Vermiculture in Egypt: - FAO - Regional Office for the Near East and

5. Potential of vermiculture as a means to produce
fertilizers in Egypt.
The concept of using earthworms to stabilize organic wastes (vermicomposting) is not
new, and is in use on varying scales in a large number of both developed and
underdeveloped countries. The capital cost of establishing systems has proven to be a
barrier to the large scale use of vermicomposting, largely due to the high value placed
on the worms themselves.
Three factors contribute to the economic sustainability of the system. The first is the
provision of a sustainable waste stabilization process, a service which can generate
ongoing income but which, at the moment, is provided at minimal cost. The second is
the creation of a saleable form of soil conditioner in the form of vermicast. The third
is the production of protein in the form of worm-meal, a valuable source of amino
acids, vitamins, long chain fatty acids and minerals for chicken and fish.
Recycling of farm waste and composting is the other alternative to use mineral
fertilizers. The increase in using compost in conventional agricultural will be coupled
by a decrease in fertilizers usage and will result in higher quality production and less
pollution hazards.
Organic agriculture could be one of the important options that have a good
opportunity in a wide zone of the newly reclaimed lands in Egypt. Wider production
of organic material will increase the opportunities of more growers to join the organic
farming.
This chapter sheds the light on the fertilizer needs in Egypt and potentiality of using
vermicompost as a fertilizer in Egypt, especially for organic farming.
5.1. Fertilizer use in Egypt
Application of fertilizers for growing crops is a routine operation in modern
agriculture and one of the essential requirements for a high quantity and quality yield
under extensive agricultural systems. Fertilizers are primary input in extensive
agricultural systems, but they are considered as one of the important sources of air,
water and soil pollution as well as greenhouse gases (greenhouse gases) of climate
change.
Egypt has a long history of using mineral fertilizers. On the other hand, excessive
amounts of soluble salts in the soil can prevent or delay seed germination, kill or
seriously retard plant growth, and possibly render soils and groundwater unusable.
The degree of environmental impacts can depend on the fertilizer application method.
The Egyptian fertilizers first production was from about 75 years ago. Now, Egypt is
ranked as one of the countries that are highly consuming fertilizers in agricultural
activities. The total production quantity of fertilizers is approximately reaches to 2
million Mt, 32% of the total production is exported. Excessive use of such chemical
components have a harmful effect on the Egyptian environment and human health,
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