Role of inherent soil characteristics in assessing soil health across Missouri

Authors: ZUBER, STACY - University Of Missouri; Veum, Kristen; MYERS, ROBERT - University Of Missouri; Kitchen, Newell; ANDERSON, STEVE - University Of Missouri

Submitted to: Agricultural & Environmental Letters
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/29/2020
Publication Date: 6/29/2020
Citation: Zuber, S.M., Veum, K.S., Myers, R., Kitchen, N.R., Anderson, S. 2020. Role of inherent soil characteristics in assessing soil health across Missouri. Agricultural and Environmental Letters. 5(1). Article e20021. https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20021.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20021

Interpretive Summary: Soil health testing is becoming increasingly popular, yet regionally-based interpretations are not widely available. This study evaluated soil health indicators across soil and climate gradients in Missouri through a state-wide cover crop cost-share program. Soil samples were collected from 5300 agricultural fields across the state and analyzed for several soil health indicators. Comparisons were made among six soil regions in the state based on Major Land Resource Areas and county boundaries. Results varied by region and corresponded with soil forming factors. This study benefits landowners and advisors by confirming that interpretation of soil health indicators should account for regional differences in soil and climate and by providing the foundation for interpretation of soil health measurements in Missouri.

Technical Abstract: Soil health indicator values vary based on parent material, native vegetation and other soil forming factors; therefore, useful interpretations require consideration of the inherent soil characteristics. Our objective is to evaluate the distribution among soil health indicators across soil and climate gradients in Missouri. Through a state-wide cover crop cost-share program, 7-cm deep soil samples were collected from 5300 agricultural fields across the state and analyzed for several soil health indicators. Comparisons were made among six soil regions in the state based on Major Land Resource Areas and county boundaries. Results varied for soil organic carbon, active carbon, cation exchange capacity, and potentially mineralizable nitrogen by region and corresponded with soil forming factors. Interpretation of soil health indicators needs to account for these differences by recognizing that areas with lower inherent values have a different potential for soil health than areas with higher inherent values.