Ternakan cacing kompos

Utk makluman Cacing Harimau (Tiger Worm / Eisenia Foetida) adalah salah-satu species cacing yg tergolong didlm kumpulan cacing kompos / pengomposan. Selain itu beberapa spesies yg sesuai digunapakai utk industri Vermikultur / Vermikompos dlm keadaan negara Malaysia termasuk:

1. Cacing Merah (Red Worm / Lumbricus Rubellus).
2. African Nightcrawlers / Eudrillus Eugeniae.
3. Pheretima Elongata.
4. Cacing Biru (Blue Worm / Perionyx Excavatus).

Setiap satu spesies di atas ada kebaikan / kelemahan yg perlu diambilkira bergantung atas objektif sebenar masing2.

Contoh Bekas untuk menternak cacing kompos adalah 15 kakiX 60 kaki untuk skala besar.
Makanan bagi cacing ternakan adalah semua jenis sisa organik i.e. sisa kandang, sisa pertanian, sisa dapur, sisa industri dll asalkan ianya organik boleh diguna-pakai & dimanfaatkan sebagai bahan makanan dlm sistem Vermicomposting. TETAPI, setiap satu perlu diSTABILKAN.

Sisa makanan TIDAK SEMESTINYA membiakkan ulat. Kalau lalat mula bertelor & membiak bermakna sistem sdr:

1. Terlalu basah.
2. Berbau busuk.
3. Masam / Acidic pH rendah dll.
Kalau media terlalu basah ia akan menjadi “anaerobic” (tidak beroksigen) dan menggalakan bakteria penghurai nitrogen (anaerobic microbes) dan mengakibat fermentasi kpd sisa buangan tsb. Bau busuk itu adalah ammonia yg dikeluarkan hasil penghuraian nitrites.

Cadangan cara mengatasinya:

1. Kawal kelembapan media – kalau terlalu basah, taburkan & gaul “bulking agent” spt kertas carik (shredded paper), habuk sabut kelapa (cocopeat) dsb utk menyerap kelembapan.
2. Sistem perlu ditutup dengan jaring halus utk mengelakkan lalat & perosak2 lain.
3. Makanan diletakkan cuma di permukaan shj utk mengelakkan fermentasi. Jangan dibenamkan dlm media.
4. Jgn beri makan terlalu berlebihan (overload). Jumlah makanan seharusnya seimbang dgn jumlah cacing.
Walaubagaimanapun, cara utk skala kecil2an dan skala besar agak berbeza bergantung kpd keadaan setempat.

Dari dlm rumah (sisa dapur):

1. Lebihan sayur dedaun & kulit buah2an (di bilas dulu – elakkan sisa bahan kimia. elakkan kulit limau)
2. Lebihan Nasi (di bilas dulu – jgn bercampur minyak / kari / sambal dll)
3. Hampas teh & kopi. Ni favourite dia (di bilas gulanya dulu – elakkan semut)
4. Kulit telur yg di hancur halus.
5. Lebihan roti walaupun dah berkulat, pizza dll (hati2 jgn terlalu banyak kerana ia akan “menapai” dan “panas”)
6. Tisu terpakai yg telah guna lap mulut.
7. Kertas bungkusan (jgn berminyak)

Dari luar rumah (sisa laman):

1. Dedaun & rumput kering (kalu boleh dicarik dulu. Lebih kecil lebih baik)
2. Dedaun & rumput hijau (hati2 jgn terlalu banyak kerana ia akan “menapai” dan “panas”)
3. Buah2an yg luruh & rosak.

Dari pejabat:

1. Kertas yg dicarik (elakkan yg berwarna & dicetak dgn “inkjet”)
2. Tisu terpakai yg telah guna lap mulut.
Dari persekitaran berdekatan kita (sambil2 kita berulang-alik):
1. Hampas tebu, pisang dll dari warung2 (di bilas gulanya dulu – elakkan semut & getah).
2. Sisa sayur2an, buah2an dll dari pasar, kedai runcit dll.
3. Kalu di utara mungkin mudah mendapatkan Jerami padi dll.

Kalu boleh bahan2 ini dikumpul setempat dan dikomposkan sedikit agar ia “menapai” dulu dan tidak panas bila diberi makan ke cacing.
Nota: sesuai digunapakai utk SKALA KECIL ya. Jika SKALA MENENGAH ATAU BESAR caranya agak berlainan.

