Role of Military Termites (Pseudocanthotermes militaris) in Improving Soil Productivity in Tropical Agroecosystems

Abstract

Military Termites have been considered as a major pest causing significant reduction to crop productivity in tropical regions of the world. The termite destroys many plants (domestic and wild) at any stage of development from the seedlings to maturity. Crops such as cotton, wheat and ground nuts, upper land rice and eucalyptus trees are highly susceptible to termite damage. They destroy huge amounts of organic materials especially those used as mulches in plantation farming. However, there are beneficial termite activities such as organic matter decomposition and nutrient dynamics that are essential components in the soil ecosystem as they aid in maintaining long-term soil productivity and also in restoring barren soils. The review sought to establish the contribution of military termite activities to soil productivity. The result from the review showed that termite activities such as burrowing, chewing of plant litter, excavation activities in search of food, and construction of termitaria leads to improved soil structure, soil aeration, water infiltration via soil porosity, plant nutrient (calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium) and soil organic matter which will eventually result to improved yields of crops. Also, termite mound has been suggested to be very effective for bulking agent for compost preparation and soil amendment.

Potential of termite mounds and its surrounding soils as soil amendments in smallholder farms in central Uganda

“…The higher organic carbon percentage in the termite mound was due to the organic materials used in its construction, and the types of food they eat. Termites feed on plant materials (live and dead plants, litter in various stages of decay), dung, soil and specialized food such as lichens [2,37]. Some of the termites die and decay, thereby contributing to increasing soil organic carbon.…”

“…1 African Center of Excellence in Agroecology and Livelihood System, Faculty of Agriculture, Uganda Martyrs University, Nkozi, Uganda. 2 Department of Soil Science, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana. 3 Faculty of Agriculture, Uganda Martyrs University, Nkozi, Uganda.…”

“…In the tropical and subtropical Agroecosystem, the destructions and damages to crops and farm structures by termites have resulted in the reduction of crop productivity [1,2]. Out of the estimated total number of 2600 described species of termites, few have been considered as a major pest of food crops such as cereals, roots, tubers, legumes and fruit trees [3][4][5][6].…”

Effect of termite activity on soil chemical properties using baiting systems at an arboretum area in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia

“…In tropical areas, termites are known as insects that destroy wooden structures (Perace 1997), as well as agricultural and plantation crops (Darlington 1987;Apori et al 2020b). However, termites also play an important role in natural ecosystems (Darlington and Dransfiled 1987;Black and Okwakol 1997).…”

“…The level of soil fertility is caused by several factors, such as soil macrofauna, which determines the land productivity of plant growth. One of the macrofauna affecting the soil's physical, chemical, and biological characteristics is termites (Apori et al 2020b).…”