Earthworms contribute to 6.5% of global cereal production

Earthworms are important drivers of global production of foodsince they contribute approximately 6.5% of the production of cereals and 2.3% of the legumes produced worldwide each year.

The impact of these animals was most significant in the global south. Specifically, his contribution was 10% grain yield in sub-Saharan Africa and 8% in Latin America and the Caribbean, possibly because farmers tend to have less access to fertilizers and pesticides.

A study published by Nature Communications and led by scientists at Colorado State University (CSU) indicates that earthworms can represent up to 140 million metric tons of food produced annually.

This is an amount roughly comparable to the amount of cereals (rice, wheat, rye, oats, barley, corn and millet) grown annually by Russia, the fourth largest producer in the world.

The team led by CSU’s Steven Fonte estimated the contribution of earthworms to global food production by overlaying and analyzing maps of earthworm abundance, soil properties, fertilization rate and crop yield.

“This is the first initiative I know of that tries to take a piece of soil biodiversity and say: okay, this is its value; This is what it brings us on a global scale”said Fonte.

The expert stressed that with this study they are not advocating that anyone transplant earthworms to places where they do not yet exist.

Instead, they hope this work will demonstrate that better management of soil biology in places where earthworms already live can improve agricultural productivity and reduce dependence on agrochemicals.

Earthworms help establish healthy soils by supporting plant growth, creating good soil structure, aiding in water capture and the beneficial turnover of organic matter that makes nutrients more available.

Some research has shown that they can facilitate the production of plant growth-promoting hormones and help protect them against common soil pathogens, while others indicate that these animals can increase the overall productivity of plants in a 25%.

The team analyzed the impact of earthworms on four cereal crops: rice, corn, wheat and barley; The group examined a set of legumes that included soybeans, peas, chickpeas, lentils and alfalfa, among others.

“If we manage our soils in a more sustainable way, we can better take advantage of or enhance this biodiversity and produce more sustainable agroecosystems”said Fonte. .

Soils are a very complex habitat and there have been “very little effort” to understand what that biodiversity means for global crop yields.