Most gardeners know that if there are a lot of earthworms in a field, it is healthy and good farmland, because these animals help keep the soil healthy, and now researchers have assessed how important their underground activities are to global food production.
New Colorado State University scientists From their studies Earthworms were found to be responsible for 6.5 percent of the global grain crop, including rice, wheat and corn. Worms help break down dead plant material, releasing nutrients that plants need to grow, and their tunnels help plant roots grow.
According to researchers, in areas such as In sub-Saharan Africa, where the soil has no nutrients and little fertiliser, earthworms increase grain production by 10%.. Scientists believe that earthworm populations may be underestimated in many places, especially in the tropics, even though they can be more actively involved in grain production. In addition, according to the first global survey of the contribution of earthworms to crop productivity, earthworms add more than 140 million tons of food to the global food supply each year.
