SETTING UP OF A VERMIWASH UNIT Vermiwash units can be set up either in barrels or in buckets or even in small earthen pots.

It is the principle that is important. The procedure explained here is for setting up of a 250 litre barrel. An empty barrel with one side open is taken. On the other side, a hole is made to accommodate the vertical limb of a 'T' jointed tube in a way that about half to one inch of the tube projects into the barrel. To one end of the horizontal limb is attached a tap. The other end is kept closed. This serves as an emergency opening to clean the 'T' jointed tube if it gets clogged. The entire unit is set up on a short pedestal made of few bricks to facilitate easy collection of vermiwash. Keeping the tap open, a 25 cm layer of broken bricks or pebbles is placed. A 25

cm layer of coarse sand then follows the layer of bricks. Water is then made to flow through these layers to enable the setting up of the basic filter unit. On top of this layer is placed a 30 to 45 cm layer of loamy soil. It is moistened and into this are introduced about 50 numbers each of the surface (epigeic) and sub-surface (anecic) earthworms. Cattle dung pats and hay is placed on top of the soil layer and gently moistened. The tap is kept open for the next 15 days. Water is added every day to keep the unit moist. On the 16th day, the tap is closed and on top of the unit a metal container or mud pot perforated at the base as a sprinkler is suspended. 5 litres of water (the volume of water taken in this container is one fiftieth of the size of the main container) is poured into this container and allowed to gradually

sprinkle on the barrel overnight. This water percolates through the compost, the burrows of the earthworms and gets collected at the base. The tap of the unit is opened the next day morning and the vermiwash is collected. The tap is then closed and the suspended pot is refilled with 5 litres of water that evening to be collected again the following morning. Dung pats and hay may be replaced periodically based on need. The entire set up may be emptied and reset between 10 and 12 months of use. Vermiwash is diluted with water (10%) before spraying. This has been found to be very effective on several plants. If need be vermiwash may be mixed with cow's urine and diluted (1 litre of vermiwash, 1 litre of cow's urine and 8 litres of water) and sprayed on plants

to function as an effecting foliar spray and pesticide. VERMIWASH ANALYSIS REPORT pH Electro conductivity dS/m Organic Carbon % Total Kjeldhal Nitrogen % Available Phosphate % Potassium (ppm) Sodium (ppm) Calcium (ppm) Copper (ppm) Ferrous (ppm) Magnesium (ppm) 7.48 0.03 0.25 0.03

0.008 0.00 0.010.005 1.69 0.05 25 2 81 31

0.01 0.001

0.06 0.001

158.44 23

Manganese (ppm) Zinc (ppm) Total Heterotrophs (CFU/ml) Nitrosomonas (CFU/ml) Nitrobacter (CFU/ml) Total Fungi (CFU/ml)
ality of Vermiwashiwash
monitoring functionality of vermiwash Feeding:
Once in each five days.

0.58 0.040

0.02 0.001 1.79 x 103 1.01 x 103 1.12 x 103 1.46 x 103

Vermi Mortality:
1. Proper aeration is ensured by providing a little gap between 2 pots to avoid suffocation of the Vermi. 2. Raw cow dung slurry is used at the top most layer and not on the middle layer.

Safety Factors:
Neem oil is applied at the base of the tripod stand to avoid ant attack.

Storing of Vermiwash:

1. Normally vermiwash is stored by the farmers in glass container which degrades the quality (to be stored in covered earthen containers). 2. Diluted vermiwash is stored by the farmers, which would not be very effective (they were advised to apply immediately after diluting). 3. Farmers spray the vermiwash by the sprayer used previously for spraying chemicals/ pesticides by which the quality of vermiwash become ineffective (they were told to properly clean the sprayer before spraying vermiwash
The training programs on Vermi-wash have been organized for the farmers of the project area to practice the same in the demo plots. The training included elaboration on the process of vermi-wash preparation, followed by practical demonstration. The following benefits on the use of vermiwash

VERMI-WASH

were discussed with the participants: 8 Increase in the rate of photo synthesis in crop/plant. 8 Increase in the number of microorganism in the soil. 8 Increase in the crop yield. 8 Increase in pest resistance. 8 Increase in the rate of

decomposition of compost.

