At Baker Consultants, we are proud to be at the forefront of an exciting new development in soil health monitoring: ecoacoustics. Our DEFRA-funded ecoacoustics research, conducted in partnership with scientists from the University of Warwick, has been revealing the potential of listening to the sounds of soil organisms, such as earthworms, as a method for gauging soil health.
Traditional methods of assessing soil health often involve labour-intensive practices, such as digging pits to manually observe the ecosystem beneath the surface. While effective, these methods can be invasive and time-consuming for farmers. Our ecoacoustics method offers a ground-breaking alternative. By placing probes in the soil, we can record the acoustic activity of the organisms living there. This data is then analysed with computer algorithms and compared to a sound library, enabling us to assess the biodiversity of soil in minutes.
One of the farms participating in our research is JoJo’s Vineyard in Henley-on-Thames. Co-Founder, Ian Beecher-Jones, is passionate about making data-driven agronomic decisions to improve the balance and health of his vineyard’s ecosystem. By combining ecoacoustic data with other technologies, such as mini rhizotrons and traditional acoustic devices for tracking bird species, Ian hopes to paint a full picture of his farm’s biodiversity.
Ecoacoustic monitoring has already produced surprising results. Ian said, “When the ecoacoustics were first installed, I was fascinated. I expected to hear as much – if not more – activity from the row areas, but there was more from the vines”.
Ecoacoustics has the potential to transform how we monitor and improve soil health. Farmers like Ian envision a future where acoustic sensors can be placed across fields to provide real-time data or regular reports, allowing them to make evidence-based decisions throughout the farming season. Over time, this data could become an invaluable resource, helping farmers to track their progress and make adjustments as needed to improve soil health and overall farm productivity.
We’re excited to be at the cutting edge of this innovative approach, working alongside partners and farmers to refine this technology and bring it into the public domain. As we continue to develop the science and technology behind ecoacoustics, we are eager to see how it can contribute to more sustainable, resilient agricultural systems.
Read the full article in the Agronomic and Arable Farmers magazine here.
The Baker Consultants team is highly experienced and we are passionate about what we do. If you need advice related to ecology, surveys or conservation, then please get in touch with us via our contact form on the website, or you can call us on +44 (0)1629 593958 or email us on info@bakerconsultants.co.uk