Author ORCID Identifier:
Date of Graduation
12-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences (MS)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences
Advisor/Mentor
Drescher, Gerson
Committee Member
Ashworth, Amanda
Second Committee Member
Dick, Kathleen
Third Committee Member
Brye, Kristofor
Fourth Committee Member
Roberts, Trenton
Keywords
agriculture; conservation agriculture; cover crops; mid-south U.S.; soil health; sustainable
Abstract
Soil health and regenerative agriculture are concepts gaining popularity across global agriculture systems. The effect of sustainable farming practices such as nutrient management, cover crops, adoption of no-tillage, and residue retention on crop yield, as well as environmental resilience, is increasingly being studied. This research aimed to evaluate the impacts of (i) cover cropping and nutrient management, and of (ii) soil sampling depth and timing on indicators of soil health in various mid-southern irrigated row crop systems. Soil health indicators like soil organic matter (SOM), carbon dioxide respiration (CDR), beta-glucosidase enzyme activity (BG), permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), and the soil health assessment (SHS), from Ward Labs, and comprehensive assessment of soil health (CASH), from Cornell University, scores were measured in Arkansas during 2023, 2024, and 2025. In the first study, the relation of relative crop yield with cover cropping and nutrient management was examined. In the second study, soil sampling depth intervals (0-5, 5-10, and 10-15 cm) and sample collection timing (fall, winter, summer, and spring) were assessed. Increased (P < 0.10) soil health (SOM, POXC, CDR, and BG) indicator values were observed under cover-cropped and fertilized (0, 20, or 39 kg ha-1 P) treatments, compared to the fallow and unfertilized (0 kg ha-1 P) control groups. There were also minimal yield penalties under cover-cropped conditions compared to winter fallow. Soil health indicator values were greater in the near-surface soil layer and during summer and winter sampling, suggesting that these factors should be considered in soil health assessment protocols. These results contribute to the broader understanding of the potential benefits of conservation agriculture for soil health in Arkansas and other Mid-Southern U.S. states by quantifying and describing the direct impacts of cover cropping and soil sampling methods.
Citation
French, K. S. (2025). Agricultural Practices’ Impact on Soil Health Indicators in Mid-South U.S. Crop Production Systems. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/6012
