Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Junior
Major
Animal and Equine Science
2nd Student Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Faculty/Staff
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Iin Handayani
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
Agricultural management systems control soil quality in varying degrees. Information on the effect of farming systems on silt loam soil in Kentucky is still limited. This study evaluated the effect of different farm management systems (pasture vs crop production) on selected soil quality indicators in Western Kentucky. There were six agricultural fields used for this study. Two rotational cattle fields, one horse pasture using stall waste as fertilizer, one horse pasture using traditional fertilizer, a rotational soybean field and a monoculture corn field. Four disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected from the topsoil of each field (total of 24 undisturbed and 24 of disturbed soil samples). Soil samples were analyzed for soil organic matter (SOM), soil pH, bulk density (BD), porosity, macroporosity, soil water at field capacity (SWFC) and soil water holding capacity (SWHC). The data was statistically analyzed using Microsoft Excel. The results indicated that soil quality indicators varied among the fields. The use of excess stall waste in the horse pasture led to the highest SOM level of 9.04%. The lowest SOM was observed under the monoculture corn field at 5.43%. The crops fields had a lower BD of 1.14 and 1.16 g/cm3 compared to the traditional livestock pastures which had bulk densities of 1.19, 1.29 and 1.30 g/cm3. Similarly, both crop fields had a greater total porosity of 56.1 and 56.8% than the traditional livestock which ranged from 51% to 55%. The information about soil quality indicators can help farmers and farm managers to implement practices to improve soil’s environment and enhance the resilience and sustainability of agricultural systems. Overall, this study indicated the important role of better understanding the effect of agricultural practices on soil quality which can provide insights into potential strategies to improving agricultural management.
Fall Scholars Week 2026
Research Poster Competition and Presentations, Soil/Crop Management (Agriculture) and Sustainability
Included in
Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Beef Science Commons, Other Animal Sciences Commons, Soil Science Commons
Do Pasture and Crop Management Practices Affect Silt Loam Soil?
Agricultural management systems control soil quality in varying degrees. Information on the effect of farming systems on silt loam soil in Kentucky is still limited. This study evaluated the effect of different farm management systems (pasture vs crop production) on selected soil quality indicators in Western Kentucky. There were six agricultural fields used for this study. Two rotational cattle fields, one horse pasture using stall waste as fertilizer, one horse pasture using traditional fertilizer, a rotational soybean field and a monoculture corn field. Four disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected from the topsoil of each field (total of 24 undisturbed and 24 of disturbed soil samples). Soil samples were analyzed for soil organic matter (SOM), soil pH, bulk density (BD), porosity, macroporosity, soil water at field capacity (SWFC) and soil water holding capacity (SWHC). The data was statistically analyzed using Microsoft Excel. The results indicated that soil quality indicators varied among the fields. The use of excess stall waste in the horse pasture led to the highest SOM level of 9.04%. The lowest SOM was observed under the monoculture corn field at 5.43%. The crops fields had a lower BD of 1.14 and 1.16 g/cm3 compared to the traditional livestock pastures which had bulk densities of 1.19, 1.29 and 1.30 g/cm3. Similarly, both crop fields had a greater total porosity of 56.1 and 56.8% than the traditional livestock which ranged from 51% to 55%. The information about soil quality indicators can help farmers and farm managers to implement practices to improve soil’s environment and enhance the resilience and sustainability of agricultural systems. Overall, this study indicated the important role of better understanding the effect of agricultural practices on soil quality which can provide insights into potential strategies to improving agricultural management.