On many occasions we have wondered if earthworms they are good or bad for our crops and the garden. Since we were little we have been taught that worms are synonymous with fertile soil with an abundance of nutrients. There is also a type of compost called vermicompost that is formed through worms and organic matter.
Would you like to learn the importance and usefulness of earthworms for crops and gardens?
Appearance of earthworms
When environmental conditions allow it, earthworms appear in a specific area. Both physical, chemical and biological fertility increase when they make an appearance. This favors agricultural production and the cultivation of plants in gardens.
It is wrong to think that worms will always improve the quality of the soil. He has always tried to convince farmers that this is so. However, there are thousands of species which can be harmful to crops. Earthworms, like termites or some ants are perfect workers that modify the structure of the soil. They are capable of forming galleries, holes and deposits of excrement. All this increases the porosity of the soil and can alter the amount of nutrients due to greater aeration.
The continuous movement of worms sometimes makes it difficult for the most natural and pristine soils to function. This happens if the transit of worms is done intentionally. That is, if the environmental conditions alone do not favor the appearance of worms, you cannot "force" the ground into it.
In recent years it has been proven that there is an accelerated loss of organic matter from many soils. This is accompanied by degradation due to the destruction of soil fauna. It is the fauna, together with the flora that regulate the soil-forming processes.
Effects of earthworms in soils
When a soil has earthworms, aeration and porosity are greatly promoted through the burrows they build. This causes an increase in the proportion of large aggregates in the soil. The effects of these worms make poorer soils gain more organic matter by better filtering the water. In addition, this continuous movement of worms helps reduce the loss of organic matter generated by wind erosion. Nevertheless, can increase erosion by removing the protective covering that the residues have from the soil surface.
Some species of tropical worms decrease the infiltration rate by producing coprolites that can compact the soil. That is, they negatively affect agricultural production or garden soils. Despite this, worms have generally been considered to improve soil structure and fertility.
Another effect that worms have in the soil is to accelerate the decomposition of plant debris. This increases the nutrient transformation rate and promotes soil aggregation and porosity. In this way there is more water infiltration and the solutes can be transported better.
It should be mentioned that, although the mineralization of the nutrients depends on the bacteriological and fungal activity, it is influenced by the fauna of the soil. The worms also act in the mineralization of the nutrients. This happens because they can assimilate carbon from the most labile fractions of the organic remains.
They are generally capable of increasing the mineralization of carbon in the soil and raising the amounts of organic nitrogen.
Plant growth
Numerous studies have been conducted on the influence of earthworms on plant growth. This is an attempt to corroborate whether everything that is said about them is true. The results of these investigations report good results. There are others, however, that show they have negative or no effects. The worms that have positive effects do so on the production of suckers and grains in different field crops.
The tests to verify the usefulness of the worms have been carried out in greenhouses and fields. Different types of soils were used to verify the effects of earthworms. The most beneficial effects of worms on plant growth can be seen when the availability of nutrients and water is increased. It also improves the structure of the soil, stimulating the activity of microorganisms and contributing to the formation of microbial products that increase plant growth.
It is possible, in some cases, the possibility of direct production of growth-promoting substances (hormones).
Earthworm in a home garden
For fans of home agriculture, we bring you good news. Earthworms in home gardens are a must. With its ability to dig tunnels between the roots of the plants, it eliminates the possible compaction of the substrate and helps in the aeration and drainage of the water. This allows the plants to be better oxygenated and to better expand their roots.
One mistake home garden beginners make is not knowing the amount of water well they need crops and water abundantly. If we water too much and there is not good drainage, we will end up drowning all the plants.
If we place the worms in the substrates of the crops, they will be able to eat all the plant debris. They can eat old leaves, dead plants and even diseased roots. When it digests the food it expels the organic matter rich in nutrients for the plants.
Therefore, it is very necessary that if we want to optimize the quality of the substrate of our crops, Let's use earthworms or, failing that, vermicomposting. Although they may have some rejection by their appearance, worms are very useful. Their natural populations are being lost due to the continuous loss of organic matter from the soils. We hope that more studies are carried out on them to discover some more important benefits and enhance their use, obtaining better results in our crops.
And you, would you dare to have worms in your garden?