Biohumus production in industrial conditions. Business organization costs
Biohumus is a granular bioactive fertilizer obtained from organic waste processed by the red Californian worm. Its use ensures good development of plants, increase in yields by 30-70%. Knotted fruits are less affected by diseases. They differ in more tender pulp, pronounced taste and aroma. The production of biohumus at home is not particularly difficult and does not require significant costs.
Properties and composition of biohumus, its advantages
Biological humus is a fertilizer that is superior in composition and nutritional value to ordinary compost and manure. Its addition to the soil in a ratio of 10-20% to the total volume allows you to improve the soil that is depleted or contains a large amount of salts. In the process of processing, there is a complete disinfection of organic masses, their purification from helminth eggs. Biohumus contains many useful components in an optimally balanced form:
- Mineral elements in a form well absorbed by plants.
- Enzymes. They provide the transformation of organic residues into nutrient compounds.
- Substances that prevent the reproduction of pathogens.
- Phytohormones. They improve the growth and stress resistance of plants.
This type of environmentally friendly fertilizer contains 4-8 times more humus than cow dung or compost obtained from plant residues. Its advantages include good moisture capacity, friability, compatibility with other types of organic fertilizers, no need to use significant energy costs in the production and application process. The possibility of selling surplus products allows you to recoup the costs and receive a certain income.
Components for biohumus production
Before you start the production of biohumus at home, you should prepare the substrate for vermicompost and the necessary inventory items. The composition of the substrate includes:
- rotted cow dung and
- Leaves of plants in fermented (silage) or dried form (hay).
- Vegetable peelings, leftovers from unused products.
- Overripe sawdust, tree leaves.
- Peat and lime (2% of the total weight of the mixture) to improve the quality of the vermicompost.
California worms are also needed for biohumus, the function of which is the processing of the nutrient mixture. As an inventory, you will need boxes made of wooden planks or plastic, a spatula for a set of substrate, a sieve with cells with a diameter of 2 mm.
Features of growing Californian worms
California worms outwardly practically do not differ from ordinary earthworms. But they carry out the processing of organic substances into a form convenient for assimilation by plants much faster. When using them, you can get ready-made fertilizer in 1-1.5 weeks. The cost of one individual varies in different regions of the country: from 25 kopecks to 1 ruble. The following rules should be observed when using vermicompost for the preparation:
- Breeding at home requires maintaining certain values temperature regime. Its lower limit should not be lower than + 4 ° C, and the upper one - above 40 ° C. Lower and higher values can lead to the death of biological material.
- In winter, the worms are placed in containers with a nutrient substrate and brought into a room with the required air temperature or covered with insulating material. It ensures the free flow of air into the soil mixture.
- For the normal life of this species of invertebrates, it is necessary to maintain the humidity of the compost heap at the level of 70-80% by regular irrigation with water in hot weather. In addition, they should be protected from the direct rays of the sun by placing them in the shade.
To prevent the death of Californian worms in severe frosts, covering the place of their keeping with the advent of autumn with a layer of compost 40 cm thick or more will allow. After snow falls, additional protection will be provided by warming the embankment with a thick snow cover.
Substrate preparation
The production of biohumus at home requires special preparation of the substrate before launching worms into it. First, a wooden box, a plastic container or a recess in the ground is prepared. It is recommended that their depth be from 70 to 100 cm. It is possible to prevent the penetration of technological worms outside the pit by finishing its bottom and walls with some natural material.
Then, a mixture prepared from well-rotted manure, ripened compost, rotten plant tops, and food waste is placed in a container or pit. The substrate must mature. To do this, it is kept for the required time, regularly moistened with warm water and stirred every 2-3 days. Initially, under the influence of the processes taking place in the mixture, the temperature will rise to 40-50 ° C. At the end of the fermentation of the components, its values decrease and remain stable.
Vermicultivation Technology
When the substrate is fully ripened, Californian is launched into it at home, allowing you to get them in sufficient quantities for the desired volume of the mixture. The bookmark rate is 700-1500 pieces per cubic meter substrate. You can determine the suitability of the mixture for launching worms by first placing 50 individuals in it. If they feel good, add the rest, evenly distributing over the surface of the substrate.
The acidity of the prepared mixture should be in the range of 6-8 points. Periodic gentle loosening will provide free access to the inner layers of the air necessary for the worms to breathe. Regular irrigation with settled water heated to 20 ° C will create a fairly humid environment. To maintain optimal temperatures and humidity of the substrate, the container is covered with a layer of straw.
Collection of vermicompost
During the first 1-2 months, the worms adapt to the new environment. Then they begin to actively multiply and process the components of the mixture into biohumus. Every 10 days, additional application of a nutrient substrate is necessary as a top dressing. After 3-4 months, you need to check the number of worms. If it has increased significantly, you can begin to separate them and use the finished fertilizer for its intended purpose.
