September 16-22, 2000
?Merging the best from science and industry.?
Fourth Circular
The twenty years since the pivotal conference, ?The Role of Earthworms
in the Stabilization of Organic Residues,? held in Kalamazoo, Michigan
USA in 1980, have seen important developments in vermicomposting and
vermiculture. Vermiculture and vermicomposting involve breeding
earthworms to provide populations and biomass, and using them for
converting organic waste into plant growth media.
Significant developments in vermiculture and vermicomposting since
then
have included:
Engineered large-scale vermicomposting systems
Enhanced production of plants using vermicompost
Systems for turning wastes into nutrient-rich media to enhance
agricultural production and reduce fertilizer input and costs
Field applications of vermicompost to increase crop production
Evidence of pathogen reduction in biosolids with vermicomposting
Production of pharmaceuticals utilizing earthworm biomass
Understanding microbiological relationships in earthworm system