Effects of Vermicompost on Plant Growth and Soil Structure

Abstract

Vermicompost is the name given to organic material in which virtually any organic waste is converted into a useful fertilizer and effective soil conditioner. Chemical substances that have been used intensively for many years have adversely affected soil fertility and microbial activity. Vermicompost products confer plant nutrient elements, various hormones, enzymes, humic substances and especially organic matter to the soil. Thus it improves the soil structure while preparing a suitable environment for plant growth as well. It is a material with high water holding capacity and cation exchange capacity. It also has a positive effect on the ventilation of the soil. It also helps plants to more effi-ciently utilize plant nutrients in the soil. The average organic matter content of our country's soils is quite low (2% or less). For all these reasons the use of vermicompost should be encouraged. The aim of this study is to give infor-mation about the properties of vermicomposts, and its effects on plant growth and soil structure and to provide a current literature source.

Full text

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Selcuk J Agr Food Sci, (2018) 32 (3), 607-615
e-ISSN: 2458-8377 DOI:
Selcuk Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences
Selçuk Tarım ve Gıda Bilimleri Dergisi
Effects of Vermicompost on Plant Growth and Soil Structure
Mustafa CERİTOĞLU 1,*, Sezer ŞAHİN 2, Murat ERMAN 3
1Siirt University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Field Crops, Siirt, Turkey
2Gaziosmanpaşa University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Tokat, Turkey
3Siirt University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Field Crops, Siirt, Turkey
ARTICLE INFO
ABSRACT
Article history:
Received date: 04.07.2018
Accepted date: 16.08.2018
Vermicompost is the name given to organic material in which virtually any
organic waste is converted into a useful fertilizer and effective soil conditioner.
Chemical substances that have been used intensively for many years have
adversely affected soil fertility and microbial activity. Vermicompost products
confer plant nutrient elements, various hormones, enzymes, humic substances
and especially organic matter to the soil. Thus it improves the soil structure
while preparing a suitable environment for plant growth as well. It is a material
with high water holding capacity and cation exchange capacity. It also has a
positive effect on the ventilation of the soil. It also helps plants to more effi-
ciently utilize plant nutrients in the soil. The average organic matter content of
our country's soils is quite low (2% or less). For all these reasons the use of
vermicompost should be encouraged. The aim of this study is to give infor-
mation about the properties of vermicomposts, and its effects on plant growth
and soil structure and to provide a current literature source.
Keywords:
Vermicompost,
Earthworm manure
Organic matter
Organic manure
Plant growth
1. Introduction
In the last quarter-century, diversity and the ma-
terials utilized in agricultural production have
spread into a wide ground. In addition to the yield,
product quality has also become the target, in line
with the needs of the market, the consumers and the
industrialists, in the last quarter-century. Quality in
plant production may be identified as the plant's
desired properties' being at or close to the optimum
level. In order to achieve these targeted characteris-
tics, elements such as temperature, duration of the
luminous exposure, humidity, nutritional require-
ments and climate should be met at the most appro-
priate level for each plant. If any of these factors
cannot be met, plant development is negatively
affected, and therefore product yield and quality are
reduced. When environmental factors are appropri-
ate, the plant must be fed correctly in order to
achieve optimum quality in agricultural production.
With the use of inorganic fertilizers from the
1950s to the present day, the nutrients that plants
need are quickly met (Schuman and Simpton, 1997).
The use of highly fertile chemical fertilizers and
medicines has brought along new discoveries with
the understanding of the harm caused by long-term
soil and human health (Bailer-Anderson and Ander-
son, 2000, Anonymous, 1997, Anonymous, 2001).
Even though the developments brought the orga-
nic agriculture to the agenda again, the increasing
world population and the foresight that the nutritional
needs will not be met, have allowed the generation of
different perspectives. Livestock manure, used for
agriculture for hundreds of years is insufficient in
terms of the desired characteristics. As a result of
these searches, a fertilizer with rich chemical content
as vermicompost (worm fertilizer), which is a soil
regulating material, have been discovered. Vermi-
compost is stated to be superior to other organic ferti-
lizers (livestock manure, poultry manure, etc.) in
many respects (Kiyasudeen et al., 2015). As the in-
vestigations deepened, vermicompost was found to
contain many useful elements in addition to the plant
nutrients such as vitamins, hormones, humic substan-
ces and antioxidants (Aracon et al., 2004).
