Earthworms - the 'biological machine' of green agriculture.

KHANH HOA - From agricultural waste, earthworms have become a 'biological machine' helping to form a circular agriculture model, creating clean agricultural products, increasing value, and protecting the environment.

Having graduated in environmental science, Mr. Le Minh Vuong (Ninh Hai commune, Khanh Hoa province) has dedicated himself to building a circular agriculture model of garden - pond - livestock - earthworm farming. This approach not only increases the value of agricultural products but also protects the ecological environment, aligning with the current trend of green agricultural development.

Mr. Le Minh Vuong hopes that more farmers will raise earthworms to create a green agricultural ecosystem and protect the environment. Photo: Nguyen Thuy.

Raising earthworms to revitalize the soil.

"Having witnessed the soil becoming barren, shrimp ponds dying due to the overuse of fertilizers and chemicals, and farmers becoming exhausted by weak soil and declining health, I wondered how we could revitalize the land," shared Mr. Le Minh Vuong.

Driven by this concern, he began researching the topic of "Application of earthworm compost in circular agriculture," hoping to transform agricultural waste into resources and restore agriculture to its true nature as an ecosystem that needs sustainable nurturing.

According to Mr. Vuong, although earthworms are small, they can do what machines can't: regenerate soil, process organic waste, and reduce methane emissions. "Earthworms are the most effective natural fertilizer processing machine," Mr. Vuong said, adding that while traditional cow manure requires 1-2 months to compost before use, earthworms only need a few days to transform waste into high-quality organic fertilizer that can be directly applied to plants. Earthworm castings are rich in nutrients and safe for the soil and the environment.

He shared that raising earthworms is not difficult; it only requires a shady space and organic waste such as vegetables or animal manure. With 100m², about 4 tons of earthworm biomass can be released, yielding 8-12 tons of products including earthworm castings, earthworm meat, and treated soil after 3-4 months.

Earthworm castings improve soil aeration and microbial ecosystem, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 10-20% compared to chemical fertilizers. Meanwhile, earthworms provide a natural source of bioprotein for feeding chickens and fish, reducing farming costs. It can be said that earthworms are the starting point of a closed-loop cycle, from waste treatment and composting to livestock farming and crop cultivation, all ultimately benefiting the soil.

Currently, Mr. Vuong has transferred the techniques of raising earthworms, composting, and using earthworm fertilizer for crops to many households in various provinces and cities for application. Photo: Nguyen Thuy.

Creating a green ecosystem

Having dedicated himself wholeheartedly to researching and applying earthworm farming, Le Minh Vuong understands that green entrepreneurship is not easy. From a few experimental enclosures to a large-scale farm, he has experienced numerous failures and pressures.

What makes him so well-liked is his spirit of sharing knowledge instead of keeping the trade to himself. He regularly organizes training sessions for farmers, guiding them on earthworm farming, byproduct processing, and the production of organic microbial fertilizers. "Green agriculture is not a distant dream; we just need to change our methods," Mr. Vuong confidently stated.

From that idea, he built the 4,000m² circular agricultural farm, Vuong Trun Que, in Ninh Hai. Here, everything is reused: earthworms process chicken manure and organic waste to create worm castings and worm liquid fertilizer; worm castings fertilize coconut, papaya, and organic vegetable gardens; free-range chickens eat earthworms and herbs, and chicken manure is composted to make organic fertilizer; fish ponds provide irrigation water and maintain ecological balance for the entire farm. The closed-loop operating model, with no waste and no chemicals, reduces production costs while creating safe agricultural products and a clean environment.

Beyond just production, the farm also offers ecotourism and experiential opportunities, where visitors, students, and farmers can witness firsthand the circular farming process and enjoy fresh produce right from the farm.

Mr. Vuong emphasized that circular agriculture is not just for large businesses. Small-scale farmers can absolutely flexibly apply it. "For example, fruit orchards can utilize the shade to raise chickens, using the chicken manure as fertilizer for the trees, or raise earthworms and use the worms as feed for the chickens. This creates a closed-loop system and increases value," he shared.

After many years of practice, he compiled a guidebook on circular agriculture, which was widely accepted by farmers. He also transferred the technology and supported its replication in many provinces and cities.

From tiny organisms underground, Mr. Vuong has inspired belief in a new direction: circular agriculture, where waste becomes a resource and farmers become builders of a green future.

Earthworm farming helps to create a circular agricultural model, producing clean agricultural products, increasing value, and protecting the environment. Photo: Nguyen Thuy.

According to him, biotechnology and the digitalization of agriculture are opening up great opportunities. Previously, composting took 30-45 days, but now, thanks to probiotics and enzymes, it only takes 7-10 days to produce the finished product.

"I want to spread the circular agriculture model to more farmers so that Vietnam can confidently produce green, clean agricultural products, not inferior to any other country," said young engineer Le Minh Vuong, adding that the journey of persuading farmers to abandon the habit of using chemical fertilizers because they are "convenient and dry" and switch to worm compost, even though it is cheaper, but moist and difficult to store, has been quite challenging.

"Changing mindsets is the hardest part. But when people see healthy plants, loose soil, and increased yields, they start to believe," Mr. Vuong said.

According to engineer Vuong, raising earthworms only requires mastering four basic principles: a suitable breeding environment that is shady, humid, and protected from harsh sunlight and flooding; a clean food source from fresh cow or goat manure or composted vegetables; healthy earthworms to ensure high biomass density and strong reproduction; and a stable market for the product. Circular agriculture is not just an economic model, but a way of living in harmony with nature.

"With just one box of earthworm breeding stock, each family can process organic waste right at home, creating natural bio-fertilizer for plants," Mr. Vuong shared.

Mr. Vuong also researched and perfected many organic products from earthworms, such as localized IMO microorganisms (liquid and powder form); aloe vera GE, banana GE; organic microbial fertilizers, earthworm extract, and Alonutri Pro bionutrient for aloe vera plants. In particular, he pioneered the introduction of frozen earthworm products, which help preserve valuable biological compounds such as enzymes, minerals, and amino acids, meeting the year-round raw material needs of farmers.

For him, earthworms are not just soil-improving organisms, but also a bridge between science and farmers, helping them reduce costs, increase productivity, and, more importantly, restore soil health.

In the context of Vietnam's pursuit of ecological agriculture, modern rural areas, and civilized farmers, vermicompost is one of the highest-grade organic microbial fertilizers, meeting criteria for safety for human health as well as the natural environment.

Circular agriculture helps reuse resources, extend the life cycle of waste, and transform it into valuable products that benefit the system. Livestock waste is processed into food for earthworms, the earthworm castings are used to fertilize crops, and the crops provide green fodder for the livestock, creating a cycle free of waste and chemicals, only the regeneration of nature.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/trun-que--co-may-sinh-hoc-cua-nong-nghiep-xanh-d782588.html