There are 2 ways to free the vermicompost from the worms in it. One of them uses sifting the substrate through a sieve. The worms are then transferred to another container. In the second method, the introduction of top dressing is delayed for several days. Then pour a new portion of the substrate on the surface of the box. When the hungry worms rise up, they are separated and moved to another place.
Application of vermicompost
The production of vermicompost at home presents a certain benefit. It can be used not only for household fertilizer or suburban area but also to implement. To reduce the cost of obtaining this environmentally friendly and highly effective material will allow the presence of pets that provide the technological process with a sufficient amount of manure.
Surplus vermicompost can be sold to neighbors in the country, farmers. With a significant volume of production - on the market or in bulk in your own online store. Worms can be in demand by fish or poultry farms. In order to sell biohumus, the price for 1 kg of which ranges from 10 to 20 rubles, it should be offered to potential buyers in a package that is convenient for use.
Product packaging
Dry vermicompost is packed in polyethylene bags. In the manufacture of liquid humus in a concentrated form, the best option is to pour into plastic bottles. Like the widely used "Em" preparations, they contain many beneficial soil microorganisms that improve soil fertility and ensure high yields in the most environmentally friendly ways.
When packing in bags, biohumus should be pre-weighed. The price for 1 kg can be indicated on the label or not affixed to the wholesale sales of the material. The cost of goods in different regions varies significantly. As well as liquid preparations "Em", it is desirable that the packaged vermicompost contains instructions outlining the properties of the material and the rules for its use.
Instructions for use
Vermicompost is in demand not only for growing fruits and vegetables. It is widely used in floriculture, to restore depleted soil that has lost its natural properties. It can also be used to reduce the number of harmful insects, since the microorganisms that make up the preparation are able to break down the chitin of their external skeleton.
In what quantities and how best to apply biohumus - the instruction covers in detail all the issues that arise when using fertilizer. The time of its introduction into the ground is not limited. The drug has a prolonged action, giving nice results for several years. Concentrated biohumus is diluted three times. It is recommended to add it to water when watering plants and spraying trees.
Application features
The drug is used for the preparation of soil mixtures. Biohumus is especially useful for seedlings. It is enough to add 1 part of the product to 3-5 parts of peat. Before planting the grown plants in the ground, about 150 g of fertilizer should be added to the wells, mixed with the ground. The planted bushes are watered abundantly, and the soil surface around the seedling is mulched with a small layer of biohumus.
It is possible to protect plants from damage by insect pests by introducing the agent into the soil or by surface treatment of their vegetative parts with its aqueous solution. A good effect is given by regular feeding of vegetable crops, trees, shrubs, flowers. For these purposes, it is enough to apply 0.5 kg of biohumus per 1 m 2 for plants every 30 days.
Using vermicompost for soil restoration
Biohumus in a short time increases the nutritional value of the soil, supplementing it with a complex of substances necessary for the good development of plants. The soil microorganisms contained in it contribute to the transformation of plant and animal residues into easily digestible compounds.
The addition of biohumus to the soil that has lost its fertility due to the immoderate application of chemicals increases the content of useful elements in it, improves the structure of the soil, and neutralizes high acidity. This allows you to create an environment in which those involved in the formation of the fertile soil layer are able to live. Increasing the concentration of humus most directly affects the quantity and quality of the crop.
Biohumus (vermicompost, worm compost) is an organic fertilizer for plants, a product of natural processing of livestock manure and food waste by technological worms. This type of compost is one of the most effective means increase the fertility of agricultural soils, and its production is quite simple and requires minimal investment. At the same time, according to many entrepreneurs, this type of business is characterized by high profitability and quick payback.
The technology for the production of vermicompost, indeed, is not complex. For the manufacture of vermicompost, the following “components” will be required: decomposed cattle manure, hay or silage, decomposed leaves, sawdust, food waste, technological worms (California and their various varieties, Vladimir). First you need to prepare a nutrient medium for worms, which is rotted compost and manure. As a rule, it is not very convenient to keep the processed product in your area. Therefore, it is better to negotiate with the supplier of this raw material so that he is allowed to lie down for some time.
Containers are prepared for worms - large wooden boxes. At the next stage, the compost is laid in boxes. Moreover, if it includes fermented manure and other components (leaves, sawdust, food waste), then the compost must be thoroughly mixed. From above, a layer of compost is covered with a layer of dry grass, which will maintain an optimal level of humidity and temperature in the box. Ripening compost should be periodically (once every 2-3 days) mixed so that it does not cake, and moistened with warm water so that the mass does not dry out. At the very beginning, while the fermentation process takes place, the temperature inside the box reaches 50 degrees Celsius, but then it gradually decreases. Worms are settled in boxes after the compost mass is fully prepared.
