FUTURE PROSPECTS
Bioconversion of organic wastes utilizing earthworms into a beneficial product is an ecologically safe method in the field of waste management. The tiny creatures' ability to devour virtually any organic waste and excrete it as premium organic fertilizer is proving profitable for farmers and entrepreneurs. Keeping the environmental and economical aspects in mind, research and development activities on vermicomposting in developing countries need to be planned, propagated and commercialized. Future research works on this field could include the following:
1. Optimizing the vermicomposting process to achieve most efficient process outcome by changing important variables such as:
- Variety of earthworm
- Moisture content level
-Thickness of the bedding layer
2. Studies on finding more new native species for vermicomposting
3. Accelerating the pre-digestion stage for reducing the time required for vermicomposting of lignocellulosic wastes and other hard materials by the following:
- using treatment with various microbial cultures
- using physical and/or mechanical methods
4. Develop the potential of vermicompost teas as an environmentally friendly alternative to ‘chemical pest control’
5. Attempts to reduce the cost of commercial unit operations.
6. On-farm trials to achieve the following objectives:
a. Study of quality, field performance and post-harvest quality of produce from seedlings grown in vermicompost-based media in organic production systems.
b. Impact of vermicompost as an organic seedling medium on vegetable transplant health and pest tolerance.
c. Enhance the efficiency and profitability of organic growers through increased vegetable yield and plant health on their farms using vermicompost.