Selection of right type of worms: The most important worms are as follows; Exotic worms- a) Eisenia foetida- Red worm, tiger worm b) Eudrillus euginae- Night crawler Local worms- a) Perionyx excavates b) Perionyx sansbaricus

Vermiwash- the best tonic for plants

Vermiwash is a very good plant tonic which can be used for foliar spray. Vermiwash units can be set up either in barrels or in buckets or even in small earthen pots. It is the principle that is important. An empty bucket with one side open is taken. On the other side, a hole is made to accommodate the vertical limb of a ''T'' jointed tube in a way that about half to one inch of the tube projects into the bucket. To one end of the horizontal limb is attached a tap. The other end is kept closed. This serves as an emergency opening to clean the ''T'' jointed tube if it gets clogged. The entire unit is set up on a stand made of few bricks or wood to facilitate easy collection of vermiwash. Keeping the tap open, a 25 cm layer of broken bricks or pebbles is placed. A 25 cm layer of coarse sand then follows the layer of bricks. Water is then made to flow through these layers to enable the setting up of the basic filter unit. On top of this layer is placed a 30 to 45 cm layer of loamy soil. It is moistened and into this are introduced about 50 numbers each of the surface (epigeic) and sub-surface (anecic) earthworms. Cattle dung pats and hay is placed on top of the soil layer and gently moistened. The tap is kept open for the next 15 days. Water is added every day to keep the unit moist. On the 16th day, the tap is closed and on top of the unit a metal container or mud pot perforated at the base as a sprinkler is suspended. 5 litres of water (the volume of water taken in this container is one fiftieth of the size of the main container) is poured into this container and allowed to gradually sprinkle on the barrel overnight. This water percolates through the compost, the burrows of the earthworms and gets collected at the base. The tap of the unit is opened the next day morning and the vermiwash is collected. The tap is then closed and the suspended pot is refilled with 5 litres of water that evening to be collected again the following morning. Vermiwash is diluted with water (10%) and sprayed on plants to function as an effecting foliar spray and pesticide. Source: http://www.shvoong.com/exact-sciences/agronomy-agriculture/1795939-vermiwash-best-tonicplants/#ixzz1OsgyB2zp

Description English: Red wiggler Date 2006-12-11 (original upload date) Source Originally from en.wikipedia; description page is/was here. Author Mihai Duguleana; Original uploader was Mihaidu at en.wikipedia Permission
(Reusing this file)

Released into the public domain (by the author).

[edit]

VERMIWASH The vermiwash is a liquiform biocompost, which is applied on vegetables, agricultural and horticultural crops

through sprinkling. The compost consists of necessary ingredient for plant growth and development in terms of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus etc. In addition, vermiwash contains various macro-micro elements and growth hormones and is proved to be most suited liquiform compost for plant growth and also used as pesticide in leafy vegetables. Technical details Vermiwash unit can be constructed as per availability of materials i.e. drum or bucket. In order to build vermiwash unit, five drums are taken. The drums are put in such a fashion that four drums are in a strait line and the fifth one is kept approximately one meter high. The drum, which is kept at higher place, is connected with all four drums with rubber pipe. On the bottom of each drum one-inch perforation is created and fitted with the nipple. Each nipple of four drums are connected with a pipe and collected with a smaller drum. The drum, which is kept at higher place, is filled up with water. All four drums are filled with the materials in an order with the lower most layer (25-30cm thick)containing mortar of bricks and stone, IInd layer of concrete ( 10-15cm thick), IIIrd layer layer of soil (25-30 cm thick)and IVth layer of silt (10-20cm thick). Now the top layer of 30cm of the drum is packed with earthworms and fresh dung. Now each drum is covered with a 10-15 cm thick layer of straw to maintain moisture and temperature inside the drum required for earthworm survival. All four drums are connected with water pipe from the drum to supply water properly. The water should be made available in dropping form. Vermiwash of the four drums is collected in to a small drum. About 4-5-litre vermiwash can be collected in a day, and can be sprinkled on the crops as liquid compost. Diluting the mixture of vermiwash and cowdung with tenfold water and sprinkling it on crops serves as a pesticide.
Cost benefit analysis

The cost-benefit analysis of vermiwash unit construction (brick/stone, drums, sand, earthworms etc.) and vermiwash production including earthworms etc. were calculated based on the prevailing daily wage labour rates and market value/rates of organic pesticides/fertilizers.

Cost- benefit analysis Rs/year/household for vermiwash preparation in a pot size of 50 litre. Due to higher cost involved in construction of vermiwash unit the monetary return was obtained in negative in first year whereas in 2nd and 3rd year the monetary return was obtained very low. Adoption

The vermiwash could not be adopted as it failed to evoke interest in local farmers and thus could not be popularized.
Advantages

It helps in enhancing the number of macro-micro organisms and essential elements in soil for growth and development of the plants. It acts as pesticides, and degraded land can be reclaimed into fertile

through application of vermiwash.

