CATDOLL : CATDOLL: Indoor earthworm farming technology

Indoor earthworm breeding technology

1. Container: Use discarded washbasins and plastic boxes as containers for indoor earthworm breeding to prevent earthworms from escaping. 2. Substrate: Use humus, silt, and feces to prepare the breeding substrate. 3. Planting seedlings: Put the earthworms into the substrate and cover them with newspapers to block the light. 4. Maintenance: Keep the ambient temperature between 15-30 degrees and spray water mist to keep them moist.

How to raise earthworms indoors 1. Choose a container

Earthworms are animals with strong vitality and do not have high requirements for the environment. Therefore, you can use any container, whether it is an abandoned washbasin, plastic box, or water tank, as long as the container can hold the substrate soil for the earthworms and does not allow the earthworms to escape or crawl out.

2. Matrix preparation

The most important thing in the earthworm breeding process is the configuration of the substrate. The suitability of the substrate directly determines whether the earthworms can survive to a large extent. Therefore, when preparing the substrate, it is best to use humus, silt and animal manure to mix and mix. After decomposition and fermentation, pour it into the container to meet the growth needs of the earthworms.

3. Earthworm planting

After preparing the substrate for feeding earthworms and providing habitat for earthworms, you can place the earthworms on the substrate and cover it with a piece of newspaper to block the light. After the earthworms burrow into the soil, remove the newspaper and cover it with a layer of straw or mat to block the light and keep the substrate slightly moist.

4. Maintenance work

Earthworms live best in soil at around 15-30 degrees Celsius, so the temperature of the substrate should not be lower than 15 degrees Celsius and not higher than 30 degrees Celsius. When watering, use a spray bottle to spray on the straw mat to keep the substrate moist. When the feed in the substrate is exhausted, add feed in time.

How do earthworms reproduce?

Earthworms are hermaphrodites and cross-fertilize. During reproduction, they produce egg cocoons through an annulus to reproduce the next generation.

Earthworms, also known as earthworms, are terrestrial invertebrates of the class Oligochaeta of the phylum Annelida. Earthworms are one of the annelids. There are more than 3,000 species of earthworms in the world, and more than 200 species in my country. Earthworms can be used as precious medicines to treat a variety of diseases, and can also be used as high-protein food and feed. Earthworms dig holes to loosen the soil and decompose organic matter, creating good conditions for the growth and reproduction of soil microorganisms. They play a special role in soil improvement, eliminating pollution, protecting the ecological environment, material circulation, biodiversity, etc. Many countries use earthworms to treat domestic garbage, organic waste and purify sewage.

Technology name: Earthworm farming

Keywords: Other aquaculture aquaculture techniques earthworms Eisenia fetida

Technical Introduction

Briefing Document

Briefing Document

Earthworm farming

Earthworm farming

Earthworms are terrestrial invertebrates belonging to the class Oligochaeta and phylum Annelida. Earthworms are found all over the world, with more than 2,500 species. About 150 species of earthworms have been discovered and named in my country, but there are not many species available for breeding. The main breeding species is the genus Eisenia fetida of the family Lumbricidae.

Earthworms prefer warm and humid weather. Under natural conditions, they can reproduce in warm seasons except in severe winters or droughts. Under artificial breeding conditions, they can reproduce all year round. The growth and development of earthworms from laying egg cocoons to maturing and starting to lay eggs is a reproductive cycle, and its growth and development are closely related to environmental conditions.

The Daping No. 2 earthworm, which I started breeding in 1980, is commonly known as the Taihu red earthworm locally. It was originally called a hybrid of the American red earthworm and the Japanese flower earthworm. This earthworm is generally 50 to 70 mm long, with a body cavity diameter of 3 to 6 mm. The large individual can reach 90 to 150 mm in length, and the adult weighs 0.45 to 1.12 grams. The bristles on the body are fine and dense, and the body color is purple-red, but the body color also changes with changes in feed, water and other conditions. The Taihu red earthworm has the characteristics of thick body cavity walls, more meat, long life and high reproduction rate, which makes it very suitable for artificial breeding. The following is a brief introduction:

1. Relationship between the growth and development of Taihu red earthworm and environmental conditions

1. Food habits

Red earthworms are saprophagous animals that like to live in soils containing a lot of organic matter. They are rarely seen in ordinary cultivated land. Therefore, they can be artificially cultivated in large quantities using organic waste from animals and plants. They have a wide range of diets, and can eat livestock and poultry feces, straw, various fresh and dry grasses, leaves, fruits, vegetable peels, and even slop after fermentation. The amount of food consumed by earthworms in a day is roughly equal to their own body weight, and half of it is excreted as earthworm manure. To produce one ton of fresh earthworms, about 70 to 80 tons of organic waste are consumed.