Even though the developments brought the organ-
ic agriculture to the agenda again, the increasing
world population and the foresight that the nutritional
needs will not be met, have allowed the generation of
different perspectives. Livestock manure, used for
agriculture for hundreds of years is insufficient in
terms of the desired characteristics.
* Corresponding author email: ceritoglu@siirt.edu.tr

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As a result of these searches, a fertilizer with rich
chemical content as vermicompost (worm fertilizer),
which is a soil regulating material, have been dis-
covered. Vermicompost is stated to be superior to
other organic fertilizers (livestock manure, poultry
manure, etc.) in many respects (Kiyasudeen et al.,
2015). As the investigations deepened, vermicom-
post was found to contain many useful elements in
addition to the plant nutrients such as vitamins, hor-
mones, humic substances and antioxidants (Aracon
et al., 2004).
Vermicompost has positive effects on plant
growth and soil structure. One of the attractive ele-
ments of vermicompost production is its positive
effect on the environment. This is because the mate-
rials used as worm feed have a wide range of organ-
isms that can rot in nature. Any material such as
plant, animal, industrial and urban wastes can be
transformed into beneficial fertilizers through the
digestive system of worms (Edwards, 1995).
There are some special types of worms that are
preferred in the production of vermicompost. In
particular, Eisenia fetida and Lumbricus spp. species
are the most preferred species (Simsek and Erşahin,
2007). In preferring these species, the predominant
features are the facts such as high reproductive po-
tential, rapid nutrient intake, broad adaptability abil-
ity, ability to produce vermicompost with higher
organic matter content (Edwards and Bohlen,
1996). The material prepared as food for worms is
first subjected to composting. The composted organ-
ic material is passed through the digestive tract of
the worms and again mesophilic decomposition
occurs. Thus, the organic material, which is subject-
ed to further fragmentation, contains plant nutri-
ents in its form in a shape that can be directly
utilized by plants (Buchanan et al., 1988).
The purpose of this study is to create an
understanding of the effects of vermicompost on
plant development and soil structure in a comprehen-
sive way. In a study conducted with a large literature
review, we tried to provide a broad knowledge of the
features and effects of vermicompost. This study also
carries the character of being a current literature
source.
2. The Characteristics of Vermicompost
Composting is done by earthworms in
vermicomposting. There are some special species
preferred for commercial production. The most
important species are Eisenia fetida, Eisenia andrei,
Dendrobaena veneta, Lumbricus rubellus, Perionyx
excavatus and Eudrilus eugeniae.
Eisensia fetida is the most preferred worm spe-
cies. One of the most important reasons for this is
the higher reproductive potential. Worms in this
species consume food faster than other worm spe-
cies. This allows faster fertilizer production. Adapta-
tion ability is much higher than other species. Ver-
micompost products obtained with this worm spe-
cies have higher organic matter content.
(Domínguez, ve Edwards, 2011).
The temperature range of the production
environment is important for the vital activities of
worms. The main reason for this is that they have
open circulation. For this reason, body temperatures
vary with ambient temperature. At around 7-8 oC,
although they can survive, their ability to operate is
very limited, and below 0 oC deaths can be seen.
While varying between species, the optimum ambi-
ent temperature should be between 15-25 oC so that
vital activities can be at the upper level (Rostami et
al., 2009a).
2.1. Physical Characteristics of Vermicompost
Some special worm species are fed with animal
and vegetable wastes, and the process of converting
this organic material into a valuable fertilizer
through their body is called "vermicomposting". The
last product formed is given the name of ''bio-
humus'' or "vermicompost" (Karaçal and
Tüfenkçi, 2010). Vermicompost has a granular
structure. However, it is dark, odourless and homo-
geneous (Doube and Brown, 1998). This material,
both easier to dissolve and slow to release, is a nutri-
ent source that plants can use for a long time (Bu-
chanan et al., 1988).
Another feature that makes vermicompost
important is its mass density. As the mass density
effects plant growth positively, it also has positive
effects on porosity, aeration and moisture content in
the soil. The low or high mass concentration causes
adverse effects on these contents. Aerobite microor-
ganisms are damaged if there is insufficient air in the
soil. At the same time, the roots have difficulty in
meeting their energy needs due to oxygen deficien-
cy. This leads to adverse effects on plant develop-
ment. (Kiyasudeen et al., 2015).
