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Earthworms are hermaphrodites. Each worm has both male and female organs. They are small tube like organisms who tirelessly work to turn the earth from lowest strata of earth to top. Worms tunnel deeply in the soil and bring subsoil closer to the surface mixing it with the topsoil. This makes the formation of multitude of linear tunnels minute in diameter but deeper below the subsurface. These tunnels last long even after the worms are dead. These tunnels facilitate infiltration of water into subsurface, reduce runoff, help in harvesting rainwater. Such stored moisture is slowly released to crop at summer season. In this process of tunneling it also maintains the soil structure and enables the processes of aeration. This act makes EARTHWORM as a Real Farmer who toils day long tilling the fields. In the fields of organic cultivation we could see the reserve moisture throughout the year. The latent hard work of a large number of worms helps the crop survive when the other areas are parched.
Earthworms live on what we call WASTE. Yes, they feed on the vegetable wastes we throw; leaves shed from trees and any form of organic matter available in soil, and living organisms such as nematodes, protozoans, rotifers, bacteria, fungi which are harmful to plant growth. Their intake per day is one third of their body weight.
The organic matter the earthworms consume gets digested in their bodies and gets excreted in the form of casts, a type of soil aggregate rich in nutrition. Thus Earthworms facilitate improving soil fertility and deposits on the surface. Their role gains significance because they convert larger organic matter into simple accessible form. This is also the Nutrition cycle. Slime, a secretion of earthworms, contains nitrogen. Nitrogen is an important nutrient for plants. The sticky slime helps to hold clusters of soil particles together in formations called aggregates. These have greater role in porosity which helps in aeration and physical property of soil. The micro-tunnels provide good root growth as they are lined with readily available nutrients and make it easier for roots to penetrate deep into the soil.
Three months back there was a fertilizer scarcity in our place as well as throughout Tamil Nadu State. Farmers were ready to pay twice or thrice to purchase a bag of UREA and DAP. The MRP cost of it was around Rs. 2000 (both). They were running between pillars in search of availability of fertilizers. Some innovative organic growers were at peace, not worrying about the fertilizer scarcity.
They just scooped the vermicompost produced in their backyard and just spread (broadcasted) in the fields. Compared to the fields with chemical fertilizers, organic fields were outstanding and the yield comparatively higher. Vermicompost supplied many minerals needed for the complete crop growth. The pest load was very less due to available farmers’ friends (natural predators and parasites) which took care of the pest control. The farmer had no need to go for any pesticide spray as the pests were below Economic Threshold Level. These were the visible advantages. Beyond this there were more advantages like the vegetables had longer shelf life, tasted better, and many more…
In an organic field, earthworm multiplication becomes natural and nutrition cycle is in full swing and the field is not limited with any nutrition. The web of life is perfect in Organic Farming and Earthworm has a great role to play in this; be it cycling of nutrients, micro-flora and fauna population. It also becomes a prey to birds and it goes on. The load of earthworm in a field is directly proportionate to the nature friendly living (ORGANIC).
Due to the chemical farming methods, the earth worm population is greatly reduced. The trend is to turn back to nature and regain the earthworm population farmers are rearing in the valuable Vermicompost pits, either with permanent structures or temporary structures made of Silpauline sheets. When vermicompost (the casts collected from the pit), a rich source of nutrition, is applied to fields, the crop stand is very good due to supply of multiple nutrients. Often the field itself becomes a vermicompost unit as the applied vermicompost contains inoculums of cocoons, from which earthworms’ population increases. Sometimes segments of earthworm reach the field with vermicompost as earthworms have the ability to regenerate lost segments, the population increases. After prolonged use of vermicompost the lost microbial load is regained and so is the quality of food we get from fields.
The monsoon rain
started during November, 2014 – the initial rains were good. When the rain
poured non-stop for a fortnight destroyed vegetable cultivation. So it happened
to the kitchen garden of my neighbor too. The entire kitchen garden with
Amaranthus, Okra, cluster beans, beans and gourds could not withstand the water
stagnation. The papaya tree laden with fifty big papayas and fifty small
papayas could no more stand straight. The tree fall with the fruit bearing tip
broken. They were about to severe the entire tree, I happen to watch it over
from my windows and stopped it. I immediately rushed to the plant and asked to
find supportive poles and make the papaya plant straight as much as possible.
February 2015 gave me a
surprise with three tine buds from the node little lower than the broken edge
of the papaya tree. I was so excited and felt very much encouraged, as the tree
spoke me to EXCEL THE PAIN. It became
a non-voluntary action to see the plant every day in the morning. In the month
of April, buds turned into branches but there were heavy infestations of Papaya
Mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus). I asked them to remove the infected leaves
often. They turned frustrated asking me is the bug coming to your house. Then I
explained about the mealybug and could be controlled by manual removal of the
leaves, luckily there were no infestation of the bug in any of the other plants
nearby. 
Now during July, I was amazed
to see the papaya tree with three branches, all the three loaded with papayas
big and small. What made me wonder is, “the
plant which could not bear the load of a single plant is now capable of its
triple bearing – from many nodes there are two, three or five papayas”.
What a lesson the MIRACLE papaya tree taught me - ENDURE THE PAIN, WORK HARD and BE
SINCERE, withstand all the odd situations and one day surprising results turn
all the agony into glee.
