Chapter 18
Some Perspectives on Vermicompost
Utilization in Organic Agriculture
Hupenyu A. Mupambwa, Balasuramani Ravindran, Ernest Dube,
Noxolo S. Lukashe, Asteria A. N. Katakula, and Pearson N. S. Mnkeni
Abstract Over the past decades, agriculture has heavily relied on industrially
produced inorganic sources of nutrients to fertilize crops for attaining the higher
yields required to feed the growing world population. However, there is a growing
realization that this type of agriculture tends to feed the crop rather than feeding the
soil, which is a precious resource that is being degraded by the current forms of crop
fertilization. Organic agriculture is now gaining momentum as a sustainable form of
agriculture as it replicates nature by feeding the soil to feed the plant, thus increasing
the resilience of soils to degradation. This chapter presents insights into how
vermicomposting technology can be critical in driving the adoption of organic
agriculture, whilst highlighting some of the areas where research is required to see
this being a success.
H. A. Mupambwa (*)
Sam Nujoma Marine and Coastal Resources Research Centre (SANUMARC), Sam Nujoma
Campus, University of Namibia, Henties Bay, Namibia
e-mail: hmupambwa@unam.na
B. Ravindran
Department of Environmental Energy and Engineering, Kyonggi University Youngtong-Gu,
Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea
E. Dube
School of Natural Resources Management, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, George
Campus, George, South Africa
N. S. Lukashe
Department of Soil Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
A. A. N. Katakula
Sam Nujoma Marine and Coastal Resources Research Centre (SANUMARC), Sam Nujoma
Campus, University of Namibia, Henties Bay, Namibia
Crop Science Department, Ogongo Campus, University of Namibia, Ogongo, Namibia
P. N. S. Mnkeni
Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Arusha, Arusha, Tanzania
© 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_18
299
Some Perspectives on Vermicompost
Utilization in Organic Agriculture
Hupenyu A. Mupambwa, Balasuramani Ravindran, Ernest Dube,
Noxolo S. Lukashe, Asteria A. N. Katakula, and Pearson N. S. Mnkeni
Abstract Over the past decades, agriculture has heavily relied on industrially
produced inorganic sources of nutrients to fertilize crops for attaining the higher
yields required to feed the growing world population. However, there is a growing
realization that this type of agriculture tends to feed the crop rather than feeding the
soil, which is a precious resource that is being degraded by the current forms of crop
fertilization. Organic agriculture is now gaining momentum as a sustainable form of
agriculture as it replicates nature by feeding the soil to feed the plant, thus increasing
the resilience of soils to degradation. This chapter presents insights into how
vermicomposting technology can be critical in driving the adoption of organic
agriculture, whilst highlighting some of the areas where research is required to see
this being a success.
H. A. Mupambwa (*)
Sam Nujoma Marine and Coastal Resources Research Centre (SANUMARC), Sam Nujoma
Campus, University of Namibia, Henties Bay, Namibia
e-mail: hmupambwa@unam.na
B. Ravindran
Department of Environmental Energy and Engineering, Kyonggi University Youngtong-Gu,
Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea
E. Dube
School of Natural Resources Management, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, George
Campus, George, South Africa
N. S. Lukashe
Department of Soil Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
A. A. N. Katakula
Sam Nujoma Marine and Coastal Resources Research Centre (SANUMARC), Sam Nujoma
Campus, University of Namibia, Henties Bay, Namibia
Crop Science Department, Ogongo Campus, University of Namibia, Ogongo, Namibia
P. N. S. Mnkeni
Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Arusha, Arusha, Tanzania
© 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_18
299