In a quality vermicompost product, the porosity
should account for 70-80% of the total volume and
the rate of aeration in the pores should be between
20-30% and 55-75%. These criteria have been deter-
mined considering optimum plant development (Ati-
yeh et al., 2001). At the end of vermicompost produc-
tion, the moisture content is around 50-90%, with
changes (Dominguez and Edwards, 2011).
2.2. Chemical Characteristics of Vermicompost
Vermicompost has more positive effects than
compost materials produced by thermophilic methods
and using synthetic fertilizers (Kiyasudeen et al.,
2015). Furthermore, vermicompost, which is a result
of further fragmentation, has plant nutrients in the
form that plants can directly benefit (Buchanan et al.,
1988).

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The most important factor affecting the content of
vermicompost products is the nature and structure of
the substrate material used. In terms of chemical
composition, the product quality of the vermicompost
is determined by such factors as the quality of the
product, the mineralization of the organic matter, the
increase of microbial viability, the breakdown of
carbohydrates and the high humic acid fractions (Elv-
ira et al., 1995). Vermicompost products contain
numerous nutrients (N, P, K, Mg, Ca, etc.), vitamins,
growth hormones, humic substances, enzymes and
antioxidants in their constituents as they are obtained
by the breakdown of the organic wastes of plants and
animals (Aracon et al., 2004).
The chemical composition of vermicompost
products can vary greatly. The causes of this situa-
tion include the type of subtrate material used (waste
from different animals, urban wastes, vegetable
wastes, etc.), disintegration due to ambient tempera-
ture, moisture status during production and type of
worm used in production.
For example, the pH value of sheep manure is
8.6 and the mean value of livestock manure is 6.0-
6.7. In sewage, which is another waste material used
for vermicompost production, the pH value is about
7.2. The animal waste that is commonly used in the
production of vermicompost is livestock manure.
Studies have shown that the pH value changes be-
tween 5.8-8.65 with the analysis of samples from
different vermicompost materials (Barlas et al.,
2018; Jouquet et al., 2011; Mehrizi et al., 2015;
Jabeen ve Ahmad, 2016; Göçmez, 2013).
The problem of salinity, which causes significant
loss of plant growth, it is not usually encountered in
vermicompost products. The main reason for this is
that after it passes through the digestive system of
the worms, due to certain biological and chemical
effects, are at a level where the salt is not a problem
in the product even if the salt content of the used
substrate material is high (Edwards and Aracon,
2004; Lim et al., 2015). It was observed that the EC
values of vermicompost materials are in the range of
0.89-3.44 dS/m, while the EC values caused salinity
stress on plants begin with 4 dS/m (Banik et al.,
2007; Namlı et al., 2014; Mehrizi et al., 2015; Barlas
et al., 2018).
In Vermicompost materials, generally, the total C
and N concentrations are higher than other compost
products. The C: N ratio of the organic material used
in the production of vermicompost should be around
20-22. If this ratio is higher than these values, the
stability of the organic material used is low due to
the organic carbon, and this data shows that this
material is not a very suitable choice.
Macro and micro nutrient concentrations in the
vermicompost material also show significant differ-
ences. When the average values are examined; total
nitrogen (N-NH4+, N-NO3-) 0.71-3.39%, soluble
phosphorus (P2O5) 0.33-2.6%, soluble potassium
(K2O) 1.14-3.65%, Ca2+ 3.51-22.8 ppm, Mg2+ 0.61-
6.64 ppm, Fe2+ 7.9-11.5 ppm, Cu2+ 0.89-98.3 ppm,
and Mn2+ 275-304.3 ranges were found (Banik et al.,
2007; Zhu et al., 2017; Singh ve Singh, 2017; Namlı
et al., 2014; Mehrizi et al., 2015; Barlas et al., 2018).
It is possible to observe different values in the
same substrate matelyal products in the same pro-
duction area as it affects compost values which are
derived from animal, plant and city wastes. Differ-
ences can be observed even in samples taken from
different layers of the production pool. This is
thought to be due to differences in temperature,
humidity, microbial density and the composition of
the substrate material in that area. It is seen that the
substrate material used in vermicompost production
affects pH, EC, organic carbon values and also
changes the hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin rati-
os. Moreover, according to the results of the ver-
micomposting process, it is stated that while the
carbohydrate concentration of the organic material
decreases, the total soluble carbon and humic matter
ratios increase (Nada et al., 2012).