Experts advise not to launch all the worms at once, but first to test the mass on several dozen individuals. If everything goes well, then you can populate the rest. Within a couple of months, the worms get used to the new environment, after which they begin to multiply. The humidity of the compost should be 70-80%, and the pH level should not exceed 8. winter time the temperature inside the boxes must be at least 19 degrees Celsius. You can raise the temperature by covering the compost with a layer of dry grass, moistening it with warm water and placing it in a heated room. The substrate must be regularly loosened and fed every ten days. 3-4 months after the compost is settled with worms, the worms are counted, for which a sample is taken from a 10 by 10 cm area. The number of worms in it is multiplied by 100. Surplus worms can be sold to fish farms, directly to fishermen, poultry farms and bone meal producers. At the third stage, biohumus and worms are collected. To collect humus, the substrate is sifted through a sieve with 2 mm cells. The worms remaining in the sieve are deposited in a separate box. You can do without sieving. It is enough not to feed the worms for several days, and then bring the substrate to the surface of the compost. After a couple of days, the worms will rise to the surface where they can be collected. The collected humus is weighed and packaged in plastic bags.
To organize the production of biohumus, a heated room will be required to accommodate boxes with compost and worms. Since the production cycle is year-round and continuous, production volumes can be very large. Therefore, you will need a warehouse for storage finished products. In addition, you will need to buy a packaging line with a dispenser for packaging humus in bags of 3-6 kg and 20-50 kg. Humus in smaller bags can be sold through retail stores, and in larger bags through wholesalers. The cost of such a line is over 1 million rubles, but you can save money on it and purchase scales and a manual bag sealer instead (all together it will cost about 5 thousand rubles). To keep the worms, you will need wooden boxes with a bottom made of strong boards or metal. In addition, special vermicomposters can be purchased. Irrigation systems (usually drip irrigation) are used to moisten the compost mass. The cost of the simplest such system is about 1-1.5 thousand rubles. Do not forget about tools and working equipment: a rake, a shovel, a sieve, buckets, etc.
You will also need to purchase worms, establish a constant supply of manure, decaying leaves and food waste, develop packaging options, enter into sales contracts with partners, arrange delivery of finished products to customers. Biohumus can be sold directly to gardeners, gardening associations, gardening shops, poultry farms, producers of meat and bone meal, agricultural enterprises. The sale of worms to fishermen and fish farms can often bring a profit comparable to the profit from the sale of the humus itself. Thus, your product range may include vermicompost itself, concentrated liquid humus, bio-earth (a mixture of bio-humus and earth in a certain proportion), worms.
The costs of organizing such a production include the purchase of equipment (about 45-50 thousand rubles without a packaging line), the purchase of raw materials (50 thousand rubles), the equipment of the premises furnace heating(45 thousand rubles), registration and IP and other expenses. You can start a business with 150 thousand rubles, and then gradually expand production volumes at the expense of profits. The profitability of such a business is estimated at 40%. With a population of 100 thousand worms, the payback period will be up to six months, and the total revenue will exceed 1 million rubles.
On the Internet you can find a lot of material both on the very technology of biohumus production, and on the calculations of profitability and payback. However, not all of them (especially the most rosy ones) are true. So, for example, if you are counting on a good profit, then you will no longer be able to manage with minimal investments, as well as recoup them for short term. Firstly, the preparation of raw materials for the preparation of the substrate takes quite a long time - about six months. Thus, if you have not found a supplier of finished raw materials with the required exposure, then you can start your business no earlier than in six months. Secondly, with a large scale of production, one shed heated by a stove is no longer enough. You will need a whole cowshed, which still needs to be prepared - to make even floors for the ridges (fill the floor with concrete), lay the windows with bricks so that heat does not blow out of the room in winter, make the suspended ceiling as low as possible to preserve heat, equip driveways, make repair of internal premises, prepare production and storage facilities, etc. In addition, the finished humus will need to be dried (for large volumes of production, heated floors will be needed) and passed through a crusher.
To start a business, you can get by with 150 thousand rubles. However, the greater the volume of production, the greater the investment. In particular, some suppliers of raw materials provide the following technological and economic calculation for the production of vermicompost per 1000 sq. meters of heated area. In their opinion, the initial costs do not exceed 500 thousand rubles, and by the end of the first year of operation, the entrepreneur will receive finished products worth 3 million rubles (250 tons of humus produced at 12 rubles per kilogram). According to the results of the first year of operation, the profit will amount to 2.5 million rubles according to such calculations. In fact, investments at the initial stage will be an order of magnitude higher. It will be necessary to purchase land and premises (or at least rent them), carry out repair work and re-equip the production area, purchase and deliver 500 tons of manure, purchase worms, inventory, equipment for packing, separating, crushing humus. In addition, you will need at least one tractor with a blade and a trailer, several workers for the production of humus and maintenance of equipment ... Of course, all these expenses will clearly not fit into half a million. Moreover, according to a rough estimate, they will amount to at least 4.5-5 million rubles.
