Location: Soil, Water & Air Resources Research
Project Number: 5030-12210-004-003-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2022
End Date: Jun 30, 2024
Objective:
Map the horizontal and vertical extents of subsoil fragipan breakdown during long-term ryegrass cover cropping in two field experiments.
Approach:
In two long-term field experiments nearby, our soil sensors for measuring seasonal fluxes in soil moisture, a tractor-mounted three-probe cone penetrometer will be used to map vertical and horizontal patterns in soil properties, including cone penetrometer resistance, bulk density, compaction, and depth to the fragipan. Measurements will be taken within replicated plots of ryegrass grown in rotation with corn or soybean, compared to nearby control plots lacking ryegrass rotation. Results will be graphically and statistically analyzed to determine ryegrass effects on soil and fragipan properties.
