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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #101147
Title: SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF SOIL PROPERTIES ALONG TRANSECT OF CRP AND CONTINUOUSLY CROPPED FIELDS

Author
item Skidmore, Edward
item HUANG, XUEWEN - KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
item TIBKE, GARY - NRCS

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/24/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: 10th International Soil Conservation Organization Conference; 1999 May 24-29; Purdue Univeristy, West Lafayette, IN.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which was started in 1986, was aimed at protecting highly erodible and environmentally sensitive lands with grass or other perennial plantings. Expiration of CRP contracts and subsequent return of highly erodible and environmentally sensitive lands to continuous cropping, concerns policy-makers, conservationists, and farmers. .The objective of this study was to characterize the spatial variation and correlation of soil physical and chemical properties along a transect on both CRP and adjacent field that was continuously cropped. The study site, located in Stafford County Kansas, has two mapping units, Naron fine sandy loam (Find-Loamy, mixed, thermic Udic Argiustaoll) and Carwile fine sandy loam (Fine-loamy, mixed, thermic Typic Argiaquo). Soil samples were collected on a 10 meter spacing along a 400 meter transect which crossed CRP land that has been grassed for 10 years and a field that has been continuously cropped during the same 10 year period. The physical properties of bulk density, water retention characteristic, and aggregate stability were measured on soil samples taken at 0-10, 10-20, and 20-30 cm depths. The chemical properties of pH, concentration of P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, and total N and C were measured on samples taken at 0-5 and 5-10 cm depths. The statiscal parameters of mean, variance, covariance, and correlation were determined for each of the variables. Statistical comparison of soil properties between CRP and continuously cropped land are being made and will be reported at the conference.