The Rural Voice, 2002-04, Page 18Know You AIIie
Earthworms work quietly below
your feet, breaking down crop residue,
fertilizing the soil and making new soil
By Larry Drew
Earthworms not only live in our
soils. they continually create it.
And as farmers and scientists
work to further improve soil
management practices, there is a lot
to learn by looking to the earthworm.
Earthworms have been referred to
as Nature's rotary tiller, but this may
be an understatement. Where
earthworms are present, their
tunneling and castings can account
for up to 90 per cent of the soil
aggregates in the top 10 -to -20 -
centimetre layer according to
professor Bert VandenBygaart of the
University of Guelph. "In fact
earthworms move so much soil so
quickly", he says, "that they actually
create soil structure, not just alter it".
One of the most common
earthworms in our fields, the Night
Crawler (Lumbricus terrestris),
seems to know a bit about farming
too. The Night Crawler, or Dew
Worm as it is sometimes called,
comes to the surface at night to
search for food. The worms usually
remain anchored in their holes for a
quick escape while they scour for
Each fall our soyabean fields are swept of the
fallen leaves as Night Crawlers drag them into
their burrow to recycle the nutrients. Mounds
(or middens) of soon to be devoured leaves
give away the location of the Night Crawlers'
burrow.
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14 THE RURAL VOICE
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food. They will drag decaying leaves
and organic matter, along with its
bacteria and fungi, into their burrows.
Once underground they devour the
decaying leaves and the nutritious
bacteria and fungi. But as one theory
suggests, in addition to some fast
food, Night Crawlers will purposely
drag leaves into their burrows in
order to encourage even a larger crop
of bacteria and fungi.
In fact, a Night Crawler's
favourite fodder includes the fallen
For more
information on
earthworms
Visit Agriculture and Agri -
Food Canada's website to locate
articles and FAQ's on agricultural
practices and soil management:
http://res2.agr.ca/london/pmrc/en
glish/faq/menu.html
Your family can become
earthworm scientists. The
WormWatch progtam is calling
on volunteers of all ages to help
determine the numbers and
distribution of Canada's
earthworms. To find out more
about earthworms and the
WormWatch program visit:
www.wormwatch.ca