DOI: 10.36347/sjavs.2016.v03i01.014

Pages: 72-78

The study examined farmers’ perception of the role of earthworm in soil improvement in Delta State, Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study are as follows: (i) assess the level of awareness of crops’ farmers of the roles of earthworms in the soil.(ii) assess farmers’ perception of earthworms’ role(iii) identify farming practices that are inimical to the activities of earthworms.. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to compose a sample size of 344 respondents. Data were collected using well structured and validated interview schedule and data were analysed using various descriptive statistical techniques such as tables, percentages, means and standard deviation, and inferential statistics (linear regression model). The result of the study indicated that majority of the respondents were not aware of the various roles of earthworms in the soil. However, the respondents that were aware agreed that earthworm enhances microbial degradation of organic matter (mean = 4.48), improves soil productivity and fertility (mean = 4.22), influences nutrient cycling process in many ecosystems (mean = 4.45), prepares the ground in an excellent manner for the growth of plants (mean = 4.78) and alters the physical and chemical properties of the soil to improve fertility (mean = 4.34). The respondents aware of the role of earthworms, nevertheless disagreed that earthworms casts have a greater population of beneficial microorganisms (mean = 1.48), earthworms are very important in inoculating soils with microorganisms (mean =1.38) and that earthworms are extensively used for vermi-composting in the study area (mean = 1.32); they also disagreed that earthworm stabilizes soil organic matter through its mineralization (mean = 2.16).