WORMS: Speaking of erosion, the Penn State Extension reported there is an imported critter that is associated with erosion and plant nutrition.
The Extension’s recent Home Gardening Newsletter talks about Asian earthworms that have come to the United States.
According to Nancy Knauss, state Master Gardener coordinator and author of the article “Look Out for Jumping Earthworms!” the beneficial earthworms that people mostly find are European earthworms, which burrow more deeply into the soil than Asian species and mix nutrients.
In contrast, the Asian earthworms “live in the upper layer of organic matter. Jumping worms are voracious feeders, quickly consuming much of the organic matter.”
This is the layer where many plants grown and that protects from erosion.
In areas populated by Asian earthworms, “The soil has fewer available nutrients and is unable to support plant growth.”
Only buy or sell plants that seem to be free of jumping worms, and compost should be heat treated to reduce pathogens. Also, she warns people not to put unused fishing bait in their yards.
Learn more about Home Gardening from the Extension at extension.psu.edu/trees-lawns-and-landscaping/home-gardening. To subscribe to the email newsletter, click on the orange “SIGN UP” box along the left side of the page under the “GET CONNECTED” headline.
Penn State University also recently reported last week on a study about mushrooms with which the university was involved.
Researchers at Penn State have found evidence that “eating white buttons can create subtle shifts in the microbial community in the gut, which could improve the regulation of glucose in the liver.”
The study was completed with mice, which consumed a daily amount of mushrooms that was the equivalent to a human eating about 3 ounces a day. The Penn State article did not say how the mushrooms were prepared.
The researchers are interested in the implication the study could have on diabetes management.
The full article can be found at news.psu.edu/story/531105/2018/08/16/research/using-mushrooms-prebiotic-may-help-improve-glucose-regulation
