The key difference between vermicompost and compost is that vermicompost is the humus-like material that is made from organic materials by the use of worms and microorganisms, while compost is the crumbly mass of rotted organic matter made from decomposed plant materials and food wastes by the use of microorganisms.
Organic fertilizers are made from plant and vegetable residues, animal matter, animal excreta, or mineral sources. Organic fertilizers take the help of organisms present in the soil to break down complex materials into simpler nutrient molecules. This process often takes lots of time. However, organic fertilizers are economically and ecologically better than chemical fertilizers. Basic types of organic fertilizers include manure, compost, rock phosphate, chicken litter, bone meal, and vermicompost.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Vermicompost
3. What is Compost
4. Similarities – Vermicompost and Compost
5. Vermicompost vs Compost in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Vermicompost vs Compost
What is Vermicompost?
Vermicompost is the humus-like material that is made from organic materials by the use of worms and microorganisms. It is a product of organic material degradation using various species of worms to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and vermicast. The species of worms used in this process are red wigglers, white worms, and earthworms.
Figure 01: Vermicompost
Vermicast is the end product of the breakdown of organic matter by earthworms. It is also known as worm castings, worm humus, worm manure, or worm feces. These excreta have reduced levels of contaminants and a higher saturation of nutrients. This entire process of producing vermicompost is called vermicomposting. Vermicompost contains water-soluble nutrients. It is an excellent nutrient-rich organic fertilizer and is also a soil conditioner. Moreover, vermicompost is normally used in gardening and sustainable organic farming. The vermicomposting process can also be used in the treatment of sewage. The variation of vermicomposting is vermifiltration, which is used to remove organic matter, pathogens, and oxygen demand from wastewater.
What is Compost?
Compost is the organic matter decomposed through a process called composting. Compost is the crumbly mass of rotted organic matter made from decomposed plant materials and food wastes by the use of microorganisms. The organic matter used here can be mainly vegetable and plant waste and animal excreta. Normally, compost is a mixture of ingredients used to fertilize and improve the soil. The resultant mixture in compost is rich in plant nutrients and beneficial organisms such as worms and fungal mycelia.
Figure 02: Compost
Compost improves soil fertility in gardens, landscaping, horticulture, urban agriculture, and organic farming. It is also useful in reducing dependency on commercial chemical fertilizers. The important functions of compost include providing nutrients to crops as a fertilizer, acting as a soil conditioner, increasing the humus contents of the soil, and introducing beneficial microbial colonies, which help to suppress pathogens in the native soil.
What are the Similarities Between Vermicompost and Compost?
- Vermicompost and compost are two types of organic fertilizers.
- Both are produced from organic matter.
- They do not pollute the environment.
- Both may contain microorganisms.
- They are more economical than chemical fertilizers.
What is the Difference Between Vermicompost and Compost?
Vermicompost is the humus-like material that is made from organic materials by the use of worms and microorganisms, while compost is the crumbly mass of rotted organic matter made from decomposed plant materials and food wastes by the use of microorganisms. This is the key difference between vermicompost and compost. Furthermore, the nutrient contents in the vermicompost are comparatively more.
The following table summarizes the difference between vermicompost and compost.
Summary – Vermicompost vs Compost
Vermicompost and compost are two different types of organic fertilizers. Vermicompost is the humus-like material that is made from organic materials by the use of worms and microorganisms, while compost is the crumbly mass of rotted organic matter made from decomposed plant materials and food wastes by the use of microorganisms. This summarizes the difference between vermicompost and compost.
Reference:
1. “Vermicomposting.” An Overview | ScienceDirect Topics.
2. “Compost.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Vermicomposting – lombricompostage (5375743544)” By SuSanA Secretariat – (CC BY 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Compost from UDD toilets” By SuSanA Secretariat (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr