GLOBAL SYMPOSIUM ON SOIL BIODIVERSITY | 19-22 April 2021

Mass multiplication of native soil mesofauna for re-introduction in the

degraded agro-ecosystems

KUMAR ,N.G.

University of Agricultural Sciences,

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA, INDIA

IntroductionSoil organisms are those which participate either in the

disintegration and chemical weathering of the parent rock or

in the decomposition of dead animals and plants. It excludes

certain stages (pupal, hibernation, metamorphosis) or

presence by chance or accident (Ramann, 1911).

Role of soil organismsBiological fertility of the soil is correlated to the interaction

between soil, animals, microorganisms and plants. These interactionsregulate the pattern and rate of organic matter decomposition,nutrient recycling, nutrient immobilization and nutrient uptake byplants; together with abiotic factors of the soil environment theyregulate soil fertility.

Secondary consumers

General pathway for the breakdown of higher plant tissue

Detritus

Energy &Co2 input

HumusPrimary consumers

Faeces & dead bodies

Mycophytic feedersFaeces & dead bodies

Soil Microflora(Ultimate

decomposers)

CarnivoresPredator & parasites

Detritivors

Energy & Co2 loss

Soil biota

Tertiaryconsumers

Western ghat –Natural forest

GREEN REVOLUTION

-HYV /HYBRIDS

-Fertilizers

-Insecticides

-Fungicides

-Nematicides

-Herbicides

-Heavy machines

-Monoculture

-Clean cultivation

-Non-application of FYM

-Over exploitation of land

& irrigation

Self sufficiencyin food production

Stagnation / LowerCrop yields

Loss of soil biological/mineralogical

fertility & sustainability

Organic farming

-Less availability-Not support soil invertebrates-Slight increase in existing fauna

Fresh heaps of organic matter contain very few or no animals but as the heapsage, there is succession of animals paralleling the chemical changes duringdecomposition (Muller, 1957).

Typical manure animals are replaced by compost animals, which in-turn aredisplaced by typical soil fauna (Cernova, 1971).

In leaf compost, mites may initially predominate but are later surpassed bycollembolans (Ghilarov, 1965).

Among the collembolans, certain species are shown to be regularly eliminatedby aging of the compost (Mrohs, 1961).

Keesing and Wratten (1998) also highlighted the importance of indigenousinvertebrate components in ecological restoration in agricultural landscapes forbetter sustainable function.

Why mass multiplication of mesofauna is

required?

-Fragile organisms

-pore space of top layer of soil

-Abiotic factors

-Rainfall

-Flood (water stagnation, soil

erosion etc.)

-Climate Change ( Prolonged

drought, reduced rainy days etc)

-Termite foraging on plant

residues

Maize litter after harvest of the crop

Maize litter after termite foraging

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Fau

nal

ab

un

dan

ce (

#/4

00g

so

il)

Duration

soil mesofauna Rainfall

soil moisture soil temperature

maximum temperature

Influence of weather parameters on the abundance of soil mesofauna in agro-ecosystem

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180Grassland

forest ecosystem

Leucaena leucocephala

Months

Meso

fau

na

/400g

sam

ple

Abundance of mesofauna in different undisturbed ecosystems at different months

Media selected -Soil-Farmyard manure (FYM)-Coir peat

Food - Household vegetable wasteWater - Daily/ alternate days

Household Vegetable waste Farmyard manure pit

Treatments Quantity (Kg/pot)

T1= Soil alone 4.60

T2= Coir peat alone (CP) 0.70

T3= FYM alone 3.00

T4= 75% Soil + 25% CP 3.44+0.18

T5= 50% Soil + 50% CP 2.30+0.35

T6= 25% Soil + 75% CP 1.14+0.53

T7= 75% CP + 25% FYM 0.53+0.74

T8= 50% CP + 50% FYM 0.35+1.50

T9= 25% CP + 75% FYM 0.18+2.24

T10= 75% Soil + 25% FYM 3.44+0.74

T11= 50% Soil + 50% FYM 2.30+1.50

T12= 25% Soil + 75% FYM 1.14+2.24

T13= 33.3% Soil + 33.3% CP + 33.3% FYM 1.38+0.21+0.90

Treatment details

House hold waste

French bean Amaranths

leaves and stem

Fenugreek leaves

waste

Cereal and

Pulses(immature,

pests and disease

attacked one)

