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Effect of tillage practices on the soil physical and chemical properties under on-farm condition in Northeastern Ohio

Applied Research

Heather Neikirk
Extension Educator
The Ohio State University
Louisville

Abstract

Soil management practices that enhance soil health are crucial strategies for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Conservation tillage, including reduced or no-till systems, is widely recommended for enhancing soil carbon sequestration and improving soil health. However, the effect of tillage on soil health depends on site-specific management practices. Thus, an on-farm study was conducted to evaluate soil physical and chemical properties on ten different farms and two woodland reference sites on Canfield silt loam soil in Stark County, northeastern Ohio. These farms follow different tillage practices including moldboard plowing (MP), vertical tillage (VT), no-tillage (NT), or long-term hay (HAY) management. Crop rotation also differed among the participating farms, ranging from corn (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) rotations to mixed forage fields with and without manure application. In the fall of 2024, ten (10) soil samples were collected from each farm: five (5) at 0-15 and five (5) at 15-30 cm soil depth at (5) GPS identified locations on each site.  Soil samples were then analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), bulk density (BD) and soil moisture retention. Results indicated no difference in soil pH (5.8-6.4), EC (range: 91-205µS cm-1) and CEC (10.1-14.3 meq/100g soil) among different tillage practices. However, the BD at the surface soil depth was higher in NT (1.55 g cm-3) compared to MP and VT (1.47 g cm-3). While TC at 0-15 did not differ among the tillage treatments (34 Mg ha-1), it was significantly higher in HAY farms (51 Mg ha-1). Preliminary results showed no statistical difference in most of the soil's physical and chemical properties across different tillage intensities, possibly due to the manure application, particularly in conventionally tilled field sample sites.

Poster has NOT been presented at any previous NACAA AM/PIC

This poster is being submitted only for display at AM/PIC. Poster is not to be judged, but the abstract will be published in the proceedings.

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Authors: Heather Neikirk, Sandhya Karki, Gunadish Khanal, Rattan Lal
  1. Neikirk, H. Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ohio State University Extension-Stark County, Ohio, 44641
  2. Karki, S. Postdoctoral Scholar, Stark Sustainable Soils Initiative, The Ohio State University CFAES Rattan Lal Carbon Management and Sequestration Center, Ohio, 43210
  3. Khanal, G. Former Postdoctoral Scholar, Stark Sustainable Soils Initiative, The Ohio State University CFAES Rattan Lal Carbon Management and Sequestration Center, Ohio, 43210
  4. Lal, R. Distinguished Professor of Soil Science and Director, The Ohio State University CFAES Rattan Lal Carbon Management and Sequestration Center, Ohio, 43210