Earthworms are the main reproducers of soil fertility! Their ecological value!
Earthworms are the most ancient inhabitants of the earth, whose activities have created and are creating soils.
They are the main orderlies of the earth, the guarantors of the health and well-being of all living on it. They feed on dead decaying plant tissues that enter the soil in the form of litter, root and crop residues.
Today we will talk about the ecological significance of worms, about what role they play on earth, about how and why to breed them on your site. And also, as promised, I will share my experience in the production of vermicompost at home with the help of worms. It will be interesting, and most importantly, after reading to the end, you will learn a lot of useful information! ...
Why are earthworms needed?
Earthworms are the main consumers of dead plant debris. The biomass of worms is 50 - 72% of the total biomass of the soil. Absorbing together with the soil a huge amount of plant detritus (decaying dead plant tissues), microbes, fungi, algae, protozoan nematodes, etc., they digest them.
At the same time, worms excrete with feces a large amount of their own intestinal microflora, enzymes, vitamins, biologically active substances that have antibiotic properties and prevent the development of pathogenic (pathogenic) microflora, putrefactive processes, the release of fetid gases, disinfect the soil and give it a pleasant smell of the earth.
In the process of digestion of plant residues, humus substances are formed in the digestive canal of worms. They differ in chemical composition from humus, which is formed in the soil with the participation of only microflora.
Processes of polymerization of low-molecular decomposition products develop in the digestive tube of worms organic matter and molecules of humic acids are formed, which form complex compounds with the mineral components of the soil (lithium, potassium, sodium humates - soluble humus, calcium, magnesium, and other metal humates - insoluble humus) and remain in the soil for a long time in the form of stable aggregates (water-intensive, water-resistant, hydrophilic and mechanically strong).
Therefore, the activity of worms slows down the leaching of mobile nutrients from the soil and prevents the development of water and wind erosion. Coproligs of worms of natural populations contain 11...15% of humus per dry matter.
Worms also have another specific feature that is very useful for agriculture. It is connected with their unique ability to improve and structure the soil.
During the summer period, a population of 50 worms in the arable layer of soil per 1 m2 lays a kilometer of passages and releases coprolites on the surface with a layer of 3 mm. Even more of them remain in the thickness of the soil.
Each worm passes through the digestive canal per day the amount of soil equal to the mass of its body. If the average weight of a worm is 0.5 g, then with their number of 50 individuals per 1 m2 (500,000 per 1 ha), they process 250 kg of soil per day on an area of 1 ha.
In the middle lane, the active activity of worms continues 200 days a year. Consequently, during the season they can process 50 tons of soil per hectare, providing it with humus.
A fundamental question is: what modern technical means can be used to accomplish a gigantic fruitful work on structuring and humusing the soil in a year? While there are no such forces and means!
And no one and nothing can compare with worms in their beneficial activity. It is their activity that once significant black soils of Russia were created - its pride and wealth!
From what has been said, it is clear that the most obvious sign of the health of the soil, its high fertility is the presence of earthworms in it. The more of them in the soil, the more functionally healthy it is. This should be recognized and adopted "in service" in the interests of the reproduction of soil fertility by all farmers!
How to start breeding worms in the garden?
Now many breed worms to obtain biohumus and even do business on worms. But we do not make money on this, and so modestly, but in order to save on biohumus (purchased), we decided to try to breed worms, and to increase their number in the country. Growing worms at home is quite within the power of every gardener. What do you need to grow worms? And which worms should be bred?
Red compost worms (hey-ze-niya foetida) are better suited for de-ve-de-nia, some of which can always be dug up in a loo-pe-rep-roaring compost heap. They differ from other types of worms in their dark brown color with alternating dark and light transverse stripes.
If there are no or too few worms on the site, then this does not matter, they can be dug up in the forest or, in extreme cases, purchased at a fishing store. I want to say right away why we took our own for breeding, and did not buy the popular "prospectors" or "Californians".
Firstly, it costs money, and secondly, we have heard about deception about their fertility, such as 1,500 of them come from one per year! Nothing like this! The fertility of our worms suits us quite well.
Compost worms are no worse if they create excellent conditions! For a year, 450-500 pieces are produced from one, and they are more adapted to our soils. Quite unpretentious.
And it all started with the fact that, like many summer residents, I also purchased biohumus in garden stores. And that only I did not come across in it! All sorts of things that are there, in principle, should not be! And once, because of the purchased biohumus, all the seedlings disappeared ...
Biohumus is easy!
I realized that the quality of the purchased biohumus is in question. And I thought somehow, if only I could learn how to get my own! And a year ago, having studied this issue thoroughly, I decided to try it.
