Do worms have favourite foods?

Chris Kott wrote:Well perhaps a different tack, then: are there any plants that seem to always have the highest worm populations in and around their root zones? Are there any plants that foster soil conditions that provide optimum habitat?

I was really hoping that there was some sort of root exudate that called either the worms or their favourite prey. My thinking was that, since soil life does most of the work of soil building, if we plant it, they would come.

Imagine a beacon plant you could seed around your compost pile and garden beds that would call soil life from all around to do the in-soil work for you.

I know that it is likely to happen simply by carefully cultivating soil conditions favourable to worms and then feeding them, but I was wondering if there was such a "keystone" plant.

-CK

DOM wrote:Koji
fresh young kojiFresh rice koji fermented for 72 hours at 35°C [95°F] at 95% humidity.

Koji [koh-jee] is an abbreviation of kabi-tacki meaning Bloom of Mold. Koji is an important culture food-product of Japan and like much of Japanese culture, koji was introduced from China about 200 A.D. Other varieties of culture food-products rely on koji for preparation. These include the production of Miso, Soy sauce, Amazakè and Sake. Koji is mainly used as a starter-process for producing the latter culture food-products, through the action of enzymes, generously provided in abundance in koji. Variations of koji prepared with mixed strains of specific molds, yeasts or Lactic acid bacteria [LAB] are specially prepared and incorporated in Japan. For optimisation, a tailored koji with specific enzyme activity is used in accordance with the product prepared. Enzymes mainly convert starch into simple fermentable sugars, so that during secondary fermentation [if required], sugars become available for yeasts e.g., for preparing specific varieties of miso or sake. In addition, for miso production, proteins are broken down into peptides [amino acids] by the action of proteolytic enzymes hydrolyze the protein [see below for a list of enzymes of koji].


Aspergillus oryzae
A pure culture of Aspergillus oryzae specie of mold produces olive-green coloured spores. The spores are harvested for Koji-Kin [or koji-tanae-- seed of Koji] as an inoculant, or for seeding of the mold on a substrate.



Koji is prepared from steamed short grain white rice, barley or soybeans. Cooked ingredients are cooled to 35°C [95°F] and inoculated with koji tanae. Koji tanae is an inoculant prepared with mold spores of Aspergillus oryzae or A. sojae species. Koji tanae may be prepared to contain yeast and Lactic acid bacteria. The warm substrate is incubated for 3 to 4 days at about 42°C [107°F] at 90% to 95% humidity. The inoculated rice or other preferred media or substrate is stirred regularly during incubation.. This encourages the proliferation of mold growth distributed evenly throughout the entire rice substrate, while inhibiting the formation of rice clumps and prevent over heating. A white mycelium of new mold growth should fully cover each rice grain. Koji is harvested prior sporulation of the mold, to ensure peak enzyme activity and good aroma.

Koji Enzymes

The fermentation of rice with Aspergillus oryzae for Koji produces many different catalysts or enzymes that are present in koji. It's these enzymes that breakdown starch, protein and fats including the removal of certain elements such as esters of the food ingredient that the koji is added to, and stored at an optimal warm temperature so that the enzymes can best do their work.

Enzymes found in Koji
Alpha-amylase A starch to simple sugar converter, such as dextrins, maltose, maltotriose. Alpha-amylase is also found in human saliva. Interestingly it is also used in the treatment of inflammatory conditions and edema of soft tissues associated with traumatic injury.

Proteolytic enzymes Breakdown or hydrolyses protein into amino acids or peptides.

Protease's Any enzyme that breaks down protein [proteolytic enzyme]. 3 types are known in koji, one is active at acid pH, one at alkaline pH and one at neutral pH.

Other more elaborate enzymes found in koji--

Peptidases Any enzyme that conducts proteolysis, that is, begins protein catabolism by hydrolysis of the peptide bonds that link amino acids together in the chain made up of more than a single amino acid [polypeptide].

Sulfatases Remove sulphate from a variety of substrates by breaking down various sulphate esters.

Nucleases Capable of cleaving the phosphodiester bonds between the nucleotide subunits of nucleic acids. Is also used in genetic engineering as a tool to cut and paste DNA, as a means of splicing DNA and at the required site each time.