2. Temperature

Earthworms are warm-loving animals. Wild earthworms will burrow into the soil layer and hibernate during long droughts, severe winters, and high-temperature seasons. When raising earthworms artificially, the temperature must be adjusted so that the earthworms can grow and reproduce throughout the year. The most suitable growth temperature for red earthworms is around 25°C. Earthworms are hermaphroditic animals, but they must mate with different sexes. Sexually mature earthworms (i.e., earthworms with reproductive rings) lay eggs one week after mating. However, the frequency of egg laying has a lot to do with temperature. When the temperature is below 10°C, it takes about 35 days to lay one egg; when the temperature is between 18 and 25°C, the humidity is 30% to 50%, and the ventilation is good, generally one egg is laid every 1.5 to 4.5 days; when the temperature is as high as 35°C, the number of eggs laid decreases. The hatching of egg cocoons is also closely related to temperature. When the temperature is lower than 8℃, the egg cocoon stops hatching; at 15℃, the egg cocoon hatches the young earthworms in about 33 days, with a hatching rate of 97%, and an average of 6.8 young earthworms hatched from each egg cocoon; when the average temperature is 20℃, the young earthworms hatch in 19 days; at 32℃, they can hatch in 10 days, but the hatching rate is only 33%, and an average of 2 to 3 young earthworms hatched from each egg cocoon. During the hatching process, when the accumulated temperature of the egg cocoon reaches 220 to 260℃, the young earthworms can hatch (the accumulated temperature of the egg cocoon refers to the sum of the effective temperatures accumulated daily after deducting the invalid temperature of the egg cocoon that stops hatching below 8℃). Therefore, controlling the temperature at 18 to 25℃ is most conducive to earthworm egg laying and hatching. The young earthworms grow to sexual maturity in about 38 days, and the full reproductive period is about 60 days. The egg cocoons produced by an earthworm in a month can gradually hatch 50 to 80 small earthworms.

3. Humidity

Humidity is closely related to earthworm growth, egg laying and egg cocoon hatching. Earthworms contain about 80% water. If they are not watered for a long time, the earthworms will shrink, affect egg laying, and even autolyze and die. When the earthworm bed contains about 30% water, earthworms eat more, grow faster, lay more eggs, and have a high hatching rate.

4. Air

According to an experiment conducted by Qian Jinkang in Jinshan District, Shanghai, earthworms were raised for 30 days under two different conditions: one with air circulation and the other with no air circulation. The number of eggs they laid was 7.8 and 1.4 respectively, a big difference. The air generally contains 20% oxygen and 0.03% to 0.06% carbon dioxide. If the carbon dioxide content exceeds 1%, it will affect the earthworms' egg laying.

5. pH value

Too high or too low pH of the earthworm bed will harm the growth of earthworms. The appropriate pH value is 6 to 8.

2. Efficient breeding technology of Taihu red earthworm

1. Site and stocking

Earthworms can be raised both indoors and outdoors. In the south, the temperature is high in summer and autumn, so it is better to raise them indoors. However, large-scale raising can be carried out outdoors, and solar energy can be used to increase the temperature when the temperature is low. However, the site must be selected near a water source and with convenient transportation. In rural areas, the site can be used near the village or in the gaps between the forests. When the breeding area is large, water pipes or automatic sprinklers should be installed.

The worm bed is usually 5 meters wide, with a walkway in the middle of 70 to 80 centimeters, but if the material is delivered by car, the width should be increased. The walkway should be filled more than 30 centimeters high, and the two worm beds on both sides are 2 meters wide each. Ditches are opened on the outside of the two worm beds to facilitate drainage.

After the earthworm bed is completed, place the fermented feed horizontally on the earthworm bed in strips 20 to 30 cm wide and 10 to 15 cm apart. Before placing earthworm seeds, wet the earthworm bed first, then place the earthworm seeds in the area without feed, with a stocking density of 0.5 kg/m2 (about 1,000), and then add some water to facilitate earthworm activity. Avoid placing earthworm seeds after the earthworm bed is filled with animal manure to avoid loss of earthworm seeds.

2. Add materials at the right time

Taihu red earthworms have a wide range of diets and eat almost everything, but the key is that the feed must be fully decomposed. Composting takes 30 days, or it can be dug into a pond. It is better to ferment water plants, green grass, fruits, vegetable peels and slops in poultry and livestock manure. Because the food that earthworms eat in a day is roughly equal to their own weight, it is necessary to add feed in time. Timely means that earthworms are collected and added when there is still 20% feed in the earthworm bed. The added feed must be in a plum blossom shape, leaving 5 to 8 cm gaps between the piles. If the livestock and poultry manure is too thin, it should be poured into strips. Leave 1/3 to 1/4 of the gap area and water it before adding. Thunderstorms can easily flatten the cow manure that has just been added for one or two days, forming a compaction that is not breathable. The earthworms are suffocated and the ground temperature is high. The earthworms on the edge of the earthworm bed will crawl into the ditch, and some will jump to the surface of the earthworm bed. If there is still unfermented livestock manure that is producing biogas, the earthworms will die immediately. Therefore, it is necessary to observe frequently before and after thunderstorms. If the grass is not covered after adding feed, dig up the newly added animal manure on the earthworm bed 20 cm wide before and after thunderstorms. In winter, if a thin layer of feed is covered on the earthworm bed, it will also cause the earthworms to die. If no feed is added or watered for a long time, the earthworm body will shrink. When the earthworm cannot survive, it will self-dissolve and die, but it will leave a batch of egg cocoons.

If conditions permit, EM biotechnology can be used. This is a high-tech technology introduced from Japan by Jiangsu Province in 1991. It is an effective microbial community, such as 10 bacterial genera such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria and lactic acid bacteria, and more than 80 bacterial species. This bacterial community has the functions of accelerating the maturation of various organic fertilizers, improving soil fertility, reducing pests and diseases, and purifying the environment. It can also promote crops, livestock, poultry, and fish to be in a better ecological environment and growth state, and use less or no pesticides and fertilizers. Spraying diluted EM liquid on animal manure and earthworm bed bait can remove odor, inhibit the reproduction of harmful bacteria, and reduce the damage of lice and flies. Earthworms eat organic waste such as animal manure fermented by EM, and beneficial bacteria reproduce in their bodies and are absorbed as nutrients, enhancing disease resistance. Earthworms grow fast and have a high reproduction rate. In 1995, I used EM to raise earthworms indoors for 85 days, and the earthworms multiplied by 65.9 times, which was 51.6 times more than the control group (sprayed with clean water), and 14.3 times more. In addition, the earthworms sprayed with EM were slightly thicker, slightly reddish in color, and stronger.

