Influence of Soil Amendments and Crop Rotations on Physical Properties of a Cherokee Silt Loam

Grass component effect on soil physical properties in an organic crop rotation

“…Related to the rotation composition, leguminous crops within a rotation fix nitrogen, while cover crops capture nitrate to prevent leaching. No-legume component in the rotation leads to less developed soil aggregation (Aoda et al, 1987), while enhanced soil aggregation has been attributed to cover cropping (Sainju et al, 2003;Green et al, 2005). Water retention and hydraulic conductivity are improved by channels made by fine roots of plants such as clover or mustard; these channels could also contribute significantly to water storage and water transport through the soil.…”

“…Some researchers (Klute & Jacob, 1949;Young et al, 1960;McIntosh and Varney, 1973) have reported no direct benefit of manure on soil physical properties, and attribute improved crop performance to nutrients in the manure (Aoda et al, 1987). Other authors (Arriaga and Lowery, 2003;Bulluck et al, 2002) attribute significant changes in soil structure to manure application.…”