Is there any specific method of culturing to get a large number of earthworms?
This is the best resource for culturing earthworms in the lab:
Culture techniques for soil dwelling earthworms: A review by Kevin Butt and Chris Lowe
Article Culture techniques for soil dwelling earthworms: A review
Lakshmi , you have raised an interesting piece of information about earthworm culturing in lab . Let me tell you , what activity and multiplication capacity of earthworms , you observe in lab will not be replicated in field . And , interpretation of your results also will be difficult , simply because of spatial variability in soil strata of your experimental filed and consequently the designing . Multiplication is nothing but reproduction of earthworms , which is directly proportional to cocoon production . therefore , earthworms are either multiplied individually or in pairs. Such practise have led to adoption of culturing earthworms using parthenogenic species . multiplication density , moisture llevel of the growing medium , temperature ( Diurnal variation ) , species type , water quality , intensity of shading of structure , they all decide the success of earthworm culturing in lab.
Culturing of earthworms in lab or in situ needs the details about the ecological category of the earthworm species that your are trying to culture. What ever the kind of category, the basic considerations include the culture medium, moisture, organic matter content, pH, temperature, etc. If the species category (ecological) or name is known, it will be useful for providing you further info.
I further suggest to culture a consortia of earthworm species , instead of culturing the any specific species of earthworm . There is no valid mechanism through which the death earth worm could be assessed , whether in field or in lab.
Polyculture is feasible and dependent on ecological category. Whatever the case, if not species specific, at least niche status must be known for.
thanks for the info sir. What will be reproduction rate if we use parthenogenetic species?
After 1 month how many worms will I get?
This is again difficult to predict Lakshmi , since it depends upon the feeding substrate , temperature , moisture level , and other growing conditions as discussed above. But , using parthenogenic species , such factors have least impact .
Thank you sir. Actually I tried to culture a consortia of worms but without much success. Thier numbers were much reduced after wards
Try to check the trials with the kind of substrates & depth, total nos./given area, moisture level and C/N. Also check the level of soil-organic material ratio. I suggest to add aged cowdung in pats in soil and in soil mix as substrate. These may help you to assess culturing conditions. Parthenogenesis is known in many earthworms including Asiatic composting worm, Perionyx excavatus. If cultured individually, parthenogenesis may be studied. Attached files may be useful;
Thanks for the info and interesting publications. Your answer was a good guidance.
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