2.3. Biological Characteristics of Vermicompost
Composting and vermicomposting techniques are
the two best-known processes for providing the
biological balance of organic wastes. In the com-
posting process, the microorganisms break down the
organic matter under controlled conditions, while the
joint activities of soil worms and microorganisms in
the vermicompost provide biooxidation of the result-
ing organic matter. Another point that makes ver-
micompost special is the degradation is mesophilic.
This is the main reason why vermicompost products
increase microbial activity and diversity (Fracchia et
al., 2006). The effects of Vermicompost products on
soil structure and microbial activity are determined
by molecular techniques and specific enzyme activi-
ties (Garcia et al., 1993, Benitez et al., 1999, Benitez
et al., 2005; Fracchia et al., 2006). Vermicompost
products are superior to other organic fertilizers in
terms of microbial activities of bacteria, actinomy-
cetes and fungi (Huang et al., 2013, Emperor and
Kumar, 2015). Initially, the organic matter with a
low population of bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes
is enriched in microbial activity activities after ap-
plication of vermicomposting (Esakkiammal et al.,
2015). A material with a low C:N ratio makes it an
ideal environment for increasing the microbial popu-
lation. Because the basic nutrient source that micro-
organisms need for their reproduction is nitrogen
(Ndegwa and Thompson, 2000; Kumar and Shweta,
2011).
The compounds contain carbon are vital for mic-
robial communities. While many bacterial populati-
ons are fed with easily available C compounds, the
fungi prefer the more complex C compounds.
However, fungi prefer more complex carbon com-

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pounds (Meidute et al., 2008). Vermicompost pro-
ducts also contribute to C mineralization. The in-
tegrated use of various organic fertilizers
contributes 16-20% more to the increase of micro-
bial activity because of the diverse requirements of
different communities (González et al., 2010).
Although the short-term effects of the Ver-
micompost have been observed, they are not always
detectable. However, long-term and regular applica-
tions increase microbial biomass and diversity in the
soil (Dinesh et al., 2010).
It is known that the vermicompost product has a
higher dehydrogenase enzyme and some other en-
zymes than the substrate and other compost products
used as the starting material. However, the factor
that increases the dehydrogenase enzyme activity is
not the vermicompost dose applied but the NH4-N,
NO3-N, and orthophosphate compounds that the
vermicompost product has (Parthasarathi et al.,
2016; Aracon et al., 2006).
The use of dense inorganic fertilizers to increase
yield reduces soil fertility and reduces sustainable
agricultural potential. In case of using Vermicom-
post with inorganic fertilizers, soil productivity can
be increased thanks to organic carbon, active hor-
mones and some enzymes provided to the soil. In
addition, it also has a positive effect on the uptake of
inorganic fertilizers by plants (Anwar et al., 2007).
This issue has been discussed in more detail in the
section on the effects of compost on soil structure
and plant growth.
The starting material also affects biological
properties. The use of livestock manure as a sub-
strate in the production of vermicompost allows a
product with higher microbial population compared
to municipal waste (Pramanik et al., 2007).
3. The Effects of Vermicompost
3.1. Effects of Vermicompost on plant growth
The fact that vermicompost is an effective
plant nutrition product was first noticed at the
beginning of 1970's (Fosgate and Babb, 1972).
The positive effects of vermicompost products are
seen on a large plant population. It is stated that
the vermicompost encourages the development of
the plant in vegetable plants such as tomatoes
(Atiyeh et al., 1999, 2000a, 2000b, 2001,
Gutierrez-Miceli et al., 2007), pepper (Aracon et
al., 2004a, Aracon et al., 2005), garlic (Argüello
et al., 2006 ), eggplant (Gajalakshmi and Abbasi,
2004), strawberry (Aracon et al., 2004b), sweet
corn (Lazcano et al., 2011) and green beans
(Karmegam et al., 1999). Vermicompost products
have also been shown to be effective in the pro-
duction and yield of certain medical aromatic
plants (Anwar et al., 2005), cereals such as sor-
ghum and rice (Bhattacharjee, 2001, Reddy and
Ohkura, 2004, Sunil et al., 2005), fruits such as
bananas and melons (Cabanas-Echevarria et al.,
2005, Acevedo and Pire, 2004), and ornamental
plants such as geranium (Chand et al., 2007),
marigold (Atiyeh et al., 2002) and petunia (Ara-
con et al., 2008). Forest species such as acacia,
eucalyptus and pine trees (Lazcano et al., 2010a,
2010b) also have positive effects with vermicom-
post application. In the Indian oranges, 10 kg of
vermicompost per tree provides about 40-61%
increase in total crop yield and positive effects on
crop quantity, fruit weight and product quality
(Makode et al., 2015). Vermicompost applications
(5 and 10 tons/ha) are also reported to increase the
growth and yield of the strawberry plant (Arancon
et al., 2004). In addition, vermicompost results in
an increase in the rate of 37% for the leaf area of
the plant, 37% for the root biomass of the plant,
40% for the flowering rate and 35% for the mar-
ketable fruit (Arancon et al., 2004).
