Role of Military Termites (Pseudocanthotermes militaris) in Improving Soil Productivity in Tropical Agroecosystems
Annual Research & Review in Biology,
Page 14-19
DOI:
10.9734/arrb/2020/v35i530221
Abstract
Military Termites have been considered as a major pest causing significant reduction to crop productivity in tropical regions of the world. The termite destroys many plants (domestic and wild) at any stage of development from the seedlings to maturity. Crops such as cotton, wheat and ground nuts, upper land rice and eucalyptus trees are highly susceptible to termite damage. They destroy huge amounts of organic materials especially those used as mulches in plantation farming. However, there are beneficial termite activities such as organic matter decomposition and nutrient dynamics that are essential components in the soil ecosystem as they aid in maintaining long-term soil productivity and also in restoring barren soils. The review sought to establish the contribution of military termite activities to soil productivity. The result from the review showed that termite activities such as burrowing, chewing of plant litter, excavation activities in search of food, and construction of termitaria leads to improved soil structure, soil aeration, water infiltration via soil porosity, plant nutrient (calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium) and soil organic matter which will eventually result to improved yields of crops. Also, termite mound has been suggested to be very effective for bulking agent for compost preparation and soil amendment.
Keywords:
- Termite
- mound
- chemical
- physical and biological.
How to Cite
References
Lal R. Effects of macrofauna on soil properties in tropical ecosystems. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 1998;24:101–116.
Moe SR, Mobæk R, Narmo AK. Mound building termites contribute to savanna vegetation heterogeneity. Plant Ecol. 2009;202:31–40.
Kaiser D, Lepage M, Konaté S, Linsenmair KE. Ecosystem services of termites (Blattoidea: Termitoidae) in the traditional soil restoration and cropping system Zaï in Northern Burkina Faso (West Africa). Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 2017;236:198–211.
Deke LA, Adugna TW, Fite TA. Soil physic-chemical properties in termite mounds and adjacent control soil in Miyo and Yabello Districts of Borana Zone, Southern Ethiopia. American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry. 2016;4(4):69-74.
Calovi DS, Bardunias P, Carey N, Scott Turner J, Nagpal R, Werfel J. Surface curvature guides early construction activity in mound-building termites. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B. 2019;374:20180374.
Wappler T, Engel MS. A new record of mastotermes from the eocene of germany (isoptera: mastotermitidae). Journal of Paleontology. 2006;80:380–385.
Picker MD, Hoffman MT, Leverton B. Density of Microhodotermes viator (Hodotermitidae) mounds in Southern Africa in relation to rainfall and vegetative productivity gradients. J Zoology. 2007;271:37–44.
Desai MS, Strassert JFH, Meuser K, Hertel H, Ikeda-Ohtsubo W, Radek R, Brune A. Strict cospeciation of devescovinid flagellates and Bacteroidales ectosymbionts in the gut of dry-wood termites (Kalotermitidae). Environmental Microbiology; 2009.
Bourguignon T, Šobotník J, Hanus R, Roisin Y. Developmental pathways of Glossotermes oculatus (Isoptera, Serritermitidae): At the cross-roads of worker caste evolution in termites. Evolution & Development. 2009;11:659–668.
Lo N, Kitade O, Miura T, Constantino R, Matsumoto T. Molecular phylogeny of the Rhinotermitidae. Insect. Soc. 2004;51:365–371.
Jouquet P, Tessier D, Lepage M. The soil structural stability of termite nests: Role of clays in Macrotermes bellicosus (Isoptera, Macrotermitinae) mound soils. European Journal of Soil Biology. 2004;40:23–29.
Costa-Leonardo AM. A new interpretation of the defense glands of neotropical ruptitermes (Isoptera, Termitidae, Apicotermitinae). 2004;44:13.
Bignell DE, Oskarsson H, Anderson JM. Association of actinomycete-like bacteria with soil-feeding termites (Termitidae, Termitinae). Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 1979;37:339–342.
Prestwich GD, Jones RW, Collins MS. Terpene biosynthesis by nasute termite soldiers (Isoptera: Nasutitermitinae). Insect Biochemistry. 1981;11:331–336.
Enagbonma BJ, Aremu BR, Babalola OO. Profiling the functional diversity of termite mound soil bacteria as revealed by shotgun sequencing. Genes. 2019;10:637.
Abe T, Bignell DE, Higashi M, (Eds.). Termites: Evolution, sociality, symbioses, ecology; 2000.
Enagbonma BJ, Babalola OO. Environmental sustainability: A review of termite mound soil material and its bacteria. Sustainability. 2019;11(14):3847.
Meiklejohn J. Microbiological studies on large termite mounds. Rhod. Zamb. Mal. J. Agric. Res. 1965;3:67–79.
Abe SS, Wakatsuki T. Possible influence of termites (Macrotermes bellicosus) on forms and composition of free sesquioxides in tropical soils. Pedobiologia. 2010;53:301-306.
Sako A, Mills AJ, Roychoudhury AN. Rare earth and trace element geochemistry of termite mounds in Central and Northeastern Namibia: Mechanisms for micro-nutrient accumulation. Geoderma. 2009;153:217–230.
Mando A, Stroosnijder L, Brussaar L. Effects of termites on infiltration into crusted soil. Geoderma. 1996;74:107–113.
Mando A. The impact of termites and mulch on the water balance of crusted Sahelian soil. Soil Technology. 1997;11:121–138.
Watson JP. The use of mounds of the termite Macrotermes falciger (Gerstäcker) as a soil amendment. Journal of Soil Science. 1977;28:664–672.
de Bruyn L, Conacher A. The role of termites and ants in soil modification - a review. Soil Res. 1990;28:55.
Arshad MA. Influence of the termite Macrotermes michaelseni (Sjöst) on soil fertility and vegetation in a semi-arid savannah ecosystem. Agro-Ecosystems. 1982;8:47–58.
Wappler T, Engel MS. A new record of mastotermes from the eocene of germany (isoptera: mastotermitidae). Journal of Paleontology. 2006;80:380–385.
Hsieh HM, Chung MC, Chen PY, Hsu FM, Liao WW, Sung AN, Lin CR, Wang CJR, Kao YH, Fang MJ, Lai CY, Huang CC, Chou JC, Chou WN, Chang BCH, Ju YM. A termite symbiotic mushroom maximizing sexual activity at growing tips of vegetative hyphae. Bot Stud. 2017;58:39.
Brossard M, López-Hernández D, Lepage M, Leprun JC. Nutrient storage in soils and nests of mound-building Trinervitermes termites in Central Burkina Faso: Consequences for soil fertility. Biol. Fertil. Soils. 2007;43:437–447.
Ohkuma M, Maeda Y, Johjima T, Kudo T. Lignin degradation and roles of white rot fungi: Study on an efficient symbiotic system in fungus-growing termites and its application to bioremediation. Riken Rev. 2001;42:39-42.
Garba M, Cornelis WM, Steppe K. Effect of termite mound material on the physical properties of sandy soil and on the growth characteristics of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in semi-arid Niger. Plant Soil. 2011;338:451-466.
-
Abstract View: 1075 times
PDF Download: 406 times
