Organic farming largely excludes the use of synthetically compounded fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators and livestock feed additives, which are toxic and produce resistance or resurgence in pests. Instead, organic matter (plant and animal residues) is decomposed by various means to make it a compost. Among different kinds of composting processes, vermicompost is one of the efficient processes that employ various species of earth worms and is often used in farming and small scale sustainable, organic farming. The production of vermicompost involves breeding of earthworms with a prepared mixture of cattle dung, organic wastes etc.
Way back in early 1990s, a four-chamber pit was developed for the continuous production of vermicompost in a cyclic manner, wherein earthworms are utilized during the composting of organic wastes resulting in enriched compost. In this method, composting can be started in the first chamber of the pit and after few days, the second and later on third and fourth chambers. The advantage of this four chamber pit method is that the vermicompost can be produced continuously, not waiting for the manure to mature and start a new batch, which significantly benefits the entrepreneurs. Besides, this system facilitates the earth worms in the matured compost to move to the other chambers where food is available in plenty, through the holes provided and thus, increase their multiplication.
