MONITORING SOIL MOISTURE DYNAMICS IN A SUSTAINABLE FIELD, CONVENTIONAL FARM, AND FOREST

Sustainable agriculture, as opposed to conventional agriculture, employs different land management practices of reduced chemical and physical disturbances coupled with increased soil nutrient retention. Land management practices strongly impact soil properties, particularly how water is stored and moves through the soil profile. Thus by comparing the soil hydrology of different land types, we can better understand the timing and magnitude of soil moisture in those systems. Dayspring Farm, a sustainable farm, is located in Shacklefords, Virginia directly next to a conventionally farmed corn field and along a forested creek area. A soil moisture sensor was buried 10 cm below the surface at each of the three sites (sustainable field, conventional field, forest) and four transects were collected to reflect wet, intermediate wet, intermediate dry, and dry periods. A weather station was placed in an unobstructed central location to all of the sites and it measured precipitation, solar radiation, wind, and other metadata values. Data was collected for summer 2023. The data showed that the sustainable field had the lowest soil moisture for both the sensor and transect and the conventional field had the wettest soil moisture for both the sensor and the transect. Thus, the forest site had an intermediate soil moisture for both sensor and transect. There were observed daily changes in the soil moisture during the dry periods for all sites. Differences in soil moisture is a reflection of the soil hydrological drivers, such as precipitation, canopy interception, evaporation, and transpiration. The forest site likely has high transpiration and high canopy interception coupled with a likely low evaporation. The sustainable field likely has a high evaporation coupled with a likely low canopy interception and low transpiration. The conventional field likely has all moderate driver conditions. Exploration in sustainable agriculture and sustainable land management is crucial in understanding how humans can properly engage with the environment for longevity and within a changing climate.