Earthworm ( Eisenia fetida ) Mediated Macropore Network Formation in Black Soil: Decay Straw as a Trigger for Sustainable Tillage

Baoguang Wu, Pu Chen, Yuping Liu, Zhipeng Yin, Qiuju Wang, Shun Xu (), Jinsong Zhang, Bingqi Bai, Deyi Zhou and Yuxin Liu
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Baoguang Wu: College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130025, China
Pu Chen: College of Engineering and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
Yuping Liu: College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130025, China
Zhipeng Yin: College of Engineering and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
Qiuju Wang: Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin 150086, China
Shun Xu: College of Engineering and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
Jinsong Zhang: College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130025, China
Bingqi Bai: College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130025, China
Deyi Zhou: College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130025, China
Yuxin Liu: College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130025, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 13, 1-22

Abstract: In this study, a method for creating networked macropores through tillage using Eisenia fetida attracted by food sources derived from decomposing straw was proposed. The effects of Eisenia fetida activity and corn stalk addition, as well as the synergistic effects of Bacillus subtilis , on macropore formation were systematically studied. A 3D visualization technique was used to render the pore network model. When compared with undisturbed soil, the results demonstrate that cultivation using earthworms attracted by food sources from decomposing straw creates a soil pore structure with the most significant effect. The 3D porosity of the soil increased 6.90-fold, its average pore volume increased 5.49-fold, and its equivalent diameter increased 4.88-fold. Cylindrical pores, which accounted for the largest proportion (4.38%), had a channel radius of 1–5 mm and comprised approximately 86.7% of all macropores. The channel length increased by 28.5%, the average roundness decreased by 2.5%, and the average coordination number increased by 33.3%. The macroporous network structure formed by these earthworm-generated pores was more beneficial for improving the structure of phaeozem, offering technical support for the field application of earthworm farming.

Keywords: black land conservation; CT (computed tomography); macropores; soil structure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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