Also, do not trust the rumors about the 300% profitability of the biohumus production business. The real costs of conducting such production activities range from 1.5 million rubles a year. The main items of expenditure are heating, raw materials, electricity, wage workers. The real profitability is not more than 100%. And then, this is true only with an increase in productivity up to 350-400 tons of vermicompost per year. However, with such volumes of production, another question arises - how to organize the sale of these products and, no less important, at what price. In the capital, for example, humus is sold in stores at a price of 25 rubles per kilogram, but for the regions often even 10 rubles per kilogram can be too high a price. There is another problem - the low awareness of farmers, summer residents, gardeners and gardeners about the benefits of biohumus. This type of organic fertilizer, despite its high efficiency and safety, has not yet been widely used in our country. Your potential buyers often don't even know what it is. In addition, the technologies for growing many common crops have not yet been adapted to the use of vermicompost. All this greatly complicates the organization of the sale of vermicompost in large volumes.
However, despite all the above difficulties, the vermicompost production business deserves attention. It is most advantageous to do it in conjunction with your existing business in the field of agriculture (for example, a farm for raising cattle, breeding rabbits, poultry, etc.).
Earthworms are the main reproducers of soil fertility! Their ecological value!
Earthworms are the most ancient inhabitants of the earth, whose activities have created and are creating soils.
They are the main orderlies of the earth, the guarantors of the health and well-being of all living on it. They feed on dead decaying plant tissues that enter the soil in the form of litter, root and crop residues.
Today we will talk about the ecological significance of worms, about what role they play on earth, about how and why to breed them on your site. And also, as promised, I will share my experience in the production of vermicompost at home with the help of worms. It will be interesting, and most importantly, after reading to the end, you will learn a lot of useful information! ...
Why are earthworms needed?
Earthworms are the main consumers of dead plant debris. The biomass of worms is 50 - 72% of the total biomass of the soil. Absorbing with the soil great amount plant detritus (decaying dead plant tissues), microbes, fungi, algae, protozoan nematodes, etc., they digest them.
At the same time, worms excrete with feces a large amount of their own intestinal microflora, enzymes, vitamins, biologically active substances that have antibiotic properties and prevent the development of pathogenic (pathogenic) microflora, putrefactive processes, the release of fetid gases, disinfect the soil and give it a pleasant smell of the earth.
In the process of digestion of plant residues, humus substances are formed in the digestive canal of worms. They differ in chemical composition from humus formed in the soil with the participation of only microflora.
In the digestive tube of worms, the processes of polymerization of low-molecular decomposition products of organic substances develop and molecules of humic acids are formed, which form complex compounds with the mineral components of the soil (lithium, potassium, sodium humates - soluble humus, calcium, magnesium, and other metal humates - insoluble humus) and for a long time are stored in the soil in the form of stable aggregates (water-intensive, water-resistant, hydrophilic and mechanically strong).
Therefore, the activity of worms slows down the leaching of mobile nutrients from the soil and prevents the development of water and wind erosion. Coproligs of worms of natural populations contain 11...15% of humus per dry matter.
Worms also have another specific feature that is very useful for agriculture. It is connected with their unique ability to improve and structure the soil.
During the summer period, a population of 50 worms in the arable layer of soil per 1 m2 lays a kilometer of passages and releases coprolites on the surface with a layer of 3 mm. Even more of them remain in the thickness of the soil.
Each worm passes through the digestive canal per day the amount of soil equal to the mass of its body. If the average weight of a worm is 0.5 g, then with their number of 50 individuals per 1 m2 (500,000 per 1 ha), they process 250 kg of soil per day on an area of 1 ha.
In the middle lane, the active activity of worms continues 200 days a year. Consequently, during the season they can process 50 tons of soil per hectare, providing it with humus.
A fundamental question is: what modern technical means can be used to accomplish a gigantic fruitful work on structuring and humusing the soil in a year? While there are no such forces and means!
And no one and nothing can compare with worms in their beneficial activity. It is their activity that once significant black soils of Russia were created - its pride and wealth!
From what has been said, it is clear that the most obvious sign of the health of the soil, its high fertility is the presence of earthworms in it. The more of them in the soil, the more functionally healthy it is. This should be recognized and adopted "in service" in the interests of the reproduction of soil fertility by all farmers!
How to start breeding worms in the garden?
