INFLUENCE OF EARTHWORMS ON SOIL PROPERTIES AND GRASS PRODUCTION IN RECLAIMED CUTOVER PEAT

The effects of earthworms on grass growth and soil structure in reclai med peat were studied in a glasshouse bucket experiment, Cumulative gr ass yields from 13 cuts taken over a period of 20 months were 89% high er in organically fertilized and 19% higher in inorganically fertilize d buckets with earthworms than in similarly fertilized buckets without earth worms. When fertilizers were withheld from some buckets after 7 months grass growth during the remainder of the study was significant ly greater in the presence of earthworms under both organic (+222%) an d inorganic (+114%) regimes. It is considered that grass growth respon ses were mainly due to enhanced organic matter decomposition and miner alization. Soil subsidence rates, hydraulic conductivity: moisture cha racteristics, bulk density, porosity, fibrosity, and soil morphology a nd micromorphology were significantly influenced by earthworm activity . The results show that earthworm activity can significantly accelerat e the process of maturation and profile development in reclaimed peat soils.