Bright Ideas

Xing Nong Fu: Using earthworms to create sustainable local farming and livelihoods

  • China
  • 6 min read
  • Jan 06, 2021
  • By Wang Xiao'e

Image: Shutterstock

Worm castings can rehabilitate infertile land due to excessive soil salinity in just seven days, compared with three to five years using traditional methods, and 90% more cheaply 

In 2014, the Category 5 super Typhoon Rammasun made its landfall in Wenchang city on the northeastern coast of Hainan province, flooding about 10,000 mu (667 hectares) of fertile farmland with salt water and rendering the fields useless. Local farmers told Su Jiancheng, who was volunteering in disaster relief, that flushing the affected land with water was the only way to reduce the excessive soil salinity and alkalinity. Such a process of soil rehabilitation usually takes three to five years and cost about RMB 15,000 per mu then.  
Seeing no hope in growing cash crops on the land for...

The rest of the content is only available if you are logged in.

Edited by Bernice Tang

We pride ourselves on the accuracy of our information and reporting. Please help us by letting us know of any incomplete or inaccurate information on our website.