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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #410047
Research Project: Innovative Cropping System Solutions for Sustainable Production on Spatially Variable Landscapes

Location: Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research

Title: Leveraging 132 years of research from Sanborn Field to understand soil health

Author
item REINBOTT, TIMOTHY - University Of Missouri
item Veum, Kristen
item KREMER, ROBERT - Retired ARS Employee

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/25/2023
Publication Date: 10/31/2023
Citation: Reinbott, T., Veum, K.S., Kremer, R. 2023. Leveraging 132 years of research from Sanborn Field to understand soil health [abstract]. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting, October 29-November 1, 2023. St. Louis, Missouri. Paper No. 153417. Available: https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/153417

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Sanborn Field was established in 1888 and is the 3rd oldest continuous research center in the world. The main focus of Sanborn Field has been the interaction of crop rotation and soil fertility with treatments in 15 of the 40 plots remaining unchanged since its inception. Approximately every 25 years four soil cores (1.2 m) are taken from each plot divided into segments and analyzed for basic soil fertility and soil characteristics. In 2020, an additional core was taken from each of the four locations within each plot for soil health indicator analysis at each soil horizon. Soil health indicators vary greatly among treatments which reflect how the crop species, rotation, and soil fertility source influence those indicators. If winter wheat is in the rotation or monoculture then soil health indicators tend to be superior than those following soybean or corn. Manure treatments compared to NPK fertilizer also result in better soil health indicators. Select soil health indicators and soil and environmental characteristics were used to develop a SHAPE analysis which demonstrates which of the indicators are superior or lacking compared to peer soils.