By – Dr. N. Munal Meitei
World Earthworm Day is celebrated on October 21 to honor the under-appreciated animals and heroes under our feet. The date commemorates the month when Charles Darwin, the father of earthworm ecology, published his book ‘The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Actions of Worms’ after studying on Earthworm for more than 45 years. Earthworms are incredible little natural power tillers found in the soil, eating a wide variety of organic matter. Earthworm also vermicompost toilets to reduce the environmental impact of our household waste.
Earthworms are often called ecosystem engineers because of the outsized influence they gave on the soil. Their burrowing, so called the “Intestines of the Earth” aerates the ground, improves drainage to increase soil moisture and mixes organic matter into deeper layers and while their digestion turns plant litter into nutrient-rich castings that nourish growing crops. On a single acre of cultivated land, earthworms can move roughly eight tons of soil in a year, helping to form a fresh layer of fertile earth. With healthy soil underpinning the food we grow and the carbon, the land can store, the gentle earthworm is far more significant than its size suggests.
Earthworms are critical soil ecosystem service providers that support plant growth. The impacts of Earthworms on global crops yield are roughly 6.5% of maize, rice, wheat, barley and 2.3% of legume, equivalent to over 140 million metric tons annually. Thus, Earthworms are important humble creatures that influence plant growth via impacts on soil structure, water capture, organic cycling and nutrient availability.
Agricultural intensification, with improved crop varieties, agrochemical inputs and mechanized tillage is largely credited for feeding the global growing population, however, these changes have cost our biodiversity, water and air pollution, climate change and multiple other side effects. But Earthworms without informing anything are contributing a lot for humanity. Earthworms have also shown to facilitate the production of plant growth-promoting hormones and trigger effective crop immune responses to common soil pathogens.
Earthworms are the keystone soil species and nutrient recyclers. There are roughly 7,000 known species of Earthworms, varying enormously in size, colour and habitat. 93% of compost systems were confirmed to contain Earthworms. Earthworms are fantastic burrowing creatures that are the living, breathing engineers of the underworld. The intricate network of tunnels that earthworms create is extremely important too.
Earthworms play a quiet, but powerful, role in keeping soil healthy. From recycling nutrients and improving soil structure to repairing damaged land and supporting wildlife, these underground allies help soil function as a living system – benefiting food, water and nature.
Earthworms are hungry little creatures and Ecosystem builders. They are able to eat their own body weight in food every day. Amongst other things, their diet consists of: dead plants, fallen leaves, fungi, bacteria and dead animals.
When they eat, earthworms break down and recycle this organic matter within the soil. This naturally fertilizes the earth and packs it with vital nutrients. The little mounds we sometimes see on top of the soil are called worm castings. These are, essentially, worm poo. They are the end product of this recycling process. Their casts can contain 5 times more nitrogen, 7 times more phosphorus and 1000 times more beneficial bacteria than the original soil, which helps plants grow.
Research has shown that soils without Earthworms can be 90% less effective at soaking up water. This means more water run-off, which can lead to erosion and flooding. Earthworms don’t like living in very poor-quality soil. To survive, they need moist soils that contain enough organic matter for them to feed on. In truth, worms are not actually eating your food waste, they are eating the microorganisms that are breaking down the waste, it is the tiniest of creatures that keep the world moving.
Earthworms can also help clean up contaminated land by enhancing bioremediation. This is when microorganisms break down environmental pollutants and turn them into non-toxic molecules.
Earthworm provide a food source for other important species in the ecological food chain. They provide an important protein-rich source of food for other species, like birds, hedgehogs and frogs. Protecting these animals is crucially important not only to protect the health and balance of nutrients in the soil but for ecological balance. Earthworms are also the indicator of soil health, but their role in organic waste management is often overlooked, despite their vivacious appetites!
Vermicomposting can play a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gases (GHG). Methane and nitrous oxide are 31 and 310 times stronger than carbon dioxide, and they are both emitted from rotting food waste. Albeit not everyone has outdoor space to compost, worm farming is the solution, and can be practiced on a small scalein every household.
The byproduct of vermicompost (worm poop) is the most nutritionally dense fertiliser, teeming with beneficial microorganisms, nutrients and minerals. It’s the hope for future fertiliser replacement and other environmental goals. One tablespoon of worm poop will feed a plant for three months, slowing releasing the nutrients as and when the plant needs it.
Earthworms are the worlds unsung heroes. Throughout the world, Earthworm is revolutionizing agriculture and organic waste management, helping us move towards a regenerative practice that can tackle climate change, soil degraded and for a better future.
(The author is Environmentalist, presently working as DFO/Chandel. email-nmunall@yahoo.in)