Moreover, we never throw away kitchen waste - we put everything in compost. And there are a lot of them in our family of four. As a result of the experiment, without straining, we received 160 kg of pure excellent fertilizer, which we successfully used as a top dressing and for growing seedlings already in the spring of this year!
And it all started with the fact that in the fall I collected worms from the compost heap to the bottom of the bucket. I did not count them individually, but the bottom of the bucket was covered with a 3 cm layer of worms. Then, I collected half a bucket of compost from there, the same in which these worms lived.
In the apartment, I decided to take a warm and humid place for the worms - the bathroom. In a regular cardboard box, which I pre-glued with adhesive tape so that it would not crumble at the most inopportune moment, I poured half a bucket of compost, then worms, and on top another layer of compost.
Now it was necessary to give them food, so that the worms would not even have time to come to their senses from the fact that the move had taken place. I cut vegetable peels finely with scissors or, if there is no time to mess around, I twist them in a meat grinder.
With a layer of 1 cm, I put the feeding in the box and carefully moisten the contents from the sprayer. Then I cover with toilet paper, a double layer and moisten it with water too.
All! I leave them for a couple of weeks, spraying paper as they dry. You can sprinkle feeding with compost to avoid the appearance of midges. But cover with paper on top - it shows the level of humidity and protects from light.
There is no bad smell! Because worms produce certain substances that serve as a kind of deodorant. And the finished vermicompost smells so pleasantly of the earth.
Conditions for keeping compost worms!
Conditions must be ideal, and what does that mean?
- Optimal conditions for the life of worms - temp-pe-ra-tu-ra 18-26 °,
- Humidity 60-70% (re-gu-lyar-but po-li-va-yut) and
- The reaction of the environment is pH 5.8-7.5.
Humidity is considered to-s-ta-precise, if you squeeze 1-2 drops from a lump in your hand moisture.
Keep the humidity stable, when the soil dries up, they will quickly die ... I took the water settled for a day, they will also die immediately from bleach.
Why in a box? Because cardboard "breathes", organically. If the bottom gets wet over time, then I just put the box with worms in another slightly larger box.
What to feed the worms? Almost all plant origin. I do not give animal waste to them, so that there is no unpleasant smell. Potato peels, watermelon and melon peels, squash, banana, and anything (citrus fruits are undesirable a lot - acidify the substrate), the main thing to remember is that worms have no teeth! Therefore, they pre-grind their food.
How often to feed the worms?
At first, almost every day I looked under the paper, to see if they had eaten it or not ... But it’s easier to look at the paper itself (later I realized this), as soon as holes appear on it, both corroded, and feed. Just put fresh food on top and cover with paper. The key is to not overdo it...
For a couple of months (September-October), the box was filled to the top. By the way, worms are such unique animals that stop breeding when their number goes off scale! Therefore, it's time to disassemble the box.
Cultivation of an earthworm in apartment conditions!
It happened like this: week I didn't feed them to make the worms hungry. And then she poured sweet food into one part of the box - these are banana peels, apple peels, and so on, but not much. After a couple of days, hungry worms crawled to the surface to eat, and I easily collected them together with the top layer and transplanted them into another such box. Everything is like at the very beginning, only in a different box.
And in full poured a little more sweet food and lured out the second part of the worms, the younger one. I did the same with them as I did with the first batch.
And for the third time she poured feed in order to lure out the young, which had already grown a little.
Further, from the first box, it remains only to lay out the vermicompost - yes, yes, yes, pure vermicompost remained in the box, but moist enough. I dried it for a couple of days on lined thick paper. And then she sifted through a rare sieve and laid it out in bags, put it under the bath until spring.
This way I got three boxes of worms, which were successfully filled for another couple of months (November-December)! After the New Year, I did the same with these three boxes and, as a result, by spring (March) I received 4 boxes of 40 kg each of pure biohumus + 9 boxes of newly laid worms (for March-April)!
Next, it's time to open the summer season - spring has come! And all these 9 boxes already full went to the dacha for the May holidays! The result, I think, is excellent! The worms gave a good offspring of live weight and a lot of valuable fertilizer! And what happened next?
And then I kept them there for two weeks with hunger! Not because I am angry and cruel, but because the soil has not yet warmed up! That's when I warmed up by June, I finally fed them like that! ... I created a wormhole in the garden! How is it, you ask?
Everything is simple! She took a piece of land 3 sq. meters - the worst land. The place is in the shade, nothing grew there except weeds ... But it was planned to ennoble this nook in the future. So it has come - this is the future, I myself did not expect that it was the worms that would now "grow" there.
