Feasibility of biomass recycling of arecanut based cropping system through vermicompost technology in the farmers’ garden

A participatory assessment

Abstract

Plantation crops have sufficient potential to benefit from natural farming and sustain their yield with low external input as they produce considerable quantities of biomass for recycling. One hectare of arecanut plantation gives about 8000kg of available biomass for recycling in a year and if utilized fully, it can meet the requirement of a major portion of the nitrogen requirement and a part of other nutrients (Nampoothiri, 2001). Under conditions in Assam, it is estimated that on an average six to seven tonnes of dry arecanut leaves are available from one hectare of a well maintained garden. The nutrient requirement of these crops can be met to a considerable extent if they are composted or recycled in the field. However, decomposition of dry leaves of arecanut is rather slow because of their high lignin and poly phenol content. Earthworms can mediate decomposition of lignin as well as poly phenol and thus accelerate the humification process. Vermicomposting is the method of composting the organic matter by earthworms under favourable soil moisture and temperature conditions. Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) at Kasaragod, Kerala has identified a local strain of earthworm (Eudrilus sp.), similar to African Night Crawler, which is quite efficient in composting coconut and arecanut leaves into granular vermicompost (Prabhu et al. 1998)