If chemical fertliser application greatly acidifies the soil, then earthworm population will decline. Many of these synthetic nutrients are also absorbed directly into your plants and food. Chemical fertilisers and pesticides used in both farms and gardens have become our country s leading cause of water pollution. Wormcastings improve soil aeration because they do not pack together when mixed in soil. This in turn promotes rapid plant growth.
Earthworm castings improve the soil s drainage, reducing waterlogged soil and root rot.
The soil s water retention capacity also improves because castings contain absorbent organic matter that hold only the necessary amounts of water needed by the roots. There are also many other sources of organic fertilisers that are available in the market. However, these products cannot claim to have the same beneficial effects as vermicastings. With the current food scare around the world, such as mad cow disease, chicken flu, encephalitis, we are now contemplating whether the excretes from these animals should be used in their raw form and classified as organic fertiliser. Even current observations tells us that chicken dung has air borne bacteria and contaminated animal feed that has been manufactured from waste matter.