visit review of biomass utilization unit, IARI, Pusa, where they brief us about the methods of composting, earthworms, development of composting as a startup for entrepreneurship .

1. BIOCOMPOST UNIT

2. BIOMASS UTILIZATION UNIT, IARI
The BIOMASS UTILIZATION
UNIT (BUU-IARI) of IARI, New
Delhi is one of the pioneer unit
of R & D on bio-composting
technology, its utilization and
capacity building under
ICAR/NARES system. This
unique IARI unit has developed
and validated many microbe-
mediated and farm-machinery
driven bio-composting and
utilization protocols in
collaboration with different
IARI Divisions and IIT, New
Delhi as well, for the last 10
years.

3. JOURNEY OF OUR TRIP
PHASE 1
PHASE 2
PHASE 3 STORAGE AND MARKETING
PRODUCTION
PROCESSING

4. PHASE 1
PHASE 1
PRODUCTION

5. COMPOST PRODUCTION
They produce 3 types of
compost in BUU-IARI-
 FARMYARD MANURE
 LEAF MANURE
 VERMICOMPOST

6. VERMICOMPOST
CHARATERISTICS-
C/N RATIO – 12
Better aeration
Better water holding
capacity
Better soil texture
Contains precursor of
growth promoters
NATIVE-
 Eisenia foetida (red worm)
 Perionyx excavates (Indian)
EXOTIC
 Eudrilus euginae (African
crawler)

7. ROLE OF EARTHWORM IN COMPOST
 DECOMPOSITION OF ORGANIC MATTER
 MIXING OF ORGANIC MATTER IN SOIL
 MAINTAINS SOIL POROSITY
 ENHANCES MICROBIAL ACTIVITIES
 INCREASES WATER HOLDING CAPACITY
 ENHANCES SOIL FERTILITY
 DEEPER GROWTH OF ROOTS
 ENHANCE PRODUCTION OF PGP SUBSTANCES BY ENHANCING GROWTH OF PGP RHIZOBACTERIAS
 ENHANCES SOIL PERCOLATION
 IMPROVES SOIL TEXTURE

8. PRODUCTION OF VERMICOMPOST
STEP-1 : COLLECTION OF ORGANIC WASTE -
AGRICULTURAL RESIDUES
ANIMAL DUNG
LEAF LITTER ETC.

9. PRODUCTION (Contd.)
STEP 2 : PARTIAL OXIDATION –
 BEFORE FEEDING TO WORMS THIS
AGRICULTURAL WASTE SHOULD BE
PARTIALLY DIGESTED.
 IT CAN BE DONE BY TWO WAYS-
o EITHER BY MIXING COWDUNG AND
WATER IN THE RATIO 1:3
o OR BY ADDING MICROBIAL
INOCULUMS –
 It contains various lignocellulytic
fungi such as- Aspergillus awamori
F-18, Trichoderma viride ITCC 2211,
Aspergillus nidulans ITCC 2011 and
Phanerochaete chrysosporium
NCIM 1073

10. STEP 3 : INOCULATING WORMS AND BREEDING OF WORMS -
RECOMMENDED AMOUNT- 1000 WORMS PER SQUARE METRES
ALTHOUGH THEY ARE HERMAPHRODITE BUT THEY PREFER CROSS FERTILISATION
EACH COCOON HATCHES INTO 4-5 HATCHLINGS WHICHES SEXUAL MATURITY IN 3-4
WEEKS.
PRODUCTION (Contd.)

11. PRODUCTION (Contd.)
STEP 4 : PREPRATION OF BEDS
 1ST a layer of biodegradable material is placed
 2nd a layer of partially decomposed matter is
placed
 Then it is moistened (moisture content to be
maintained – 30-40%)
STEP 5 : INCUBATION-
 It will take 3-4 months for production of
vermicomposting.

13. STEP-6- COVERING THE BED
The bed is covered. To prevent worms from predatory birds , to maintain
temperature
PRODUCTION (Contd.)

14. PRODUCTION (Contd.)
STEP 7 : HARVESTING AND VERMICOMPOST
 Vermicompost is in the form of worm
castings (faecal pellets)
 For harvesting one half of the bed is placed
over the other half, and on the emptied
portion new material for composting is
placed and on the mature half watering is
stopped so all the worms present on that
side will move towards the fresh side, which
is rich in moisture

15. METHODS OF COMPOSTING
• WINDREW METHOD
• PIT METHOD

16. PHASE 2
PHASE 2
PROCESSING

17. SEPERATION OF GARBAGE FROM COMPOST
Through hand picking

20. SEIVING

21. PHASE 3
PHASE 3
STORAGE AND
MARKETING

23. LEAF COMPOST

24. COMPOSTING AT HOME