Role Of Aeration On Vermicomposting Of Pre-Cooked Vegetable Market Waste

Abstract

The bench scale experimental study aims in accelerating the vermicomposting process by modifying the conventional vermicomposting into engineered vermicomposting.  The acceleration was done by enhancing the vermi environment and encourage the worms to participate actively in the digestion process.  The engineered process compose of pre-processing the waste and augmenting air artificially with airflow rate of 0.62 l/min in the Vermibin.  The aeration was done in vertically elevated Vermibin with five different air flow durations (2hrs, 4hrs, 6hrs, 8hrs and 10 hrs.) by naming the bin as A1, A2, A3, A4, and A5 respectively.  The optimum airflow duration was identified based on the substrate volume reduction and biomass growth in the Vermibin. In parallel, the nutrient status of vermicast also assessed, in order to characterize the vermicast generated in the reactors.  Results reveals that, four hours aeration with airflow rate of 0.67 l/min performance better and provide suitable environment for vermicomposting process.