# Glyphosate reduces earthworm reproduction by 56%, Austrian study finds 2026-08-12T19:05:16+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Times of India reports that Austrian scientists have found that a glyphosate-based herbicide reduced reproduction of a common soil-dwelling earthworm species by 56% within three months. The greenhouse experiment, published in Scientific Reports, also recorded a 46% drop in surface casting activity by a deep-burrowing species. Researchers collected 193 cocoons of Aporrectodea caliginosa from untreated soil but only 99 from treated plots, and hatching rates fell from 71% to 32%. The study used two species with different soil habits to test Roundup under near-realistic agricultural conditions. The deep-burrowing Lumbricus terrestris showed reproductive effects too but the sample size was too small for statistical analysis. The authors caution that the results reflect a controlled greenhouse setting, not open fields. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: agriculture, earthworms, glyphosate, herbicide impact, reproduction, soil health Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/glyphosate-reduces-earthworm-reproduction-by-56-austrian-study-finds/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/glyphosate-reduces-earthworm-reproduction-by-56-austrian-study-finds/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.