Worm collection and characterization of vermicompost produced using different worm species and waste feeds materials at Sinana on – station of Bale highland southeastern Ethiopia

Soil fertility decline and high prices of inorganic fertilizers are among the major bottlenecks for sustainable crop production and agricultural productivity particularly for small holder farmers. Considering these issues this study was conducted at Sinana Agricultural Research Centre, on station to evaluate worm collected from different sites and characterizations of vermicomposting nutrient content made from different feed sources. Trials house or vermiculture was constructed on 15 m x 13 m land size having six worm bins in the house in which single worm bin 9 m2 area. Inside worm bin were covered using plastic geo-membranes to make safe for earthworms while on the top and partially, the body of house covered by corrugated iron sheet in order protect from rain, flying predators and mesh wire for aeration purpose was used. The earthworm collection conducted contains two parts. The first part was locally collected from Sinana and Dinsho Districts from moist cool, around dead leaves (straw), moist bark dead trees leaves and farm yard manure stored for a long period of time at home garden. The second part was the red worm (Eisenia fetida) taken from Ambo Agricultural Research Center. Crop residue of field pea, faba bean, wheat and barley after chopped both using grinding machine and manually mixed with farm yard manure were used both for vermicompost and conventional compost. The major chemical properties such as pH, EC, OC, TN, available P, CEC, exchangeable bases (Ca, Mg, K and Na) and micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn) were conducted using standard laboratory procedures. Results for nutrient content characterizations indicated that 6.93-7.83; 0.003 ds/m to 0.007 ds/m ; 12.97% to 28.82%; 1.42% to 4.68%; 6.16% to 9.76%; 25.31 mg/kg to 89.89 mg/kg and 33.23 cmol+/kg to 65.43 cmol+/kg for pH; Ec; OC; TN; C:N; Av.P and CEC; respectively were obtained. Both exchangeable bases and micronutrients also follows similar trend for major essential plant nutrients in which relatively highest value obtained from vermicompost made using Eisenia Fetida while the lowest values obtained from conventional compost. It can be concluded that high vermicompost quality in terms of nutrient containing such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, exchangeable bases and micro nutrients was produced from the mixture of field pea, faba bean, wheat and barley straw or residue using red earthworms (Eisenia fetida) than locally collected worm species and conventional compost. It should be recommended that multiplication, demonstration of Vermiculture and vermicompost produced using Eisenia fetida and integrated use with inorganic fertilizer is need in Sinana and similar agro - ecology.