Management Strategies on an Upland Soil for Improving Soil Properties

Upland soils marginal in organic matter, low in soil quality, vulnerable to water and nutrient losses. This study was conducted to determine whether the integration of winter cover crops and soil amendments into no-till cropping systems improve upland soil quality. The effects of winter cover crops (WCCs), broiler litter (BL) and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum in no-till (NT) corn-soybean rotation on soil physical and biological properties were investigated at Pontotoc, MS on an upland Falkner silt loam soil (fine-silty, siliceous, active, thermic Aquic Paleudalfs). After harvest, soil samples were collected and analyzed for total C (TC) and selected physical and biological properties. Averaged across fertilization treatments, WCCs increased TC, cumulative infiltration and reduced bulk density (BD) and penetration resistance (PR) at 0-5 cm depth as compared to winter fallow (WF). Averaged across WCCs treatments, BL increased infiltration by 51%, and reduced BD and PR by 3% and 24%, respectively, as compared to unfertilized control. Co-application of FGD gypsum with BL reduced BD and PR at 5 cm soil depth by 4% and 5%, respectively. Interestingly, BL did not affect soil microbiological parameters, but the co-application of FGD gypsum with BL resulted in a significant response in soil dehydrogenase activity. On the other hand, cover crop increased ureC (urease C) genes, probably due to conserved soil moisture by cover crop residues. Integration of WCCs, organic and inorganic amendments into no-till corn-soybean appear to improve soil physical, hydrological and microbial properties, which may enhance the efficiency of cropping systems in upland soils.