In general, we fenced this place - a wormhole with boards in the form of a box. And they poured the contents of the boxes into one corner, the height reached 30-40 cm, slightly leveled it, and now in the opposite part (the one in front is empty) they put yummy with a layer of 30-40 cm.
The length of such a pile gradually increased and cultivation continued in this way all summer. That is, we threw food to them from one side, the worms gradually crawled there, leaving behind pure vermicompost.
By autumn, I had a ready-made bed! But what about worms?
And I partially move the worms to other ridges, and leave a part in this ridge. Naturally, I fill the beds with rabbit manure, and mulch on top in the fall. That is, I do not keep the beds open - they are always covered with something. At zero temperature, under natural conditions, worms fall asleep until spring, and in the spring, waking up, they will have something to eat, I always take care of this!
From the compost heap, I again took a small batch of new worms into the apartment this fall and the familiar process began! Even this matter is fascinating, not at all troublesome, the main thing is to put yourself in the place of a worm and think, would I like it here? Would such conditions suit me? Would I like to live like this?
And if so it means everything is done correctly - the worms feel comfortable, multiply and provide valuable fertilizer from free waste, which most people simply take to a landfill!
Here's what else I do in the winter, now you know it ... I hope you find this information useful, maybe someone will want to use it, good luck! If you have any questions - ask in the comments below. All the best and see you soon!
- Raw material base
The intensive agriculture that we see today leads to severe depletion of soils and reduces their content of vital organic matter. As a result of mechanical tillage, along with the harvest, a significant part of the organic substances in them is alienated, in turn, increasing the proportion of mineral substances. Soil mineralization occurs so intensively that the process becomes simply irreversible and the soil loses its fertile properties forever.
For this reason, agricultural enterprises and farms forced to look for new ways to preserve soil fertility. And the best alternative to traditional types of fertilizers, in particular manure, is biohumus - a universal natural fertilizer that contains soil antibiotics, enzymes, vitamins and microelements, so necessary for all plants. Biohumus is very convenient to use, and most importantly, it is a cheap fertilizer. It is logical that the demand for biohumus will only grow in the near future...
There are a number of advantages of vermicompost over traditional types of fertilizers: - perfectly retains moisture in the soil; - significantly improves the quality of vegetables and fruits; — increases the yield of plants and prolongs the flowering period; - does not contain pathogenic microorganisms (unlike manure); - reduces the percentage of diseases of plants. At the same time, one of the main advantages of biohumus as a fertilizer is its low price. To achieve the same effect with traditional agrochemical methods, the farmer will need a tangible investment. The use of vermicompost is designed to reduce these costs several times. Biohumus, as a fertilizer, can be used everywhere: in gardens, vegetable gardens, for feeding ornamental plants, on farms and on an industrial scale. Convenient packaging of vermicompost (in bags) allows you to purchase fertilizer, both for private and commercial purposes. The shelf life of biohumus is not limited! Biohumus is applied in the spring before planting in doses of 3-5 tons per 1 ha. The increase in yield is: for grain crops up to 15 centners per hectare, for potatoes up to 60-80 centners per hectare, for vegetables up to 70% increase per hectare. If you increase the dose of vermicompost, you can achieve even greater yields. At the same time, it is impossible to overfeed the soil with biohumus! It is known that in United Arab Emirates, where there is nothing but sand, thanks to biohumus, up to three or more crops of environmentally friendly products are harvested. Thus, this country is not an importer, but an exporter of fruits and vegetables.
How much can you earn in the production of biohumus
You can make money on the production of biohumus in two ways. The first direction is the actual processing of organic matter and the sale of ready-made vermicompost. The wholesale price of vermicompost by region ranges from 7,000 to 10,000 rubles per ton. The cost of production, according to economists, is no more than 3,500 rubles (costs for heat, electricity, wages of workers, raw materials). Thus, we get profit from one ton from 3500 - 6500 rubles. The second source of income is the sale of the California worm. Main clients - fishing shops and small wholesalers. The calculation is something like this: a box of 50 worms at the wholesale price costs 30-40 rubles. From one ton of organic matter per month, you can get up to 10 thousand worms. Hence, the additional monthly income will be 6000 - 8000 rubles per ton.
Step-by-step plan for opening biohumus production
To start a business for the production of vermicompost, three components are needed: a room, a raw material base (organic fertilizers) and a Californian worm - the same magical organism that turns ordinary “manure” into a super-useful fertilizer called Biohumus. To reduce risks and start at minimal cost, you can use the basement of a private house or an ordinary barn as a breeding room for breeding stock. The main thing is that the room is heated so that the worm does not freeze in winter. Recommended course of action for beginners: 1. Acquire breeding stock of California worm. There are many ads on the Internet for the sale of a worm, the average price is 1000 rubles for 2000 worms. 2. During the year, in a warm room, increase this population by 200 times, that is, get 400,000 worms. This is quite realistic if you observe the optimal temperature, humidity, acidity and good nutrition. California worms are hermaphrodites and reproduce at such a rate that they double their population every month. 3. Then in the summer, plant the grown worm in the prepared heap of organic matter - the process of obtaining Biohumus has been started!
Biohumus production technology
A common design for biohumus production is shallow trays lined with brick (or other material) with a side height of up to 30 cm. A mixture consisting of fermented manure, earth and straw cutting is placed in the trays. You can add a little lime flour to ensure the acidity of the medium in the range of 6.5-7.5 pH. The substrate is moistened to an optimum moisture content of 80%. Then, Californian worms are placed in trays with a substrate based on a density of 3-5 thousand individuals per 1 m2. The ideal temperature for keeping worms: from +25 to +30 degrees. To maintain the humidity at the proper level, the contents of the trays are periodically watered, and the trays themselves are covered with a breathable material. Full cycle processing of organic matter and the transformation of the substrate into biohumus takes 5 months. By this time, the worm population has increased five to ten times. To speed up the reproduction process of vermiculture, it is recommended to separate adult worms from the substrate every 2 months. Thus, for the processing of 5 tons of manure within 5 months, about 50 thousand individuals of the worm will be required. The output of biohumus from the total mass of the substrate will be about 50%.
Realities of "business" and pitfalls
With the organization of the production itself, a number of problems may arise, which at first glance seem to be trifles. First, it is land. Since organic waste is the main raw material in production, it will not work to place an enterprise near the housing stock. The sanitary zone is at least 300 meters, but this is the minimum. In general, it is recommended to organize the production of vermicompost on the outskirts of settlements in order to avoid any complaints from residents. The second issue is the transportation and storage of semi-liquid organic fertilizers. How and with what you will deliver semi-liquid manure from farms, how to remove solids, how to store manure, how to decontaminate and how to unload it from manure storage. In most cases, the manure will be delivered on multi-purpose tractor trailers. But keep in mind that the losses with this method of delivery are very large. The third question is the packaging of biohumus. It is good if you have several regular large customers to whom you will sell large quantities of fertilizer. But in most cases, you will be forced to look for ways to sell vermicompost in small batches. Your customers are farms, small wholesale dealers, specialist shops, plant nurseries and flower pavilions. It will not be possible to sell vermicompost "in bulk" to these customers - appropriate packaging is required. Most often, biohumus is packed in plastic bags of 1, 5, 10 and 20 kg. To do this, you will have to purchase the appropriate packaging equipment, which will result in additional costs at the start.
Raw material base
And finally, the fourth question is the availability of the same raw material base. Where will organics be supplied from, if in your outskirts livestock farms? It is best if these are cattle breeding enterprises. It is logical to assume that if there is not a single such enterprise within a radius of at least 50 km, opening a biohumus production business is a pure gamble.
A step-by-step plan for starting a vermicompost business
- Sales market analysis.
- Drawing up a business plan
- Tank equipment with optimal conditions for growing worms.
- Preparation of a heated facility for breeding worms.
- Acquisition of rotted large manure cattle.
- Preparation of rotten leaves, hay, silage.
- Acquisition of worms (California or Vladimir).
- Settlement of worms in prepared manure.
How much money do you need to start a business
To start a business you will need:
- Biohumus packaging equipment - about 100 thousand rubles.
- Purchase of raw materials - 50 thousand rubles.
- Preparation of the premises, installation of a heating system - 50 thousand rubles.
- Other expenses - 10 thousand rubles.
Initial costs can be reduced to 100-120 thousand rubles, using a used line or increasing volumes gradually. It is advisable to open a vermicompost production business for farmers, where there is an opportunity to save on raw materials.
What OKVED to indicate when registering
- 15 - production of fertilizers and nitrogen compounds.
What documents are needed to register a business
To register a business, you must register as an individual entrepreneur, open a bank account for cashless payments. You can apply for an IP at the tax office at the place of registration of the applicant, providing:
- Application in the prescribed form;
- A photocopy of the passport;
- Receipt of payment of state duty.
Which taxation system to choose when registering
A simplified taxation system is the best way to open a business for the production of vermicompost.
Do I need permission to start production?
