Earthworms serve as a reliable indicator of soil health, with healthy populations providing enough nutrition for plant growth.
Earthworm tunnels provide essential water and air penetration into the soil that plants rely upon – known as aeration.
Earthworms thrive in moist soil that provides them with plenty of organic matter to digest, while dry or sandy conditions do not favor their wellbeing.
Reasons Why Earthworms Good For Agriculture?
Soil Aeration
Earthworm burrows play an invaluable role in aerating soil, alleviating compaction and improving water-holding capacity while mixing organic matter to enrich its structure. Earthworms are especially valuable in no-till systems where no till systems exist; many types of soil support earthworm populations; however very coarse sands and high water table heavy clays do not support their presence, nor some chemicals like anhydrous ammonia and ammonium sulfate as fertilizers (especially nitrogen fertilizers) which can adversely impact them negatively on earthworm populations.
Earthworms produce both sperm and eggs by “backing out.” When segments molt, their sperm can be released into the soil, where another earthworm may fertilize it; eggs produced this way will then remain stored within their cocoon until conditions are suitable for hatching.
Scientists conducted extensive studies on earthworms to ascertain their impact on agriculture, using global maps of agricultural lands along with maps of soil properties and crop yields to calculate an estimate of E. They determined that without earthworms, grain production would drop 6.45% per year while legume yield fell 2.3% per year, both being significant differences that can easily be improved upon with proper management practices. Luckily, increasing earthworm populations is fairly straightforward.
Nutrient Recycling
Earthworms recycle nutrients in soil by digesting organic matter and returning it back into the ground, making more available for plants and microorganisms, increasing soil fertility. Their activities also aerate soils, improving water penetration while decreasing erosion.
Earthworm populations in fields with high organic matter content may be substantial. Farmers can monitor these worms by monitoring areas rich in organic matter and testing the soil for earthworms.
Worms are generally active during spring and fall months, before entering hibernation for summer and winter months. While hibernating, they burrow deep within the soil and produce sticky mucus to protect themselves from harsh environments.
Studies have demonstrated the ability of earthworms to act as a reliable indicator for soil health. Researchers have studied numbers of earthworms across fields using various farming practices; researchers compared numbers in fields using tillage with long-term no-till fields which tend to have twice as many earthworms due to regular supplies of animal manure and other organic matter being added into long-term no-till fields as opposed to just commercial fertilizers used on corn fields using moldboard plowing.
Soil Structure Improvement
Small worms create tunnels to mix, aerate and aggregate the soil. This improves its structure while making roots easier to penetrate the ground surface more readily – as well as helping reduce harmful effects such as soil compaction.
Earthworms play an integral part in recycling nutrients back into the soil for use by plants, while simultaneously aerating and opening channels for water and air movement. Furthermore, earthworms break down crop residues to increase organic matter content in the soil.
Recent research demonstrated that without earthworms, cereal grain production would drop by 6.45% – this represents an incredible loss in sustainable agricultural development.
Soil health is integral for sustainable crop production, and should consider both the biological and physical components. An easy way to gauge soil health is to observe earthworm activity: If there is plenty of this critter activity in an area of dense plant growth, that indicates its viability; otherwise it might indicate shallow and restricted soil that won’t support healthy plant development; altering management practices that encourage earthworm activity will rapidly improve soil health resulting in healthier crops.
Microbial Activity
Earthworms create tunnels through which air and water can enter, helping with aeration as well as root penetration, reduction of compaction and encouraging beneficial fungi and bacteria to do their work, essential for plant growth. One study concluded that earthworms increased topsoil microbial activity four to eleven times over unamended soil.
Worm castings, otherwise known as excrement from worms, contain beneficial microbes and nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that provide nourishment to plants. Many people keep a worm bin for the purpose of using their castings as fertilizer for plants in their garden. They’re an abundant source of organic matter which provides an alternative source of fertilizer or mulch.