Now many breed worms to obtain biohumus and even do business on worms. But we do not make money on this, and so modestly, but in order to save on biohumus (purchased), we decided to try to breed worms, and to increase their number in the country. Growing worms at home is quite within the power of every gardener. What do you need to grow worms? And which worms should be bred?
Red compost worms (hey-ze-niya foetida) are better suited for de-ve-de-nia, some of which can always be dug up in a loo-pe-rep-roaring compost heap. They differ from other types of worms in their dark brown color with alternating dark and light transverse stripes.
If there are no or too few worms on the site, then this does not matter, they can be dug up in the forest or, in extreme cases, purchased at a fishing store. I want to say right away why we took our own for breeding, and did not buy the popular "prospectors" or "Californians".
Firstly, it costs money, and secondly, we have heard about deception about their fertility, such as 1,500 of them come from one per year! Nothing like this! The fertility of our worms suits us quite well.
Compost worms are no worse if they create excellent conditions! For a year, 450-500 pieces are produced from one, and they are more adapted to our soils. Quite unpretentious.
And it all started with the fact that, like many summer residents, I also purchased biohumus in garden stores. And that only I did not come across in it! All sorts of things that are there, in principle, should not be! And once, because of the purchased biohumus, all the seedlings disappeared ...
Biohumus is easy!
I realized that the quality of the purchased biohumus is in question. And I thought somehow, if only I could learn how to get my own! And a year ago, having studied this issue thoroughly, I decided to try it.
Moreover, we never throw away kitchen waste - we put everything in compost. And there are a lot of them in our family of four. As a result of the experiment, without straining, we received 160 kg of pure excellent fertilizer, which we successfully used as a top dressing and for growing seedlings already in the spring of this year!
And it all started with the fact that in the fall I collected worms from the compost heap to the bottom of the bucket. I did not count them individually, but the bottom of the bucket was covered with a 3 cm layer of worms. Then, I collected half a bucket of compost from there, the same in which these worms lived.
In the apartment, I decided to take a warm and humid place for the worms - the bathroom. In a regular cardboard box, which I pre-glued with adhesive tape so that it would not crumble at the most inopportune moment, I poured half a bucket of compost, then worms, and on top another layer of compost.
Now it was necessary to give them food, so that the worms would not even have time to come to their senses from the fact that the move had taken place. I cut vegetable peels finely with scissors or, if there is no time to mess around, I twist them in a meat grinder.
With a layer of 1 cm, I put the feeding in the box and carefully moisten the contents from the sprayer. Then I cover with toilet paper, a double layer and moisten it with water too.
All! I leave them for a couple of weeks, spraying paper as they dry. You can sprinkle feeding with compost to avoid the appearance of midges. But cover with paper on top - it shows the level of humidity and protects from light.
There is no bad smell! Because worms produce certain substances that serve as a kind of deodorant. And the finished vermicompost smells so pleasantly of the earth.
Conditions for keeping compost worms!
Conditions must be ideal, and what does that mean?
- Optimal conditions for the life of worms - temp-pe-ra-tu-ra 18-26 °,
- Humidity 60-70% (re-gu-lyar-but po-li-va-yut) and
- The reaction of the environment is pH 5.8-7.5.
Humidity is considered to-s-ta-precise, if you squeeze 1-2 drops from a lump in your hand moisture.
Keep the humidity stable, when the soil dries up, they will quickly die ... I took the water settled for a day, they will also die immediately from bleach.
Why in a box? Because cardboard "breathes", organically. If the bottom gets wet over time, then I just put the box with worms in another slightly larger box.
What to feed the worms? Almost all plant origin. I do not give animal waste to them, so that there is no unpleasant smell. Potato peels, watermelon and melon peels, squash, banana, and anything (citrus fruits are undesirable a lot - acidify the substrate), the main thing to remember is that worms have no teeth! Therefore, they pre-grind their food.
How often to feed the worms?
At first, almost every day I looked under the paper, to see if they had eaten it or not ... But it’s easier to look at the paper itself (later I realized this), as soon as holes appear on it, both corroded, and feed. Just put fresh food on top and cover with paper. The key is to not overdo it...
For a couple of months (September-October), the box was filled to the top. By the way, worms are such unique animals that stop breeding when their number goes off scale! Therefore, it's time to disassemble the box.
Cultivation of an earthworm in apartment conditions!
It happened like this: week I didn't feed them to make the worms hungry. And then she poured sweet food into one part of the box - these are banana peels, apple peels, and so on, but not much. After a couple of days, hungry worms crawled to the surface to eat, and I easily collected them together with the top layer and transplanted them into another such box. Everything is like at the very beginning, only in a different box.
And in full poured a little more sweet food and lured out the second part of the worms, the younger one. I did the same with them as I did with the first batch.
