Vermiwash delivering what actually needs by plants

Importance of vermiwash

The soil loss and declining its fertility is a major concern over the world. Continuous cropping, Imbalanced use of fertilizers, no addition of organic matter in soil, less use of organic manures, no soil and water testing, mono-cropping, injudicious use of irrigation water, nutrient mining, multi-nutrient deficiencies on plants resulted in consistent reduction in soil biological flora and fauna.  This resulted in reduced crop production and productivity. Under such alarming situation it is necessary to look for alternatives which are effective and eco-friendly for the maintenance of soil fertility and resilience of soil. In order to optimize soil fertility it is necessary to adopt intelligent and integrated management of nutrient sources from chemical fertilizers, organic manures and bio fertilizers. Among liquid organic source vermiwash is an important liquid growth stimulant used by various farmers.

Vermiwash is a coelomic fluid of earthworms which contains several enzymes, plant growth hormones, vitamins along with micro and macronutrients. Vermiwash is a liquid bio-fertilizer can be collected through the column of activated earthworm. It contains excretory products of earthworm secretions, the worm coelomic fluid oozing through dorsal pores, mucus, enzymes secreted by worm & microorganisms, plant nutrients, vitamins & plant growth promoting substances. It also contains plant growth hormones (auxin & cytokinin) and nitrate fixing bacteria and phosphorus solubilizing bacteria.

Vermiwash plays important role in : 

1. Contribute root initiation, root growth, root proliferation.

2. Plant growth and development.

3. Restrict flower drop, fruit drop and leaf drop.

4. Enhances flowering and fruiting.

5. Solubilizes phosphorus in soil.

6. Improves fruit quality.

7. Stimulate rhizosphere microflora.

8. Act as bio pesticide.

9. Suppress disease causing pathogens.

 

Materials Required for Vermiwash

Shade	200 lit drum with tap fitted 8-10 cm from bottom.
Cow dung	Earthworms
Partially decomposed compost	Vermicompost
Bricks pieces (size 25 to 30 cm)	Coarse sand (size 10-15 cm)
Fine Sand (size 2-3 cm)	Plastic net
Stand	Gunny bags

 

 Ten steps for filling drums

FIRST LAYER  (15-20 cm thick)	Bricks pieces approximately 150-200 nos.
SECOND LAYER (10-15 cm thick)	Coarse sand approximately 50 kg
THIRD LAYER (5-10 cm)	Fine Sand (size 2-3 cm) 50 kg
FOURTH LAYER (15-25 cm)	Partially decomposed compost (150 to 200 kg) mixed with cow dung (15-20 days old) 70 to 100 kg
FIFTH LAYER (5 to 10 cm)	Vermicompost approximately 70 to 100 kg
SIXTH LAYER	Earthworms of specific species 4-5 kg or 1000 to 1500 no’s
SEVENT LAYER	Partially decomposed compost (150 to 200 kg) mixed with cow dung (15-20 days old) 70 to 100 kg
EIGHTTH LAYER	Vermicompost (70 to 100 kg)
NINTH LAYER	Wet gunny bags

 

Harvesting and Application of Vermiwash

1. Plastic net should be kept in between each layer. After filling the drum with respective layer irrigate with water and maintain 40-50% moisture up to 15 days. 

2. After incubation irrigate the drum till saturation and allow to remain that water for 5-6 hours and then harvest the vermiwash.

3. Drain out approximately 50 to 55 litres of vermiwash.

4. After harvest of vermiwash allow vermiwash drums for 15 days of incaution and same way we can harvest up to three to four times. We can get 100 to 120 litres of vermiwash in one cycle.

5. How to use vermiwash? One part of vermiwash and ten parts of water (1:10 dilution) is found effective for foliar spray on vegetable, fruit and seasonal crops.

6. Vermiwash harvested in one cycle is sufficient for foliar spraying of the crop grown in one hectare area. The quantity of vermiwash may vary according to the crop foliage and stage of growth.

7. Vermiwash can be applied either through soil or drip irrigation system @ 1:5 dilution.

8. Provision of shade should be made.

 

 

Vermiwash Composition Prepared from Rain tree litter vermicompost with Eisenia foetida earthworm species

 

Sr,No.	Parameter	Content
1	pH	7.39 ते 7.50
2	EC (dSm-1)	8.00 ते 9.5
3	Nitrogen [ppm]	4500 ते 5500
4	Phosphorus [ppm]	3000 ते 3500
5	Potassium [ppm]	6000 ते 7000
7	Iron [ppm]	5.70 ते 6.00
8	Zinc [ppm]	1.69 ते 2.00
9	Manganese [ppm]	25 ते 30
10	Copper	15 ते 21

 

Composition of vermiwash and its benefit

Composition of vermiwash	Benefit of vermiwash
Decomposer bacteria	Suppress disease causing pathogen near by rhizosphere
Hormones (Cytokines, auxin)	Facilitate plant root and shoot growth
Amino acid and mucosal secretion	Helps in plant development
Vitamins	Facilitates growth and development of plant
Phosphatase	Stabilize physical, chemical and biological properties of soil as well suppress pathogen and solubilize phosphorus
Actinomycetes	Suppress pathogen
Amylase, cellulase	Stabilize physical, chemical and biological properties of soil as well applied in carbon turnover by degrading organic matter

 

Read More :  हायड्रोपोनिक्‍स : एरोपोनिक तंत्र .

Read More : हायड्रोपोनिक्स तंत्रज्ञान माहिती