Earthworms

One of the things I hope to do with this blog is bring you things that you might miss unless you look closely.  I was riding across this field when I noticed that the very top of the soil was drying out.  The ground was undisturbed so moisture was good.  Then I looked closer and noticed that all the dry soil was actually worm casts otherwise known as worm poop.  The earthworms eat the residue and help decompose it.  They then deposit the nutrients in the form of worm casts, sometimes right on the surface.  A few of the casts were large ones indicating nightcrawlers, but most them were small.  There are a number of species of smaller worms like red worms.  In any case there was lots of worm action in this field.  I find it especially interesting because I know this customer is not a no-tiller.  Usually no-tillers will tell you how much worm action they get, but I found there is lots of worm action even in a tilled field.  I would not have noticed it except the conditions were just right.  The lighter colored soil is the worm casts.