Langkah pencegahan hama di dalam medium ternakan cacing:
beberapa kaedah telah dicadangkan untuk memerangi hama dari bermaharajalela di dalam media.. perlu diingat bahawa apa jua cara untuk memerangi hama, mahupon menggunakan kimia atau fizikal cuma memberikan kesan sementara.. melainkan kaedah penjagaan yang tersangat rapi untuk mengawal hama..

1- dedahkan media kepada cahaya matahari untuk beberapa jam. kurangkan penyiraman dan pemberian makanan.. hama benci keadaan sedemikian lantas meniggalkan media..

2- letakkan surat khabar lembap di atas media dan buang setelah dapat diperhatikan hama banyak mengerumuni surat khabar tersebut.. ulangi langkah ini hingga populasi hama dapat dikawal

3- letakkan hirisan tembikai, sengkuang atau ubi di atas media.. hama suka dengan kemanisan kulit dan hirisan buah tersebut lantas mengerumuninya.. kemudian hirisan kulit atau buah itu bolehlah dibuang atau ditanam.

4- siram air banyak banyak tapi jngan sampai banjir.. hama akan lari ke permukaan, manakala cacing pula akan lari kedalam.. lepas tu gunakan penunu bunsen dan bakar permukaan media tersebut.. kaedah ini boleh diulangi beberapa kali, selang 3 hari jika perlu.

5- gunakan buah limau sunkiss.. hama selain suka pada keadaan manis, ia juga sangat menggemari buah yang masam.. kaedah seperti kaedah ke-3

Sumber : Afzal Agrical Agrotech

Vermicomposting ni adalah salah-satu cabang dari composting science. Utk mengetahui secara mendalam kena kaji secara ilmiah:
1. Vermicast = 100% tahi cacing
Mempunyai nilai pH antara 6.5-7.5
Kandungan vermicast…
• Organic Carbon 20.43 – 30.31 %
• Nitrogen 1.80 – 2.05 %
• Phosphorus 1.32 – 1.93 %
• Potassium 1.28 – 1.50 %
• Carbon : Nitrogen 14-15 : 1 %
• Calcium 3.0 – 4.5 %
• Magnesium 0.4 – 0.7 %
• Sodium 0.02 – 0.30 %
• Sulphur Traces to 0.40 %
• Iron 0.3 – 0.7 %
• Zinc 0.028 – 0.036 %
• Manganese Traces to 0.40 %
• Copper 0.0027 – 0.0123 %
• Boron 0.0034 – 0.0075 %
• Aluminium Traces to 0.071 %
• Cobalt, Molybdenum Present in available form

2. Vermicompost = Hasil baja yg dihurai/kompos dari sisa buangan organik dgn menggunakan cacing pengomposan sebagai agen pengompos. Ia seharusnya terdiri dari lebihkurang 85% Vermicast dan 15% sisa buangan organik yg telah mengompos.

Organisma berfaedah ada dimana2 & ianya penting sebagai salah-satu agen penghurai/pengompos (terutama sekali lactobacillus), malah, ianya saling bekerjasama dgn cacing dlm sistem vermikompos. Cacing cuma akan makan jika sisa itu separa reput dan Cacing akan makan media berserta mikrob sekali utk bantu penghadaman.

Oleh kerana mikrob berfaedah tertentu, sistem penghadaman cacing berupaya mensterilkan apa jua bahan mereput termasuk beberapa pathogen2 yg sgt merbahaya kpd manusia.

Dari persekitaran sistem vermikompos, ianya unik dimana mikrob berfaedah akan mula membiak mulai dari tahap “pre-kompos”. Disarankan guna EM.1 di peringkat “pre-kompos” utk mempercepatkan jangkamasa penghuraian dan menambahnilai mutu baja secara menyeluruh. Kelembapan vermikompos yg telah matang, harus dikekalkan minima 12% utk menampung bio-diversity mikroflora & mikrofauna dlm Vermikompos.

Vermikompos ( baja organik cacing) 

Baja organik kotoran cacing tidak menyebarkan bau, bersih dari kotoran maupun serangga. Baja yang terhasil dari kotoran cacing ini sangat baik untuk tanaman sayuran, tanaman tahunan, buah-buahan dan tanaman hiasan. malahan  merupakan baja organik yang mesra alam.
fakta Penggunaan vermikompos berbanding baja kimia adalah 1:3. Artinya 1 kg vermikompos bersamaan3 kg baja kimia.

