Chapter 8
Vermicomposts Are Biologically Different:
Microbial and Functional Diversity
of Green Vermicomposts
María Gómez-Brandón, Manuel Aira, and Jorge Domínguez
Abstract Vermicomposting, the process by which organic waste is broken down
through the synergistic actions of earthworms and microbial communities, fulfils the
dual purpose of environmental protection and fertilizer production. Vermicompost is
considered a nutrient-rich and biologically active organic amendment with various
beneficial effects when used as a soil conditioner and/or as a plant growth promoter.
The underlying biological mechanisms involved in vermicomposting largely determine the dynamics of the process and, consequently, the properties of the end
product. However, it is still necessary to further explore the plausible microbialbased mechanisms by which vermicompost may exert a positive influence on plant
growth. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to compare and provide a detailed
characterization of the microbiome of different green vermicomposts by applying
16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. An in-depth characterization of the taxonomic and functional diversity of bacterial communities and their metabolic functions was assessed in the vermicomposts and the respective parent materials.
Keywords Sustainable agriculture · Plant material · Bacterial community
composition · Organic amendment · Soil conditioner · Plant growth promoter
8.1 Introduction
The bio-conversion of biomass waste into organic amendments permits the recycling
of large amounts of organic waste that could otherwise cause a serious threat to the
environment (Chew et al. 2019). In the last two decades, vermicomposting technology has expanded to seek its potential role in sustainable agriculture (Lazcano and
Domínguez 2011) and soil bioremediation (Sánchez-Hernández and Domínguez
2019). Vermicomposting, the process by which organic waste is broken down
M. Gómez-Brandón (*) · M. Aira · J. Domínguez
Grupo de Ecoloxía Animal (GEA), Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
e-mail: mariagomez@uvigo.es
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to
Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
S. A. Bhat et al. (eds.), Earthworm Assisted Remediation of Effluents and Wastes,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4522-1_8
125
Vermicomposts Are Biologically Different:
Microbial and Functional Diversity
of Green Vermicomposts
María Gómez-Brandón, Manuel Aira, and Jorge Domínguez
Abstract Vermicomposting, the process by which organic waste is broken down
through the synergistic actions of earthworms and microbial communities, fulfils the
dual purpose of environmental protection and fertilizer production. Vermicompost is
considered a nutrient-rich and biologically active organic amendment with various
beneficial effects when used as a soil conditioner and/or as a plant growth promoter.
The underlying biological mechanisms involved in vermicomposting largely determine the dynamics of the process and, consequently, the properties of the end
product. However, it is still necessary to further explore the plausible microbialbased mechanisms by which vermicompost may exert a positive influence on plant
growth. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to compare and provide a detailed
characterization of the microbiome of different green vermicomposts by applying
16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. An in-depth characterization of the taxonomic and functional diversity of bacterial communities and their metabolic functions was assessed in the vermicomposts and the respective parent materials.
Keywords Sustainable agriculture · Plant material · Bacterial community
composition · Organic amendment · Soil conditioner · Plant growth promoter
8.1 Introduction
The bio-conversion of biomass waste into organic amendments permits the recycling
of large amounts of organic waste that could otherwise cause a serious threat to the
environment (Chew et al. 2019). In the last two decades, vermicomposting technology has expanded to seek its potential role in sustainable agriculture (Lazcano and
Domínguez 2011) and soil bioremediation (Sánchez-Hernández and Domínguez
2019). Vermicomposting, the process by which organic waste is broken down
M. Gómez-Brandón (*) · M. Aira · J. Domínguez
Grupo de Ecoloxía Animal (GEA), Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
e-mail: mariagomez@uvigo.es
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to
Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
S. A. Bhat et al. (eds.), Earthworm Assisted Remediation of Effluents and Wastes,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4522-1_8
125