There is no need to issue special licenses and certificates to conduct biohumus production business. If the products will be sold through large stores, it is advisable for veterinary pharmacies to issue quality certificates. A simple document will attract more biohumus buyers.
Biohumus (vermicompost, worm compost) is an organic fertilizer for plants, a product of natural processing of livestock manure and food waste by technological worms. This type of compost is one of the most effective means increase the fertility of agricultural soils, and its production is quite simple and requires minimal investment. At the same time, according to many entrepreneurs, this type of business is characterized by high profitability and quick payback.
The technology for the production of vermicompost, indeed, is not complex. For the manufacture of vermicompost, the following “components” will be required: decomposed cattle manure, hay or silage, decomposed leaves, sawdust, food waste, technological worms (California and their various varieties, Vladimir). First you need to prepare a nutrient medium for worms, which is rotted compost and manure. As a rule, it is not very convenient to keep the processed product in your area. Therefore, it is better to negotiate with the supplier of this raw material so that he is allowed to lie down for some time.
Containers are prepared for worms - large wooden boxes. At the next stage, the compost is laid in boxes. Moreover, if it includes fermented manure and other components (leaves, sawdust, food waste), then the compost must be thoroughly mixed. From above, a layer of compost is covered with a layer of dry grass, which will maintain an optimal level of humidity and temperature in the box. Ripening compost should be periodically (once every 2-3 days) mixed so that it does not cake, and moistened with warm water so that the mass does not dry out. At the very beginning, while the fermentation process takes place, the temperature inside the box reaches 50 degrees Celsius, but then it gradually decreases. Worms are settled in boxes after the compost mass is fully prepared.
Experts advise not to launch all the worms at once, but first to test the mass on several dozen individuals. If everything goes well, then you can populate the rest. Within a couple of months, the worms get used to the new environment, after which they begin to multiply. The humidity of the compost should be 70-80%, and the pH level should not exceed 8. In winter, the temperature inside the boxes should be at least 19 degrees Celsius. You can raise the temperature by covering the compost with a layer of dry grass, moistening it with warm water and placing it in a heated room. The substrate must be regularly loosened and fed every ten days. 3-4 months after the compost is settled with worms, the worms are counted, for which a sample is taken from a 10 by 10 cm area. The number of worms in it is multiplied by 100. Surplus worms can be sold to fish farms, directly to fishermen, poultry farms and bone meal producers. At the third stage, biohumus and worms are collected. To collect humus, the substrate is sifted through a sieve with 2 mm cells. The worms remaining in the sieve are deposited in a separate box. You can do without sieving. It is enough not to feed the worms for several days, and then bring the substrate to the surface of the compost. After a couple of days, the worms will rise to the surface where they can be collected. The collected humus is weighed and packaged in plastic bags.
To organize the production of biohumus, a heated room will be required to accommodate boxes with compost and worms. Because the production cycle is year-round and continuous, then production volumes can be very large. Therefore, you will need a warehouse to store finished products. In addition, you will need to buy a packaging line with a dispenser for packaging humus in bags of 3-6 kg and 20-50 kg. Humus in smaller bags can be sold through Retail Stores, and in larger bags - through wholesale companies. The cost of such a line is over 1 million rubles, but you can save money on it and purchase scales and a manual bag sealer instead (all together it will cost about 5 thousand rubles). To keep the worms, you will need wooden boxes with a bottom made of strong boards or metal. In addition, special vermicomposters can be purchased. Irrigation systems (usually drip irrigation) are used to moisten the compost mass. The cost of the simplest such system is about 1-1.5 thousand rubles. Do not forget about tools and working equipment: a rake, a shovel, a sieve, buckets, etc.
You will also need to purchase worms, establish a constant supply of manure, decaying leaves and food waste, develop packaging options, enter into sales contracts with partners, arrange delivery of finished products to customers. Biohumus can be sold directly to gardeners, gardening associations, gardening shops, poultry farms, manufacturers meat and bone meal, farms of the agro-industrial complex. The sale of worms to fishermen and fish farms can often bring a profit comparable to the profit from the sale of the humus itself. Thus, your product range may include vermicompost itself, concentrated liquid humus, bio-earth (a mixture of bio-humus and earth in a certain proportion), worms.
The costs of organizing such production include the purchase of equipment (about 45-50 thousand rubles without a packaging line), the purchase of raw materials (50 thousand rubles), the equipment of the premises with stove heating (45 thousand rubles), registration and IP and other expenses. You can start a business with 150 thousand rubles, and then gradually expand production volumes at the expense of profits. The profitability of such a business is estimated at 40%. With a population of 100 thousand worms, the payback period will be up to six months, and the total revenue will exceed 1 million rubles.