Dalam proses pembuatan baja, diperlukan sisa kotoran lembu atau kerbau. Kemudian cacing ditaburkan di bahagian atas kotoran tersebut dan dibiarkan selama dua minggu. Selama itulah terjadi proses pembuatan baja, cacing mengubah kotoran yang tadinya berwarna kehijauan menjadi kehitaman.
Apabila cacing meninggalkan media kotoran maka prosesnya sudah selesai. Kemudian dikeringkan.
Baja yang sebenarnya adalah kotoran cacing yang berbentuk butiran, berserat dan berwarna kehitaman.
Kebaikan kegunaan baja organik kotoran cacing adalah baja ini dapat meneutralkan lebihan asid tanah dan menjadikan tanah lebih gembur. Tanah juga tidak cepat padat seperti halnya kalau memakai tinja haiwan.
Vermikompos

#Baja Vermikompos adalah baja organik yang mengandungi NPK yg mudah diserap (phyto-soluble) oleh pokok, trace element, mikrob berfaedah (nitro & phoshobactors), asid humic / fulvic, ph neutral, pest repellant semulajadi, penggalak pertumbuhan/buah dll.

Aplikasi vermikompos dalam tanaman:

# utk sayur dedaun guna 200g/m persegi (apply 60%-70% during plough, apply balance when young shoot sprout after 2 weeks)
# utk sayur berbuah jangka panjang guna 200g/m persegi (apply 60%-70% during plough, apply balance when young shoot sprout after 2 weeks). Kemudian 100g/m persegi (apply thereafter bi-monthly as carrier fertilizer)
Faktor penjimatan / keuntungan penggunaan Vermikompos:
# kurang pembajakan antara musim
# kurang masalah perosak
# pertambahan pengeluaran hasil
# mutu rasa & ketahanan hasil (rasa crunchy & shelf-life lebih lama)
# penjimatan dari segi pengurangan penggunaan baja setelah musim ketiga apabila tmutu tanah sudah dapat dipulihkan kerana vermikompos memulihkan tanah agar pokok dapat menyerap nutrien dengan lebih efisien.

sumber: Eudrillus (bicarajutawan)

As seen on : ternakan cacing kompos

Understanding the Anatomy of Worms Used in Worm Farming

English: Worms Hovels. The remains of the former dwellings are now used for sheep farming. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Compost making class (Photo credit: Milkwooders)

Compost making class (Photo credit: Milkwooders)

Worm farming is an excellent way to naturally compost waste without adding to the already full landfills.  Vermicompost is produced as a result, providing a nutrient rich substance that greatly benefits gardens, crops and house plants.  The worms kept in worm farms demand little to remain healthy, voracious eaters.  Understanding the anatomy of these worms proves useful in understanding their needs.

A worm's body is made up of 70-95 percent water.  Worms therefore require a very moist environment that should be mimicked in the worm farm. When worms die, they often shrivel up and go unnoticed as the water content is lost at this point.

These are cold blooded animals.  Temperature should be maintained between 72 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit to assist the regulation of their body temperatures.  Worm farms should be placed in a location that allows for this constant temperature, or bins that are insulated should be purchased. 

One focus of worm farming is to have worms that will reproduce easily.  Worms are hermaphrodites, meaning they possess both male and female sex organs.  Worm farmers must realize that although they are hermaphrodites, they cannot self-fertilize.  A single worm cannot reproduce alone.  A colony of many worms will result in larger numbers being produced.

Worms used in worm farms are covered in a slimy mucus coating.  This coating serves many purposes.  The mucus helps the worms retain water.  As their bodies are made up of a high percentage of water, an important step when worm farming is to be sure to provide adequate moisture levels in the bin.  The worm will be able to hold in the required moisture level through this mucus coating.

The worm's mucus coating is also a protector.  As the worm borrows into soil and bedding, the mucus provides a slick coat protecting it from harmful substances that may reside there.

The anatomy of the mouth of the worm is regarded as unique.  In the worm, the mouth is called the Peristonium.  Worms do not have teeth. Instead they have this mouth organ that is used for prying.  Worm farmers should be aware that worms will be able to better compost food items that have been cut down into smaller pieces.  Soaked paper and cardboard products will be more easily pried apart than hard, non-soaked pieces. 