Some earthworms live near the surface while others burrow deeper. Earthworms that live closer to the surface consume soil and organic matter from nearby, transporting it back down through tunnels to improve soil quality by bringing up minerals that might otherwise remain low-supply closer to the surface, while simultaneously digging canals through which water and air can penetrate their tunnels into subsoil layers.
PH Regulation
Earthworm tunnels create pathways to mix soil layers while also aiding water and oxygen flow through the ground more freely, enabling nutrients to disperse more freely so plants can absorb them, as well as improving pH balance by recycling organic material such as decayed plant remains into usable nutrients for new crops.
Research has demonstrated the beneficial roles played by earthworms in producing numerous crops, such as grains like barley, wheat and rice as well as legumes such as soybeans and peas. One study concluded that earthworms account for 6.5% of global crop yields!
Additionally, they add a layer of compost to the soil surface that improves productivity by increasing organic matter content in the soil structure, texture and aeration while decreasing chemical fertilizer needs.
Farmers have reported that earthworms play an integral part in keeping their fields healthier, yet it’s sometimes hard to know whether a field is inhabitable. Luckily, scientists are developing ways of measuring soil health based on earthworm populations and agricultural practices – by reporting their management techniques directly to researchers they can assist them in understanding whether their soil health improves.
Sustainable Agriculture
Earthworms help maintain healthy soil that’s perfect for plant growth. Their tunneling enhances aeration and allows water and nutrients to reach deeper into the profile, while their excrement contains organic matter that decomposes quickly while enriching the soil – including decayed roots, leaves and other plant material as well as beneficial bacteria such as fungi, bacteria and nematodes that increase microbial activity in the soil.
Earthworm bodies are made up of segments covered with setae. Their main role in vermicomposting – an increasingly popular method for processing organic waste and turning it into valuable soil amendment – lies with setae on each segmented body segment.
Earthworms’ annuli are lined with mucus to lubricate them as they move through the soil, protecting them from predators while allowing oxygen directly from their environment through tiny pores in their skin. Without this protective cuticle layer, earthworms would die quickly; without adequate moisture for breathing they’d dry out and die, assisted by their breathing apparatus known as the clitellum that pumps out mucus needed for life as a ring-shaped glandular tissue called an clitellum that pumps it out – while this slimy coating also keeps hydration levels optimal while protecting delicate internal tissues against predators and predators alike. Without its protection earthworms would die quickly; even breathing assistance from their surrounding surroundings can allow direct oxygen access from their surroundings into their bodies through tiny pores in their skin pores direct into their bodies directly while still protecting from predators as their internal tissues become vulnerable compared with being protected inside this way by being kept moist enough by keeping water within their surroundings from taking in oxygen from their surroundings through tiny pores in their skin pores in their skin pores for breathing purposes – providing breathing assistance via glandular tissue called “clitellum”, pumping out mucus necessary for survival; plus keeping these creatures moist keeps their vital internal tissues protected while protected with breathing assisted by pumping out breath aid from their breathing aid ring glandular tissue known as “clitellum pump out mucus required by pumping glandular tissue known as “clay”.
Conclusion
Earthworms’ burrowing and tunneling activity loosens soil, improves water infiltration and makes nutrients more accessible to plants. Furthermore, their casts (excrement) cement soil particles into heavier aggregates which increase structural stability of the soil while increasing permeability to reduce erosion and promote root penetration.
Manure, crop residue and earthworm-rich organic matter such as vermicompost or vermiwash that can be directly added into the soil are an effective way to increase nutrient availability – this ensures that vital elements like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium can be readily absorbed by roots.
Earthworms also recycle plant debris by breaking it down and reincorporating it back into the soil, enriching it with microorganisms that boost microbial activity and improving overall soil health. To encourage earthworms, mulch your soil and avoid burning crop stubble. Plowing reduces worm numbers; no-till farming may be better as plowing reduces plowing is also known to reduce earthworm populations. Utilizing forage crops like clover and alfalfa that rot naturally in place can also encourage earthworms while cutting chemical fertilizer usage down significantly; heavy soil compaction should also be avoided to ensure optimal conditions.