On the Internet you can find a lot of material both on the very technology of biohumus production, and on the calculations of profitability and payback. However, not all of them (especially the most rosy ones) are true. So, for example, if you are counting on a good profit, then do minimum investment it will no longer be possible, as well as recoup them in a short time. Firstly, the preparation of raw materials for the preparation of the substrate takes quite a long time - about six months. Thus, if you have not found a supplier of finished raw materials with the required exposure, then you can start your business no earlier than in six months. Secondly, with a large scale of production, one shed heated by a stove is no longer enough. You will need a whole cowshed, which still needs to be prepared - to make even floors for the ridges (fill the floor with concrete), lay the windows with bricks so that heat does not blow out of the room in winter, make the suspended ceiling as low as possible to preserve heat, equip driveways, make repair of internal premises, prepare production and storage facilities, etc. In addition, the finished humus will need to be dried (for large volumes of production, heated floors will be needed) and passed through a crusher.
To start a business, you can get by with 150 thousand rubles. However, the greater the volume of production, the greater the investment. In particular, some suppliers of raw materials provide the following technological and economic calculation for the production of vermicompost per 1000 sq. meters of heated area. In their opinion, the initial costs do not exceed 500 thousand rubles, and by the end of the first year of operation, the entrepreneur will receive finished products worth 3 million rubles (250 tons of humus produced at 12 rubles per kilogram). According to the results of the first year of operation, the profit will amount to 2.5 million rubles according to such calculations. In fact, investments at the initial stage will be an order of magnitude higher. It will be necessary to purchase land and premises (or at least rent them), conduct repair work and refurbishment production area, purchase and deliver 500 tons of manure, purchase worms, inventory, equipment for packing, separating, crushing humus. In addition, you will need at least one tractor with a blade and a trailer, several workers for the production of humus and maintenance of equipment ... Of course, all these expenses will clearly not fit into half a million. Moreover, according to a rough estimate, they will amount to at least 4.5-5 million rubles.
Also, do not trust the rumors about the 300% profitability of the biohumus production business. The real costs of maintaining such production activities is from 1.5 million rubles a year. The main items of expenditure are heating, raw materials, electricity, wage workers. The real profitability is not more than 100%. And then, this is true only with an increase in productivity up to 350-400 tons of vermicompost per year. However, with such volumes of production, another question arises - how to organize the sale of these products and, no less important, at what price. In the capital, for example, humus is sold in stores at a price of 25 rubles per kilogram, but for the regions often even 10 rubles per kilogram can be too high a price. There is another problem - the low awareness of farmers, summer residents, gardeners and gardeners about the benefits of biohumus. This type of organic fertilizer, despite its high efficiency and safety, has not yet been widely used in our country. Your potential buyers often don't even know what it is. In addition, the technologies for growing many common crops have not yet been adapted to the use of vermicompost. All this greatly complicates the organization of the sale of vermicompost in large volumes.
However, despite all the above difficulties, the vermicompost production business deserves attention. It is most advantageous to do it in conjunction with your existing business in the field of agriculture (for example, a farm for raising cattle, breeding rabbits, poultry, etc.).
In this article I will talk about how to make biohumus at home with or with the help of any technological (rain, manure) worm. This is not just food waste disposal, it is a source of free vermicompost (organic fertilizer). Also, this method will save you money on the purchase of organic fertilizers and give you a great harvest in the garden.
What is biohumus and how to use
or vermicompost - it is a highly effective organic fertilizer, a product of processing of organic matter by technologically worms and microorganisms. For the production of biohumus, special technological worms are used:. It differs from manure in that it does not contain pathogenic microflora, eggs and lechens of helminths and weed seeds, has no smell, is not toxic.
Biohumus properties:
- increases the amount of humus layer in the soil
- accelerates seed germination
- increases yield by 30-80%
- in vegetables and fruits, the amount of nitrates is reduced by 2 times
- in the crop there is an increase in vitamin C by 2 times, the content of sugars, carotene, starch also increases
- increases the shelf life of vegetables
- accelerates the breakdown of pesticides in soil and plants
- increases plant resistance to pests and diseases
- enriches the soil
- heals the soil
- pH 6.5-7.5
- Sodium 1.5%
- Potassium 1.2%
- Phosphorus 1.2%
Instructions for the use of biohumus
- The first time biohumus is applied when planting a plant at the rate of 30-80 kg per 1 weave. If this is a seedling, it is brought into a container with future seedlings. Under grain crops, potatoes are sufficient to evenly distribute biohumus over the soil surface.
- The second stage is root dressing, it is carried out before flowering, during the period when the green mass has already grown enough.
