Vermicomposting: An environment-friendly, sustainable way to farm

MANILA, Philippines - The use of “vermicompost” (compost produced from earthworms) and “vermi tea” (fermented water extract of vermicompost) for crop production can increase crop yield and significantly reduce the application of costly chemical fertilizers and pesticides that are not environment-friendly, according to Filipino scientists.

Results of studies conducted by Dr. Rafael Guerrero III of the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development and Luzviminda Guerrero of the Aquatic Biosystems show that the application of vermicompost at five tons per hectare and 50 percent of the recommended chemical fertilization for upland rice can result in a significantly higher yield than with chemical fertilization alone.

Guerrero said they found that the fruit yield of eggplant was significantly higher with the application of l00 grams of vermicompost and l0 grams (50 percent) of the recommended chemical fertilizers per plant compared to that of plants fertilized with 20 grams (l00 percent) of the recommended chemicals per plant only.

Meanwhile, Dr. Mercedes Umali Garcia, a Filipino microbiologist, claimed that the foliar application of vermi tea on a l00-hectare plantation in Mindanao was effective against the “Shigatoka” fungal disease of organic banana.

While more exhaustive field tests are needed to validate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the commercial application of vermicompost and vermi tea in the country, Guerrero said extensive studies in India - where the agro-climatic conditions are similar with those in the Philippines - have conclusively indicated that the continuous use of vermicompost at five tons per hectare has decreased the use of chemical fertilizers up to 50 percent for crops such as ginger, banana and coconut.

“With such practice, crop yields increased up to l6 percent and farmers’ net incomes were boosted up to 20 percent compared with those of farmers not using vermicompost,” he said.

Moreover, there was a significant decrease in the use of chemicals for plant protection by farmers using vermicompost up to 36 percent, Guerrero said.

“Because vermicompost helps in increasing the water-holding capacity of the soil, savings of 38 percent for irrigation was reported for commercial banana production,” Guerrero said.

Through the government’s “National Vermicompost and Vermimeal Production Program,” there are now l6 regional vermicompost and vermimeal production centers throughout the country that can provide technical and extension services to farmers, Guerrero said.

He said the program helps the farmers lower their cost of production by minimizing the use of chemicals and at the same time reduce environmental pollution by utilizing farm wastes for vermicomposting.

The program is supported by the National Economic and Development Authority and coordinated by the PCAMRD of the Department of Science and Technology.