Delving into this topic, we have to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of earthworms.
Advantages of earthworms to farmers
- They improve the soil structure
Earthworm produces feces in form of cast which cement soil particles together. This improves the soil structure and helps to hold water and nutrients without dispersing them. Earthworms help to maintain a good soil structure. Researches have also shown that earthworm’s cast can be used to rebuild the topsoil.
- They help to improve the fertility and nutrient content and availability in the soil
Earthworms improve soil fertility and soil nutrient content and availability in many ways. First, they play a vital role in converting plant debris and organic matter in the soil into rich humus. They feed on manure, plant debris, and the soil, and concentrate the mineral and organic contents of their food in casts. The casts created by earthworms are richer in nutrients than the surrounding soil and they are readily available for plants.. The casts are rich in nitrogen which is beneficial to plants.
Another way worms improve soil fertility and nutrient content is through their death. When earthworms die, they decompose very fast which further contribute to the organic contents of the soil. Earthworms create tunnels in the soil and leave their cast in them. Thanks to these tunnels, plant roots are able to penetrate deeper into the soil. And the cast in the tunnels and in the soil provide a more favourable environment for plant roots to grow. These channels are also known as burrows.
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- Earthworms improve soil drainage
This is as a result of the extensive networks of burrows and channels they create in the soil. They aerate and loosen up the soil and improve its drainage. Soil containing a good amount of earthworms is able to drain up water ten times faster than soil which does not contain earthworms.
- Earthworms are also used a bait by fishermen
Fishes feed on worms and so fishermen use earthworms as bait during fishing.
- Earthworms are also used in the making of compost manure known as vermicompost
