Biological control of plant diseases and pests promoted by earthworms

Abstract

Despite some fluctuations in history regarding human interpretation of the effect of earthworms on soil and plants, it is now accepted as a fact that these worms have an indirect positive effect on productivity and plant health, by improving the properties of the soil where plants grow. What is lessknown, is that it has been discovered that earthworms can have a direct action on pests and diseases by suppressing them; or by directly influencing plants’ defense system. These lines of research have several decades of development worldwide, but are very little known in the Spanish-speaking world, with little literature on the subject written in Spanish. The present review aims at bringing together the cases that have demonstrated a significant positive effect of earthworms on plant health, examining the mechanisms by which they can participate in the biological control of phytoparasites, herbivores or phytopathogens, and discussing the perspectives of application of biological control through the use of earthworms as part of sustainable and agroecological agriculture.