And for the third time she poured feed in order to lure out the young, which had already grown a little.
Further, from the first box, it remains only to lay out the vermicompost - yes, yes, yes, pure vermicompost remained in the box, but moist enough. I dried it for a couple of days on lined thick paper. And then she sifted through a rare sieve and laid it out in bags, put it under the bath until spring.
This way I got three boxes of worms, which were successfully filled for another couple of months (November-December)! After the New Year, I did the same with these three boxes and, as a result, by spring (March) I received 4 boxes of 40 kg each of pure biohumus + 9 boxes of newly laid worms (for March-April)!
Next, it's time to open the summer season - spring has come! And all these 9 boxes already full went to the dacha for the May holidays! The result, I think, is excellent! The worms gave a good offspring of live weight and a lot of valuable fertilizer! And what happened next?
And then I kept them there for two weeks with hunger! Not because I am angry and cruel, but because the soil has not yet warmed up! That's when I warmed up by June, I finally fed them like that! ... I created a wormhole in the garden! How is it, you ask?
Everything is simple! She took a piece of land 3 sq. meters - the worst land. The place is in the shade, nothing grew there except weeds ... But it was planned to ennoble this nook in the future. So it has come - this is the future, I myself did not expect that it was the worms that would now "grow" there.
In general, we fenced this place - a wormhole with boards in the form of a box. And they poured the contents of the boxes into one corner, the height reached 30-40 cm, slightly leveled it, and now in the opposite part (the one in front is empty) they put yummy with a layer of 30-40 cm.
The length of such a pile gradually increased and cultivation continued in this way all summer. That is, we threw food to them from one side, the worms gradually crawled there, leaving behind pure vermicompost.
By autumn, I had a ready-made bed! But what about worms?
And I partially move the worms to other ridges, and leave a part in this ridge. Naturally, I fill the beds with rabbit manure, and mulch on top in the fall. That is, I do not keep the beds open - they are always covered with something. At zero temperature, under natural conditions, worms fall asleep until spring, and in the spring, waking up, they will have something to eat, I always take care of this!
From the compost heap, I again took a small batch of new worms into the apartment this fall and the familiar process began! Even this matter is fascinating, not at all troublesome, the main thing is to put yourself in the place of a worm and think, would I like it here? Would such conditions suit me? Would I like to live like this?
And if so it means everything is done correctly - the worms feel comfortable, multiply and provide valuable fertilizer from free waste, which most people simply take to a landfill!
Here's what else I do in the winter, now you know it ... I hope you find this information useful, maybe someone will want to use it, good luck! If you have any questions - ask in the comments below. All the best and see you soon!
Biohumus is a valuable and sought-after commodity. Its use allows you to increase crop yields by two, and sometimes even three times. Given that the cost of manufacturing the product is low, the business is one of the most cost-effective businesses that can be organized in your own summer cottage.
Company registration
If you plan to produce a product in large volumes, it makes sense to officially register your enterprise. Then you can limit yourself to an individual entrepreneur, spending 800 rubles on registration. to pay the state duty and five days to wait for registration.
When registering an enterprise, it is necessary to indicate OKVED from the section relating to manufacturing products. OKVED code 24.15 (Production of fertilizers and nitrogen compounds) covers, among other things, the production of humus.
Production technology
In order for biohumus production technology to be organized correctly, you will need:
- Warehouse for biohumus.
- Heated room.
- Earthworms, and preferably Californian worms.
- Manure and compost.
Question with worms
To implement a business plan, it is best to purchase red California worms. They were bred back in 1959 specifically for the production of biohumus. And if ordinary earthworms give 5-6 fold reproduction, then Californian worms increase their number by 500 times. And the more worms, the more and faster you will get the product to sell. But at first, you can get by with ordinary earthworms.
The basis of biohumus can be rotten bird droppings, pet manure, kitchen waste, weeds, sawdust, rotten leaves. On your summer cottage for production, you can allocate a small piece of land. But then your business will be seasonal, as in winter the worms go deeper and do not produce humus. If you want to earn income all year round, include in the business plan the construction or conversion of a special barn. It is important that a suitable temperature is maintained there for the life of the worms - this will increase their productivity many times over.
How much to buy worms for production depends on how much space you can allocate to them. Usually on square meter compost run about 5 thousand worms. Keep in mind that in the process of life they multiply.
The problem with worms can be solved in three ways:
- buy the right amount of Californian in order to get enough volume for sale in six months;
- buy a smaller number of Californian and gradually multiply them, increasing production;
- collect a huge number of ordinary earthworms, making the business cost-free.
