Demonstrate and Apply Knowledge of Vermiculture



The following resources and activities will be useful for people who have an interest in worm farming.

This unit is used in the following course

 * The National Certificate In Horticulture(Level 4) will provide you with an excellent grounding in the principles of horticulture,with the flexibility to focus on the sectors of interest to you.Options include Landscape Construction,Landscape Design,Plant Knowledge,Plant Production and Maintenance,and Sustainable Horticulture.

=Aim=


 * This course provides an introduction to vermiculture.People credited with this unit standard are able to: demonstrate knowledge of vermiculture; apply the principles of vermiculture and describe the use of products of vermiculture.

=Course Schedule 2011=

Introduction to vermiculture
Session 1

To do

 * 1) Introductions and welcome.
 * 2) We will also start to look at how to make worm compost using worms as digesters.
 * 3) Discussion topics and questions will help us understand the concepts being introduced each week.(If you are enjoying a face to face class with a learning facilitator and other students then hard copies of related articles will be provided;if not try some of the resources suggested below.)

Questions related to vermiculture-Assessment 1 of 6

 * Listen to the recorded Horttalk given by Cherryle Prew from the The Soil Food Web Inc. NZ in 2010 and choose the best answer for the following questions:
 * 1) How many worms could you find in a spade by spade by spade measurement of healthy pastoral soil?                                                                           a)1-2   b)10-20  c)50-60
 * 2) What do worms eat? a)bacteria, algae and fungi b)picnic tables c)moon dust
 * 3) How much nitrogen is in humus in comparison to its surrounding soil? a)	5 times b)	50 times c)	500 times
 * 4) What is the pH of the slime/glue on the bacteria on the root systems of plants which help form stable aggregates in the soil? a) 2 b)9  c)7
 * 5) Depending on the species, a nematode may be beneficial or detrimental to plant health. a)true b)false
 * 6) Good soil structure improves drainage if there is healthy biology around plant root zones. a)true b)false
 * 7) Good pasture has a fungi to bacteria ratio of 1:1? a)true b)false
 * 8) Woody material feeds fungi? a)true b)false
 * 9) What is the bitter taste in hydroponic lettuce? a)nitrates b)lemon juice c)water
 * 10) How do you improve the fungi to bacteria ratio in the home garden?a)compost b)chemicals c)dance around the garden
 * 11) You can use different recipes/materials in order to make a compost which is specific to what you are growing.a)true b)false
 * 12) World wide, there are about 6,000 species of earthworms.How many species of native earthworms will you find in New Zealand?How many species are introduced or non-native?
 * 13) How would you convert a bathtub into a worm farm? What materials would you require?
 * 14) What type of earthworms arrived with European settlers in the 19th century and how did they survive the travel?
 * 15) Earthworms are classified based on their habitat and behaviour.Who came up with the classification system that describes species of worm based on what level of the soil they are best suited to? Please list the three different levels.
 * 16) You are working for a client who has been given a vertical worm farm feeding system called Can O Worms. The system is empty and no instructions were supplied. Your client would like you to write out a step-by-step instruction guide so the worm farm can be operational again. Your client knows very little about vermiculture so you must write out instructions that include the assembly of the plastic components,materials required,worm selection and care.
 * 17) Eisenia fetida/foetida and Lumbricus rubellus are worms we have used for our systems at Otago Polytechnic.Choose one species and describe its characteristics.
 * 18) Little white wormshave shown up in your worm farm. Are they worms and are they harmful to our worm farms or indicative as to the conditions in the worm farm?
 * 19) List three advantages and three disadvantages that you may encounter when you build your own worm farm.
 * 20) What is worm charming?
 * 21) What conditions are optimal for worm activity? Include information on optimum temperature, moisture, pH and physical environment (bedding and feeding areas).
 * 22) Earthworms are an important part of our soil food web. Briefly explain the importance of the soil food web and why it is significant to horticulturists?

