Influences of native (Megascolecidae) and exotic (Lumbricidae) earthworms on ryegrass production in acidic pasture soils from south-eastern Australia

The survival, growth and influence on ryegrass production of two native Australian earthworms, Spenceriella madeayi and S. hamiltoni (Megascolecidae), and an exotic earthworm, Aporrectodea trapezoides (Lumbricidae), were measured in two acidic soils (+/-lime) in glasshouse experiments. S. hamiltoni survived and grew better than the other two species. The addition of lime did not influence the survival of any of the three species, nor the biomass of individual worms that survived to the end of the experiment. Lime increased ryegrass production. In one soil (Alfisol), S. macleayi increased ryegrass production in the absence of lime; in the other (Ultisol), A. trapezoides increased ryegrass production in the presence of lime.