(In partnership with HIVOS)
Zim Earthworm Farms (Pvt) Ltd.
5 Belsize Close, Northwood, Mt. Pleasant, Harare
P.O. Box A740 Avondale, Harare Tel.: +263 772 764 132
Website: www.zimearthworm.com
Can Earthworm Technology be a Backbone
of a green Revolution in Zimbabwe?
Yes it can!!
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.
Introduction
 First green revolution in the world was based on high yielding varieties
and the application of chemical fertilizer.
 Food production increased many fold but the world continues to host
many hungry families.
 Access to high yielding varieties and chemical fertilizers for many
families in sub Saharan Africa remains an elusive virtue.
 Agricultural ecological imbalances due to loss of organic matter.What
goes to urban areas has become waste after use
 Soils have become less productive due to use of chemical fertilisers.
Introduction (cont.2)
The global scientific community is today searching for a technology
which should be:
 economically viable.
 sustainable" (friendly to the environment).
 socially acceptable (beneficial to the society).
Introduction (cont.1)
 Vermicomposting: The earthworm technology can facilitate the
reclamation of organic matter and nutrients from all sources of
organic waste.
 Vermiculture produces vermicast (vermicompost), earthworm
faeces, and worm tea. All these are rich in nutrients, plant
regulators such gibberellic acids, auxins and cytokinins.
 Recent work done by EMA through the University of Zimbabwe
established that Zimbabwe produces annually an average of
about one million tons of biodegradable organic waste.
 Research work done in India which compared the biofertilizer/
vermicompost with cattle dung and chemical fertilizers showed
the superiority of this biofertilizer from earthworms.
Response of Wheat to Vermicompost
Input / Hectare
Yield / Hectare
1) CONTROL
(No Input)
15.2 Q / ha
2) Vermicompost (VC)
25 Quintal VC / ha
40.1 Q / ha
.
3) Cattle Dung Compost (CDC) 100 Quintal CDC / ha
33.2 Q / ha
4) Chemical Fertilizers (CF)
NPK (120:60:40) kg / ha
34.2 Q / ha
5) CF + VC
NPK (120:60:40) kg / ha + 25 Q VC / ha
43.8 Q / ha
6) CF + CDC
NPK (120:60:40) kg / ha + 100 Q CDC / ha
41.3 Q / ha
From the results, it was noted that:
• Vermicompost yielded better than chemical
fertilizer alone.
• Cattle dung yielded less than vermicompost /
chemical fertilizer.
• Chemical fertilizer plus vermicompost yielded
better than vermicompost or chemical fertilizer
alone.
Recent demonstrations of the effect of vermicompost/
Nutrich Vermi BioFertilizer on maize and horticulture
Crops
.
Demonstration in Chimanimani
.
Demonstration near Chitungwiza
.
Demonstration in Mt Pleasant
.
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Demonstration in Mt Pleasant
.
Demontstration on Peas in Hwedza
.
Lettuce plant almost mature at Honeydew Farm
.
Lettuce crop planted with Nutrich vermi biofertilizer (right) and Refined
compost (left)
.
Spinach crop planted with Nutrich vermi bio fertilizer.
.
Cauliflower crop planted with Nutrich vermi biofertilizer and Refined Compost
How can the green revolution be ignited?
 Most smallholders have no disposable income to buy inputs.
 A new income stream from breeding of earthworms can be
promoted for households.
 Every farm family has waste from animals, food waste, field
waste etc which if composted and inoculated with earthworms
can be converted to this rich biofertilizer vermicompost.
Earthworms and Vermibiofertilizer
Earthworm
Population (kg)
0%
Loss Allowance
(kg)
Less: Purge for
Sale
Expected
Earthworm
Population (kg)
Expected Vermi
Biofert Production
(kg)
Mnth
1
Mnth
2
Mnth
3
Mnth
4
Mnth
5
Mnth
6
Mnth
7
Mnth
8
Mnth
9
Mnth
10
3
3
6
6
12
12
24
24
48
48
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
TOTAL
.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3
3
6
6
12
12
24
24
48
48
100
100
200
200
400
400
800
800
1600
1600 6200
Some Benefits from earthworms
 Dried earthworms are rich in protein, about 72% balanced
protein , rich in lysine.
 This can be processed into a rich animal feed and reduce
imports of protein for the animal feed industry.
 If 100 000 rural households are breeding earthworms and
selling 10kg fresh worms per month, about 1000tons of
earthworms would be available for animal feed, export of
earthworm/ cocoons and sale to other uses such as
vermifiltration projects.
Zim Earthworm Farms Products
.
.
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Yes it can!!
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