Use of vermicompost in the production of crops with emphasis on Coffea arabica L.

Resumen

Objective: To obtain a comprehensive view of the impact and applications of the use of vermicompost in agriculture in different types of crops and especially in the production of Coffea arabica L.
Design/methodology/approach: Data were obtained from the Scopus data metabase, using the concepts “crop”, “vermicompost” and “coffee” to search in the title, abstract and keywords, and considering scientific articles and book chapters. The main journals, countries and institutions that have published on the subject were recognized. The data was analyzed using the VOSviewer software to determine the co-occurrence of the terms.
Results: India contributed 47% of the publications, followed by China with 4% and Mexico with 3%. Research on vermicompost focuses on the characterization of its physicochemical properties, and evaluations for use as substrates, organic amendments and organic fertilizer. It is an agent of biological control of pests and diseases transmitted by the soil; it is a technological alternative for in situ stabilization of heavy metals; and, in addition, it is a viable option to mitigate greenhouse gases: ammonia
(NH3) and carbon dioxide (CO2).

Study limitations/implications: This study did not consider other academic search engines as Google Scholar, Science Direct, among others.
Findings/conclusions: Vermicompost is increasingly used to improve soil nutrition and fertility in horticultural systems. In coffee (Coffea arabica L.), it is used in seed germination and as a substrate for seedlings in nursery.