Research Project for Earthworms in Earthworm- myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theResearch Project for Earthworms in Earthworm Farming. Answer: Feasibility of reusing coffee powder waste as feed for earthworms in earthworm farming The most significant issues encountered by todays world are the ability to manage waste that is affecting the public health and the environment. As commented by Murthy Naidu (2012), coffee powder is the most widely produced waste that is produced on a daily basis. This is because of an increased rate of coffee consumption among the population in Singapore. It is estimated that there are hundreds of coffee shops around Singapore that produce an average of 15 kg coffee waste daily. Therefore, tonnes of coffee powders are wasted per month in Singapore. Using natural fertilizers for the crops is essential to promote growth and level of nutrition within them. Disposing of the coffee powder in the natural environment adversely affects the public health and environment. Therefore, it is feasible to reuse the coffee powder waste for vermin composting, as worms enjoy similar food habits as humans (Pathma Sakthivel, 2012). As mentioned by Yuan (2016), worms recycle the coffee powders into nutrients for the plants. Regular composting produces healthy food for the plants whereas compost by the earthworms helps in enriching the compost even more. After feeding on the coffee powders, the earthworms excrete castings that help in providing sufficient nutrients to the garden. Coffee powders help in attracting worms similarly as traditional composting piles used to do. The coffee powders are considered as a tasty addition to the products that are used for compost production. Thus, coffee powder helps in digestion for the earthworms while vermin composting. An adequate amount of coffee powder needs to be added while compost production because an excessive amount of coffee powder makes the compost acidic. The best environment for the worms ranges from 6.0-8.0. Excessive acidic nature of the bed can burn the skin of the worms thereby, hampering the compost formation (Makkar et al. 2014). The research suggests that the use of coffee powder helps in enriching the property of the compost used for agriculture. However, the feasibility of reusing the coffee powder needs attention, as a huge amount of coffee powder is produced as waste daily in Singapore. The practicality of the objective is presented by SMART objective below: Specific- The objective is specific because reusing the coffee powder waste will enhance the quality of the compost used for agriculture. Enriched quality of the vermin compost will help in better plant growth, as the plants will have access to better nutritional values. Additionally, reusing the wasted coffee powders will also help in decreasing the adverse environmental impact. Therefore, the reusing coffee powder will help in mitigating the adverse environmental impact and enhancing the quality of crops. Measurable- The objective is measurable because the use of the amount of waste coffee powder in Singapore can be compared between the past and the present. Comparing the amount of coffee powder used in vermin compost in the past and in the present will give an idea of the feasibility of reusing the waste for earthworm culture. Tools such as SQL data compare and various statistical tools can measure the data (Sanchez-Hernandez Dominguez, 2017). Additionally, studying the reports of the company that uses coffee powder as vermin compost will help in measuring the feasibility. Attainable- The objective is attainable because successful completion of the objective contributes largely to the environment and the agricultural field in Singapore. The practicality of the objective will help in reducing the environmental pollution caused by general disposal of coffee powder. Realistic- The objective is realistic because it is appropriate for the caffeine industry as well as the environment. Judging the feasibility of reusing coffee powder will help in evaluating the available resources that can be used in attaining the objectives. It has to be seen whether there are sufficient and adequate resources available in Singapore that can be used for collecting the daily coffee powder waste. This will provide an overall idea of the amount of coffee powder that is used in vermin compost thereby, enriching the quality of the compost (Chen et al., 2015). Time-specific- The objective is time specific because reusing the wasted coffee powder 1 month of the collection will increase the feasibility of the objective. Therefore, the wasted coffee powder produced daily needs to be utilized within 1 month of collection by the compost producing companies. Time Frame Activities 1st week Collecting the coffee powder waste 2nd week Mixing the coffee powder with other composts and creating the bed for the earthworms 3rd week Wait for the earthworms to use the coffee waste 4th week Production of enriched compost through vermin compost References Chen, Y., Zhang, Y., Zhang, Q., Xu, L., Li, R., Luo, X., ... Tong, J. (2015). Earthworms modify microbial community structure and accelerate maize stover decomposition during vermicomposting. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 22(21), 17161-17170. Makkar, H. P., Tran, G., Heuz, V., Ankers, P. (2014). State-of-the-art on use of insects as animal feed. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 197, 1-33. Murthy, P. S., Naidu, M. M. (2012). Sustainable management of coffee industry by-products and value additionA review. Resources, Conservation and recycling, 66, 45-58. Pathma, J., Sakthivel, N. (2012). Microbial diversity of vermicompost bacteria that exhibit useful agricultural traits and waste management potential. SpringerPlus, 1(1), 26. Sanchez-Hernandez, J. C., Domnguez, J. (2017). Vermicompost derived from spent coffee grounds: assessing the potential for enzymatic bioremediation. Yuan, Y. (2016). Vermicomposting, waste recycling and plant growth (Doctoral dissertation, Lincoln University).