Cluster bean Ridge gourd

scrapes

Drumstick leaves

Peas Cucumber scrape Used curry leaves

Field bean Okra Lettuce

Cabbage Betel leaves Banana

Knol- khol Ginger Orange Sieved flour

wasteCauliflower Tomato Papaya

Potato, sweet potato

scrapes

Chow-chow

scrape

Matured/fallen leaves/

Pruned plant parts

Tea and coffee

waste

Onion Chillies Pomegranate Small paper

wastes, bills etc.Garlic Bell pepper Jasmine

Radish leaves and scrapes Bottle gourd Rose

Beet root scrapes Brinjal Hibiscus

Spinach, Mint, coriander

leaves and stem

Carrot scrape China aster, Marigold,

Chrysanthemum

Back yard (25 sq.m.)Different media with vegetable wastes

Soil, Coir peat and Farm yard manure alone and in combination were used as media

The pot size was 30cm width at top and 20cm width at bottom and 30 cm height

The mesofauna rich soil was collected from the grassland, forest plantation and Leucaena leucocephala plantation and mixed well . About 400g of mixed soil/pot was placed on the

surface of the medium in the pots (November 2017)

Household vegetable wastes (250g /pot) were placed over the soil surface of the pots at weekly interval. These pots were watered (1l/pot) daily.

Soil samples(200g/pot) were drawn from each at the monthly interval (after one year, once in two months)

Mesofauna extracted –Rothamsted modified Mc Fadyen high gradient funnel apparatus

Methodology

149.47

191.13

231.60

184.33

172.47182.87

177.00

162.40

176.47184.47

161.13

173.40

193.20

113.44

0

50

100

150

200

250

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 NE

Mea

n m

eso

fau

na

ab

un

da

nce (

# /

40

0g

)

Media

NE: Natural ecosystemCD @ 0.05: 21.46

Mean mesofauna abundance in different media

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

1M

AI

2M

AI

3M

AI

4M

AI

5M

AI

6M

AI

7M

AI

8M

AI

9M

AI

10

MA

I

11

MA

I

12

MA

I

14

MA

I

16

MA

I

18

MA

I

Soil alone FYM alone Mean

Months after introduction

Meso

fau

na

#/4

00g

sam

ple

Natural ecosystem: 113.44 mesofauna/400g

Mean mesofauna abundance in different media at different duration

0.200.21

0.27

0.20

0.180.19

0.16

0.25

0.22

0.19

0.14

0.21 0.21

0.16

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 NE

Div

ersi

ty i

nd

ex

Media

NE: Natural ecosystemCD @0.05: 0.043

Diversity indices in different media

56.75

88.75

101.75

113.44

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1MAI 12MAI 18MAI Natural ecosystem

Ab

un

da

nce (

#/4

00

g s

am

ple

)

MAI-Months After Introduction

Abundance of soil mesofauna in backyard soil samples

56.75

89.75

73

60.5

119.5110.75

119.5

87.5

116

101.2597

88.75

133.5

113.25

85.5

148.25

116.87

101.75

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Months after introduction

Abundance of soil mesofauna in backyard soil samples

0.2234

0.3372

0.1622 0.1585

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

0.35

0.4

1MAI 12MAI 18MAI Natural ecosystem

Div

ersi

ty i

nd

ices

MAI-Months After Introduction

Diversity indices in backyard soil samples

Sl.

No.

Taxonomic group

Occurrence of soil organisms (%)

Natural ecosystem

at peak activity *

Best media

(FYM alone)

Least preferred

media (soil alone)

Back yard

(soil alone)

Cryptostimata 39.09 5.0 2.44 16.39

2. Mesostigmata 8.12 8.0 2.44 13.66

3. Other Acari 5.08 21.0

4. Poduriidae 3.55 19.0 30.49 9.84

5. Entomobryidae 6.09 5.0 3.66 8.19

6. Onychiuridae 24.88 4.0 34.15 37.16

7. Symphyla 6.01

8. Pseudoscorpions 1.23

9. Isopoda 2.44 1.64

10. Psocids 1.01 1.09

11. Centipede larvae 2.03 1.23 2.19

12. Earwigs 2.44 1.09

13. Spiders 0.51 0.55

14. Hemiptera 2.44 0.55

15. Dipterans maggot 0.51 8.0 2.44

16. Coleopteran grubs 3.04 12.0 2.44 1.64

17. Ants 6.09 18.0 9.76

18. Earthworm immature 2.44

Conclusion1.All media harboured higher mesofauna abundance throughout the year

compared to mesofauna of natural ecosystems. Coir peat is suitable for

urban dwelling. An agency can collect the mass multiplied mesofauna rich

media and distribute to the farmers or can be used in terrace or backyard

gardens.

2.Soil mesofauna diversity can be maintained in an institute of different

regions to protect the indigenous soil mesofauna for future use.

3.The farmers can use backyard or farmyard manure heap to multiply

native soil mesofauna. Mesofauna rich coir peat or FYM or combination of

these two can be easily applied in the degraded land.

4.The diversity of mesofauna and microflora can be replenished by

introducing a small quantity of topsoil and litter of the undisturbed

ecosystems.

Thank You for

your attention