Microbial Enrichment of Vermicompost

The present study has been conducted to explore the possibility of enrichment of vermicompost with microbial inoculants (i.e., biofertilizer organisms), Azospirillum brasilense and Rhizobium leguminosarum, optimization of inoculum level, and time of inoculation during vermicomposting. The survival rate of each microbial inoculant, total microbial population in vermicompost, and their correlation with the microbial inoculants during the storage period (180 days) were assessed. The change in population of A. brasilense and R. leguminosarum in vermicompost (at 30, 35, and 40 mL/175 g substrates) with reference to storage period showed highly significant negative correlation (). The total microbial population in A. brasilense and R. leguminosarum inoculated vermicompost was high during initial phases of storage and then total microbial population declined towards the end. The inoculum level of A. brasilense and R. leguminosarum at 35 mL per 175 g vermibed substrate is sufficient to maintain viable cells up to 160 days after ther harvesting of vermicompost. The inoculum of these two biofertilizer organisms into vermibed on the 30th day showed increased survival rate and, hence, the optimized inoculation of 35 mL of inoculum per 175 g substrate on the 30th day of vermicomposting is helpful for the maintenance of sufficient viable population for more than five months in the enriched vermicompost.