Building Resilience: Effect of Long-Term Crop Rotation on Soil Water Characteristics.

As many regions of the world face increasing threat of water stress, there is a need for intensified focus on soil water holding dynamics, and the ways in which management practices affect agroecosystem performance under stress. A long-term study is under way comparing cropping systems of varying complexity on a Typic Argiudoll in Wisconsin. Here, we report the impact of over 20 years of variable management on soil water holding dynamics. By combining both in-field and laboratory-based analyses of soil water dynamics with current and historical system performance, this study analyzes cropping system effect on intrinsic soil properties as well as performance under stress.