Soil your undies this August to find out how active your soil biology is!

Soil is a vital part of the food web, helping to grow food, supporting important native ecosystems and playing a role in the fight against climate change.

While invisible to the naked eye, healthy, productive soil has a high level of biological activity. Soil organisms play an important role by consuming organic material and breaking them down into materials that help plants to flourish and grow.

This August, we’re asking you to test the biological activity of your soils by burying your undies. Simply bury 2 pairs of supplied cotton undies in your garden or on your farm. After 8 weeks, dig up your undies and see how much of the material has been consumed by soil organisms. Return your undies to the landscape board and we'll analyse them and send you a short report outlining the health of your soil.

Participation is free and we'll send you everything you need including (unused) undies, labels, step-by-step instructions and reply-paid envelopes.

How does Soil your Undies work?

The Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board invites the community to bury 2 pairs of undies during the week of 19-25 August to test your soil health and to demonstrate the differences between soil across the region.

Bury the supplied undies in different locations on your property – it could be in 2 different crop types on your farm, or to compare the difference between irrigated and rainfed crops. If you’re a keen gardener, consider burying your undies to compare the difference between soil treated with and without compost.

After 8 weeks, buried undies can be excavated and returned to the landscape board for analysis. We’ll send you a short report to help you understand how you can boost the health of your soil.