Worm Composting Studies

Little compost worms, Eisenia fetida or red wigglers, draw big interest from scientists curious about its life cycle and untapped potential in treating organic wastes. Ohio State University soil scientist Clive Edwards and North Carolina State University's Rhonda Sherman, an extension specialist, lead the way in respectively conducting research and holding annual conferences on worm composting.

Scale

• Worm composting by home hobbyists stems largely from pioneering efforts by Mary Appelhof, a Michigan biologist who first experimented in the 1970s and '80s with adapting bait worms to consuming household organic waste on a small scale and published the results in her book "Worms Eat My Garbage." Formal studies published in journals tend to look at worm composting on a commercial or industrial scale, with researchers in India and the Philippines especially represented.

Focus

• Studies published in journals such as "Biocycle," the "International Journal of Environment Science and Technology," "Applied Ecology and Environmental Research: and "Bioresource Technology" tend to look at potential waste streams that compost worms can handle. Published studies evaluate worm composting of human biosolids, paper mill sludge, sheep and pig manure, crop residue and coffee pulp. Studies also report on the use of worms to reclaim contaminated soil in India.

Potential

• Additional studies look at the application of worm compost to plants. While not always published in peer-reviewed journals, studies by Cornell University plant pathologists and Washington State University extension agents find that vermicompost improves plant growth and foils certain diseases.