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Why are earthworms called farmer's friends?
Earthworms are known as farmers’ best friends because of the multitude of services they provide that improve soil health and consequently plant health. The density of earthworms in the soil is considered to be a good indicator of a healthy soil because they improve many soil attributes like structure, water holding capacity, moisture content etc., and also increase nutrient availability and degrade pesticide residues. As scientists understand these ‘ecosystem services’ provided by earthworms, they discover that this earthworm-farmer friendship is a lot deeper than previously imagined. The soil, in addition to being the habitat for crops, also nurtures other organisms, some of which can cause devastating diseases to plants. Research indicates that earthworm-composted organic matter, also called vermicompost, has disease suppressive properties


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