Established worm farmers and those new to the hobby are often surprised to learn the life span of the worms that are commonly used in worm farming.  The common lifespan of these worms is typically between 4 and 8 years.  It has been reported that some worms have been known to live over 15 years.

These are long lived creatures whose lives are most often cut short by accidents.  The myth that worms can be cut in half and therefore produce two worms is false.  Worm farmers should always be careful when searching for worms, replacing bedding or removing vermicompost.  Sharp or hard tools are likely to injure a worm or even cause death. 

If provided a good diet, proper living conditions and a safe environment, worms can live long healthy lives.  Healthy worms produce healthy compost that can be put to good use.  Understanding the basics of the anatomy of these worms will aide in the understanding of how unique they are and how to address their needs.

Where to Find Worms for Worm Farming

Setting up a worm farm requires three things.  The first is an appropriate bin for containing the worms.  The second is plenty of compost materials to keep the worms properly fed.  The most important thing needed for a worm farm is, in fact, the worms. Learning where to find worms is the first step.

It is important to note that worms collected from the garden in the wild should not be used in a worm farm.  Various types of worms are available on the market specifically for worm farming.  These worms are sold for traits that make them more desirable for composting or as live bait.

An established worm farm can require a large number of worms to be efficient enough to compost enough material for a small family.  Most small worm farms need to start out with at least 1000 worms.

The first place to find worms for worm farming should be the local bait and tackle stores.  These places typically sell a variety of worms that can be used for both composting and live bait.  The Red Wiggler is known as being the best worm for composting and can usually be found in establishments such as these.

The Internet provides a mass amount of options for purchasing just about any kind of worm to use in a worm farm.  Red Wigglers, Night Crawlers, Florida Wigglers, egg capsules and even exotic breeds of worms can all be found.  A simple search on any search engine will produce a number of opportunities and choices.

Purchasing live animals online also means that shipping is something to take into consideration.  Care has to be taken when collecting and packaging the specimens.  Most worms ship well and with ease but shipping methods should be investigated.  Simply ask the supplier what the rate of live arrival is and find out what their shipping methods are.

The local garden centers have proven very helpful as a supply for worms.  Typically they sell other supplies for worm farming as well.  Depending on the geographical location, most garden centers have a full line of the various types of worms available for purchase.  The staff is available to answer questions about worm farming for new beginners.  If a specific type of worm is found to be unavailable at a garden center, an order can often be placed for particular varieties.

A very commonly overlooked option for locating worms is other worm farmers.  Worm farmers often have a surplus of worms and are more than willing to part with them.  Some are willing to offer them up in exchange for taking them off their own hands while others will sell them for a low fee.

Local worm farmers can often be found in the yellow pages under "worm" or "worm farms".  This provides a great source as worm farmers are often more than willing to give tips and hints for a successful farm.

Worm farming can be fun and rewarding.  Knowing where to find good quality worms is essential in maintaining a successful farm.  Once a worm farm is established, it may one day prove to be yet another outlet for those who are new to the worm farming world. 

As seen on : Canadian Nightcrawlers Worm Farm - Storage, Warehouse for Live Bait Fishing Worms

Who Benefits from Worm Farming

As seen on : The Benefits of Worm Farming

Worms have been a benefit to mankind and nature long before worm farming became well-known.  Worms provide food for other animals, help create and maintain healthy soil and plants, enhance gardening efforts, provide fish bait, and help teach our children about pets and other valuable lessons.

Worm farms are a part of natural science.  A nature museum or a zoo would benefit from a small worm farm as a display and to help feed the animals kept there, as well as keeping the scenery bright and fresh because of the benefits to the earth.  A petting zoo could make a worm farm part of their hands-on attraction.  You might start a worm farm as a science project with a class or with your own child.  It would also make a good FFA project.  A small gardening club may want to invest in worm farming. 

A person who raises birds could start a worm farm or buy from a worm farm to provide treats for their birds.  Pet shops could buy from worm farms to feed their fish or reptiles.  Parents could benefit from a worm farm as a way to teach their young children about recycling, their first pets, compassion, the natural food chain, gardening, and about business.

Worm farms are a way to help the economy by buying and selling.  They provide a useful service by increasing the health of soil, they provide a useful product, and they encourage equipment sales.  They increase the sales of the supplies needed to maintain the farms.  They provide an extra income for the seller as well as jobs for any workers needed on the bigger farms.

