• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.89-98
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• 2001

Present vermicomposting technology needs the broad land. Because of the high land cost, the land saving technology such as multistage must be needed. And present operation practices are mostly based on human power, mechanization and automation is needed. Also, present control practices based on individual experience need the scientific base control system. Even though the rough estimation of organic waste treatment showed that vermicompostiong could obtain more benefits than costs. But, the estimation is based on an ideal case without considering the technical and market. Generally, vermicomposting is considered as the more expensive technology than composting. Therefore, the practical proof the economic factor would be the most important to the market increase. Vermicomposting as the recycling technology has better condition than incineration and landfill. Propagation and advocating focused on its environmentally sound aspects would be needed continuously. Especially, demonstration and distribution of household vermicomposting would be a good approach. Vermicomposting facilities area was becoming larger, and earthworm feeding materials were also expanding to various organic sludges. These trends showed that vermicomposting is being enlightened to treat and recycle the organic wastes.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.19-25
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• 2001

Recently in Korea, treatment and disposal of organic wastes have being the mostimportant is sue due to governmental strong regulation of landfill banning Especially the sewage sludge and food wastes will be restricted from the direct landfilling, after the year 2003 and 2005 respectively. Thus the considerable change in treatment methods of organic wastes is founded to transfer toward recycling the organic wastes, In these trends. vermicomposting is being enlightened newly in Korea. In November of 1999. the first symposium focusing the organic waste treatment using the earthworm was held with attending many peoples including earthworm company, experts. and professors. In that symposium, it was reported that the vermicomposting plants treating organic wastes had increased to about 80 plants and had treated about 110,000 tons per year in Korea Many local governments and companies showed the interest in vermicomposting of organic wastes and needed the collaboration with each other and foreign countries. In for reclamation materials, the extraction of some medical drugs from earthworm was expanding the research and development fields, In this paper, the history of vermicomposting in Korea was reviewed and the present stanls and future aspect were showed.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.52-57
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• 2001

ln this study, the questionnaire survey was performed to obtain the basic data on current situations and challengeable aspects of vermicomposting industries. The questionnaire contained the four main categories such as vermicomposting facilities, feeling marerials, earthworm breeding and cast handling. The results was summarized as followings: 1. Vermicomposting facilities area was becoming larger, and earthworm feed was also expending to various organic sludges. These trends showed that Vermicomposting is being enlightened to treat and recycle the organic wastes in Korea. 2. Present Vermicomposting technology needs the broad land. Because of the high cost of land in Korea, the land saving technology such as multistage must be needed. And present operation practices are mostly based on human power, mechanization and automation is needed. Also, present control practices are based on individual experience need the scientific base control system. 3. Considering situations of organic wastes management in Korea, the technical development and the practical improvement of Vermicomposting as the waste recycling will be needed.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.93-102
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• 2003

This research was made to determine the optimum mixing ratio cattle manure and food waste investigating the effect that gets the growth and reproductive efficiency of earthworm and productivity of earthworm casts at processing process when handled cattle manure and food waste by vermicomposting, in order to establish the treatment system of organic wastes by vermicomposting. Survival ratio of earthworm was highest in the mixing ratio 80~100% : 20~0% of cattle manure and food Waste, and the increasing ratio was highest in cattle manure 100%, and the number of young worms, the weight of young worms and the productivity of earthworm casts in plots more than the mixing ratio 60% of cattle manure were significantly higher than in the other treatment plots(p<0.05). Total nitrogen and carbon contents in earthworm cast were decreased when rearing time of earthworm was increased. Carbon and nitrogen rate(C/N) of earthworm cast in plots more than the mixing ratio 80% of cattle manure was significantly higher than in the other treatment plots(p<0.05). pH in earthworm cast was higher than that in residual matter. The contents of electrolytic conductivity in the higher mixing ratio of food waste were significantly higher than those in the other treatment plots(p<0.05).

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.178-184
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• 2007

In the present work, the vermicomposting index was investigated using leakage water from sludge to develop the process of mechanization and automation in the earthworm-cast treatment. The in situ sewage sludge was used batch and continuous experiments. Due to different treatment processes, the physico-chemical characteristics of liquid extracted from sludge was the similar change pattern. However, some items, such as Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP), pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC) and $NH_3-N$, showed the distinct changes between pre- and post-vermicomposting. Also, The ORP and EC were the best parameters for the vermicomposting index. These results offered that the present vermicomposting technology was an actual earthworm-cast treatment.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.75-84
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• 2006

