How to breed earthworms? A detailed guide to practical farming methods and techniques
How to breed earthworms?
Earthworms burrow in the soil and feed on the humus in it. Apart from metals, glass, plastic and rubber, many organic wastes and sludges can serve as earthworm feed. Examples include the waste residues of paper mills, sugar refineries, food factories, aquatic product processing plants and distilleries, sludge from sewage ditches, poultry and livestock manure, fruit peels and vegetable leaves, weeds, wood shavings and garbage. However, these organic materials must not contain mineral oil, lime, soapy water or excessively high salt levels.
Earthworms can grow and reproduce at temperatures between 10°C and 30°C, with the optimum temperature being 20°C to 25°C. The soil moisture content should be 35% to 40%, and the pH value should preferably be 6.6 to 7.4. Earthworms are hermaphroditic, but they require cross-fertilization to lay eggs. The fertilized eggs develop into young earthworms inside the egg cocoon after 18 to 21 days. A small earthworm takes about 4 months from birth to maturity. After maturity, it lays eggs once a month, producing 10 to 12 worms each time. A good variety can multiply nearly a thousandfold in a year.
The base material and feed for culturing earthworms must be odorless, free of toxic substances, and already fermented and decomposed. The preparation method for the base material is basically the same as for the feed. That is, the collected raw materials are stacked in layers at a ratio of 60% manure to 40% grass (using all manure is also acceptable). If the material is rather dry, sprinkle water over the pile until water flows out from the bottom. Once "white smoke" rises from the pile, turn the pile, add water again, mix and stack it anew. Repeat this 3 to 5 times, and once the entire pile of material has been fully fermented, it can be used as earthworm base material and feed. If the pile is made entirely of manure, turning the pile is not necessary.
Earthworm culture can be carried out in various ways, such as trough culture, penned-area culture, soil-pit culture and feed-plot culture.
Spread the fermented base material in the rearing container to a thickness of 10 to 30 cm. Introduce the earthworm stock, at 1 000 to 2 000 worms per square meter. Once the base material is consumed, add feed promptly. There are three methods: ball-shaped feeding at fixed points, strip feeding in alternate rows, and block feeding. After new material is added, the earthworms crawl into the new material on their own to feed, and the egg capsules in the old material can be collected for hatching. Hatching time is related to temperature. At 15°C it takes about 30 days, and at 20°C about 20 days. The higher the temperature, the shorter the hatching time, but the lower the hatching rate.
The feeding and management of earthworms mainly involves the following points: (1) ensure the base material and feed are loose and well aerated; (2) keep them moist; (3) prevent poisoning and natural enemies, such as maggots, ants, frogs and rats, as well as pesticide damage; (4) avoid direct sunlight and freezing.
Earthworms can be collected by taking advantage of their fear of light, heat and flooding, as well as by luring them with food.
Earthworms can grow and reproduce at temperatures between 10°C and 30°C, with the optimum temperature being 20°C to 25°C. The soil moisture content should be 35% to 40%, and the pH value should preferably be 6.6 to 7.4. Earthworms are hermaphroditic, but they require cross-fertilization to lay eggs. The fertilized eggs develop into young earthworms inside the egg cocoon after 18 to 21 days. A small earthworm takes about 4 months from birth to maturity. After maturity, it lays eggs once a month, producing 10 to 12 worms each time. A good variety can multiply nearly a thousandfold in a year.
The base material and feed for culturing earthworms must be odorless, free of toxic substances, and already fermented and decomposed. The preparation method for the base material is basically the same as for the feed. That is, the collected raw materials are stacked in layers at a ratio of 60% manure to 40% grass (using all manure is also acceptable). If the material is rather dry, sprinkle water over the pile until water flows out from the bottom. Once "white smoke" rises from the pile, turn the pile, add water again, mix and stack it anew. Repeat this 3 to 5 times, and once the entire pile of material has been fully fermented, it can be used as earthworm base material and feed. If the pile is made entirely of manure, turning the pile is not necessary.
Earthworm culture can be carried out in various ways, such as trough culture, penned-area culture, soil-pit culture and feed-plot culture.
Spread the fermented base material in the rearing container to a thickness of 10 to 30 cm. Introduce the earthworm stock, at 1 000 to 2 000 worms per square meter. Once the base material is consumed, add feed promptly. There are three methods: ball-shaped feeding at fixed points, strip feeding in alternate rows, and block feeding. After new material is added, the earthworms crawl into the new material on their own to feed, and the egg capsules in the old material can be collected for hatching. Hatching time is related to temperature. At 15°C it takes about 30 days, and at 20°C about 20 days. The higher the temperature, the shorter the hatching time, but the lower the hatching rate.
The feeding and management of earthworms mainly involves the following points: (1) ensure the base material and feed are loose and well aerated; (2) keep them moist; (3) prevent poisoning and natural enemies, such as maggots, ants, frogs and rats, as well as pesticide damage; (4) avoid direct sunlight and freezing.
Earthworms can be collected by taking advantage of their fear of light, heat and flooding, as well as by luring them with food.