This document provides information on producing organic fertilizer through vermicomposting and vermiculture. It defines organic fertilizer as fertilizer free of chemicals with high organic matter content. Vermicomposting is described as using earthworms to make compost, with the excreted material called vermicast. African night crawlers are presented as a good worm species for vermicomposting due to their reproduction rate. Key steps discussed include selecting an appropriate shaded site with water and raw material access, preparing beds or windrows, and maintaining the proper carbon-nitrogen ratio in raw materials.

1. CORE COMPETENCY 3
PRODUCE ORGANIC
FERTILIZER

2. WHAT IS ORGANIC FERTILIZER?
• Fertilizers become
organic when the
material is free of
chemical substances,
there is presence of high
organic matter content
and the raw materials
used are indigenous in
the locality.

4. To preserve the potency of
organic fertilizer the following
must be observed;
-store in dry, dark and cool
place
-packaging material should be
lined with plastic bag
-for foliar, when aging add
molasses to prolong shelf-life

5. WHAT IS CHEMICAL
FERTILIZER?
• This is a substance that
supplies one or more nutrient
elements, which are produced
through chemical processes.
They usually contain high
amount of nutrients and
dissolve in water.

7. Organic Fertilizer vs. Chemical-based
Fertilizer
Properties of soil Organic Fertilizer Chemical-based Fertilizer
Physical
Property
Improves structure by
adjusting the
arrangement of soil
particles
Destroy soil structure
(massive)
Soil become porous Soil become compact
and hard due to filters
present in the material
Physical
Property
For light texture soil, it
increases water
holding capacity while
for heavy textured soil,
easy to drain
No contribution on the
improvement of the
water holding capacity
of the soil

8. Chemical
Property
Provides both
macro and
micronutrients
Contains 1-4
elements and
mostly
macronutrients
only
Improve soil PH Contributes to the
acidity of the
soil
Lowers toxicity
level of
micronutrients
Increases
population density
of beneficial
microorganism
Kills most of
beneficial
microorganisms in
the soil
Biological
Property
Promotes
biodiversity

9. VERMICOMPOSTING
• It is the scientific method of
making compost by using
eathworms. They are
commonly found living in soil,
feeding on biomass and
excreting in a digestive form. .
If the desired product is
fertilizer, the process is called
vermicomposting.

11. VERMICULTURE
• It is the fast production of
earthworms.
• The person who manage
vermiculture is called
vermiculturist.

12. APPROPRIATE COMPOSTING
METHOD
• Earthworms can be classified as
real earthworms or compost
worm. The earthworms are those
which burrow deeply and are
almost near impossible to culture
in captivity. They eat the soil.
They do not eat compost. They
are responsible for mixing the
different layers of the soil.

13. • So, when you see that the soil in your
flowerpots are in mounds and are
disappearing, that is the action of the
real earthworm. Their poop is in
mounds or maidens. The other kind,
the compost worms are those that
live on the upper surface of the earth
and they eat the compost, not the
earth. Their poop are granular but
finer and are not in mounds. They
can be cultured and thus can be put
to good use to produce vermicast.

14. • In a nutshell, we go into
vermicomposting to produce
fertilizer. To do this, we have to
formulate our substrate so that we
get the desire carbon to nitrogen (C:
N) ratio of 70:30. We get the carbon
from more than two (2) parts grass
or banana bracts and the nitrogen
from 1 part animal manure or plant
source.. Plant sources may be
kakawate, ipil-ipil, azolla, peanut,
kudzu, baing ilg, rensoni, flamingia,
mongo, etc

15. • To increase our worm population
fast, we use animal manure, banana
bracts, ipil-ipil, kakawate on ratio
mentioned above. This is
vermiculture. Either procedure
produces both fertilizer and the
worm biomass however,the
formulation of the substrate has to
be adjusted accordingly. Also, in
most cases, the C: N ratio from
vermiculture is higher and thus may
just be soil amendment albeit very
good organic source.

16. Dry your vermicompost in the
shade only. Exposing organic
fertilizer to the sun will cause it
to lose its nitrogen content.
Vermicompost can be stored at
30% humidity in plastic bags.
Store in a cool place away from
direct sunlight.

17. CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPOSTING WORM
• It is a true hermaphrodite. It has
both the male and the female organs
but the most species cannot
impregnate itself. It needs a partner
to become pregnant.
• When two worms come together,
they both get pregnant.
• It is perfectly evolved so that if you
put several species together in a
wormbin, they do not cross breed.

18. AFRICAN NIGHT CRAWLER

19. EGGS

20. AFRICAN NIGHT CRAWLER
• It originated in West Africa. Due to their
voracious appetites and ability to quickly
reproduce African Night Crawlers are
quickly gaining popularity with
vermicomposters.
• The African night crawlers when sexually
mature breed every week and the
resultant cocoon/egg/capsule can
produce from 2-10 worms. It was
observed that in six months, 1,000
sexually mature worms could produce
30,000 on the low side. On the high side,
it can go up to 120,000

21. • One worm divided by 2 equals 1. Only
the part where the vital organs are
found will regenerate. The other half
will die.
• Worms are hardworking, unpaid, silent
and efficient workers. They do not
demand pay increase nor to form
unions. There is no learning curve for
them because they work as soon as
they are born. All they ask for are good
working, living and eating conditions.
They eat their weight per day.

22. FEEDS OF ANC
• Fruit waste- non citrus (apples, grapes,
bananas, plums, peaches, and pumpkins)
• Vegetable waste (carrots, lettuce, beans,
peas, limited amounts of potatoes, leafy
vegetables)
• Egg shells- in moderation and best when
crushed up a bit
• Tree Leaves- yes in moderation stick to
common species, avoid exotic tree leaves
• Aged Animal Manure- yes its best to stick
with horse manure in the beginning.

23. NOT TO FEED ANC
• Citrus fruit
• Meat products
• Dairy waste
• Cooking oil or grease
• Human waste
• Pet waste

24. CHARACTERISTICS OF
VERMICOMPOST
• Physical
Physically, the gross appearance of the vermicast is
granular. It has been observed that the bigger
worms produce bigger granules. In the intestines
f the worms, the nutrients are ground and mixed.
The worm excretes mucus which coats and binds
all these elements together.
This granular character will allow the plants to
extract the elements they need. It is believed
that the vermicast can stay for along as five
years in the soil. It also will not leach out
because of its granular nature. Plants respond
fast to applications of vermicast and within a few
days, new shoots are observed and the leaves
turn green.

25. Chemical
• The PH of vermicast is almost neutral
and as such, it also acts to buffer the
PH of the soil to neutral.
• Vermicast can be used directly on the
plants at any point because it does
not burn the plant. Compost
produced traditionally cannot be
used directly but has to be aged
properly. Vermicast is ready for use
as soon as soon as it is produced. It
is virtually impossible to overdose
with vermicast.

26. SELECTING SITE
• Worms are livestock and
should be cared for in order
that they may be put to best
use. As such, select a site
that would be well above
the flood level, shaded, airy
and where water and raw
materials are easily
available. The temperature
should be about 26 degrees
Celsius.

27. • Worms are living creatures which
need to be cared for and protected.
They do not have skin and die
when exposed to direct sunlight.
The worm beds/containers should
be shaded where it is airy. Water
and raw materials are necessary
and it follows that the project, to
be successful should also include
cost. If the water and the raw
materials will have to be brought
in at considerable expense, the
cost of production would increase
impact on the viability of the
project.

28. CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD
COMPOSTTING SITE
• Good drainage system
• Availability of water supply
• Proximity to the source of raw
materials
• Accessibility of the composting site
• Area of minimum contamination
• Area with minimal sunlight

29. Wormbins/Wormbeds
• May be made of any material available
whether iron bars with plastic lining,
old plastic basins, bamboo slats or
hollow blocks. The advantage of
wormbins/wormbeds is that they are
movable and can be transferred at will.
Care however should be taken that
they are properly protected from direct
sunlight, too much water and natural
predators. The substrate is placed in
the wormbeds where the worms feed
on them.

