Vermiculture Biotechnology: The Emerging Cost-Effective and Sustainable Technology of the 21st Century for Waste and Land Management to Safe and Sustainable Food Production

摘要

A revolution is unfolding in vermiculture studies (rearing of useful earthworms species) for multiple uses in environmental management and sustainable development. (Martin, 1976; Satchell, 1983; Bhawalkar and Bhawalkar, 1994; Sinha et.al 2002; Fraser-Quick, 2002). Vermiculture biotechnology promises to provide cheaper solutions to following environmental and social problems plaguing the civilization - Management of municipal and industrial solid wastes (organics) by biodegradation and stabilization and converting them into useful resource (vermicompost) - 'THE VERMI-COMPOSTING TECHNOLOGY' (VCT); Treatment of municipal and some industrial (food processing industries) wastewater, purification and disinfection - 'THE VERMI-FILTRATION TECHNOLOGY' (VFT);Removing chemical contaminations from soils (land decontamination) and reducing soil salinity while improving soil properties- 'THE VERMI-REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGY' (VRT); Restoring and improving soil fertility and boosting crop productivity by worm activity and use of vermicompost (miracle growth promoter) while eliminating the use of destructive agro-chemicals - 'THE VERMI-AGRO-PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY' (VAPT).