Catfish farms would benefit from worm farms by starting their own or buying from one for their fish food.  Fishermen benefit from worm farms by using natural resources to fish to help keep down the sales of artificial lures, which cause extra trash along and in rivers, lakes, and ponds.

People who run chicken houses would benefit from worm farms because of the large amounts of food the chickens need.

So, who benefits from worm farms?  We all can.  Even if you never touch a worm, you still eat vegetables or fruit that come from the plants produced in the soil that worms helped make healthy!  Gardeners have known the benefits for years because of the benefits to their compost piles and the results of their flower beds or vegetable gardens.

Worm farms can help a person open up conversations, which creates more acquaintances and possible friendships.  They can bring people together who are nature lovers, fishermen/women, gardeners, recyclers, teachers, and even business owners.

People can learn to respect the hard-working little worms even if they never quite get over their squeamish reactions to them.  Many worms are nature's friend.  For those who aren't squeamish, worms can even be an exotic treat.  They are well-known in other lands as a source of human food.  Then again, many of us found out as children taking dares that eating a worm is a fun way to gross out our peers!

Why Worm Farming is Important

A green compost bin. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)It may come as a surprise to some that worm farming is beneficial to our environment.  After some research into the topic it may be shocking to learn how important these hidden crawlers really are.  There is more to them than just crawling through the garden.

Worms have been around since the beginning.  During the age of the dinosaurs, worms ploughed through rotting debris and excrement, composting it into a more usable substance.  Millions of years ago they were efficient creatures and today they remain the same. 

So why is worm farming so important?  There are three common reasons for worm farming both commercially and individually.  The first reason is for composting. 

Worm farming provides an effective and efficient way for composting food waste and other biodegradable items.  On the larger scale, worms are used in place of landfills by commercial companies.  The worms compost waste eliminating unnecessary overflows in landfills.  Certain landfills also use worms to help compost the waste that has build up over time to try to prevent an overflow. 

On a smaller scale, home owners and apartment dwellers are able to run their own personal worm farms.  The purpose is to provide a more natural way for composting discarded food products and other items, instead of sending them to the local landfills.  Various sizes of personal worm farms are available on the market today.  These can typically be used both outdoors and indoors for those with limited space. 

Having a personal worm farm means that individuals are able to employ worms to naturally compost items such as fruits, vegetables, breads, cereals, paper products, soaked cardboard, egg shells and hair.  What is given in return by the worms is a naturally nutrient rich organic substance that can enrich soil for gardens, crops and house plants.

This brings us to the next reason for worm farming.  Vermicompost, or worm castings, is the product the worms produce as they compost and digest their provided diet.  These castings are as rich in nutrients as the food items provided to them. This substance is so rich in nutrients that it can be used as an effective plant food for a small pot for up to two months.  Vermicompost is one of the best fertilizers available.

Chemical fertilizers can be replaced by using natural vermicompost.  Chemical fertilizers often produce a fast effect, but when the soil is analyzed, it is found that the nutrients in the soil are being further broken down by the chemicals.  This requires that even more fertilizer be used later on to produce the same effect. 

Chemical pest removers and poisons have led to the destruction and evacuation of worms in many areas.  The worms are either killed by the poison or they leave the area as the soil is no longer healthy enough for them to live in. 

Using vermicompost as a natural fertilizer helps eliminate the need for chemicals that destroy the soil and rid the area of these helpful worms.  Some worms can be used in garden beds, improving the quality of the soil as they plough through pulling water into the soil and aerating the bed as they go. 

Another reason for worm farming is the production of worms to be used as live food and live bait.  Many exotic pets, birds and aquarium fish require the addition of live worms to their diets.  Offering worms for this reason gives pet owners an opportunity to purchase live food that has not been chemically altered or treated. 

Professional fishermen, bait and tackle shops, and the fishing hobbyist are often on the search for good suppliers of various worms that are best suited for live bait in both freshwater and salt water.  Worm farms offer these buyers a chance to purchase organically raised worms that will produce the best results when fishing.

As surprising as it may seem, worms are a very important part of our environment.  Worm farming is just a way to be able to appreciate their effects on a more personal level.  They are hard workers and keeping them happy in a worm farm will help ensure a healthier environment, less overflow of the landfills and a higher level of plant growth.