Liquid biohumus for vegetable crops is used once a week, spraying it on the plant.
Video Biohumus: benefits and applications
biohumus production
For the production of biohumus, special technological worms are used: worm Prospector, California worm, Dendroben worm.
Can be done outdoors or indoors. In this article, we will describe one of the ways to produce at home.
How is biohumus obtained
The waste product of worms is coprolite (like manure in horses). These coprolites are a wonderful product that is rich in useful microflora, enzymes, physiologically active compounds, a complex of minerals and vitamins. Together with coprolites, worms produce humus. This product is called biohumus, it looks like small granules.
For the production of biohumus, we use the worm Prospector, which was bred in 1982 by Professor Igonin A.M.
Description of the Prospector worm
The Prospector Worm is a technological earthworm
- temperature regime for work and reproduction +8 +28 degrees
- 1 worm produces 1500 offspring per year
- 1 worm per year produces 100 kg of biohumus
- easily switch from one type of food to another
- able to work and breed at high population density
Conditions for breeding worms Prospector
- For a comfortable existence, the worms need high humidity of the earth, therefore, if the earth in the container is dry, it must be moistened, for example, using a sprayer.
- Worms do not like light, so we cover the boxes with black agrofibre, which allows air to pass through.
- The optimum temperature for the life of the Staratel worm is +8 - +30 degrees.
- Reproduction. An adult lays eggs once every 5-7 days. The eggs take 14-21 days to mature, depending on the temperature the eggs are in. Therefore, it is possible to divide worms into families once a month.
- The container for keeping the worms must be breathable.
How to make biohumus at home
For biohumus production you will need:
- a box in which they will live and breed
- rotten food to feed worms
- water to moisten the substrate
Step 1. Suppose you have already acquired a family of worms. The first thing to do is move them to an air-permeable box. A sturdy wooden crate or plastic fruit crate is good for this purpose.
Step 2. The production of biohumus at home begins with the composting of household waste. When composting, it is important, especially if it happens in an apartment, that there is no unpleasant smell. Therefore, a container with a sealed lid is suitable for this, in this case we use a plastic bucket with a tight lid, in which we put all organic vegetable kitchen waste (does not use meat worms, it is advisable not to use citrus fruits, they increase the acidity of the substrate, also worms do not eat vegetable and animal fats).
Worms love rotten food, so we wait for the waste to rot. To speed up this process, waste must be crushed and special bacteria (microbiological preparations) should be used, which significantly accelerate decomposition, we this moment use "Shine". To prevent Drosophila from appearing, the waste is sprinkled with a small layer of earth.
Step 3. Feeding the worms. When the waste has rotted enough, we put it in a container with worms on the sides or in the middle. We carefully move the lateral earth with our hands so as not to damage the worms and lay out the waste, which we cover with earth from above. Thus, no unpleasant odors appear and there are no fruit flies.
We also add wheat bran to the surface and to food, which we slightly moisten with water, the worms love them very much.
Also, worms can be fed with paper, toilet paper and cardboard, but without chemical paints. To do this, we place pieces of paper on the surface of the earth in which worms live and, using a spray bottle, moisten the paper with water.
You need to feed the worms with a new portion of food when they eat the previous one. Food should be given in small portions.
Step 4. Biohumus extraction. The next, long-awaited stage is the extraction of biohumus. Biohumus accumulates only in the lower part of the tank, where the worms have a toilet. To remove the vermicompost from the container, you need to remove the top layer with worms and remove the vermicompost. We do this at the time of the division of worms into two families, once a month.
Biohumus looks like small elongated granules. After extraction, it is dried, scattering in a thin layer.
From the resulting vermicompost, you can independently prepare liquid vermicompost. For vegetables, biohumus is diluted with water 1:100. For indoor plants diluted 1:50.
Video Breeding worms
Modern people prefer to buy organic vegetables grown on the basis of biohumus. This is a very valuable technology that allows you to save human health. In addition, this is one of the most promising and profitable activities for start-up entrepreneurs. We will talk about how to open humus production at home in this article.
What is biohumus for?
Almost all fields in our country are polluted with pesticides and various mineral fertilizers. Farmers constantly complain that crop yields are declining every year and, consequently, profits are declining. Pests and all kinds of diseases destroy plants right on the vine.
Biohumus is an organic fertilizer that has unique properties. Of course, this is not a panacea that can solve all problems, but nevertheless, such a drug provides real help. Nowadays it is widely used in agriculture instead of chemical fertilizers to grow organic vegetables.