30. WORMBINS/WORMBEDS

31. WINDROWS
• Windrows are piles of
substrate that are
decomposed before feeding
them to the worms. They are
usually about 1 meter wide
and at least 1 meter high and
can be any length desired or
practicable. They have also to
be covered either by plastic
material or any organic
material that will protect the
substrate and ultimately the
worms from the elements and
natural predators.

32. HOUSING STRUCTURE
• Housing structures are
the best options but are
also the most expensive
so will be considered
when finances permit.
However, if there are
abandoned structures
within the site, these can
be used as well for the
purpose.

33. BED PREPARATIONS

34. BED PREPARATIONS
Prepare the bed by selecting the site that
is shaded, free from predators and near
to the water source. Arrange the hollow
blocks making a bed of 1m x 3m and
put bamboo stakes to strengthen the
bed. Use sacks and nylon net could be
used as matting. Other materials that
may be needed in the stocking of the
bed are:
• Water and water sprinklers
• Plastic sheets to cover the bed

35. GATHERING RAW MATERIALS

36. Source and quality
• In sourcing raw materials, care should be taken
that one is sure of the quality of raw materials.
If using animal manure, be sure that he
animals were not dewormed as this would also
deworm your project. On the other hand, the
plant source should also be free of harmful
insecticides, fungicides and herbicides which
may also decimate your worm population.
• The worms eat all organic waste and procedure
vermicast. However, the quality of the
vermicast and the speed of production are
dependent on several factors.

37. Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio (C:N)
The desire C:N ratio is 70:30. To achieve
this, more than two (2) parts of carbon
source with 1 part of nitrogen source. In
the rural setting, one may have the
luxury of choosing and formulating the
raw materials for the substrate in which
case, the resultant vermicast is of
fertilizer quality. At a higher ratio, the
carbon and nitrogen will be locked and
not easily available to the plants. A low
ratio will not able to hold the nitrogen
well and it will volatilize easily.

38. Size of the materials
• The smaller the materials being
composted, the faster the process. While
shredding is not absolutely necessary, it
is a vital factor in speeding up the
process. After gathering the raw
materials, mix well and shared. Wet the
mixtures so it feels like a damp sponge.

39. DECOMPOSTION PROCESS
Anaerobic Decomposition
• Place the substrate in containers as
airtight as possible or cover it with
plastic sheet. This is the anaerobic
process which is to hasten the
decomposition. This is composting
without air, hence the name. This stage
may last from 1 week depending upon
the quantity being processed and the
size of the particles. The substrate is
ready of white mushrooms

40. Aerobic Decomposition
Aerobic Decomposition
When the substrate has cooled down, place the
substrate in appropriate containers or remove
the plastic sheet in the bed. This next phase is
called the aerobic stage or composting
When the substrate has cooled down, place the
substrate in appropriate containers or remove
the plastic sheet in the bed. This next phase is
called the aerobic stage or composting with air.
Stocking Earthworms

41. Anaerobic Decomposition
Anaerobic Decomposition
• Place the substrate in containers as
airtight as possible or cover it with
plastic sheet. This is the anaerobic
process which is to hasten the
decomposition. This is composting
without air, hence the name. This stage
may last from 1 week depending upon
the quantity being processed and the
size of the particles. The substrate is
ready of white mushrooms.

42. Stocking Earthworms
• The rate of producing vermicast is
dependent on the stocking density vis-
à-vis the amount of substrate. We have
observed that the worms can eat faster
if the substrate at this stage appears to
be ideal. It has been observed that 100
kilos of substrate can be consumed
within 30 days by 1 kilo of worms.

43. Monitoring Compost
• Maintain a humidity of 80%. Protect
the worms from natural predators.
Birds, chickens, frogs, mice, snakes and
even pigs love to eat worms. While ants
do not eat worms, they can kill yout
population if left unattended. Shade the
worms form direct sunlight. Worms
have no skin and compacted. The
constant watering of the beds will
compact the substrate. Loosen the beds
very gently when needed taking care
not to disturb the worms too much.

44. • Practical Tip for Humidity: Test
by squeezing a fistful of
substrate. Five to seven drops of
water indicate about 80%
humidity. Care should be taken
that the substrate is taken from
the lower portion of the bed
because the upper portion might
already by dry but the lower
portion is still wet.