The effects of the mixture ratios of swine manure and food wastes when vermicomposed on earthworm(Eisenia foefida) growth, the production amounts and the chemical properties of casts for plant growth media were evaluated to optimal mixture ratio. Earthworms were grown in swine manure, substituted with 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 50% and 100% food wastes. All of earthworm grown in swine manure substituted with 60%, 80%, and 100% food wastes died, therefore the process of swine manure substituted with 60%, 80%, and 100% food wastes by vermicomposting were impossible in this experiment. Worm cast produced from swine manure substituted with 0%, 20% and 40% food wastes after vermicomposting sufficiently contained required quantities of available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, exchangeable magnesium, and cation exchange capacity. The survival rates of earthworm in swine manure substituted with 0% and 40% food wastes was significantly higher than those in swine manure substituted with 20%, 40% food wastes. Casts weight and proportion of casts weight in 100% swine manure were significantly higher than those in swine manure substituted with 20% food wastes, but was no significant difference between those in swine manure substituted with 40% food wastes. Therefore 100% swine manure was estimated to be superior than the others treatments. However an adequate mixture ratio of food wastes for processing mixture of swine manure by vermicomposting was estimated to be 40%. Because there was no significant difference in mean flesh weight, increasing rate, casts weight, proportion of casts weight, and reduction rate of volatile solids among 3 treatments and survival rate and conversion efficiency(CE) in swine manure with substituted 40% food wastes were significantly higher than the other treatments.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.289-296
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• 2009

The effects of the processing mixture of pig manure and various organic wastes on the growth, cast production of earthworm, and conversion of organic matter to earthworm tissues by vermicomposting. The substances used in this experiments were sawdust, rice hull, coffee waste, brewery waste, litters, turfgrass cutting residues, rice bran, vegetable wastes and rice straw and were mixed with pig manure at a ratios of 50:50 (v/v), and pig manure 100% (control), respectively. The highest values of growth parameters, cast production and conversion efficiency of organic matter to earthworm tissues were obtained at the mixtures of pig manure with coffee waste, it may due to the favourable diet conditions to process with pig manure by vermicomposting. But, all of the earthworm died in the pig manure 100% (control) and pig manure with vegetable wastes treatments by vermicomposting was impossible in this experiment. The vermicast contained a higher values of total nitrogen, available phosphorus, exchangeable cations and cation exchange capacity than their parent materials with increased availability of nutrients and improved physicochemical properties.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.51-62
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• 2005

The effects of the processing mixture of food wastes and various organic wastes when vermicomposted on earthworm(Eisenia foefida) growth, the cast production amounts and the chemical properties of casts were evaluated. The substrates used in this experiments were cow manure, pig manure sludge, fermented pig manure with sawdust, nightsoil sludge, and sewage sludge and were respectively mixed with food wastes at a ratios of 50:50(v/v). The control consisted of food wastes alone without other wastes. All of earthworm died in the food wastes 100%, therefore the process of food wastes alone by vermicomposting was impossible in this experiment. Worm cast produced sufficiently contained quantities of available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, exchangeable magnesium, and cation exchange capacity. The increase of earthworm's biomass occured on the mixtures of food wastes and cow manure, fermented pig manure with sawdust. Dry weight of worm cast was the highest on the mixtures of food wastes and fermented pig manure with sawdust and the proportion of cast weight after vermicomposting was significantly the highest on the mixtures of food wastes and cow manure($p{\leq}0.05$). Also, the mixtures of food wastes and cow manure, and fermented pig manure with sawdust showed a positive values of conversion rate and conversion efficiency rate of organic matter to earthworm tissue than that of other treatments. These results suggested that cow manure and fermented pig manure with sawdust are adequate to process with food wastes by vermicomposting.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 2003

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of different plant growth media on the growth of tomato(Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) seedlings during growth stages. The media were commercial plant growth medium 100％, earthworm cast (that was produced by vermicomposting of food waste and cattle manure) 100％, earthworm cast 50％ ＋ vermiculite 50％, earthworm cast 50％ ＋ perlite 50％, earthworm cast 40％ ＋ vermiculite 30％ + perlite 30％. Plant length(mm), number of leaves, leaf area($\textrm{cm}^2$), stem diameter(mm), plant dry mater were greatest till the 2nd week growth stages in the commercial plant growth medium plots, but those were higher in the earthworm cast than those in the other plant growth media at the later stages of this study(P<0.05). And relative growth rate of biological yield, relative growth rate of shoot and relative growth rate of root were highest in the earthworm cast till the 4th week growth stage. Therefore it can be implied that there is the possibility of potential utilization of earthworm cast, which was produced by vermicomposting of food waste and cattle manure, as vegetable growth medium.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.98-106
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• 2005

Population dynamics in the vermicomposting bed was investigated. And harvesting efficiencies of earthworm attracting traps with different attractants, mesh sizes of net and covering materials was evaluated. Peak density of earthworm population was $5kg/m^2$ and therafter its desity kept $4.4{\sim}5.0kg/m^2$. It was evaluated that suitable mesh size of the net was 7mm and proper covering materials of the earthworm attracting trap was cotton quilt. The earthworm harvesting efficiency of trap with attractant was much higher than that of trap without attractant. With more amount of attractant in the trap and with longer setting period of trap onto the vermicomposting bed, the earthworm attracting trap harvested more earthworms. Crushed pear-peel attracted much more earthworms than paper mill sludge, but it was difficult to supply enough amount of crushed pear-peel for practical need. Sugar solution(10%) with tab water was proven to be an alternative to crushed pear-peel because its attracting effect on earthworm was as high as crushed pear-peel and it was easy to prepare and supply in large quantity.