Business Features
It is most convenient for those people who breed cattle to engage in the production of biohumus at home. In this case, the entrepreneur does not have to purchase raw materials. For the production of this organic fertilizer, California red worms are most often used. They live 4 times longer than ordinary earthworms and reproduce much more actively. You can buy these amazing worms online. They are easily delivered to any region of our country. Before doing this, you need to make detailed business biohumus production plan. This will help you plan all the stages of the activity correctly and organize the work correctly.
Technological process
Now let's figure out how to start the production of biohumus. First of all, you need to prepare the substrate and purchase worms. This matter should be approached very responsibly. Usually worms are purchased in specialized vermifarms. The genetic population must contain at least 1500 individuals, among which will be both young worms and cocoons. Before buying vermicompost worms, prepare a place for them. To do this, you can use compost heaps or ordinary wooden boxes. Also, read about at home.
Scheme: Biohumus production
The traditional biohumus production technology consists of four stages:
- Preparation of nutrient substrate. Bird droppings and cattle manure are used as compost. To improve its quality, you can add vegetable leaves, food waste, as well as a mixture of peat and lime at the rate of 20 kg per 1 ton of substrate;
- Bookmark of worms. This stage requires careful preparation and attention. For 1 sq. meter of compost lay 750-1500 worms. They are evenly distributed over the entire surface along with the nutrient substrate. Since the worms do not like bright light, the pile must be covered with a dark material that does not allow air to pass through;
- Top dressing. Beds with worms should be periodically loosened and watered, because they are very sensitive to a decrease in moisture. Watering is carried out with settled water, the temperature of which is 20–24 degrees. The compost box is divided into three zones. The top layer is food for the worms. It should be supplemented periodically to provide them with nutrition;
- Sample of biohumus and worms. After the density of worms in the nutrient substrate begins to exceed the allowable limits, it becomes necessary to sample them. First, the worms are kept hungry for several days, after which a layer of food is applied on which they move. After 2-3 days, it is removed along with the worms. The procedure is repeated 3 more times within 3 weeks. The remaining biohumus is collected with a scoop, dried a little and packaged for storage.
FROM home production biohumus, you can get a stable high profit if you find sales channels for finished products in advance.
Equipment
To produce organic fertilizers in larger volumes, it is necessary to purchase special equipment for the production of biohumus. You will need composters and a mechanical sieve to sift the finished fertilizer. In addition, you need to buy scales and a special packing device.
It should be noted that the price of biohumus production equipment largely depends on the type of construction. Approximately you will have to spend from 50 to 125 thousand rubles. A sieve and scales will cost you 30-40 thousand rubles. You also need to purchase working equipment - shovels, carts, instruments for measuring acidity and soil temperature. You will spend another 30-40 thousand rubles for this.
Sales
Before you draw up a biohumus business plan, you need to find reliable distribution channels. The success of your business largely depends on this.
Pure biohumus is sold in bags of different sizes. In addition, you can also sell worms. They are bought by poultry farms, fishermen, pet stores, as well as manufacturers of organic fertilizers.
The main consumers of biohumus are the owners of personal plots, farms and flower nurseries. Large quantities of fertilizers are purchased by wholesalers for their further resale. Since the cost of biohumus is quite affordable, this product is in great demand. With its implementation usually there are no special problems.
Financial calculations
You will have to spend 150-500 thousand rubles for the purchase of equipment and worms. In addition, you need to take into account the constant payments - wages to workers, raw materials, utility bills.
Now let's talk about income. To calculate them, you need to find out how much biohumus costs. One kilogram of organic fertilizers is sold for 10-15 rubles. If you produce about 15 tons of biohumus per year, net income will be 150-200 thousand rubles. To increase profits, you can mix pure vermicompost with other substrates. Initial investment pay off in 1.5–2 years. The profitability of the enterprise in this case reaches 150-170%. In the future, income will only grow.
biohumus production
- Before you start the production of vermicompost as a business, you should familiarize yourself with all the nuances of this area of activity;
- First of all, it should be remembered that rats, moles and other rodents feed on earthworms. Therefore, containers with worms should be placed in a room with hard floors and impenetrable walls;
- In addition, you should consider how you will store and also transport semi-liquid fertilizers. As a rule, tractor trailers are used for this. In addition, you should take care of the packaging. Basically, such products are purchased in small batches, so appropriate packaging is required.
conclusions
Experts believe that the production of biohumus by worms is a fairly promising and profitable business line. Of course, in 2-3 years it will not make you a millionaire, but despite this, you can make a good profit from the sale of biohumus. To succeed in this area, you need to constantly look for new wholesale buyers. This will help you get a positive result.