3. Moisturizing and ventilation

The earthworm bed is a place for raising earthworms. We should pay great attention to temperature, humidity and ventilation. Water frequently to keep it moist. Water once a day in summer, once every 5 to 10 days in low temperature period, and once every 3 to 5 days in cool period, so that the humidity is kept at around 30%. And we should seriously cover the bed with grass all year round to keep moisture and ventilation. This can promote earthworms to eat more, grow faster, lay more eggs, have a high hatching rate of egg cocoons and a high survival rate of young earthworms. We conducted a comparative test of covering with grass in 1994, and the results showed that the earthworm yield of the earthworm bed covered with straw curtains increased by 80%. In addition, if there is a large thunderstorm after covering with grass, it can avoid the surface of the earthworm bed from being hardened, and avoid the earthworms from encountering methane and causing death. A few farmers did not manage well during the low temperature period, resulting in earthworm body shrinkage and less egg laying. There are many reasons, such as not watering for a long time, not adding feed in time, etc. The most important thing is that ventilation is not done well. Under hypoxic conditions, earthworms become dark brown, weak, slow in activity, and many of their offspring die. In particular, animal manure that has not yet been fully fermented will continue to ferment inside the film, producing methane that harms the earthworms. In hypoxia, fish will float to the surface and be easy to spot, but earthworm beds covered by film are not easy to spot due to hypoxia. The only way to solve this problem is to ventilate the air, increase oxygen, and expel harmful gases. There are two ways:

(1) Use an arched low shed to make a shed similar to that for growing sweet potato seedlings.

(2) Make a straw cage for ventilation. Use straw or corn stalks to make a cylinder with a circumference of 40 to 50 cm and place it in the center of the earthworm bed. Cover the earthworm bed with two layers of film and a layer of straw curtain. Open the two ends of the film around noon and ventilate for 2 to 3 hours (except on rainy and snowy days) to expel harmful gases such as carbon dioxide.

4. Seasonal warming and increased production

In winter, various warming methods are used outdoors according to the size of the farm, and the minimum temperature of the earthworm bed is strived to be above 10-15℃ to increase the growth and reproduction rate of earthworms.

Some farmers lay a layer of film on the earthworm bed. Although the temperature of the earthworm bed can be 8-10℃ higher than the highest temperature, when the temperature drops below 0℃ in the early morning, the earthworm bed is only 1-2℃ higher than the outside temperature. Therefore, a layer of film cannot reach the required temperature. After years of exploration, we use the following two methods, which can play a role in warming and keeping warm in Wuxi area.

(1) Two layers of film sandwiched between a layer of straw mat: This method is simple, does not require much investment, and has a good warming and heat preservation effect. According to our test, the temperature is 6°C higher than that of a single layer of film. On the contrary, it can play a cooling and regulating role in summer. The temperature on the earthworm bed is 6°C lower than that of a single layer of film.

(2) Bamboo frame plastic shed: For the past five years, I have used solar energy to raise earthworms in winter. I use bamboo frame plastic sheds. The investment is small and the effect is good. The average temperature rises by 10℃ every day. Based on the low temperature period of 150 days, the cumulative temperature rise is 1500℃, which is equivalent to the accumulated temperature of 75 days at an average temperature of 20℃. The growth period is 2 months longer than that of ordinary farmers. The earthworms grow fast, lay eggs early, hatch early, and go on the market early, laying a good foundation for high yield throughout the year. Hang straw curtains on the east, west and north sides of the plastic shed and fix them up and down to prevent wind and keep warm. The surface of the earthworm bed in the shed is still covered with straw, dry weeds or straw curtains, and a straw cage must be placed in the middle of the earthworm bed for ventilation, and then covered with a layer of film. In areas with low temperatures, two layers of film can be covered with a layer of straw curtains.

5. Cooling down in summer and increasing production

The temperature in Wuxi is high from June to September, which is very suitable for the growth and reproduction of earthworms. However, in July and August, there will be high temperatures, and cooling measures should be taken to control the temperature of the earthworm bed within 30℃, which is the key to increase the production of earthworms in summer.

(1) Shade shed: After years of observation, the shading effect of using straw curtains on the shed is better than other methods (such as planting climbing plants, placing rape dustpans, etc.). Winter shed materials can be used. The shed should be lower in the south and higher in the north. The straw curtains should be hung from the center of the shed roof first, about 1 meter away from the earthworm bed. The straw curtains on the south side should be put down in the morning and put away before dusk. The four sides should be ventilated and water should be leaking when it rains.

(2) Covering the earthworm bed with grass: When the temperature is high, if the earthworm bed in the shade shed needs to be covered with straw curtains, it is best to cover it with water hyacinth, water peanuts, grass, etc. Tests show that when the temperature is 34℃, the earthworm bed in the shed with straw curtains has a temperature of 30℃ 6 cm below the surface of the earthworm bed, and the temperature is 28℃ when covered with 40-50 cm thick water peanuts. The temperature is 35℃ when there is no shed but only old mats. After the shed is built, the earthworm bed is covered with straw curtains, especially water hyacinth and water peanuts to reduce the temperature. Not only does the earthworm grow faster, but the egg laying volume is also greatly increased.

(3) Watering to reduce temperature: During the high temperature period, water must be applied once a day in the afternoon to facilitate the earthworms to crawl to the surface of the earthworm bed in the humid environment at night to forage for food. If conditions permit, watering twice a day in the morning and evening will have a better effect. Never use hot rice field water or seriously polluted industrial wastewater. During the high temperature period, the above cooling measures should be adopted in combination with annual greening to reduce the temperature of the earthworm bed to less than 30℃ to prevent the earthworms from hibernating due to high temperatures and affecting production.

