Earthworm communities in conventional wheat monocropping and low‐input wheat‐clover intercropping systems

Abstract

A comparative study was conducted on earthworm communities in a conventional winter wheat monocropping system and a low-input intercropping system in which successive crops of winter wheat were direct-drilled into a permanent white clover sward. Earthworm abundance, biomass and species composition under the two cropping systems in the second and third years of successive cropping were assessed each spring and autumn in farm-scale field plots at four sites using formalin and electrical extraction methods. The wheatclover cropping system supported larger earthworm communities (overall mean abundance 548 individuals m -2 , 137 g biomass m -2 ) than conventional wheat monocropping (194 individuals m -2 , 36 g biomass m -2 ). Between one and five more earthworm species were recorded in the wheatclover system than in the wheat system at three out of the four study sites. Wheatclover cropping especially favoured species belonging to the epigeic and epigeic/anecic ecological groups such as Lumbricus castaneus, L. festivus, L. rubellus, juvenile Lumbricus and Satchellius mammalis. Earthworm communities in the wheatclover cropping system were comparable in size and species composition to communities normally found in perennial grassland-type habitats such as pastures and grass-legume leys.

The effect of long-term soil management on the physical and biological resilience of a range of arable and grassland soils in England

“…The remaining two soils were taken from a site known as De Bathe (DB) near North Tawton under permanent grazed grassland (G) sown in 1990, typical of the locality, and under a second-year cereal crop arable regime (A). Some further information on this site may be found in Schmidt et al (2001). As a basic soil management regime classification, there were ten arable soils (including fallow and arable-ley treatments) and five grassland soils (including the specific case Broadbalk Wilderness).…”

Earthworms and agricultural systems: Status of knowledge and research in Canada

“…Clapperton (1999), in Alberta, Canada, showed that on long-term irrigated fields different earthworm species dominated different tillage systems suggesting a preference for different habitats and associations by the different species. In Ireland, Schmidt et al (2001) observed between one and five more earthworm species in a wheat-clover system than in a conventional wheat monocropping system at three out of four study sites; the wheat-clover system with its permanent vegetation cover favoured epigeic and epigeic/anecic ecological groups.…”

Comparação entre doses de Alil isotiocianato e a solução de formaldeído na extração de minhocas

“…Um dos extratores químicos de minhocas mais utilizados é uma solução de formaldeído (ZABORSKI, 2003), mas a eficiência do método é influenciada pela concentração da solução, temperatura e umidade no solo (RAW, 1959; Lakhani e Satchell citados por ZABORSKI, 2003). Outra desvantagem do método de extração com formaldeído é que esse produto é fitotóxico e carcinogênico e a legislação pode vir a impedir sua utilização (SCHMIDT et al, 2001). …”