Site Equipment
To organize production, you will need wooden boxes or an open pile of compost up to 40 cm high. It is desirable that the compost consists not only of the main components, but also has layers of soda or lime flour. Compost must be moistened and only then start the worms. The ideal temperature for their vital activity is 18-22°C. In the process of processing compost by worms, it is necessary to report new portions of it, up to 30 cm high.
To process 10 tons of compost in six months, at least 100 thousand Californian worms are needed. Much more rain will be needed. As a result of the work, you can get about 5 tons of biohumus. In six months, the number of pets will increase no less than five times. And if you separate adult worms every two months, then their number can be increased even more.
Business nuances
It is recommended to implement a business plan from working with conventional worms. Then you will be able to gradually increase production and find out how much such a product is in demand among the inhabitants of your region. If it turns out that you should not wait for bright prospects, you have little to lose. If the prospects turn out to be attractive, you can gradually buy the necessary amount of the California worm.
It is worth considering that the Californian worm does not burrow into the ground when frost sets in, like rain, so the compost on cold period it is necessary to cover or maintain the desired temperature in the room. You also need to isolate the premises from moles, mice and other rodents that feed on worms, otherwise your business may be wiped out.
Business organization costs
To organize a large-scale production, you will need:
- Packaging equipment. As a rule, the goods are packaged in bags of 3 or more kilograms. It all depends on what target audience you are targeting - florists, gardeners or farmers. On average, a packaging line costs about 45-50 thousand rubles.
- Heating equipment for a room where worms will be kept - 45 thousand rubles.
- Purchase of worms - about 50 thousand rubles.
- Conclusion of contracts for the supply of goods with specialized stores.
- Advertising costs.
- Vehicles to deliver products to stores. Can be purchased or rented for the duration of deliveries.
If you calculate to the maximum, the cost plan will be at least 150 thousand rubles.
Sales and profit issues
If your business is focused on small production, you can sell vermicompost in your own village to local gardeners. But if you have a more ambitious production plan, the product can be sold in the markets, handed over to hardware or flower shops. At the same time, the main sales plan will be carried out in February-March. At this time, summer residents begin to plant seedlings for the spring.
They sell goods in bags weighing 5-8 kg at a price of 8-10 rubles. for one kilogram. Considering that about 300 kg of humus is obtained per square meter of compost. That is, the revenue will be approximately 3 thousand rubles. But the final price of the goods varies greatly depending on the region of sale. Therefore, the sales and profit plan must be calculated individually. In any case, cost-effective production reaches 100%.
The production plan can be supplemented with other incomes. So, extra worms can be sold to those who want to open their own biohumus production. Or sell to fishermen for bait. It is good to sell dried worms to fish farms and pet stores as fish food.
That allows you to grow large volumes and environmentally friendly crops. About what is included in this organic matter, how it differs from other fertilizers and how to make biohumus with your own hands, we will tell in this article.
What is biohumus and how is it used
Biohumus or vermicompost is a product of processing various organic agricultural waste. This is what distinguishes it from the same or, which are formed as a result of the action of various bacteria and microorganisms.
Biohumus has such characteristics as improving the structure of the soil and its water-physical properties. In addition, the concentration of phosphorus in it is somewhat higher than in other organics. The advantages of biohumus are also:
- content from 10 to 15%;
- acidity pH 6.5-7.5;
- absence of extraneous bacteria, salts of heavy metals;
- the presence of antibiotics and a large number of microorganisms that are involved in soil formation;
- faster development and more stable immunity in those fed with this organic matter;
- valid for three to seven years.
- for the prevention of plant diseases and their easy transfer of temperature changes;
- to accelerate the process of seed germination and to increase the number of seedlings;
- to increase the volume and accelerate the ripening of the crop;
- for quick recovery, restoration and increase of soil fertility;
- to combat harmful insects (effect up to six months);
- to improve the decorative appearance of flowers.
- planting and sowing plants in open ground and in;
- top dressing of all types of agricultural plants;
- resuscitation and land reclamation;
- various activities in forestry;
- fertilizing flower plants and growing herbs.
This organic fertilizer is used throughout the season: from early spring to the end of autumn.
Biohumus can be applied to any soil and in any quantity, the recommended application rates are 3-6 tons of dry fertilizer per 1 ha for large plots, for small plots - 500 g per 1 m².
A liquid solution for and watering plants is prepared from 1 liter of vermicompost, which is diluted in 10 liters of warm water.
Biohumus is sold ready-made in granules and in liquid form (water suspension).
Did you know? Breeding worms on special farms (vermiculture) was first taken up by Americans in the 40s of the past century. Further, vermiculture spread to European countries. Today she is best known in Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands and other countries.
It can be easily prepared at home. There are two ways to do this:
- in an open area;
- in room.
In both the first and second cases, it will be necessary to equip a special breeding composter. On an industrial scale, vermifactories are used for this.
