Earthworm Abundance Changes Depending on Soil Management Practices in Slovenian Vineyards

Abstract

Earthworms are key indicators of soil quality and health in vineyards, but research that considers different soil management systems, especially in Slovenian viticultural areas is scarce. In this investigation, the impact of different soil management practices such as permanent green cover, the use of herbicides in row and inter-row areas, use of straw mulch, and shallow soil tillage compared to meadow control for earthworm abundance, were assessed. The biomass and abundance of earthworms (m2) and distribution in various soil layers were quantified for three years. Monitoring and a survey covering 22 May 2014 to 5 October 2016 in seven different sampling dates, along with a soil profile at the depth from 0 to 60 cm, were carried out. Our results showed that the lowest mean abundance and biomass of earthworms in all sampling periods were registered along the herbicide strip (within the rows). The highest abundance was found in the straw mulch and permanent green cover treatments (higher than in the control). On the plots where the herbicide was applied to the complete inter-row area, the abundance of the earthworm community decreased from the beginning to the end of the monitoring period. In contrast, shallow tillage showed a similar trend of declining earthworm abundance, which could indicate a deterioration of soil biodiversity conditions. We concluded that different soil management practices greatly affect the soil’s environmental conditions (temperature and humidity), especially in the upper soil layer (up to 15 cm deep), which affects the abundance of the earthworm community. Our results demonstrated that these practices need to be adapted to the climate and weather conditions, and also to human impacts.

A Bibliometric Analysis on Research Progress of Earthworms in Soil Ecosystems

“…Vermicomposting, as a solution for recycling the organic component of municipal solid waste, and its impacts on ecosystems have consequently attracted more attention [ 105 ]. Earthworms could serve as indicators of soil biodiversity, quality and productivity, and therefore numerous recent studies have been conducted to elucidate the impacts of anthropogenic activities, such as the use of chemicals and changes in soil management practices, on earthworm populations [ 106 , 107 , 108 ]. It was reported that soil biodiversity was deteriorating in Europe because of the agricultural intensification and climate change [ 109 ].…”

Concurrent adoption of multiple less intensive practices is essential for effectively preserving earthworm diversity in agroecosystems: a global meta-analysis

“…Similarly, the absence of pesticide treatment correlated with higher earthworm density, whereas herbicide spraying resulted in reduced biomass and species richness. It is broadly documented that the use of glyphosate, which was extensively used in the agricultural locations examined [46][47][48][49][50][51] , may potentially cause a decline in earthworm density, biomass and species richness. The positive effects of intensiĄcation in sites where pesticides were not applied could also be masked by the use of Ąeld margins 52 .…”

The Impact of Climatic Warming on Earlier Wine-Grape Ripening in Northeastern Slovenia

“…In the Podravje wine-growing region, the established method of soil care is the permanent maintenance of green cover on the soil in the vineyards, which has so far proven to be the most suitable method of soil care, both in terms of soil life [51] and erosion, as most of the vineyards are located on steep slopes [31]. Given climate change and trends in precipitation patterns, this method of soil management may be less suitable in the future.…”