Earthworms used as indicators of agricultural managements

Published source details Peres G., Piron D., Bellido A., Goater C. & Cluzeau D. (2008) Earthworms used as indicators of agricultural managements. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, 17, 1181-1189.
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Summary

Earthworms have the potential to be used as bioindicators for soil quality in agricultural landscapes. This study investigated the effect of pesticide applications under different farming regimes on earthworm abundance.

The study sites were in the Pavia region of Italy, 10km west of Pavia. The first site, with a sandy loam soil, was an organic farm with no pesticides and organic fertiliser (cow manure and slurry). The second site, with a sandy-loamy-clay soil, used pesticides (4L/ha in 400-600L primagold water) and a high input of organic fertilisers (sewage sludge). Maize crops and a cereal/legume rotation or cereal crop were sampled at each site. A temporary pasture at the first site, rice crop at the second and permanent pasture (mineral fertilisers) at a third were also sampled but results are not presented here.

In April, earthworms were extracted by spraying formaldehyde on 1 m² and were then collected. Soil samples were also taken to extract any worms that had not emerged. Three samples were taken per plot.

The density and biomass of Octodrilus transpadanus was higher in maize without pesticides (10/m²; 13g/m²) compared to that with pesticides (2/m²; 1g/m²). The opposite was true in the cereal and cereal/legume rotation (no pesticides: 4/m²; 3g/m²; pesticides: 16/m²; 15g/m²). The density and biomass of Aporrectodea caliginosa meridionalis was higher in maize and cereal crops without pesticides (maize: 1.3/m²; 1g/m²; cereal/legume: 0.3 m²; 0.3g/m²) compared to when pesticides were applied, when none were found in either crop. Eiseniella tetraedra was only found in maize with pesticides applied (7/m²).

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