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Claypan soil quality related to agricultural management and landscape variability

Posted on:2006-03-19Degree:Ph.DType:Dissertation
University:University of Missouri - ColumbiaCandidate:Jung, Won KyoFull Text:PDF
GTID:1453390008468362Subject:Agriculture
Abstract/Summary:
Site-specific management of soil quality may contribute to increasing use of sustainable agricultural production systems and improved environmental protection. Long-term soil management has the potential to either enhance or degrade soil quality, which in turn impacts crop production and environmental protection.; The objectives of this research was (i) to evaluate the effects of management practices and spatial variation on claypan soil quality properties, and (ii) to determine if a sensor could be used to assess soil quality properties. Researches were conducted at a USDA-ARS research site near Centralia, Missouri.; The results of the research indicated that soil bulk density, clay content, CEC, and Bray1-P were significantly correlated with soil ECa measurement. The spatial characteristics of claypan soil properties varied greatly by landscape position and by soil depth. Claypan soil quality properties were not altered significantly by tillage management and crop rotation, but were greatly enhanced when managed with perennial grass part of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). When grassland was more intensively managed as a hay crop, water infiltration was greatly improved when compared with other grain or CRP systems. Soil hydraulic conductivity estimated from infiltration measurements had a significant correlation with soil ECa.; These finding provide a potential use of ECa for claypan soil quality properties characterization without intensive labor and time inputs. In conclusion, soil ECa provides a quick and economical way of estimating claypan soil quality properties, and perennial crop management systems, such as CRP, improve claypan soil quality.
Keywords/Search Tags:Soil quality, Management, Systems, Environmental protection
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