Issue 3, 2023

Sustainable organic waste management using vermicomposting: a critical review on the prevailing research gaps and opportunities

Abstract

Logistic growth of human population, exponential rate in agronomic industries and feeble waste management practices have resulted in the massive generation of organic wastes. Vermicomposting is one of the eco-biotechnological practices to efficiently transform them into stable and nutrient-rich organic manure with the synergetic actions of earthworms and soil microbiota. Vermicompost, a derivative product has the desirable physicochemical traits such as excellent porosity, buffering actions, aeration and water holding capacity. Also the presences of enzymic and microbial secretions contribute to growth and disease resistance of the crops. Owing to the benefits of soil nutrients restoration and effective organic waste management, vermicomposting has gained much attention among the scientific researchers and organic farmers. The present review is intended to provide comprehensive information on the site selection, screening of earthworms, different modes of operation and their desirable micro-environmental conditions. Also, the review has critically identified the prevailing research gaps viz. limited studies on the substrate formulation or optimization designs, poor control on the operational variables, lack of field-level investigations, technological feasibility of scale-up process, economic viability and cost-benefit analysis. Prospective researches can be made on these hotspots to identify the vermicomposting as a successful and profitable business model in the circular economy.

Graphical abstract: Sustainable organic waste management using vermicomposting: a critical review on the prevailing research gaps and opportunities

Article information

Article type
Critical Review
Submitted
04 Aug. 2022
Accepted
21 Dec. 2022
First published
28 Dec. 2022

Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2023,25, 364-381

Sustainable organic waste management using vermicomposting: a critical review on the prevailing research gaps and opportunities

A. Thirunavukkarasu, R. Sivashankar, R. Nithya, A. B. Sathya, V. Priyadharshini, B. P. Kumar, M. Muthuveni and S. Krishnamoorthy, Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2023, 25, 364 DOI: 10.1039/D2EM00324D

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements