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Earthworm Preference Bioassays to Evaluate Land Management Practices.

Jennifer L Bouldin1,2,3, John W P Klasky4,5, V Steven Green6,7

  • 1Ecotoxicology Research Facility, Arkansas State University, PO Box 847, State University, AR, 72467, USA. jbouldin@astate.edu.

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
|February 14, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Earthworm tests reveal that while lab-treated soils with biosolids are preferred, field-applied biosolids are not. Poultry litter improved soil preference, but tillage and cover crops reduced it, impacting soil health.

Keywords:
BiosolidsCover cropsEarthworm bioassaysPoultry litterSoil qualityTillage

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Area of Science:

  • Soil ecology
  • Agricultural science
  • Environmental toxicology

Background:

  • Earthworm preference tests are valuable for evaluating agricultural soil health.
  • Conventional tillage, no-tillage, cover crops, and soil amendments like biosolids and poultry litter are common agricultural practices.
  • Assessing the impact of these practices on soil macrofauna, specifically earthworms, is crucial for sustainable agriculture.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of different agricultural management practices on earthworm (Eisenia fetida) behavior and soil preference.
  • To compare earthworm responses to laboratory-dosed soils versus field-amended soils.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized 48-hour laboratory preference tests with Eisenia fetida.
  • Exposed earthworms to soils amended with biosolids, poultry litter, and soils from fields with conventional tillage, no-tillage, and cover crops, alongside control soils.
  • Quantified earthworm recovery rates in each soil type.

Main Results:

  • Eisenia fetida showed a strong preference for laboratory-dosed biosolid soils (80-95% recovery) but not for field-amended biosolid soils (33% recovery).
  • Earthworms preferred poultry litter-amended soils (68% recovery) over control soils.
  • No significant difference in preference was observed between conventionally tilled fields and control soils.
  • Earthworms avoided soils from no-tillage and cover crop fields, preferring control soils.

Conclusions:

  • Laboratory earthworm preference tests can provide insights into soil health but may not directly reflect field conditions, especially for biosolid amendments.
  • Poultry litter amendments appear beneficial for earthworm populations.
  • Reduced tillage and cover cropping practices, as implemented in this study, may negatively impact earthworm populations.
  • These findings support the use of earthworm bioassays for science-based agricultural management decisions to enhance soil health.