Soil Physical and Chemical Properties Under Conservation Management Practices.

Silt loam soils in the Mid-Southern, USA are characterized by low organic matter content and aggregate stability, which decreases the efficiency of regional irrigation systems. Interest in incorporating cover crops into corn production systems has risen in recent years due to the purported ability of cover crops to improve soil properties. Studies were established in Stoneville, MS in 2017 and 2018 to investigate the effects of cover crops and tillage system on soil properties in corn. Experimental design is a randomized complete block with four replications. Treatments include reduced tillage/no cover as a control, no tillage/no cover, and four cover crops in a reduced tillage system: Austrian winter pea (Pisum sativum L.), cereal rye (Secale cereal L.), crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.), and tillage radish (Raphanus sativus L.). Results from 2017 and 2018, including soil organic content, bulk density, aggregate stability, soil chemical properties, and the cumulative effect on irrigation application efficiency, will be presented.