SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PRACTICES TO ENHANCE SOIL AGGREGATE STABILITY

Effectively managed soils should possess the capacity to alleviate the adverse impacts of excessive rainfall, dry spells, and sudden fluctuations in soil temperature. Resilient soils must exhibit resistance to and quick recovery from internal and external stresses such as compaction and structural degradation. A crucial indicator of soil health is the stability of soil aggregates due to its dynamic responsiveness to changes in management practices. The primary objective of the current study is to evaluate the enduring effects of no-tillage and cover cropping practices on the improvement of soil aggregate stability. Additionally, the study aims to explore how alterations in aggregate stability affect other soil properties, including soil erodibility. The study will be carried out across three distinct locations in the Shenandoah Valley region that were chosen based on the percentage of sustainable practices implemented. Soil samples will be collected from each of the selected farms randomly (15 replicates per farm). These samples will be analyzed for aggregate stability (wet and dry sieving), bulk density (bulk density cores), particle size distribution (laser diffraction methods), organic carbon (loss on ignition method), and nutrient concentrations (total nitrogen and phosphorous). Sample collection from one of the three locations have been already completed, revealing variability in soil bulk density (g/cm3) among the replicates of the same farm. We are currently working on collecting and analyzing soil samples from the remaining two locations. The anticipated outcomes of this project, given the focus on sustainable agricultural practices like cover cropping and water conservation, aim to empower farming systems to adapt to climate change and other external pressures.