Working with UK farmers to investigate anecic earthworm middens and soil biophysical properties

Stroud, Jacqueline L.; Dummett, Iain; Kemp, Simon J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4604-0927; Sturrock, Craig J.. 2023 Working with UK farmers to investigate anecic earthworm middens and soil biophysical properties. Annals of Applied Biology, 182 (1). 92-100. 10.1111/aab.12795

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/aab.12795

Abstract/Summary

The conversion from conventional tillage to no-tillage soil management practices is generally associated with an improvement in aggregate stability and anecic earthworm populations. We worked with UK farmers who measured Lumbricus terrestris midden area (%) and earthworm numbers associated with middens compared to the general soil. They found that middens covered up to 42% of the soil surface. Middened soil (i.e., soil underlying the middens) was associated with significantly more earthworms than the general soil (i.e., non-middened soil) in agreement with research from scientific field trials. We compared the biophysical properties of middened soil to general soil across an experimental field trial recently converted to no-tillage soil management practices. We measured water-stable aggregation, soil porosity at scales relevant to water storage and gas diffusion and invertebrate feeding activity. Middened areas covered up to 13% of the field trial and were associated with significantly improved aggregate stability and porosity compared to the general soil. Our findings highlight the importance of considering middens when surveying soil quality and health in arable systems.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1111/aab.12795
ISSN:	0003-4746
Date made live:	02 Aug 2022 14:07 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/533016

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1111/aab.12795

ISSN:

0003-4746

Date made live:

02 Aug 2022 14:07 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/533016