro and macro nutrients, carbohydrate (%) and protein (%) content and improved the quality of the fruits and seeds. Studies suggested that treatments of humic acids, plant growth promoting bacteria and vermicomposts can be used for a sustainable agriculture discouraging the use of chemical fertilizers.

Vermicompost as an effective organic fertilizer and biocontrol agent: effect on growth, yield and quality of plants

The soil application of biochar, the solid carbon-rich product of biomass pyrolysis, may improve soil quality and crop productivity Recently, soil applied biochar was found to reduce severity of foliar diseases and soilborne diseases in various crops Biochar characteristics are expected to affect its disease suppression capability, as there is a profound variability in the physical and chemical properties of biochar depending on the initial feedstock and production parameters The aim of this research was to explore the influence of biochar produced from different feedstocks and at different production temperatures on its ability to suppress the soilborne pathogen, Rhizoctonia solani, in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L) Biochar prepared from two feedstocks (Eucalyptus wood (EUC) and Greenhouse waste (GHW)), each produced at 350 and 600 °C were tested for their suppressive ability against damping-off at concentrations of 0–3% In general, biochar addition at relatively lower concentrations enhanced plant growth performance and suppressed damping-off by R solani However, at higher concentrations, biochar was ineffective or even increased the disease incidence and severity as compared with the control, forming a U-shape response curve versus biochar concentration Biochars produced at both low and high temperatures were equally effective against various disease parameters but suppression of disease was affected by the feedstock type There was a significant interaction between feedstock and concentration for the final damping-off incidence and other disease parameters, indicating that each feedstock had an optimum concentration for disease control The most effective dose for suppressing disease was 1% for EUC biochar and 05% for GHW biochar In conclusion, R solani suppression in cucumber induced by biochar soil amendment is feedstock and concentration dependent

Rhizoctonia solani suppression and plant growth promotion in cucumber as affected by biochar pyrolysis temperature, feedstock and concentration

Food production and waste management are two increasing issues ensuing from the growing world population. Recycling organic residues into amendment for food production seems to appear as an opportunity to partially solve this double challenge. Vermicomposting is a process whereby earthworms transform organic residues into compost that can be used as a substrate for plant growth. Many studies have evaluated the effect of vermicompost on plant growth, but a quantitative summary of these studies is still missing. This is the first meta-analysis providing a quantitative summary of the effect size of vermicompost on plant growth. We found that vermicompost brought about average increases of 26% in commercial yield, 13% in total biomass, 78% in shoot biomass, and 57% in root biomass. The positive effect of vermicompost on plant growth reached a maximum when vermicompost represented 30 to 50% of the soil volume. The best original material to be used for vermicompost production was cattle manure. The effect was stronger when no fertilizer was added, and lower when the standard Metro-Mix 360 substratum recommended by some authors was used as a growing medium in greenhouse or climatic chambers. Herbs (especially Cucurbitaceae and Asteraceae) and legumes exhibited the largest biomass increase in the presence of vermicompost. These results are discussed through an analysis of potential publication biases showing an over-representation of studies with a high effect size. We finally recommend authors of primary research to provide a minimum set of statistical parameters, output variables, and experimental condition parameters to make it easier to include their work in meta-analyses. Overall, our study provides synthetic information on the beneficial effects of vermicompost for plant growth, which could help bring waste management and agriculture together towards a society with a more circular economy.

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Vermicompost significantly affects plant growth. A meta-analysis

Molecular and functional characterization of bacteria isolated from straw and goat manure based vermicompost

Disease suppressiveness of vermicompost produced from agricultural wastes consisting of cattle manure, tree bark (Salix spp.), potato culls, and apples was assayed on damping-off of two days-old cucumber (Cucumis sativus cv. Cevher) seedlings infected by Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn (AG-4). Suppression effect was assessed at the rates of 0, 10, 20 and 30% (v/v) vermicompost, either blended with Trichoderma harzianum Rifai (KRL-AG2), amended with potting mixtures consisting of sand and garden soil (1:1, v/v). Effect of water extracts of vermicompost on growth of R. solani mycelium in Petri dishes was also analyzed. Disease suppression effect increased in proportion to the pot amendment rate of vermicompost. Vermicomposts not blended with T. h arz ian u m effectively controlled damping-off of cucumber by R. solani (AG-4) at the rate of 20% and 30%. Vermicompost not blended with T. harzianum improved plant growth as well as that blended with T. harzianum. Analysis of the effect of water extracts of vermicompost on growth of R. solani mycelium in Petri dishes revealed antagonistic activity of a putative bacterium. Heat sterilization eliminated the suppressive and antagonistic effect by vermicompost and its water extracts, respectively. Activity of an antagonistic bacterium, which expressed a strong inhibition of growth of the pathogen mycelium, indicated that the type of suppressiveness against Rhizoctonia disease by the vermicompost is specific.

Y. Simsek Ersahin

Papers

Vermicompost suppresses Rhizoctonia solani Kühn in cucumber seedlings