Soil Health Evaluation of Flooded Rice Cultivation Compared to Other Agricultural Land-Use Practices.

Flooded rice (Oryza sativa L.) in South Florida is grown commercially in rotation with sugarcane and vegetables. From 2008 to 2015, rice production has increased more than 80%. During the spring-summer, more than 50,000 acres of fallow sugarcane land is available for rice production. In 2016, approximately 24,000 acres of rice were planted in the region. The net value of growing rice in the EAA as a rotation crop far exceeds its monetary return. In addition to being a food crop in Florida, production of flooded rice provides several benefits to the agroecosystem. By flooding fields, growers greatly reduce the negative impacts from issues related to soil subsidence, nutrient depletion, and insect pests. This, in turn, enhances the subsequent sugarcane crop and maximizes the longevity of the soil by reducing soil loss due to oxidation. Our objective was to evaluate soil quality parameters before and after rice cultivation and compare them against two other common summer farming practices of fallow fields and flooded fallow. The soil health parameters that were tested as part of this study included soil pH, bulk density, water holding capacity, cation exchange capacity, organic matter, nutrient content, and carbon microbial biomass. We hypothesize a change in soil health parameters as a result of rice cultivation. Quantifying these changes and comparing them to flooded fallow or fallow field practices will help assess the impact of rice cultivation on soil health parameters. Six 40-acre fields were considered for each land-use practice. This presentation will highlight some of the data that emerges from this study. The goal of the study is to evaluate rice cultivation from a soil health perspective.