Tetra vermi bed and a process for composting agricultural waste
OwnerKishorilal Ramnath Dhoot, Kamlesh Kishorilal Dhootinventors
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Abstract
A tetra vermi bed and a process for composting agricultural waste The conventional composting apparatus are mostly bulky, posing problems in transportation to sites, storing agricultural waste. This invention addresses the shortcomings by construction of composting bed of multiple layers of LDPE and HDPE substrate. The tetra vermin bed propagates production of worms and yields manure, which is easy to handle and to transport in bags. The tetra vermin bed is easy to install and to dismantle for operation at multiple sites, storing agricultural waste.
Claims16
A stitch less, heat-sealed, HDPE substrate-tetra LDPE-layered, vermi composting bed (100), constructed of a composite fabric (90), said composite fabric (90) made of UV-stabilized, four, hot extrusion coated, LDPE layers, said four layers laminated and alternating with UV-stabilized, three, HDPE substrate (woven fabric) layers, said tetra vermi bed (100) comprising:
- (i) a main panel (100-1), of said composite fabric (90), admeasuring 16 feet, 9 inches×2 feet;
- (ii) two side panels (100-2, 100-3), each said side panel of said composite fabric (90), admeasuring 12 feet 9 inches×2 feet such that
- (iii) (a) the ultimate size of said tetra vermi bed (100), made of said seven-layered composite fabric (90) admeasures 12 feet long 4 feet wide×2 feet high;
- (b) said vermi bed (100) has an internal volumetric capacity to contain 96 cubic feet volume of waste;
- and
- (c) the ultimate shade of said tetra vermi bed (100) exteriorly is green and interiorly is snow white;
- (iv) fourteen, inverted U-shaped pockets (80-1 . . . 80-14) made of said seven-layered composite fabric (90), each said pocket open with inverted U-shaped mouth at bottom end thereof and closed at top end thereof by anchoring by roped end of said side panels (100-2, 100-3) or of said main panel (100-1);
- (v) fourteen round, straight, 39 inch long wooden poles (81-1 . . . 81-14), each said pole grouted at a pre-marked holes (82-1 . . . 82-14) to 18 inches depth below the laid ground surface (95) and projecting above the ground surface (95) to a height of 21 inches;
- (vi) six windows (70-1 . . . 70-6), made by cutting out respective pre-marked portion from said side panels (100-2, 100-3) and heat sealing HDPE net, over said cutout portions with round corners, each said window admeasuring 8 inches×4.5 inches;
- (vii) a drain (71), cut open in marked portion of said main panel (100-1) and covered with a HDPE net over the drain (71) opening, said drain (71) resting atop a semi-circularly, cut-open pipe (83) along part length (83-A) and buried for the remainder length (83-B) in soil under said drain (71) of said tetra vermi bed (100), said drain (71) admeasuring 3.5 inches×1.5 inches.
A process for composting agricultural waste in a tetra vermi bed (100) comprising:
- (i) sorting out hard material, including stones and domestic animal dung from partly decomposed agricultural waste and leaching out animal urine from the partly decomposed waste by watering and precipitating out salt to less than 0.5% by weight level;
- (ii) layering alternately in the tetra vermi bed said partly decomposed waste and said animal dung each in 6 inch thick layers and repeating said layering process till the tetra vermi bed is almost filled to brim or alternatively filling completely with animal dung;
- (iii) sprinkling water in fine spray over the contents of the tetra vermi bed till heat of the contents is positively removed and the contents of the tetra vermi bed are cooled and humidity initially is 70%-80% by weight;
- (iv) checking settling down of the contents after sprinkling water and adding a layer of animal dung till the contents reach the 2 feet height of the tetra vermi bed;
- (v) measuring periodically temperature of the contents and maintaining it to 25 degree C. to 35 degree C. and maintaining moisture to adequate levels;
- (vi) periodically checking pH value and maintaining it to 5 to 9 level;
- (vii) adding calcium carbonate to the contents to raise pH to 5 to 9 level or adding peat moss to the contents to lower pH to the required 5-9 level, ideal pH being 7.5 indicating slightly alkaline nature, favourable for reproduction of worms.
- (viii) making 3 inch-4 inch deep basins into the contents along all sides of the tetra vermi bed, after it is sufficiently cooled down and the water content comes down to 20-30% by weight so as the waste to become sufficiently moist and porous for free movement of earthworms;
- (ix) adding earthworms to said basins, allowing them to mix with the contents and closing said basins;
- (x) repeating the process after three days, as described in step (viii) above but to add proper feed for worms;
- (xi) frequently watering the contents for maintaining the porousness of the decomposed waste to facilitate free movement of worms;
- (xii) allowing earthworms for a period of 2 months to work on the partly-decomposed agricultural waste;
- (xiii) collecting vermi wash liquid in the container placed in the pit;
- (xiv) periodically inspecting said vermi wash liquid, earthworms and the tetra vermi bed and monitoring temperature;
- (xv) gathering the produced manure, after 40 days, from all sides of the tetra vermi bed and stacking it in a pile, leaving thereby earthworms at bottom of the tetra vermi bed;
- (xvi) sieving the produced manure and packing it in bags;
- (xvii) sampling the packed manure for inspection for quality check.
- (xviii) re-using earthworms segregated from the produced manure in following manure production batches.
A tetra vermi bed and a process for composting agricultural waste into manure, as substantially described herein above and illustrated in the accompanying 1 to 14 drawings
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.