Natural workers who died because of us, unknowingly!
A true friend of farmers, he supports agriculture. Hey, you will never guess what it is—an earthworm. I see a lot of worms in and around my daily life, and sometimes I feel gross. But, one day, my neighbour, who is a farmer, said that only an earthworm can increase nutrient value, improve drainage, and create a more stable soil structure for agriculture. ’An earthworm is born in the soil, works for the soil, and dies in the soil’.
Nowadays, we use pesticides in agriculture to protect crops from insects. Too much use of pesticides can affect earthworms and the growth of plants as well. Basically, the earthworms loosen the soil particles by eating and making it easier for plants to grow their roots. It also helps in holding water and aerating the soil. When the excess pesticides descend into the soil, the earthworms unknowingly consume them, which can lead to their death.
What happens when earthworms are extinct? If the earthworm is extinct, the water drainage increases, which can lead to erosion and, in some cases, flooding. This causes a reduction in agricultural production.
Most farmers in India do not know the impact of using pesticides and fertilisers and the destruction that could result due to lack of earthworms. There are more than 7,000 described species of earthworms around the globe. The most common earthworms in India are ‘Nightcrawler’ and ‘Lumbricus terrestris’.
Let us stand together and promise farmers that we will bring their best friends back by shifting to natural farming.
