Short-Term Effects of Cover Crops and Tillage Management on Soil Physical Properties on Silt Loam Soil

Abstract

Silt loam soils in the mid-southern United States are prone to soil erosion, crusting, and general soil degradation. A field experiment was established at three field sites in northeast Arkansas to evaluate the effect of cover crop and tillage management on cash crop yield and the physical properties of soil health, specifically infiltration rate and aggregate stability. Cover crop management included cereal rye, wheat and crimson clover, and a winter fallow. Tillage management included tillage and no-tillage. During the two-year study, yield was not significantly influenced by different tillage treatments. The cover crop treatment had greater yield than the no-cover crop treatment (5091 vs. 4264 kg ha−1) at one site in one of the years. Water infiltration was significantly improved with cover crops compared to with no-cover crops, with a 52% and 64% increase at Walcott and Magnolia, respectively. Soil aggregate stability was significantly improved with no-tillage as compared with tillage in both years at Walcott, with a 16% and 58% increase in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Both cover crop and tillage management can have significant impacts on soil physical properties in a short period of time.