Impacts of arable land management on earthworm communities

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24580489
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Boundary agriculture
• Research Institution: National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences
• Principal Investigator: KANEDA Satoshi 独立行政法人農業環境技術研究所, その他部局等, 研究員 (00537920)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KOMATSUZAKI Masakazu 茨城大学, 農学部, 教授 (10205510)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: ミミズ / 環境保全型栽培 / 畑地 / 火山灰土 / 団粒形成 / 有機栽培 / カバークロップ栽培 / 草生栽培

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Effects of environmental friendly farming systems on earthworm communities were investigated for understanding fluctuation factors of earthworm community in arable land. Cover copping and weed mulch cropping increased earthworm population density and species richness, and no-tillage and organic amendment increased earthworm population density and species richness. Moreover effects of soil temperature and moisture on earthworm induced soil aggregate formation rate were investigated. The soil aggregate formation rate was enhanced at wet condition and moderate temperature, from 20 to 25 °C. Because cover cropping and weed mulch cropping suppressed dry condition and/or high soil temperature in summer, these cropping system would increase earthworm population density and enhance soil aggregate formation rate.

Free Research Field

土壌生態学