Vermicompost application is reported to increase
the total dry matter ratio in the rate of 24% for toma-
to plants (Azarmi et al., 2008), 65.26% for chick-
pea plants (Shrimal and Khan, 2017) and 12.5% for
in onion nuts (Kenea and Gedama, 2018). Again,
this substance is indicated to be affecting the nitro-
gen uptake (Tomati et al., 1990) and leaf area en-
hancement (Jeyabal and Kuppuswamy, 2001). The
main reason why vermicompost products affect the
intake of plant nutrients is the rich humic substances
that they have in their structure. Humic substances
exhibit a buffering property over a wide pH range.
These materials form bonds with cations quickly,
thanks to the negative charges of the humic acids
present in their structures. Thus, they are easily
caught by plant roots (Yılmaz, 2007). Thanks to
these properties, they have an important influence on
the retention of nutrients and the removal of these
elements from plant roots.
Depending on the application of increasing ver-
micompost (0, 500, 1000 kg/da) and phosphorus (0,
50, 75 and 100 ppm) (TSP) in the corn plant, the
chlorophyll content of the plant appears to increase
vegetative growth and product yield (Amyanpoori et
al. , 2015). In addition, it is indicated that the plant
could not use the phosphorus in the same amount
when it was applied without vermicompost when
compared to the phosphorus applied with ver-
micompost (Amyanpoori et al., 2015). Zinc-enriched
vermicompost has been reported to have increased
the yield in a ratio of 100-113% in plants treated
with vermicompost compared to the untreated plants
in studies on the effect of vermicompost on the ge-
ranium plants' grass and oil yield (Chand et al.,
2007).
As a result of the decomposition of the organic
substrate in the vermicompost production process,
various organic acids such as malonic, fumaric,

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succinic acids and soluble humic molecules (Atiyeh
et al., 2001) are released. The released organic acids
help to dissolve the nutrients of the useless plant
nutrients and convert them into a viable form. Inor-
ganic phosphorus (triple superphosphate) applied at
different doses indicates that co-administration with
vermicompost enhances the growth, yield and intake
of some basic plant nutrients (NPK) and increases
the plant height by about 50% (Muhammad et al.,
2016). Application of inorganic nitrogen, phospho-
rus and potassium fertilizers with vermicompost has
a positive effect on yield and quality criteria in sweet
pepper plant grown in regions with high altitude and
also reduces the maturing period. (Bahuguna et al.,
2016). Phosphorus-enriched vermicompost is report-
ed to have beneficial effects on yield of groundnut
plant (Das et al., 2015).
Plants also have basic amino acids like humans
and animals. Apart from certain amino acids that
they have in their structures, there are also amino
acids that they cannot produce and that they have to
get from outside in the ready form. When amino
acids are given together with vermicompost, it is
indicated that it increases the growth rate, the
amount of basic oil production, and the quality of
the oil produced in daisy flower (Hadi et al., 2011).
In the sunflower plant grown under the salinity
stress of the vermicompost and organic biogas slur-
ry, the application has shown positive results on
nitrogen metabolism and plant growth (Jabeen and
Ahmad, 2016). It is also stated that the activity of N
assimilation enzymes is also increased and that the
addition of organic biogas slurry of vermicompost
contributes to decrease salinity stress in plants (Ja-
been and Ahmad, 2016).