45. HARVESTING COMPOST

46. HARVESTING COMPOST
• The earthworms are well mannered
and polite. They do not like to live with
their poo. They eat the substrate and
deposit their casting on the top. In
about 6-8 weeks, the substrate that
was formerly identifiable as grass and
leaves becomes transformed into
granular earthly material. The decision
to harvest depends on one`s needs.

47. Practical Tip: Compost is ready to
use when it is dark brown,
crumbly and has an earthly smell.

48. OPTIONS:
a. Pick the worms by hand and transfer
them to a new worm bed. The
vermicompost may be allowed
to dry in the shade for a few days and
then sifted if a finer compost is desired.
b. In the shade, pile the vermicompost in
such a manner that it looks like a
pyramid. After a day, you can harvest
the top part easily because the worms
have gone to the bottom of the pile.
When you reach the bottom of the pile,
you can extract the worms manually.

49. c. Move the contents of the whole bed
to one side. Fill the empty half with
new substrate. Allow the wroms to
move freely to the new food. Harvest
the casting left by the worms.
d. Fill an onion bag with fresh food and
bury it in the middle of the bed. After
a week or so, the bag will be filled
with worms which you can empty to a
new wormed. This facilitates the
gathering of most worms.

50. e. If you are not ready to harvest your
vermicompost which is fully eaten by the
worms, place a net on top of the bed and
place a 5 cm layer of fresh substrate on
top. You can delay harvesting for about a
week (depending on the volume of
worms in the bed) because the worms
will transfer to the new food. At the same
time, when you are ready to harvest, you
can first remove the net with the food
and you will see that worms have mostly
transferred here.

51. • If you are in a hurry and need
the castings, scrape the top of
the bed of the castings
deposited there. You run the
danger though of losing the
eggs which may be there and
have not yet hatched.

52. VERMITEA

53. VERMITEA MAKING
• The one that will result in the highest
amount of beneficial microbes is
actively aerated compost tea, which
means that you add your vermicompost
(in a linen or fine mesh bag) to a
bucket of water with an air pump
installed. Then, let the air pump
continuously aerate the
water/vermicompost for at least 24
hours. This is a fantastic method, and
many gardeners highly recommend it.

54. • There is another way to make
compost tea. This method simply
requires you to steep vermicompost
in a container of water overnight.
• One way to do this is to simply add
about 1/4 cup of vermicompost or
vermicastings to a gallon of water,
then strain the vermicompost by
pouring the mixture through a fine
sieve or filter.

55. • An even easier way to steep
some vermicompost tea is to put
1/4 cup of vermicompost into a
paper coffee filter and tie it
closed tightly with cotton twine.
Then, simply add this to a one-
gallon watering can or bucket,
fill the can with water, and let it
sit overnight. When you're ready
to use it, simply toss the bag into
the compost pile.

56. • To get some of the benefits of
aeration, you can try stirring the
mixture every once in a while,
but it's not the end of the world
if you don't do so. Letting it
steep overnight provides you
with a light brown vermicompost
tea that you can then
immediately use on any plant,
indoors or out.

57. When to Feed Plants With
Vermicompost Tea
• During the active growing season, feed
houseplants weekly to every 10 days with
this tea, and feed veggies and herbs in
your outdoor garden at least once a week
with it. You really can't overdo it. You can
also put this tea into a spray bottle or
hose-end sprayer and give your plants a
nice foliar feed with it. Some gardeners
swear that issues such as powdery
mildew are reduced if you use
vermicompost tea in this way.

58. Processing Organic Foliar Fertilizer
1. Prepare a 60-liter capacity container with
aeration facility.
2. Put 50 liters of clean water in the container.
3. Aerate the water in 30 minutes.
4. Put 3 kg. Of vermicast inside the tea bag and
place inside the container.
5. Pour 500 ml of molasses in the aerated
container.
6. Add IMO (50 ml) after 30 minutes then cover.
7. Harvest after 24 hours of continuous aeration
and use the prepared foliar fertilizer within 24
hours.

59. RECORDKEEPING
To effectively monitor the production of
organic fertilizer, the following
information must be recorded:
-manufacturing
-expiry date
-quantity
-moisture content
-nutritional composition