In short, when raising earthworms, appropriate warming or cooling measures should be taken according to local climatic conditions to keep the temperature of the earthworm bed within the optimal growth and reproduction range for earthworms throughout the year.

In 1995, I followed the above comprehensive breeding and management techniques and collected earthworms rationally. The actual breeding area was 32 square meters, and the fresh earthworms were produced 225 kilograms, with a net sales income of 2,300 yuan.

3. Daily management and collection and processing of Taihu red earthworms

It is important to pay attention to the daily management of earthworms, as it has a great impact on whether high yields can be achieved in the end. The following points should be noted:

1. Vermicompost removal

Removing earthworm manure at a suitable temperature is beneficial to earthworm reproduction. The ideal temperature is around 15-25℃ on sunny days. Some farmers do not take temperature control measures in hot and cold seasons, causing some earthworms to hibernate or even drill into the raw soil layer. Removing earthworm manure in early spring or at high temperatures will cause earthworm losses. Suitable temperatures can allow all dormant earthworms to eat on the earthworm bed. In Wuxi, earthworm manure is generally removed from late April to early and mid-May and from late September to early and mid-October, twice a year. Factory farming increases the number of removals according to the thickness of earthworm manure.

The specific method is to shovel out about 15 to 20 cm thick bait and earthworm castings (including large and small earthworms and egg cocoons) on the earthworm bed and place them on the nearby earthworm bed or algae film. The depth should be such that there are basically no earthworms and earthworm eggs under the shovel. Then shovel out the earthworm castings below and move the surface layer back onto the earthworm bed.

2. Escape prevention

It is normal for a small number of earthworms to crawl out and move around after the rain. You can place some animal manure in appropriate places around the earthworm farm to lure the earthworms to drill in and eat. If the earthworm bed is flooded by water due to heavy rain, to prevent the earthworms from flowing away with the water, you can use ropes to tie rice and wheat straw and fix them around the earthworm bed to facilitate the earthworms to drill in. If the water cannot be drained quickly, in order to protect the earthworm egg cocoons, you can merge the earthworm beds and make them above the water surface, so that some of the egg cocoons can leave the flood quickly and hatch normally.

3. Disease and pest control

In addition to the causes of earthworm death and prevention methods mentioned above, earthworms also have some diseases and enemies.

(1) The earthworm body develops spasmodic nodules, becomes thicker and shorter, the segments become red and swollen, the body secretion of mucus increases, the earthworm turns white and dies. The reason is that the earthworms have eaten poisonous feed, such as pesticides sprayed near the animal manure pile, polluted water poured on the earthworm bed, fertilizers and pesticides piled in the temporary earthworm rearing place, the container for transporting earthworms has been in contact with toxic substances, and the temporary earthworms are placed on the film without leaking, the feed is too moist, the environment in which the earthworms live is too humid, and the earthworm body turns white when the temperature is high, and a few die. If this happens due to poisoning, you can spray water several times to wash away the harmful substances with the water, and you should also frequently add refined feed such as rice bran and bran; if the earthworms are temporarily reared indoors and become sick, you should move them out. If the earthworm body turns white due to excessive humidity, you can add fermented dry animal manure or refined feed, mix it with the original moist feed and earthworm manure, and remove the film. If a few of them are found to have died, they should be moved into the earthworm bed for rearing to restore the health of the earthworms that can still move.

Some pesticides are toxic to earthworms, but earthworms are not very sensitive to most pesticides. When some pesticides remain in the soil, earthworms can still survive. When earthworms inhale the pesticides remaining in the soil, they will accumulate in their tissues. In addition, earthworms can also accumulate certain heavy metals. For example, in the soil near the road, the content of cadmium, nickel, lead and zinc in earthworms is very high.

If these earthworms are fed to animals, they will cause disease or death. Therefore, when choosing a breeding farm, do not choose a place where a large amount of pesticides have been sprayed, or near certain factories, mines, or along roads. These places often cause the soil to be polluted by heavy metals due to dust, wastewater, exhaust gas, or slag. In addition, do not feed feed that has been sprayed with pesticides, such as grass and fallen leaves in farmlands or orchards that have been sprayed with pesticides.

(2) Earthworms are the intermediate hosts of some parasites such as nematodes and tapeworms. For example, the final host of the nematode Anopheles is chickens, and the final host of the long-spined roundworm is pigs. If earthworms eat chicken manure containing eggs of Anopheles, and chickens eat live earthworms, the eggs in the earthworms' intestines will enter the chickens' intestines and reproduce, which is harmful to the chickens.

Prevention and control methods: ① Kill various parasites and eggs through high-temperature fermentation of poultry and livestock manure;

②Scald the live earthworms in boiling water for 2 minutes and then mix them into feed or feed the earthworms fed with pig manure to poultry instead of pigs to block the spread;

③ After breeding earthworms for several years, white nematodes will appear in the earthworm bed, which look like newly hatched young earthworms. It is not easy to identify what kind of nematodes they are. You can use the luring method. Soak old horse manure paper in slop water for a few minutes, and spread them on the earthworm bed piece by piece. When one or two antennae of earthworms crawl up to eat, take out the horse manure paper and burn it and bury it. It is more suitable for trapping when the temperature is between 15 and 20℃.

Like other animals, earthworms also have enemies, including voles, house mice, birds, snakes, toads, frogs, mole crickets, ants, etc. The principle of focusing on prevention and combining prevention and treatment should be adopted.