VERMI-WASH It is a liquid manure obtained from earthworms and is used as a foliar spray. It contain plant growth hormones like auxins and cytokinins apart from nitrogen, phosphorus potash and other micro-nutrients. Methods of preparation

1. Select one sufficiently large container made of concrete or plastic bucket or earthen pot. 2. Drill a hole at the base of the container to fix a tab to it. 3. A base layer of gravel or broken small pieces of bricks are place to a height of 10-15 cm. 4. Above the gravel layer another layer of coarse sand of 1-15 cm is put. 5. On the coarse sand layer place 40-45 cm pre-decomposed organic wastes and moistens the different layer by using water. 6. Introduce about 2000 Nos of earthworms into the container. 7. To get vermiwash continuously suspend a mud pot or a small bucket with some holes. Cotton wicks/or bamboo sticks are place in the holes so that water can trickle down. 8. Fill the container with 4-5 lits water everyday. 9. After 10 days vermiwash starts forming in the container. 10. Everyday about 3-4 lits of vermiwash can be collected.

APPLICATIONS
1. Dilute 1 lits of vermiwash with 4-5 lits of water and spray as foliar spray during the late evening hours. 2. A mixture of vermiwash (1 lit ) with cow urine (1 lit) in 10 lits of water acts as bio-pesticide and liquid manure.

BENEFITS It acts as a plant tonic and help to reduce many plant diseases.

2.4 Utility of vermicompost, vermiwash and in situ vermiculture in pest management

There is no much information available on the effect of vermicompost, vermiwash and in situ vermiculture on the activity of insect - pests in soybean and jasmine crops in which present investigations were made. However, information available on other crops is reviewed and presented. Besides, a single report on soybean pod borer which is available is also presented.

Effect of substrates and earthworm species on nutrient status of vermiwash

pH and EC pH of vermiwash ranged from 7.20 to 8.0 (Table. 13). Comparison of different substrates on the pH of vermiwash revealed that, kitchen waste + E. eugeniae recorded lower pH (7.00) followed by kitchen waste + P.excavatus. Significantly higher pH was recorded in weed waste + P. excavatus and weed waste + E. eugeniae (8.00, 7.00, respectively).Vermiwash obtained from paddy straw + E. eugeniae recorded lower EC (1.20 ds/m) followed by check + E. eugeniae (1.29 ds/m). Whereas, kitchen waste + E. eugeniae recorded higher EC (1.52ds/m). Organic carbon Organic carbon content of vermiwash obtained from different substrates ranged from 0.004 to 0.085. It was significantly least in weed waste + E. eugeniae (0.004) followed by weed waste + P. excavatus (0.005), paddy straw + P. excavatus (0.060), soybean post harvest waste + P. excavatus (0.078) and was highest in soybean post harvest waste + E. eugeniae (0.085). Primary nutrients

The data pertaining to the nutrient status of primary elements in vermiwash is furnished in Table 14. Among different substrates, vermiwash obtained from paddy straw recorded maximum nitrogen (30.61ppm), being on par with check (30.42ppm) and soybean post harvest waste (29.33ppm). Between the earthworm species, E. eugeniae was found superior by recording highest nitrogen (28.67ppm) compared to P. excavatus (25.93ppm). Interaction effect of substrates and earthworm species was also found significant. Check substrate + E. eugeniae and paddy straw + E .eugeniae recorded maximum nitrogen (33.00 ppm). But, vermiwash extracted from processed kitchen waste was found slightly inferior in nitrogen status. Effect of substrates on phosphorous content of vermiwash revealed that, it was significantly high in check (18.97ppm) followed by paddy straw (17.73 ppm) and kitchen waste (15.30 ppm). Between the earthworm species, E.eugeniae and P. excavatus recorded almost same amount (16.75 &16.40 ppm) of phosphorous, being on par with each other. Interaction effect was non significant. High potassium content (107.00 ppm) was recorded when weed waste was used as a substrate followed by check (85.00 ppm) and it was least in case of paddy straw(55.33 ppm). Also, K content of the vermiwash from processed substrates did not differ significantly with

Physio-chemical properties and organic carbon content of vermiwash produced by using different substrates and earthworm species

pH EC (dS/m) Organic carbon (%) Treatments P. excavatus E. eugeniae P. excavatus E. eugeniae P. excavatus E. eugeniae Paddy straw 7.50 7.26 1.29 1.20 0.060 0.060 Soybean post harvest waste 7.56 7.50 1.38 1.34 0.078 0.085 Kitchen waste 7.20 7.00 1.49 1.52 0.080 0.070 Weed waste 8.00 7.90 1.35 1.42 0.005 0.004 Check 7.40 7.50 1.30 1.28 0.060 0.060

HiH - Solid Waste Mgmt - 03b - Vermi-wash demo

Vermiwash
We present organic vermiwash that is used in assortment of agricultural uses such as for the enhancement of growth of plants. In addition to this, this organic vermiwash is also utilized for reducing the water amount that is required during irrigation. Apart from this, it also has the capacity to encounter worms thereby saving crops and their productivity.

