An integrated crop-vermiculture system for treating organic waste on fields

This paper introduces an integrated crop-vermiculture system for treating organic waste on farmland using earthworms (Eisenia fetida). Using alternating bands of crop ridges and worm-farming troughs, this system combines waste treatment and soil improvement. Three years of research was conducted on the processing of cattle dung, sewage sludge, and mushroom residue in this system using a summer corn/winter wheat crop rotation system in northern China. The results show that this system is an effective method for processing waste, as well as for breeding earthworms. Compared to conventional cultivation, the crop-vermiculture system used no tillage or chemical fertilizer input, and attained higher corn yield, improved soil porosity, and increased soil fertility. Although sewage sludge application had some cumulative effect on the heavy metal contents of soil, grain, and earthworms, short-term application was relatively safe.

► Introduces a crop-vermiculture model for treating organic waste on farmland.
► Combines organic waste treatment and soil improvement by earthworm.
► Waste in-situ treatment, in-situ recycling and in-situ utilization.