(1) Net enclosure: Buy a dense mesh net with a width of more than one meter. Both sides of the net are reinforced with thick plastic wire. Small tree branches or bamboo branches are tied at intervals under the net. They are buried 6 to 8 cm deep in the soil around the breeding farm and tied on the stakes. This net can prevent mole crickets from drilling in, and can also prevent chickens and ducks from pecking in. Mole crickets are very harmful to earthworms. They first eat the egg cocoons and then the small earthworms. Sometimes there are dozens of mole crickets per square meter under the earthworm bed. They build nests and lay eggs in spring. There will be dozens of eggs in the nest. They are gray with dark brown spots and are not easy to break. Therefore, if you see earthworm feed blocks the size of eggs, you must check them carefully. If you find mole cricket eggs, you must kill them all.

(2) Medicine: Ants mainly feed on earthworm eggs, cocoons and small earthworms. In rainy seasons, when ant nests are flooded, they crawl into higher earthworm beds to live and reproduce. Therefore, you should kill ant nests as soon as you see them. Preventive treatment is to buy ant medicine (the kind used in silkworm breeding rooms), mix well and use three packets per spoon. Wrap three sides with waste film, open one side to allow the smell of the medicine to slowly dissipate, place it slightly higher around the breeding area, press it with bricks and tiles, and place one packet every 70 cm. Use the medicine 2 to 3 times a year to prevent ants from entering the earthworm bed. As for toads and mice, they are mainly captured. If they are far away from the village, rat poison can be used.

4. Collection, breeding and processing of earthworms

Reasonable collection of earthworms can greatly increase the annual earthworm production. The principle is to catch the big ones and keep the small ones, that is, collect most of the sexually mature earthworms, and maintain a reasonable density after collection to improve the breeding basis. Collection method:

(1) Grab by hand (wearing plastic gloves) or use a customized iron flat-thorn rake. Shovel out the surface of the earthworm bed where most earthworms have matured and place it on the film. After the pile is more than 50 cm high, turn it over several times with a rake. The earthworms will be stimulated and move downward until they reach the film. Gradually remove the earthworm manure and feed (with egg cocoons) on the surface and spread them on the earthworm bed. Finally, weigh most of the large earthworms collected and keep them temporarily.

(2) Collecting after rain: In summer and autumn, when the temperature is high, in the morning after rain, collect the dense earthworms on the surface of the earthworm bed, along with the earthworm castings and feed, and temporarily raise them indoors or in a shed.

(3) Temporary rearing and strengthening: This is a regular task within a year. For short-term temporary rearing, 5 to 6 kg of earthworms can be reared in 1 square meter. The temporary rearing density should be controlled according to the temperature. The feed and earthworm manure on the earthworm bed should be spread 5 to 8 cm thick. Feed once a day with concentrated feed wetted with water. Feeding too much will turn the earthworms sour and moldy. Fermented animal manure should be added frequently.

In addition to the direct use or sale of fresh earthworms, they can also be processed as needed, such as sun-drying, oven-baking or quick-freezing. To dry earthworms, stir-fry corn flour and mix them with fresh earthworms without impurities, so that the earthworm juice (85%) is absorbed by the corn flour during the drying process and the nutrients are fully utilized. If conditions permit, drying equipment can be added. If sold as a commodity, the dried earthworms should be crisp without lumps and impurities, with a moisture content of about 10%, and they should be easy to break when pinched by hand. After drying, sieve out the corn flour and bag the pure earthworms on the same day. Use a film bag for the inner packaging, and a woven bag or carton for the outer packaging. In order to store them for a long time and sell them far away without deterioration, a sound acceptance system and regular review must be implemented. As the earthworm breeding industry develops into industrialization, factoryization or enterprise groups, advanced technologies such as drying and crushing earthworms or freeze-drying earthworm particles will be widely used.

4. Comprehensive Utilization of Earthworms

The earliest countries to breed earthworms were New Zealand and the United States. The United States has a history of breeding earthworms for 70 to 80 years. Japan only officially started breeding earthworms in 1974, but in just a few years, the trade volume reached 2 billion yen, making it one of the world's largest consumers of earthworms. Japan, Canada, the Philippines, India, Singapore and other countries have done a lot of work in studying earthworms and developing earthworm breeding production. For example, there are more than 50,000 professional earthworm breeders in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. With the development of commercial production of earthworms, the world's earthworm trade has also continued to increase. In recent years, the world's annual trade volume has reached about 2 billion US dollars, and it is still increasing at a rate of 20% to 25% every year (Guangdong Food, 1994). my country only started breeding earthworms in the late 1970s, and promoted it nationwide in the 1980s, and it has now achieved certain development.

The reason why earthworm farming has developed so rapidly worldwide is not only because earthworms themselves have many-sided values, but also because people are increasingly aware of the important role of earthworms in environmental protection, turning waste into treasure, and developing ecological agriculture.

1. Earthworms are high-quality animal protein feed

According to the determination, the protein content of the earthworm body is about 53.5% to 65.1% of the dry weight, the fat content is 4.4% to 17.38%, the carbohydrate content is 11% to 17.4%, and the ash content is 7.8% to 23% (Huang Fuzhen, 1982). According to the analysis of Daping No. 2 earthworms by Japanese experts, the fresh body contains 85.8% water, 8.5% crude protein, 2.5% crude fat, and 2.2% carbohydrates. According to Qian Jinkang's analysis, the dry body protein content of Daping No. 2 is 57.02%. The earthworm protein contains 18 to 20 kinds of amino acids, including 8 essential amino acids for the human body and 12 essential amino acids for poultry, and the content is relatively rich, and its effective energy is equivalent to fish meal. The earthworm body is also rich in vitamin D (about 0.04% to 0.073% of the fresh body weight), as well as mineral elements such as calcium and phosphorus (about 0.124% to 0.188% of the fresh body weight) (Huang Fuzhen, 1982). Analysis of the biochemical composition of earthworms shows that earthworms are a rare high-quality animal protein feed. They can replace fish meal as a feed additive for poultry, livestock, fish, special poultry and special aquatic products.

