Vermicompost, derived from the processing of organic waste by earthworms, is a beneficial soil amendment known to improve plant and soil health due to the presence of beneficial microorganisms. Vermicompost microbiome can vary radically depending on the starting substrate, environmental conditions, and earthworm species, making it important to characterize the microbial community over time under a variety of vermicomposting conditions. To characterize the microbial community of vermicompost produced from rabbit manure, four samples were collected from vermicomposting bins (Avery Islands, LA) for Nanopore long-read sequencing: one unprocessed manure samples, and samples which had been composting for 1-, 6-, and 12-months. About 135Gb of sequence data with a median quality of Q19 was produced. Relative taxonomic abundance of the microbial community was assessed using Kraken2 and Braken. Manure samples differed in microbiome composition, but were both much less diverse than vermicomposted samples, which had much greater bacterial diversity and were rich in nitrogen-fixing bacteria such as Mesorhizobium and Bradyrhizobium. 1-month old vermicompost more closely resembled 12-month old vermicompost than unprocessed manure, suggesting that a majority of the benefits of vermicomposting are realized within a relatively short period of time.
