U. Arkansas Speaker Stresses Benefits of Earthworms

1/31/2005

University Wire  FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. 

By Jeff Winkler

Martin Shipitalo, a pedologist at the North Appalachian Experimental Watershed in Coshocton, Ohio, spoke about "Earthworms and Macropore Flow" at the University of Arkansas.

Pedologists study "the soil as a natural body," Shipitalo said.

Macropore flow scientists study the movement of water in wormholes, root channels and cracks in the soil, according to Markus Helmet Weiler, a graduate student at the Swiss Federal Institute in Zurich.

Shipitalo and his colleagues at NAEW have been doing research on soil erosion and the positive use of "no-till" agricultural practices.

Earthworms it seems, have contributed to the controlling of run-off at watersheds, because they provide channels for the water infiltrate, he said.

Shipitalo spoke vigorously about the benefits of the earthworms in the "no-till" soil. One regret Shipitalo did say he had, however, was not being able to provide a spectacular sample of soil that, in fact, has worm burrows in it.

"It gives a lasting impression," Shipitalo said.

Shipitalo also focused the use of earthworms in injecting waste into the soil. Agricultural managers will take worm waste and inject it into the soil. The result is nutritious soil for crops. Problems could arise with runoff, however, which may spill over the crops or into nearby creeks and could endanger aquatic life, he said.

Shipitalo noted that tilling practices seem to be able to contain this problem with more ease, despite the help of the burrow-busy worms.

"I would still recommend 'no-tilling' practices, though,'" Shipitalo said.

Duane C. Wolf, Arkansas professor in the department of crop, soil and environmental sciences, also spoke at the seminar.

"Earthworms are certainly important to the soil system, he said. "Go back to the 1940s and there's a lot of literature. After the 1960s there was less. We need to rediscover the earthworm."

Nine-year-old Lee Milus showed the same enthusiasm for the worms.

"[The seminar] was interesting. I dig [worm] burrows to get fish bait." Milus' father is a plant pathologist and Milus came with him to the seminar.

Milus enjoyed hearing about the 10-foot-long Australian earthworms, which were sometimes used as jump ropes, he said.


(C) 2005 Arkansas Traveler