Adding cooked and chopped earthworms to pig feed (not exceeding 5% to 8% of the total daily diet) will cause the pigs to gain more weight and continue to grow normally even when the temperature is above 30°C.

Adding fresh earthworms to fish feed (usually 5% is better), and their body fluids are absorbed by compound feed, which can improve palatability and feed efficiency. In 1980, Japan sold frozen processed earthworms fixed with starch adhesives. Their nutritional value is similar to that of fresh earthworms, they can be preserved and are not easy to deteriorate. When raising eels, they are used alone in the white eel stage, 10% in the compound feed in the black eel stage, and 2% to 3% in the middle stage, with significant effects (Shanghai Science and Technology Information Institute, 1982). Feeding eels with earthworms has a high spawning rate, high survival rate, and fast growth rate. In short, earthworms can be used as feed additives for many special aquatic products such as soft-shelled turtles, shrimps, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, trout, bullfrogs, and special poultry turkeys. They can also be used as feed additives for economic animals such as minks. It is reported that a mink grows faster if it is fed 20 grams of fresh earthworms a day than if it eats 150 grams of fresh fish a day.

Using earthworms to replace fish meal is not only cheap, but also the meat of poultry and livestock raised is of good quality and delicious taste. This is because the glutamate contained in earthworm protein is effective. According to measurements, the glutamate content of Daping No. 2 is as high as 8.21%, while it is well known that Peruvian fish meal has a strong fishy smell.

2. Worm manure is a high-quality organic fertilizer

According to the analysis of earthworm manure by the Japanese Food Analysis Center, when the water content is 32.5%, the total nitrogen is 1.21%, and when the water content is about 11%, the total nitrogen is about 3.6%. The nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content of earthworm manure is higher than that of soil, and its water retention, fertilizer retention and ventilation are relatively good. It has a significant effect of increasing production when applied in agriculture. For example, Wang Guoqing, an agricultural comprehensive service station in Zhuxiang Village, Dongbeitang Town, Xishan City, conducted an experiment on the effect of earthworm manure on increasing wheat production in 1994. The results are shown in the table.

Effect of vermicompost on increasing wheat yield in 1994

Increase the area of ​​earthworm manure application, plant height, ear number, filled grains, thousands of grains, heavy yield per mu

serial number

(mu) (kg/mu) (cm) (10,000 plants) (per ear) (g) (kg)

1 0.8 800 99 23 32 40.39 278

2 1.8 700 91 28 31 36.35 266

Control 0.9 70 23 28 35.63 180.5

As can be seen from the table above, the application of vermicompost as wheat cover fertilizer increased wheat yields by 97.5 kg per mu in field 1, an increase of 54%, and by 85.5 kg per mu in field 2, an increase of 47.7%. Practice has also proved that vermicompost has a long-term effect of increasing fertilizer and improving soil, that is, increasing yields in the current season and benefiting the next crop.

3. Earthworms have high medicinal value

Earthworms are called earthworms in traditional Chinese medicine. They are cold in nature and slightly salty in taste. They are traditional Chinese medicine. The Compendium of Materia Medica lists 40 earthworm prescriptions. The analysis of the medicinal components of earthworms using modern advanced scientific technology shows that earthworms contain earthworm elements, earthworm antipyretics, earthworm toxins, xanthines, antihistamines, vitamin B and other medicinal components. The Chinese medical community has proved through long-term clinical practice that earthworms have pharmacological effects such as antipyretic, sedative, antiasthmatic, and antihypertensive.

In Chinese medicine, earthworms are used to make earthworm injections, which are used to treat bronchial asthma and asthmatic bronchitis, especially heat asthma, with high efficacy. The compound earthworm injection (combined with baicalin) made later has even higher efficacy. It is reported that in 1996, Bio-Lumokinase technology was awarded the Torch Program Certificate. A proteolytic enzyme isolated and purified from special earthworms has the dual functions of directly and indirectly dissolving fibrin. This enzyme can reduce blood viscosity and improve platelet aggregation function, and can be used to manufacture drugs for the treatment and prevention of vascular embolic heart disease.

In addition, earthworms are also healthy food for humans. Most earthworm foods abroad are steamed, fried, deep-fried, and pan-fried. Braised earthworms are delicious and better than seafood. The earthworm health food developed by the Japanese food industry using modern technology contains 58.5% protein, 6.3% lipids, 110 mg linoleic acid, 11.3 mg vitamin B1, etc. Clinical use shows that it can regulate physical fatigue and remove excess cholesterol in blood vessels, especially suitable for patients with hypertension. A biochemical factory in Wuxi has produced a small batch of pure earthworm powder in the form of milk powder for export and foreign exchange, with good benefits.

4. Application of earthworms in environmental protection

There are landfills or incinerators around every city. Dealing with tens of thousands of tons of garbage not only requires a lot of manpower and material resources, occupies a lot of land, but also causes new pollution to the soil, water and air; the excrement of some livestock and poultry farms is not well utilized, not only the nutrients in the waste are wasted, but also seriously pollutes the environment. Earthworms eat organic waste and produce high-quality protein and high-quality organic fertilizer. In view of this, many countries in the world are making earthworms the processors of organic waste, which not only uses waste as a resource, but also opens up a new way to prevent and control pollution.

