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Sci Tech
Vermi-composting boosts profits in integrated dairy farm
By Our Agriculture Correspondent
The cross-bred animals produce enough dung for making enriched vermin-compost. (Inset) High quality vermin-compost produced under the shade.
VERMI-COMPOSTING can be a highly profitable integration in a dairy farm. If done systematically, returns from the value-added dung and urine collected from the farm can be made more attractive than milk and milk products, according to Mr. K. Chenchiah Naidu, a progressive farmer of Kothur village near Maddur in Tiruttani taluk, Tiruvellore district.
In his 8-hectare `Priya Dairy Farm', Mr. Chenchiah Naidu has 50 cross-bred cows yielding 300 litres of milk a day, and producing about 750 kg of fresh dung and roughly 500 litres of urine. "I have produced more than 10 tonnes of rich vermi-compost, and expecting about 25 tonnes more in the second batch. On an average I can get about five harvests of vermi-compost, and I can expect about 50 tonnes each harvest once my compost pits are stabilized, and the loading and harvesting processes streamlined," he says with confidence. He has set up vermi-composting process in an elevated brick-masonry structure of 3 m by 35 m under a thatched shed. As the bottom most layer, he has laid coconut husk to provide the required drainage. Then a 30 cm-layer of cooled and drained cow dung is added. About 3000-5000 earthworms were then released per square metre of the dung heap. Care was taken to ensure the proper moisture regimen. Cow's urine diluted with water was added to encourage the growth of the worms.
After a week another 30 cm-layer of cooled and drained cow dung was added. The loading of the vermi-composting tubs continued till the 60th day from the start. Watering was stopped and when the top layers of the tub were dry enough, the compost was harvested by gently scooping out layer by layer. Earthworms collected at the bottom-most layer were carefully collected and released in other tubs ready for vermi-composting.
The vermi-compost is of neutral ph (7.25). The nitrogen content is 0.63 per cent and phosphorus content is 0.13 per cent. It has 0.11 per cent potassium. It contains 1.0 per cent calcium, 1.6 per cent sulphur and 0.6 per cent magnesium.
"Only the first batch needed 60 days for composting, and the subsequent batches will be ready for harvest in about 45 days. In a year, leaving the rainy months and the re-laying time, at least five harvests can be had," he points out.
The cost of production of vermi-compost was about Rs. 1.20 a kg. Good quality manure with well conserved nutrients could fetch up to Rs. 4 a kg, according to Mr. Chenchiah Naidu.
There is good demand for quality vermi-compost, especially in the shrimp farms and aquaculture industry of Andhra Pradesh. Shrimps and fish raised using vermi-compost grew bigger and faster than with conventional feeds, and they fetched premium price in the market. With the growing awareness about the benefits of organic farming and sustainable agriculture, more farmers are using vermi-compost, according to him.
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