Muzamil, Dr. M.Kumar, Amit2022-07-182022-07-182020https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810185521M.Sc Theses submitted to SKUAST KashmirThe study intended to understand the anomalies associated with conventional pit method and develop a mechanical interface as a corrective measure for the preparation of vermicompost. Two substrates (terrestrial and aquatic weed) were degraded in presence of earth worm Eisenia fetida in portable vermin-bed with a turning frequency of 10 days and 20 days. The experimentation revealed that the vermicompost prepared in conventional pit method from Dal weed possess better attributes in terms of electrical conductivity (0.83 dS m-1), available nitrogen (0.96 %), available phosphorus (0.06 %), available potassium (1.75 %), organic carbon (27.58 %) and C:N ratio (18.16) than vermicompost prepared from terrestrial weed electrical conductivity (0.711 dS m-1), available nitrogen (0.84%), available phosphorus (0.05%), available potassium (1.61%), organic carbon (31.44 %) and C:N ratio (21.45) at 10 days turning interval and 60 days degradation period. The results of the first experiment were utilized to evaluate the developed prototype of vermicomposting unit comprised of feeding hopper, shredding section, spiral mixing unit, degradation chamber and harvesting unit. The substrate (Dal weed) was allowed to degrade with the similar conditions as that in conventional pit method to imitate the conditions for comparative analysis. The material was turned at a turning frequency of 10 days and 20 days. The performance parameters of the vermicompost prepared in vermicomposting unit at 10 days turning interval were found to be better with pH (7.05), electrical conductivity (0.837 dS m-1), available nitrogen (1.15%), available phosphorus (0.06%), available potassium (1.91%), organic carbon (26.26%) and C: N ratio (16.31) after 60 days degradation period. The turning frequency of 10 days resulted in an increase in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium by 4.21 %, 6.62 %, 5.16 % in comparison to 20 days turning interval after 60 days degradation period. The comparative analysis revealed that available nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium in vermicompost prepared from vermicomposting unit were higher by 19.11 %, 6.45 % and 8.95 % in comparison to conventional pit method. The unit cost of production of vermicompost in vermicomposting unit was found to be Rs. 13 per Kilogram. The benefit – cost ratio of the vermicomposting unit was 0.47 in first year and 1.78 in second year with a pay-back period of 19 months. Moreover the involvement of mechanical interface in vermicomposting process helped in reducing the dependence on scarce land and addressing the issue of peak labour shortage.EnglishEvaluation of Small Scale,VermicompostingUnit for Rapid DegradationOrganic WasteAgricultural EngineeringThesis