Earthworms and Russia make about the same contribution to the world grain harvest
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Scientists have discovered that earthworms help produce as much grain as Russia does. These soil-dwelling invertebrates provide 6.5% of the world’s grain harvest.
The relevant study was published in the journal Nature Communications, The Guardian reports.
According to researchers, earthworms help produce 140 million tons of food per year.
For comparison, Russia produced 150 million tons of grain in 2022 (but stole 6 million tons from temporarily occupied territories in Ukraine).
In the scientific article itself, there is no comparison with the Russian Federation. But if you calculate, you can come to the conclusion that the contribution of earthworms to the world grain harvest is approximately the same as in Russia.
And if worms were a country, they would be considered the fourth largest grain producer in the world.
| Photo: wawritto/Depositphotos |
Earthworms are important participants in soil ecosystems: they break down organic matter, aerate soils, and support plant growth in many ways.
However, their contribution to world agricultural production is underestimated.
Scientists from the University of Colorado studied the dependence of yield on worms and their impact on the world production of major agricultural crops.
It turned out that invertebrates that live in the soil provide 6.5% of the crop of grain crops (rice, corn, wheat and barley), and 2.3% of legumes (soy, peas, chickpeas, lentils).
“The contribution of earthworms is particularly prominent in the Global South. Earthworms provide 10% of total grain production in sub-Saharan Africa and 8% in Latin America and the Caribbean,” – says the study.
The researchers advise investing in promoting agroecological management practices that improve soil biodiversity.
“Our findings suggest that earthworms are an important driver of global food production, and that investments in agro-environmental policies and practices to support earthworm populations and overall soil biodiversity can make a significant contribution to achieving the goals of sustainable agricultural development.”scientists say.
At the same time, they do not call for the distribution of earthworms in regions where they do not exist, as this could have “extremely undesirable ecological consequences”.
Read also: Angels of the earth: why did a woman from Lviv create a worm farm at home
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