Enhancing Vermicompost Quality with Azolla pinnata: Enriched Goat Dung for Sustainable Agriculture

In regenerative agriculture, this study explores the potential of Azolla pinnata-enriched goat dung vermicompost as a sustainable and nutrient-rich organic fertilizer. Goat dung was collected from integrated farming units established at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Vridhachalam and farmers holdings of the Cuddalore district. Goat dung was pre-treated by soaking in Azolla cultivated water and fronds of Azolla and composted with African earthworms (Eudrilus eugeniae) to enhance the nitrogen and carbon content of the vermicompost. Over 120 days, the vermicompost was monitored for key physicochemical properties, including pH, electrical conductivity, total carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Experimental results proved that the Azolla-enriched goat dung vermicompost (T3) exhibited a significant increase in total carbon (266.24 g/kg), nitrogen (19.95 g/kg), and potassium (27.18 g/kg) compared to control with goat dung manure alone (T1) and goat dung vermicompost (T2). The pH of the A. pinnata-enriched goat dung vermicompost was slightly acidic at 6.6. This study underscores the efficacy of integrating Azolla with goat dung in vermicomposting to produce organic manure that enhances soil fertility and fosters environmentally sustainable farming practices. The findings suggest that adopting such a system in integrated farming could lead to increased farm productivity, better resource recycling where Azolla cultured water and Goat dung serves as inputs for vermiculture for improving the quality with enhanced nitrogen content, offering a viable approach for regenerative agriculture.