On building a worm detector
10 hours ago
- The next frontier in worm research is to visualize and map worm locations in-situ at paddock scale, as current knowledge of below-ground invertebrate movements is limited compared to above-ground species.
- Existing studies have sampled worm abundance and diversity but none have mapped individual or collective movements; the only attempts were by Mather and Christensen (1988, 1994) measuring above-ground trails of Lumbricus terrestris and New Zealand flatworms.
- An individual L. terrestris can travel at least 9.0 meters per night (mean minimum distance, n=30), with ranges from 3.8 to 19.3 meters, though trails were incomplete due to leaving study areas and tractor disturbances.
- Proposed technology for a worm detector includes using ground-penetrating radar (microwaves) or probes emitting pulses to detect worms, possibly leveraging their soft hydrostatic skeleton as a distinguishing feature, with data integrated into 3D maps or 2D heatmaps of worm probability.
- Challenges include resolution, soil variability, distinguishing worms from other invertebrates, and the need for calibration experiments; ideal conditions like rainy days when worms surface could aid detection.
- Successful development would enable research on worm speed, movement patterns, territoriality, burrow longevity, and spatial heterogeneity, ultimately helping farmers manage soil inputs and support worm populations at paddock scale.
- The technology could also extend to mapping plant roots and unintentionally discover other soil organisms like caecilians, advancing below-ground phenomics.