Ontario farmer used buried cotton briefs to gauge soil activity; he reported corn yields were 15 bushels per acre higher after red clover in 2012
Ontario farmer Blake Vince popularized burying cotton underwear to gauge soil activity. More decay may signal active microbes, though conditions affect results.
In 2012, Ontario farmer Blake Vince employed an unconventional method to assess soil activity on his farm near Merlin. He buried a pair of cotton briefs in no-till fields with cover crops and retrieved them after about two months. The decomposition rate of the cotton fabric provided a visual indicator of biological activity in the soil.
Vince found that the fabric was more decomposed in biologically active soil, with about 47% of the fabric missing compared to just 2% in conventionally tilled fields. This simple experiment, known as the "Soil Your Undies" campaign, aimed to make soil health more tangible for farmers. Vince's farm had been practicing no-till since the 1980s and had incorporated strip-tilling and cover crops like red clover into its rotation.
Vince's 2012 corn yield after planting after a double-cut red clover cover crop was 15 bushels per acre higher than conventionally tilled corn. He attributed this improvement to the combination of strip-till, cover crops, and improved corn genetics. Red clover, as a legume, can fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, potentially reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers.
Recent research has supported the benefits of red clover, with a Grain Farmers of Ontario project finding it yielded the highest corn crop among cover-crop treatments in 2022. Vince's approach emphasizes more than just one cover crop or buried underwear; it also involves strip-till farming, which minimizes soil disturbance and maintains cover residue on the soil surface.
This combination has led to lower fuel use, fertilizer costs, and a focus on overall soil health. The underlying science continues to evolve, with studies showing that no-till systems with cover crops can increase soil microbial populations and resilience during drought. However, the simplicity and visual appeal of the cotton underwear test remain a powerful tool for encouraging farmers to engage with and better understand their soil's biological activities.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times - World News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