Read more about how to prepare biohumus in the following subsections. In general, this process consists of five stages:
- selection of species and purchase of worms;
- production of a composter;
- laying animals in compost;
- care and feeding;
- extraction of worms and biohumus.
Choosing and buying worms for compost
Earthworms can be found and collected by yourself or purchased at the store. Most often, red Californian worms are used in vermicultivation (bred on the basis of dung in the 50-60s of the twentieth century), however, many companies also offer other types: prospector, dung, earthen, Dendrobena Veneta (European worm for fishing).
Experienced vermicompost producers claim that the best of these species for vermiculturing are California red and prospector. The first breed well, live long (10-16 years), work quickly, but their main disadvantage is intolerance to low temperatures.
Did you know? In a day, one worm is able to pass through its digestive system a volume of soil equal to its body weight. Thus, if we take into account that on average this crawling animal weighs about 0.5 g, then 50 individuals in 24 hours on a hectare of land can process 250 kg of soil.
The prospector was also bred from a common dung worm. It is fast in the reproduction of fertilizer (produces up to 100 kg of biohumus), is not subject to diseases and epidemics, reproduces well (brings up to 1500 individuals) and is able to tolerate low temperatures- goes deep into the soil, so as not to freeze.
You can buy worms in specialized stores, including on the Internet, or in farms. They are usually sold by families, at least 1500 pieces, which include 10% of adults, 80% of babies and 10% of cocoons. When acquiring animals, it is necessary to pay attention to their mobility and body color.
Composter construction
As we have already noted, vermicompost can be prepared both in the conditions of a summer cottage, and in an apartment or house. Suitable for any premises: garage, barn, basement. Some equip worms in the bathroom. The main thing is to build a composter or a compost pit or a pile.
On the street, a dwelling for worms is equipped in the form of a box of wooden boards without a bottom and a lid. The box must be placed in a place sheltered from the sun on the ground, in no case on concrete, since excessively accumulated water will need an outlet.
The sizes can be different, for example, 60-100 cm high, 1-1.3 m long and wide. In an apartment, a house for worms can also be built from a wooden or plastic box (container), or from nested cardboard boxes from under household appliances. Large aquariums are suitable for breeding worms. You can use a plastic sieve nested in a plastic bowl or container.
In order to fit as many worms as possible in a small room, boxes or containers can be placed one on one in several tiers or racks can be made. So you can place about a million crawling animals on an area of 15-20 m².
Preparation of compost (nutrient substrate)
For any species of worms, it will be necessary to prepare a nutrient substrate, which should consist of:
- manure or, food waste of plant origin, leaves, tops - one part;
- sand - 5%;
- hay (straw) or sawdust - one part.
Before placing worms in the composter, the substrate must undergo a special treatment - composting. It must be warmed up to the required temperature within a few days. To do this, it is either simply heated in the sun (the desired temperature is easy to achieve from April to September), or lime is added to it or (20 kg per 1 ton of raw materials).
Composting should last for 10 days. From the first to the third day the temperature should be at the level of +40 °C, the next two days - at the level of +60...+70 °C, from the seventh to the tenth day - +20...+30 °C.
After preparing the compost, it must be tested by launching several worms on the surface. If after a few minutes the animals went deeper, then the compost is ready; if they remain on the surface, the substrate needs to stand still.
The optimal acidity of the compost is 6.5-7.5 pH. If the acidity rises above 9 pH, the animals will die within seven days.
You can also check the substrate for acidity by testing. Run 50-100 individuals per day. If after this period all individuals are alive, then the compost is good. In the event of the death of 5-10 individuals, it is necessary to reduce the acidity by adding chalk or lime, or reduce the alkalinity by adding straw or sawdust.The optimum moisture content of the compost is 75-90% (it will depend on the type of worms). If the humidity is below 35% for a week, the animals may die.
The most suitable temperature for the vital activity of worms is +20 ... +24 °C, and at temperatures below -5 °C and above +36 °C, the probability of their death is greatest.
Bookmark (release) of worms in the compost
The worms are carefully laid out over the entire surface of the substrate in the composter. For each square meter, there should be 750-1500 individuals.
Important! Since the worms cannot tolerate bright light, the top of the composter must be covered with a dark material that allows air to pass through.
Adaptation of animals will be carried out for two to three weeks.
Care and conditions for keeping compost worms
The substrate in the composter is subject to regular loosening and watering. Also, worms need to be fed.
Loosening should be done twice a week with a stake or a special fork for vermicompost. It is carried out to the entire depth of the substrate, but without mixing.
Water only with warm (+20 ... +24 ° C) and only settled water (at least three days). Chlorinated tap water can kill animals. Rain or melt water is good for irrigation. Watering is convenient with a watering can with small holes.