The conquering worms

Every gardener and composter is indebted to earthworms. Soon, reports the International Journal of Environment and Pollution, textile manufacturers (and their neighbors) will be too. The gist:

Most gardeners will tell you the earthworm is their best friend as it aerates the soil and helps break down compostable materials so releasing nutrients for improved plant growth. One particular species of earthworm, known as Eisenia foetida, thrives in rotting vegetation, compost, and manure. This species is grown commercially for composting because of their skills at converting organic waste into rich compost.

E. foetida is ambivalent about the source of organic matter it will vermicompost. It will wriggle its way through kitchen waste, animal manure, and many other materials. According to Vinod Garg, Renuka Gupta and Priya Kaushik of Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, in Haryana, India, say the red wrigglers could even be used to produce compost from the huge volumes of solid sludge produced by the textiles industry.

Via e! Science News