Soil Characteristics of a Western Kentucky Permaculture Orchard.

As a component of the Undergraduate Research in Agriculture class, AGR 436, an analysis of the soil on an 8-acre family farm permaculture orchard in Marshall County, Western Kentucky, is being conducted. To better understand the soil characteristics of the orchard, four samples of topsoil from each of eight different sites are being collected and analyzed, measuring soil organic carbon, water holding capacity, and acidity. These variables are important to inform and help the owners make better crop management decisions. Further details and discussion about this study will be presented in the poster.