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Vermicomposting: An Eco-Friendly Approach for Recycling/Management of Organic Wastes

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Bioremediation and Biotechnology

Abstract

Changes in life style, urbanization, intensive agricultural practices and population explosion have led to an enhanced build-up of organic wastes in the environment. These organic wastes can contribute negative impacts on the environment. The nutrient recovery from organic wastes such as kitchen waste, agricultural waste and municipal waste is an essential part of their management and for decreasing degradation of the environment. Vermicomposting technology is a promising tool for recycling/management of organic waste and is socially acceptable, economically viable and environmentally sustainable technology throughout the world. Through this process organic waste is broken down by different species of earthworms, and a fine humus-like material known as vermicompost is produced. The produced vermicompost is very rich in both micro- and macronutrients like Ca, Mg, Zn, B, P, K, N, etc., useful soil microorganisms (nitrogen-fixing bacteria and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria) and plant growth promoters and hormones such as auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins and therefore can be used as an organic fertilizer for proper growth of plants. It can also be used as a replacement to harmful inorganic fertilizers. Therefore, vermicomposting technology is like killing two birds with one stone as organic waste is managed properly and at the same time organic fertilizer is produced.

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Acknowledgement

Special thanks are due to Research Centre, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, and Deanship of Scientific Research, King Saud University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

    Ali Mohd Yatoo

  2. Centre of Research for Development, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

    Ali Mohd Yatoo, Shafat Ali & Md. Niamat Ali

  3. Forest Biotech Laboratory, Department of Forest Management, Faculty of Forestry, University of Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Saiema Rasool

  4. Department of Biochemistry, Govt. Medical College (GMC), Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

    Shafat Ali, Sabhiya Majid, Muneeb U. Rehman, Rafiqa Eachkoti, Shabhat Rasool & Sanah Farooq

  5. Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Muneeb U. Rehman

  6. Division of Veterinary Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, SKUAST-Kashmir, Shuhama, Jammu and Kashmir, India

    Shahzada Mudasir Rashid

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Princess Dr. Najla Bint Saud Al-Saud, Center for Excellence Research in Biotechnology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Khalid Rehman Hakeem

  2. Department of Environmental Science, Cluster University, Sri Pratap College, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

    Rouf Ahmad Bhat

  3. Department of Environmental Science, Cluster University, Sri Pratap College, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

    Humaira Qadri

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Yatoo, A.M. et al. (2020). Vermicomposting: An Eco-Friendly Approach for Recycling/Management of Organic Wastes. In: Hakeem, K., Bhat, R., Qadri, H. (eds) Bioremediation and Biotechnology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35691-0_8

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