Agro-ecological Role of Earthworms (Oligochaetes) in Sustainable Agriculture and Nutrient Use Efficiency: A Review
Journal of Agriculture and Ecology Research International · pp. 1–18 · Published 1 May 2016
10.9734/JAERI/2016/24517Abstract
Earthworms which inhabit soils and litter layers in agro-ecosystems play significant roles that regulate soil ecosystem services supporting agriculture. Through their feeding, burrowing and casting activities, earthworms redistribute organic material within the soil, increases soil penetrability, and influence soil organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling. These activities modify plant root distribution, increase soil microbial activity and influence the supply of plant nutrients. Because earthworms respond quickly to land use changes, farm management practices affect their diversity, abundance and biomasses. While cultivation and use of acidic fertilizers and chemicals reduce earthworm numbers, management practices that enhance the supply of earthworm food such as fertilization and manure application increase their numbers. This article reviews the beneficial earthworm facilitated biotic interactions that enhance nutrient use efficiency in agro-ecosystems. First, earthworm identification, distribution, and ecology together with factors that determine their populations in agro-ecosystems are discussed. It shows that agricultural practices affect earthworms directly and that farm management can be manipulated to encourage practices that favour earthworms. Secondly, beneficial biotic initiated ecosystem services resulting from earthworm activities are presented highlighting the significant roles they play in influencing soil processes. Finally, the review ends with recommendations for future research. Overall, this review shows that earthworms are an important resource to be managed for nutrient use efficiency in agro-ecosystems. It also demonstrates the need for further research that links the physical, chemical and biological effects of earthworm activities to plant nutrient supply. It is necessary to develop suitable farm management practices that optimise these beneficial roles.
Cited by 10
Fouzieh Beigmohammadi, Eisa Solgi, Behnam Asgari Lajayer · Microbial Inoculants · 2025
Radoslava Kanianska, Jana Jaďuďová, Jarmila Makovníková · Sustainability · 2016
Nilton Mashavakure, Bliss Gutukunhuwa, Arnold B. Mashingaidze · Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B — Soil & Plant Science · 2022
Fatihu Kabir Sadiq, Ojone Anyebe, Fatima Tanko · Soil Systems · 2025
Sixolise Mcinga, Alen Manyevere, P Mnkeni · South African Journal of Plant and Soil · 2020
Angel I. Ortiz-Ceballos, Rogelio Lara-González, María del Carmen Cuevas-Díaz · Agro Productividad · 2022
Bonface O. Manono, Jacinta M. Kimiti, Damaris K. Musyoka · Nitrogen · 2026
Kuan Liu, Mingming Sun, Mao Ye · Environmental Pollution · 2019
Bonface O. Manono, Zipporah Gichana · Earth · 2025
Ojone Anyebe, Fatihu Kabir Sadiq, Bonface Ombasa Manono · Nitrogen · 2025
Related research
- Production and Optimization of Fungal Silicase Using Rice Straw under Solid State Fermentation — shares topic coverage
- Microbiomes as Natural Allies: Towards Sustainable Farming Practices — shares topic coverage
- Impact of Organic Farming on Sustainable Agriculture System and Marketing Potential: A Review — shares topic coverage
- The Role of Organic Farming for Sustainable Agriculture: An Approach to Economic Integrity — shares topic coverage
- Growers Adaptation Strategic Alleviation of Climate Variability in Peri-Urban Agriculture for Food Security in Calabar – Nigeria — shares topic coverage
Article metrics
Real usage data collected on this platform.
0
Page views
0
PDF downloads
0
Outbound clicks
10
Citations
Views by country
Approximate, from request IP at view time — not citizenship or institution. Countries with fewer than 5 views are grouped as "Other".
No views recorded yet.
Traffic sources
Referring site, by host.
No traffic recorded yet.
Views and downloads exclude known bots/crawlers. Citations combines this platform's own DOI-resolved index with each external source's own reported total — see Cited by above for individually listed citing works. Last refreshed 0 seconds ago.