A Japanese paper mill imported 125 tons of earthworms from the United States to remove pulp residue. One billion earthworms eat 50 tons of papermaking waste every day and produce 25 tons of vermicompost. In Colombia, earthworm farming began in the 1970s, first in large farms and later in small and medium-sized farms. Farmers realize that it is beneficial to let earthworms process organic waste on the farm, carry out material circulation, and develop ecological agriculture, both from an economic and social and ecological perspective. There is an earthworm company in South Africa that specializes in the production of various earthworm farming equipment, ranging from home kitchens to restaurants and factories. The main purpose is to transform organic waste into organic fertilizer and prevent environmental pollution.

my country has only a dozen years of earthworm farming history. Although it has achieved certain development, the scale of farming is small and most of them are courtyard-style. This deserves to be vigorously promoted in rural my country. In new villages in towns, it can be promoted to raise earthworms with kitchen organic waste, and earthworm manure can be used for family flower planting and new village greening, and earthworms can be sold in batches. In short, we must combine special breeding with environmental protection, develop the earthworm industry, and make comprehensive use of it. Develop earthworm farming into an industry, make it a part of large-scale agriculture, and let earthworms contribute to my country's economic development.

Earthworm farming

1. Breeding varieties: The earthworm Eisenia fetida, the Ohira No. 2 introduced from Japan, is characterized by a high reproduction rate, an annual proliferation of more than 200 times, good settlement, heat and cold resistance, suitable for production all year round, and high yield of earthworm bodies and earthworm feces.

⑴Open-air composting farming

Choose a place with high and cool terrain, good drainage, warm and ventilated, pollution-free and undisturbed. Make unfermented cow dung, horse dung and pig dung into a height of 15-20 cm, a width of 1-1.5 meters and an unlimited length. Put in earthworm seeds, cover with straw, shade and moisturize, and then you can breed. Its advantages are easy operation, eliminating a series of work of composting and fermentation, keeping nutrients from loss, increasing the growth rate of earthworms, and easy to promote and apply in rural areas. This method also has its disadvantages: once the bait is heated, the earthworms die and the corpses are not seen. After continuous rain and heavy rain in summer, the bed is not breathable and there is a phenomenon of escape. The way to avoid it is to make each breeding bed have new bait. Earthworms are not resistant to high temperatures (above 35℃) or low temperatures (below 0℃). Therefore, a shed should be built above the breeding pit in summer to provide shade; a simple plastic shed should be built above the breeding pit in winter to increase the pit temperature and protect the earthworms from wintering safely. In addition, protection work should be done to prevent the invasion of rats, frogs, snakes, etc. The bait is piled up to create good bottom-up conditions for earthworms. The key to this method is to keep the moisture content of the bait at 60-70%, not too dry or too wet, otherwise the bait will heat up and die.

⑵ Raising earthworms in pots

The amount of feed filled should be 3/4 of the height of the basin, and about 100 to 200 earthworms should be placed in each basin. As the basin is small, the humidity and temperature inside the basin are greatly affected by the environment and change greatly. For example, the feed is easy to dry, and the temperature changes significantly. Therefore, under the premise of ensuring ventilation, the basin mouth can be covered with plastic film, and water should be sprayed frequently to maintain the appropriate humidity of the feed in the basin. Or the position of the basin should be moved frequently according to the high and low outside temperatures to adjust the temperature in the basin. In addition, the breeding time of potted earthworms should not be too long, and 30 to 60 days is appropriate.

If you want to raise earthworms on a large scale, it is better to adopt outdoor breeding method, which has simple equipment, easy management and low cost. Earthworms are omnivorous animals, and various poultry manure, animal manure, melon and fruit peels, vegetable leaves, tree leaves and non-toxic household garbage can be used as earthworm feed. It is best to ferment these feeds in advance to achieve no odor, no sour taste, complete decomposition and brown appearance.

⑶Semi-basement earthworm breeding method

Choose a leeward, dry slope and dig a trench 1.5-1.6 meters deep, 2.5 meters wide and of a self-determined length underground. One side of the trench is 1 meter above the ground and the other side is 30 centimeters above the ground, forming a slope, which is covered with a double layer of plastic film.

2. Detailed feeding methods

Mix the cocoons of more than 5 square meters, and then pile them into a pile of 20 cm thick, 35 cm wide and unlimited length. Cover the pile with a layer of new manure 15 cm thick. The cocoons will be completely hatched in about 20 days. At this time, the density in the hatching pile is very high. Divide one hatching pile into 3 strips, and add 3 times the amount of new manure to each strip. Water it once a week, and the earthworms can be harvested in 40 days when they are all grown up.

3. Reproduction and Growth

1. Cocoon production: Each Daping No. 2 earthworm produces between 56 and 58 cocoons per year, of which 40% are produced in spring, 25% in summer, 27% in autumn and 8% in winter.

2. Hatching rate: An earthworm cocoon can hatch an average of 5-8 young earthworms, with a maximum of 12, but generally only 3-4 fully grown young earthworms. The hatching time required for incubation at different temperatures varies the hatching rate. The weight of young earthworms increases slowly during the early stage, and after entering the brooding stage, the growth is also slow. Only within one month before and after the sexual maturity period, the earthworms grow fastest. At this time, high yields can be obtained.

3. The growth rate of earthworms is closely related to the state of bait. Although the bait is the same, the growth rate of young earthworms can differ by 1.5 times due to the different degree of fineness. Therefore, the bait should be kept finely ground to avoid large and small lumps (if lumps appear, water them and crush them) to ensure the rapid growth of earthworms.