Phosphatases An enzyme that removes a phosphate group from its substrate by breaking down phosphoric acid monoesters into a phosphate ion and a molecule with a free hydroxyl group.

[Trans] glycosidases A class of alpha and beta proteins. See

Amidase An enzyme that breaks down monocarboxylic amides, thus freeing ammonia. Also called acylamidase or Acylase.

Ribonucleo-depolymerasee

Mononucleotide phosphatase

Adenyl-deaminases

Purine nucleosidases.

It is these enzymes that breakdown starch, protein and fats including olygosaccharides and other compounds found in the food ingredient that koji is added to and which is stored at an optimum warm temperature so that the enzymes can do their job. These are what makes koji what it is and why it is used to create a variety of different culture food-products including alcoholic liquors [as per the following four products].

Further Reading
Shurtleff W, Akiko A. [1976] The Book of Miso. Autumn Press, Kanagawa-ken, Japan
Allan KS, Sidney JC. [1978] Soybeans: Chemistry and Technology Vol.1 Proteins ISBN 0-87055-111-6 [v.1]

Amazakè is a sweet, cultured glutinous rice product, containing virtually no alcohol. Amazakè is also similar to a product produced in the first of a few stages for Sake production. Amazakè is a sweet delicacy widely enjoyed throughout Japan. Sweetness is produced naturally through fermentation of cooked glutinous rice with koji. The fermentation process converts the starch of rice into simple sugars. Amazakè has a hint of an aroma which reminds me of digestive juices, complimented by an overtone of sweet, pleasant nutty flavour.

To prepare Amazakè, koji is mixed with cooked, cooled glutinous rice, and incubated between 10 to 24 hours at 38° to 40°C. The fermentation is complete when the mixture has a sweet fragrance, and each rice grain loses its sticky property. The grains should be very soft when squeezed between the fingers [pre-digested]. Amazakè can contain a converted sugar content by as much as 30%.

Due to the high digestibility through enzyme activity of Amazakè, I place it among the Queen of baby-weaning food. It makes an excellent first solid-food for toddlers. My daughter Angelica who was born with Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome [pancreatic enzyme insufficiency as part of the genetic disordered syndrome], use to immensely crave for Amazakè. It was her first solid food, which I cultured from whole, black glutinous rice, because of unavailability of traditional sweet brown rice [whole grain brown glutinous rice] here in Australia. It helped my late daughter to gain weight at a crucial time in her short life.

Amazakè can also be used as a natural sweetener, substituting 3 Tbs per each Tbs of honey. Amazakè is eaten as a thick hot drink in Japan. I just love Amazakè. I encourage anyone who has not tried Amazakè, to give it a go.

Chris Kott wrote:Well perhaps a different tack, then: are there any plants that seem to always have the highest worm populations in and around their root zones? Are there any plants that foster soil conditions that provide optimum habitat?

I was really hoping that there was some sort of root exudate that called either the worms or their favourite prey. My thinking was that, since soil life does most of the work of soil building, if we plant it, they would come.

Imagine a beacon plant you could seed around your compost pile and garden beds that would call soil life from all around to do the in-soil work for you.

I know that it is likely to happen simply by carefully cultivating soil conditions favourable to worms and then feeding them, but I was wondering if there was such a "keystone" plant.

-CK

Nick Kitchener wrote:My worms love pumpkins, squash, and melons more than anything else I've put in their bin. I understand that they actually eat the decomposing bacteria, not the materials themselves, and I've noticed these things break down very rapidly so maybe there's a connection.

Nick Kitchener wrote:My worms love pumpkins, squash, and melons more than anything else I've put in their bin. I understand that they actually eat the decomposing bacteria, not the materials themselves, and I've noticed these things break down very rapidly so maybe there's a connection.

Chris Kott wrote:Well perhaps a different tack, then: are there any plants that seem to always have the highest worm populations in and around their root zones? Are there any plants that foster soil conditions that provide optimum habitat?

I was really hoping that there was some sort of root exudate that called either the worms or their favourite prey. My thinking was that, since soil life does most of the work of soil building, if we plant it, they would come.

Imagine a beacon plant you could seed around your compost pile and garden beds that would call soil life from all around to do the in-soil work for you.

I know that it is likely to happen simply by carefully cultivating soil conditions favourable to worms and then feeding them, but I was wondering if there was such a "keystone" plant.

-CK