Earthworms: The Uncelebrated Heroes Revolutionizing Agriculture

 

Kannan, a 15-year-old boy, was riding his bicycle on one pleasant evening when he noticed a farmer carrying feed for his cattle. Offering to help, Kannan took the feed and dropped it at the farmer’s home. There, he noticed several pits filled with soil and manure. Curious, Kannan asked the farmer what these pits were and why they filled with soil.

The farmer, smiling, explained, “Most people see earthworms as tiny, slimy creatures wriggling through the soil. But they don't realize that these little fellows are one of the best friends a farmer can have. They work tirelessly underground, acting like tiny engineers to enrich and nurture the soil, making it fertile and ready for planting.”

The farmer bent down, picking up a handful of soil, and explained, "Earthworms transform the ground beneath us, making the soil richer, softer and healthier for crops to grow. They do this by breaking down organic material and leaving behind nutrient-rich castings."

He continued, “That’s why they’re often called the farmer’s friend, the ploughman of the field and even the intestines of the earth. They act like ecological engineers. The combined efforts of earthworms and microbes accelerate decomposition, improve soil aeration and enhance the overall condition of the soil. These tiny creatures help fragment and expand the surface area of organic matter, creating a fertile environment for plants.

Kannan, let me tell you more interesting facts about these tiny ecological engineers, in just one acre of land, there can be more than a million earthworms. Globally there are around 6000 species of earthworms, with 180 species found in Indian soil. Earthworms are equipped with 5 hearts and they don’t have lungs, they are sensitive to light and vibration, their skins detect these as they don’t have ears, eyes and noses. Let us go deep in knowing more about them:

Role of earthworms in soil fertility: Earthworms play a chief role in the preliminary breakdown and successive decomposition of organic matter to release and recycle nutrients present in organic matter. They improve the organic matter mineralization in the soil and consequently increase the amount of nitrogen. Earthworms promote the growth and propagation of beneficial organisms in the soil.

When you talk about the food chain, earthworms play a crucial role. They provide essential protein-rich food source for other significant species in the ecosystem like birds, hedgehogs and frogs. This brings us to the question: what do earthworms eat to provide such nutrients to help the ecosystem? They can naturally survive on their own by feeding on fungi and bacteria. Earthworms accelerate the degradation of organic matter by increasing the surface area involved through the comminution.

Then farmer told Kannan, “What you are seeing in this pit is called vermicompost and the preparation process is called vermicomposting. During this process, the waste is converted into useful manure by reducing the harmful effects of waste. It is produced when organic material is passed through the gut of earthworms in the worm pit. Vermicomposting is better than traditional composting and differs from it in several ways. For instance, vermicomposting accelerates the process of decomposition by 2–5 times and generates a much more uniform product containing high humus content.

He concluded the conversation by saying,” These humble creatures are essential for sustainable agriculture and environmental balance, proving that even the smallest beings can have a profound impact on the ecosystem. Protecting and promoting their habitat is vital for the health of our planet.”