4. Breeding density: The number of earthworms should be controlled within 10,000 per square meter, and the production earthworm population should be 3 kg per square meter (20,000-31,000), with 30,000 young earthworms per square meter in the early stage and 20,000 in the later stage. 5. Output: The output per square meter can reach 10 kg/year, generally 6-8 kg, (because the production period in the north is only 8-10 months per year) Every 25-30 kg of bait consumed can produce 1 kg of fresh earthworms and 70% of earthworm manure. Our many years of experience shows that 5 cubic meters of cow dung can produce one ton of earthworm manure, 50 kg of fresh earthworms.

4. Feeding and Management

1. Feeding of bait: Promptly feeding earthworms with sufficient bait is an important measure to ensure the rapid growth of earthworms. The bait is thrown in piles with a thickness of 10 cm. Do not cover the bed completely and do not make it flat so as to separate the earthworms.

2. Temperature for earthworm breeding: The best temperature is 15-25℃. In winter, thicken the breeding bed to 40-50 cm, cover the bait with straw, and add plastic sheeting to keep warm and moisturize. In summer, try to water once a day to cool down. Stage breeding: It can be divided into seed group, breeding group, and production group. Feed thinly and turn frequently. Feed twice a month. Turn the bed before feeding. The thickness of each feeding is 10 cm. Keep the bait fresh and breathable at all times. Harvest in time: harvest once a month in summer, harvest once every 1.5 months in spring and autumn, and replenish feed in time after harvesting. Rotation and renewal: The seed earthworms should be renewed once a year, and the breeding bed should be changed once a year to keep the earthworm group vigorous and prevent the earthworm population from declining due to natural development.

3. Bait: The best bait is cow dung, pig dung, horse dung, sheep dung, rabbit dung, or pig, sheep, or rabbit dung plus straw or rice straw.

How do earthworms reproduce?

Earthworms are hermaphrodites, and the male reproductive organs are located on the posterior side of the 10th and 11th segments. There are two pairs of testicular sacs, each of which contains a testis and a sperm infundibulum, which are connected to the posterior pair of spermatocysts through small holes in the diaphragm. The two pairs of spermatocysts are located in the 11th and 12th segments. After sperm cells are produced in the testis, they first enter the spermatocysts for development, and then return to the testicular sacs after maturity, and are discharged from the sperm infundibulum through the vas deferens.

After the 13th segment, the two vas deferens are parallel to each other. When they reach the 18th segment, they meet with the branch and main ducts of the prostate and are discharged from the male genital opening, which is on both sides of the ventral surface of the 18th segment. The female reproductive organs include a pair of grape-shaped ovaries attached to the back of the diaphragm of the 12th and 13th segments. The mature eggs fall into the body cavity, pass through a pair of egg funnels in the 13th segment, and pass through the shorter oviducts to meet at the 14th segment, and are discharged from the female genital opening, which has only one.

In addition, there are 2 or 3 pairs of spermatheca in the 6th to 9th segments, which are places for receiving and storing foreign sperm. They open on both sides of the abdominal intersegmental groove between the 6th and 9th segments.

Although earthworms are hermaphrodites, they still need cross-fertilization because their sex cells mature at different times. The male reproductive cells of earthworms mature first. After mating, the two earthworms will mate. During mating, the accessory glands secrete mucus, which makes the ventral surfaces of both sides stick to each other, and the heads are separated into two directions.

The male genital pore is opposite to the spermatheca pore of the other. The semen is discharged from the male genital pore of each and enters the spermatheca through the spermatheca pore of the other. After exchanging semen, the two earthworms separate. When the eggs mature, the annulus secretes a sticky substance, which solidifies outside the annulus to form a ring-shaped mucus tube (earthworm cocoon). The mature eggs are discharged from the female genital pore into the earthworm cocoon.

When the earthworm moves backward in a wave-like motion, the cocoon gradually moves forward. When it moves to the spermatheca hole, the sperm escapes and fertilizes in the cocoon. The earthworm continues to move backward, and finally the cocoon leaves the body, with both ends sealed and left in the soil. Each cocoon contains 1 to 3 embryos, which hatch within 2 to 3 weeks. If the environment is not suitable, hatching can be delayed until the spring of the following year.

Earthworms are warm-loving animals. Wild worms will drill into the soil layer to lurk dormant during long drought, severe winter and high temperature seasons. For artificial worms, the temperature must be adjusted so that the earthworms can grow and reproduce throughout the year. The optimal growth temperature of red earthworms is around 25℃. Earthworms are hermaphrodites, but they must be mate in heterogeneous bodies. Sexually mature earthworms (i.e., a breeding ring) lay their eggs after mating for 1 week. However, the frequency of egg laying is closely related to the temperature. When the temperature is lower than 10℃, one egg will be laid in about 35 days; when the temperature is 18-25℃, the humidity is 30%-50%, and when ventilation is good, one egg is usually laid in 1.5-4.5 days; when the temperature is as high as 35℃, the number of egg laying decreases. The hatching of egg cocoons also has a lot to do with the temperature. When the temperature is lower than 8℃, the egg cocoon stops hatching; at 15℃, the egg cocoon hatched young worms in about 33 days, with a hatching rate of 97%, and an average of 6.8 young worms hatched in each egg cocoon; when the average temperature is 20℃, the young worms hatched in 19 days; at 32℃, it can hatch in 10 days, but the hatching rate is only 33%, and an average of 2 to 3 young worms hatched in each egg cocoon. During the hatching process, when the egg cocoon accumulates at 220 to 260℃, the young worms can hatch (the egg cocoon accumulates daily after deducting the ineffective temperature of the egg cocoon stop hatching below 8℃ every day). Therefore, controlling the temperature to 18 to 25℃ is most conducive to the worm egg laying and hatching. The young worms grow in about 38 days, and the whole growth period is about 60 days. The egg cocoon produced by an earthworm within one month can gradually hatch 50 to 80 small earthworms.