Organic Liquid sprays

Liquid manure is often regarded as the best among manures. Organic composts and other solid manures are great but they have one drawback over conventional soluble manures - they take a while to break down in the soil and become available to plants. So, for the successful growing of heavy feeding crops the judicious use of liquid manures has a effective role. This is particularly so in soils that have only recently been brought into production, and where a preparatory green manure crop has not been grown. Liquid organic manures are pure in nature, safe, non-toxic, non-chemical and has no side effects and

residue, and can be applied to all crops (such as rice, vegetable, fruit, sugarcane, banana, flower, seedling. etc) and edible Fungi.

Vermiwash is a liquid spray collected after passage of water through a column of worm culture. It is very useful as a foliar spray for all crops. It is a collection of excretory products and excess secretions of earthworms along with micronutrients from soil organic molecules. Vermiwash is a watery extract of compost, the wash of earthworms present in the medium. Earthworm body is long tubular type Measure portion of this body is filled up with this Celomic fluid. Celomic fluid is always secreted from the body of earthworms and always keeps the body of wet. We can collect Celomic fluid of earthworms and this is called vermiwash. This Celomic fluid helps earthworms in respiration. Atmospheric Oxygen while it passes through this fluid is purified with the help of fluid and finally absorbed in the body of the earthworms. Celomicites, Granulocites and Limphoidocites cells are present in the Celomic fluid. This helps in healing of wounds of earthworms and gives imitation power to earthworms. No pathogens can survive in this fluid, thereby protecting earthworms from the diseases caused due to pathogens. Soluble Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potash are the main nutrients in vermi wash. Hormones such as Cytokinins, Oxyn etc., Amino Acid, Vitamins, Enzymes, some other secretions and many useful microbes such as heterotrophic bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes including nitrogen fixers, phosphate solubilisers are present in the vermiwash. The earthworm vermiwash is rich in dissolved nutrients. Amino Acids in the vermiwash are easily available for plants. Vermicomposting system is suitably designed for easy collection of vermiwash.

Vermiwash was found to contain enzyme cocktail of proteases, amylases, urease and phosphatase. Microbiological study of vermiwash revealed that it contains nitrogen-fixing bacteria like Azotobactrer sp., Agrobacterium sp. and Rhizobium sp. and some phosphate solublizing bacteria. Laboratory scale trial showed effectiveness of vermiwash on Cowpea plant growth.

Vermi wash- a plant growth regulator Vermi wash is a liquid plant growth regulator, which contains high amount of enzymes, vitamins and hormones like auxins, gibberellins etc along with macro and micronutrients used as foliar spray. Methods of preparation 1. Take one big bucket and one mug. 2. Set up one stop cork on the lower most part of the bucket. 3. Put a layer of broken bricks, pieces of stones having thickness of 10-15 cm in the bucket. 4. Over this layer put another layer of sand having thickness of 10-15 cm. 5. Then put a layer of partially decomposed cow dung having 30-45 cm thickness over it. 6. Then put another layer of soil having 2-3 thicknesses. 7. Now open the stopcock of the bucket and when the materials taken in the bucket. 8. Then put 100-200 nos. of earthworms in the bucket. 9. After that, a layer of paddy straw having 6 cm thickness is given.

10. Now open the stopcock of the bucket and spray water regularly for a period of 7-8 days. 11. After 10 days the liquid vermin wash will be produced in the bucket. 12. Hang one pot with a bottom hole over the bucket in such a way so that water falls drop by drop. 13. Every day 4-5 litres of water is to be poured in the hanging pot. 14. Keep another pot under stop cork to collect the vermin wash. Every day 3-4 litres vermin wash can be collected. Application 1. Mix 1 litres of vermin wash with 7-10 litres of water and spray the solution in the leaf (upper and lower side) in the evening at the growing the crop. 2. Mix 1 litre of vermin wash with 1 litre of cow urine and then add 10 litres of water to the vermin urine solution and mixed thoroughly and keep it over night before spraying 50-60 litre of such solution and to be sprayed in one bigha of land to control various crop diseases. The vermiwash is an extract of earthworm body secretion and other bodily discharge, which is rich in plant nutrients in soluble form, plant grow hormones and antibiotics. The unit has supplied till date 800 litres of pure vermiwash.