By Kimani Wiseman
Farmers and persons who are involved in backyard gardening would have seen earthworms while ploughing the soil and planting their crops. The presence of earthworms in the soil would give you better yields for your crops. Better yields would give you more money in your pocket and more food to feed the nation. However, I would have witnessed on many occasion, farmers and persons who are involved in back yard gardening removing earthworms from the soil and taking a cutlass and slicing them in half. This practice can give you poor quality soil, which in return would give you poor yields for your crops.
Healthy soils would have earthworms. Earthworms help to create humus- a dark brown- black type of soil which holds important nutrients in place for plant growth and use. Earthworms also help to create good soil structure, they burrow into the soil and create aeration and drainage channels. This would also help to prevent soil erosion during heavy rainfall. Earthworms excrement are rich in nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium the key minerals needed for plant growth. Earthworms excrement also help bind calcium, iron, and sulphur to soil particles- minerals that also help plants thrive. Earthworms help to control soil pests and diseases by eating organic matter that these pests and diseases live on. This helps to keep the soil healthy and free of harmful organisms. To encourage earthworms in the soil, add chopped leaves, grass clippings and animal manure. This would provide food for the earthworms and it would also protect moisture in the soil and encourage earthworm activity. Earthworms love moist soils. The next time you see an earthworm wiggling in the soil, it would benefit you as a farmer or back yard gardener.