AN EARTHWORM CULTIVATION AND SOIL INOCULATION TECHNIQUE FOR LAND RESTORATION

The introduction of selected earthworms into degraded or newly restore d land is known to promote soil improvement. However, to collect and i ntroduce the large numbers required for use in land restoration can be costly and time consuming. To overcome these problems, an Earthworm I noculation Unit (EIU) technique combines cultivation of selected earth worms in soil-based units with an effective method of direct soil intr oduction. Cultivation of a particular deep-burrowing species was achie ved through optimizing temperature, nutrition and population density. At soil inoculation, after 3 months, each 2-1 EIU contained all three life stages - adults, cocoons and hatchlings - providing maximum oppor tunity for successful colonization. Compared with a conventional metho d of inoculation, the EIU technique gave rise to enhanced survivorship in a compacted clay soil during the first year after inoculation. Ear thworm inoculation should become an integral component of sustainable land restoration practice and the EIU technique provides the most effe ctive means of ensuring long-term earthworm colonization, particularly in hostile soil environments.