Investigating the Effect of Tillage and Cover Cropping on Soil Health Parameters in Texas Winter Wheat
Abstract
Managing for healthy soil through conservation practices is key to increasing the production of global agriculture and resources in a sustainable manner. In Texas, a major agricultural state, there are low adoption rates of soil conservation practices by producers due to incomplete regional soil health information. Wet aggregate stability (WAS) is an important physical indicator that measures how resistant soil is to breakage in water. WAS plays a role in important soil functions and characteristics such as soil structure, infiltration, water/chemical, and transportation. WAS often refers to the stability of macroaggregates (>250 μm) as they are especially sensitive to soil use and management practices in comparison to microaggregates. The objective of this study was to assess the impacts of tillage intensity and summer cover cropping on macroaggregate WAS and winter wheat yield. This research was conducted for 3 years in two locations (Beeville and Thrall, TX) which are located on different soil series (Parrita sandy clay loam and Burleson clay, respectively). Soil samples were manually wet sieved for WAS quantification. The impacts of these practices on WAS and wheat yield were variable across both locations. There was a minimal effect of tillage on WAS in both locations while the sorghum cover crop did increase WAS in Beeville. There was an interaction between tillage and crop cover type in Thrall WAS. We further investigated the relationship between WAS and wheat yield. A correlation exists between WAS and wheat yield with weak fits, but sorghum has the best fit (R2 = 0.83, P-value = <.0001). These results are a step toward understanding how well aggregate stability can be used as an indicator of soil functions such as productivity. With only some of the practices influencing WAS positively within 3 years of implementation, a long-term study would better identify when we observe the benefits of the selected sustainable practices on WAS in these Texas soil types.
Citation
Bodine, Grace Michiko (2022). Investigating the Effect of Tillage and Cover Cropping on Soil Health Parameters in Texas Winter Wheat. Undergraduate Research Scholars Program. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /196586.