3.2. Effects of Vermicompost on Soil Fertility
Vermicompost applications enrich the soil with
micro and macro nutrients, vitamins, enzymes and
hormones and contribute to plant development by
regulating the physico-chemical properties (Maku-
lec, 2002) (Sinha et al., 2009, Hazra, 2016). Ver-
micompost products contain essential nutrients in
the form that plants can take directly (Pathma and
Sakthivel, 2012, Lim et al., 2012). The main reason
for this is that after thermolithic composting, the
vermicompost passes through the mesolithic com-
posting process which leads to further dissolution.
Vermicompost (Erdal et al., 2000, Sönmez et al.,
2013), which turns into a certain material, which is
rich in humic acids, contributes to the increase of
plant biomass and the root development (Delibacak
and Ongun, 2016).
The plant nutrients found in the soil can be held
in the soil by various factors, or they can form com-
pounds with opposite ions. Vermicompost is ex-
pressed not only in plant growth but also in regulat-
ing soil pH and increasing electrical conductivity
without causing salinity problems (Argüello et
al., 2006). Vermicompost application improves the
water-air balance in the soil and increases the macro-
porous rate from 50 micron meters to 500 mi-
cron meters (Marinari et al., 2000). The surface area
of the vermicompost increases the micro-porous
area, allowing more nutrients to be retained (Shi-wei
and Fu-zhen, 1991, Ali et al., 2015). It has been
reported that more inorganic N, P, K fertilizers
aplied to the soil together with vermicompost are
received by the plants (Thirinavukkarasu and Vi-
noth, 2013). It has also been reported that ver-
micompost application has a more positive effect on
plant growth and soil structure compared to fertiliz-
ers of thermolithic compost and inorganic N, P, K
(Jouquet et al., 2011) in degraded tropical soils due
to various reasons.
Vermicompost products have antibiotic proper-
ties due to the biochemical hormones they contain
(Edwards and Bohlen, 1996). It has been reported
that vermicompost applied with soil humic sub-
stances increases the concentration of plant growth
hormones (Edwards and Aracon, 2004) and positive-
ly affected soil structure (Singh et al., 2008).
Today, heavy metals, which are commonly ac-
cumulated in soil and groundwater resources, are an
important environmental problem posing a threat to
the life of all living beings on earth (Okcu et al.,
2009). Vermicompost has been reported to reduce
the concentration of heavy metals in the applied soil
(Dominguez, 2004). Studies on the handling of lead
(Pb2 +) and cadmium (Cd2 +) heavy metals with
livestock manure and vermicompost produced from
them indicate that the livestock manure retention
rate of these metals ranged from 39.57% to 99.22%,
while that of with vermicompost was in the range of
69.43% to 99.88% et al., 2017). It is also stated that
soil worms can accumulate metal in their bodies, and
the effect of heavy metals in the soil can be reduced
by earthworms (Taciroğlu et al., 2016).
One of the important factors affecting fertility in
the soil is the presence of organic matter in the soil
and microbial activities. Vermicompost products,
with high organic matter content, enrich soil struc-
ture. It contains highly organic carbon and useful
plant nutrients (Edwards and Bohlen, 1996, Par-
thasarathi et al., 2007). Vermicompost applications
have been reported to increase microbial biomass
concentration and phosphatase enzyme activity in
soil (Şahin et al., 2016).
Vermicomposting is the most efficient way to
protect natural resources, both environmentally and
economically. It is estimated that the annual amount
of organic waste in the world is about 1.3 billion
tons, which is expected to reach 2.2 billion tons per
year by 2025 (Singh and Singh, 2017). In a study
conducted in Uganda and Kampala, composts pre-
pared from livestock manure and nutrient waste

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were used for vermicompost production and it was
stated that vermicomposting is an effective way of
getting rid of organic wastes (Lalander et al., 2015).
4. Results
Vermicompost is a form of production where
vegetable and animal products are transformed into a
useful material. In agricultural areas, vermicompost
application improves the physical, chemical and
biological properties of the soil, as well as organic
matter in the soil. Rich in nutrients, hormones, vita-
mins, enzymes and humic substances, this substance
has a potential that can help improve the degradation
of agricultural soils. Vermicompost, when used in
production areas, provides many benefits directly
and
indirectly to plant growth and product quality.
The carried out studies confirms this. Increasing the
production and use of vermicompost should be en-
couraged. Thus, an important step will be taken to
increase the rate of organic matter and productivity
in agricultural soils.
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