Questions related to vermiculture-Assessment 2 of 6

 * 1) Earthworm anatomy does not vary all that much between species. Use your hand outs and resources stored on your wikieducator page to label the cross – sectional view of an earthworm. Briefly explain how an earthworm moves through the soil.
 * 2) Earthworm anatomy does not vary all that much between species. Use your hand - outs and resources stored on your wikieducator page http://wikieducator.org/Demonstrate_and_Apply_Knowledge_of_Vermiculture to label the external view of an earthworm’s body and organs. Briefly explain how an earthworm’s digestive system works.
 * 3) Earthworm anatomy does not vary all that much between species. Use your hand - outs and resources stored on your wikieducator page to label the first 24 segments of the earthworm’s body and organs. Briefly explain how an earthworm’s nervous system works.

Questions related to vermiculture-Assessment 3 of 6

 * 1) Who were are special guest speakers that visited us last session and where are they from?
 * 2) Please read the article in the August 2011 NZ Lifestyle Block magazine on page 12 "Running The Mob" and answer the following questions:

Questions related to vermiculture-Assessment 4 of 6

 * 1) We have used vermicast to create a seed raising mix in which we have sown silver beet seeds.List 4 characteristics of a good seed raising mix.
 * 2) In order to compare our vermicast seed raising mix we also have sown silver beet seeds in a commercial seed raising mix called Yate's Black Magic Seed Raising Mix.What are the ingredients used in this mix?
 * 3) What are the hazards associated with using growing medias and how do you protect yourself from these hazards?
 * 4) Look at the silver beet seedlings we have grown in the vermicast seed raising mix and those grown in the commercial seed raising mix and comment on the difference,if any, between the plants.
 * 5) List three advantages of using a commercial seed raising mix you can buy at The Red Barn Garden Centre.
 * 6) List three disadvantages of using a commercial seed raising mix you can buy at The Red Barn Garden Centre.
 * 7) List three advantages of using a seed raising mix that you have made from vermicast/ingredients you have harvested on site.
 * 8) List three disadvantages of using a seed raising mix that you have made from vermicast/ingredients you have harvested on site.
 * 9) We have also planted silver beet seedlings into baskets containing clay pellets or baskets containing course pumice and have used a fertigation system called passive sub-irrigation, also known as passive hydroponics or semi-hydroponics,which is a method wherein plants are grown in an inert porous medium that transports water and fertilizer to the roots by capillary action as the pot sits in a shallow solution of fertilizer and water.Please list the five different fertilisers we have used and select the one that you think has resulted in the healthiest silver beet plants.
 * 10) We used an application of liquid vermicast which was diluted to appropriate strength for foliar and fertigation uses.What was the dilution rate we used for our passive hydroponic system?
 * 11) Liquid vermicast is relatively cheap and easy to prepare compared to commercial liquid fertilisers however, the nutrient content can be variable and some experts recommend it only be used as a soil conditioner which will encourage higher amounts of microorganisms.What are your thoughts in regard to this statement?
 * 12) How can we measure the nutrient value of our food?

Interesting Resources

 * Videos that describe the installation and maintenance of vertical feeding systems
 * Worm R Us Website
 * Video of worm charming competition
 * Glossary of earthworm terms
 * Earthworm quiz
 * Many images of earthworm anatomy

What will we be covering in this course?

 * Production of vermicast or worm compost using worms as digesters is described and will include the following information:digestion, lifecycle, establishment of a worm farm and suitable types of worms.


 * The feeding habits of worms and feed materials are identified and will include the following information:vertical feeding, preferred feed materials and feed materials to avoid.


 * The conditions for optimal worm activity are described and will include the following information on optimum:temperature, moisture, pH, physical environment.


 * Certification issues related to worm composting are described.


 * A worm farm(s) is maintained so that worm activity is sustained and will include information on the following: appropriate feeding, pH management, proper functioning of worm farm is checked and maintained and removal of excess liquid.


 * Finished casts are harvested according to organic standards and workplace procedures and will include information on how to harvest vermiculture products without causing inappropriate disturbance of worm farm.


 * The use of vermicast in the production of organic horticultural products is described and will include information on the following products:seed raising mix, liquid preparation and soil amendments.


 * The use and application of liquid vermicast is diluted to appropriate strength for foliar and fertigation uses.