Vanishing Earthworms

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Earthworm

When I was a little boy, some 65 years ago, I found our yard filled with earthworms coming out of the ground after a rain.

That doesn't happen anymore.

Why?

Source of article below

Earthworm

	Introduction
	Types of Earthworms
	Life Cycle of Earthworms
	Food of Earthworm
	Benefits of Earthworm
	Benefits from Vermicompost Waste

	Selection of site for Vermicomposting
	Methods of Vermicomposting
	Availability of Nutrients from Vermicomposting
	Production of Vermi--Wash
	Statistical Data

Introduction

Lessons taught us that earthworm is farmer’s friend.

But the truth is that earthworm is soil’s cultivator and we should learn how to become its friend.

To become a friend of earthworm, it is very important to take care of certain things.

Application of poisonous chemicals to the soil should be avoided. Plants and animal residues should be added regularly to the soil.

In olden days our ancestors adopted natural farming by which they produced high yielding and harmless food products. At the same time fertility of the lands was also increased. But through green revolution farmers switched over to chemical fertilizers and poisonous pesticides. Even though these measures appear to give high yield, there is a deterioration of farm lands. Earthworms and microorganisms started to vanish.

Because of the disappearance of earthworms , there occurred a hindrance for the rainwater to penetrate deep into the soil. Soil’s aeration also gets affected.

If we continue the usage of chemical fertilizers, lend will be deteriorated environment will get polluted and there is a chance of occurrence of several diseases in the human society

Types of Earthworms

Earthworms are classified into there types based on their life cycle and also on the basis of depth of holes that they make in the soil in which they live.

First Type

These types of earthworms dwell in the upper surface of the soil in within one feet, and exhibit fast movement. These are called as Epigeic. These types of earthworms can convert the leaf residues into manure. These are suitable for Vermicomposting.

Examples

1. Eudrilus Eugenia
2. Eisenia foetida

Local

1. Perionyx excavatus
2. Drawida willsi

Second Type

This type dwells in the middle portion of soil layer in one foot to two feet. These are called as Anacic. This type can absorb the inner contents of the soil and also is able to change the soil structure. Since they exhibit an upward &downward type of movement, soil aeration gets improved.

Example
Local : Lampito mauriti

Third type

They dwell in the soil at a depth of 6ft. they push their wastes to the upper surface of the soil. Because of their upward & downward type of movement, they make tunnels beneath the soil. This facilitates soil aeration and drainage of water. Also facilitates the availability of sunlight to the roots of crops. These are called as Endogeic.

Life Cycle of Earthworms

1. Earthworm is a hermaphrodite.

2. A pair of earthworm lay 100 eggs or cocoons within 3 to 6 months.

3. Cocoons resemble the shape of coriander seeds. Thorn like structure will be protruding from the 2 sides of cocoon. At first it appears in while color. As growth proceeds, it becomes black colored.

4. Young worms will come out within 2 to 3 weeks.

5. 3 to 4 young worms will come out from one egg. They will attain the stage of reproduction within 6 weeks. In this stage a new growth structure called clitellum’s will develop on the surface of earthworms.

6. Earthworms reproduce through bisexual reproduction.

7. Earthworms live for one year.

8. They are very soft and don’t have any defense structures. Their body surface is divided into several compartments. They lack bones and eyes. Two light sensing organs are present in front of the body. This organ facilitates the earthworm to proceed in the light deficient areas.

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Food of Earthworm

Plant and animal wastes, Mucous of birds and Kitchen wastes.

Benefits of Earthworm

a. Because of their upward & downward movement it promotes soil aeration and drainage facility during rainy season. Percolation rate also increases.

b. It absorbs the soil residues adding fertility to soil.

c. It prevents soil erosion.

d. Since Vermicomposting is added to the soil, there is a chance of increase in the population of soil earthworms.

e. Increases the moisture holding capacity and also the irrigation interval.

Source of second article, below

Abstract

Many Mexican and Central American farmers use the legume cover crop Mucuna pruriens (velvetbean) to reduce weed growth, enhance soil fertility, and reduce the use of irrigation, tillage and herbicides.

This cropping system can also maintain abundant native earthworm populations, such as of the endogeic species Balanteodrilus pearsei, although the functional significance of these earthworms, particularly their effects on litter decomposition and plant growth are still mostly unknown.

Therefore, a completely randomized 2 × 2 factorial was set up to investigate the effects of B. pearsei and M. pruriens litter on maize growth under controlled conditions.

One maize plant was grown in each bucket for 120 days and each treatment was replicated 10 times.

Treatments consisted of:

soil without B. pearsei and without M. pruriens residues (S); soil with B. pearsei and without M. pruriens litter (SB); soil with M. pruriens and without B. pearsei litter (SM); soil with B. pearsei and M. pruriens residues (SBM).

In SBM, biomass, abundance and sexual maturity of B. pearsei were, respectively, 1.6, 1.4 and 2.4 times higher than in the treatment lacking M. pruriens (SB).

B. pearsei presence significantly reduced the amount of M. pruriens litter mass remaining on the soil surface.

Maize root biomass and grain yields were significantly higher in SBM than in SM, S and SB.

Grain yield was significantly related to B. pearsei abundance and biomass, as well as to M. pruriens litter breakdown.

The positive yields effects of SBM in this experiment appear to be due to a synergistic effect of B. pearsei and M. pruriens.

These findings point to the importance of providing adequate conditions for earthworm activity in tropical agroecosystems, together with organic residue management, to enhance soil fertility, crop yields and agricultural sustainability.

Keywords: Native earthworms; Cover crops; Green manures; Sustainable agriculture; Tropical agroecosystems; Zea mays

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