Queensland farmer Sam Coulton decided to take part in the textile waste trial because he viewed it as a way of “helping to close the circularity gap”. He successfully used shredded cotton waste as soil-enhancement aid.
After his success farmers in New South Wales and Queensland are ready to launch phase-two trials of a project. Sam Coulton has been joined by a fellow cotton producer in New South Wales, Scott Morgan, in phase two of the project.
Experts hope textile material would help improve soil health and encourage the growth of organisms in the soil, which would, hopefully, result in improved yields in future cotton crops. About 2.4 tons of shredded cotton waste was distributed by Morgan to be applied on already planted cotton fields. Morgan works for Thread Together that is a charitable organization.
Overhead irrigation was used to water the material into the soil.
By mid-March, the resulting crop was in excellent condition according to the farmer. He expects to harvest the crop in late May. Phase one of these trials took place in 2021 at Sam Coulton’s farm. His experience was encouraging despite the fact that covid-19 scare and poor weather limited the outcomes of the tests. Phase one of the project was overseen by soil scientist Dr.
Oliver Knox who is also overseeing phase two of the trial. He confirmed that the fertility and health of the soil in which shredded cotton waste was used has increased.
