the optimization of vermicomposting needs to be coupled with the development of
standards for this amendment whose importance is steadily growing.
18.6 Soil Quality Under Organic Soil Fertility Management
Sustainable management of agricultural land simultaneously aims at maintaining or
enhancing food production, reducing the level of production risk, protecting the
potential of natural resources and preventing degradation of soils and water quality,
while being economically viable and socially acceptable (Schjonning et al. 2004).
Organic farming meets the above listed points through maintaining and improving
soil fertility by adopting crop rotations including leguminous fertility building crops
and plants with different rooting depths (Watson et al. 2002). Furthermore, organic
wastes such as animal manures, by-products of several kinds of wastes and
composted residues can be used as amendments to increase soil fertility, since they
are important sources of nutrients for growing crops and means for enhancing the
overall soil quality (Diacono and Montemurro 2010).
Organic waste materials used as fertilizers are known to have low bioavailable
nutrient contents relative to the total content, which can make producers to prefer
synthetic inorganic fertilizers. With recent advances in biotechnology, scientifically
produced bio-fertilizers (composts) have been reported to be more nutritive and
productive than those produced traditionally by farmers in earlier days. As a result,
organic farming systems with the aid of nutritive bio-fertilizer like vermicompost are
more recommended as they can give very ‘high food productivity’ with significantly
‘higher nutritional quality’ (Sinha et al. 2011). Similar to organic based materials,
vermicomposted materials have important functions in enhancing soil quality which
the synthetic inorganic fertilizers do not have. Organic-based fertilizers provide low
cost sorbents that can bind contaminants, subsequently minimizing natural water
contamination, minimize eutrophication whilst adding organic matter to the soil,
which can enhance chemical, biological and physical properties of the soil (Watson
et al. 2002; Ferreras et al. 2006; Antonious 2016). Several studies have documented
the effects of vermicompost application in improving soil quality (Song et al. 2015).
The following subsections discuss the influence of organic waste materials processed
through vermicomposting in enhancing soil quality indicators.
18.6.1 Soil Chemical Properties
Vermicomposts are a nutritive organic fertilizer or soil conditioner with ability to
improve soil quality even in degraded soils. They contain most nutrients in plantavailable (bioavailable) forms, both the macro- and micronutrients (Rajiv et al.
2009). The addition of vermicomposts in soils improves cation exchange capacity
18 Some Perspectives on Vermicompost Utilization in Organic Agriculture
317
standards for this amendment whose importance is steadily growing.
18.6 Soil Quality Under Organic Soil Fertility Management
Sustainable management of agricultural land simultaneously aims at maintaining or
enhancing food production, reducing the level of production risk, protecting the
potential of natural resources and preventing degradation of soils and water quality,
while being economically viable and socially acceptable (Schjonning et al. 2004).
Organic farming meets the above listed points through maintaining and improving
soil fertility by adopting crop rotations including leguminous fertility building crops
and plants with different rooting depths (Watson et al. 2002). Furthermore, organic
wastes such as animal manures, by-products of several kinds of wastes and
composted residues can be used as amendments to increase soil fertility, since they
are important sources of nutrients for growing crops and means for enhancing the
overall soil quality (Diacono and Montemurro 2010).
Organic waste materials used as fertilizers are known to have low bioavailable
nutrient contents relative to the total content, which can make producers to prefer
synthetic inorganic fertilizers. With recent advances in biotechnology, scientifically
produced bio-fertilizers (composts) have been reported to be more nutritive and
productive than those produced traditionally by farmers in earlier days. As a result,
organic farming systems with the aid of nutritive bio-fertilizer like vermicompost are
more recommended as they can give very ‘high food productivity’ with significantly
‘higher nutritional quality’ (Sinha et al. 2011). Similar to organic based materials,
vermicomposted materials have important functions in enhancing soil quality which
the synthetic inorganic fertilizers do not have. Organic-based fertilizers provide low
cost sorbents that can bind contaminants, subsequently minimizing natural water
contamination, minimize eutrophication whilst adding organic matter to the soil,
which can enhance chemical, biological and physical properties of the soil (Watson
et al. 2002; Ferreras et al. 2006; Antonious 2016). Several studies have documented
the effects of vermicompost application in improving soil quality (Song et al. 2015).
The following subsections discuss the influence of organic waste materials processed
through vermicomposting in enhancing soil quality indicators.
18.6.1 Soil Chemical Properties
Vermicomposts are a nutritive organic fertilizer or soil conditioner with ability to
improve soil quality even in degraded soils. They contain most nutrients in plantavailable (bioavailable) forms, both the macro- and micronutrients (Rajiv et al.
2009). The addition of vermicomposts in soils improves cation exchange capacity
18 Some Perspectives on Vermicompost Utilization in Organic Agriculture
317