ANALYSIS OF SOIL QUALITY DYNAMICS UNDER NO-TILL AND CONVENTIONAL TILLAGE PRACTICES

Project Abstract

The study aimed to assess the short-term effects of no-till and conventional tillage practices on soil physical properties, highlighting implications for water retention and runoff which are critical to water resources management. A total of 24 soil samples, both disturbed and undisturbed, were collected using a systematic sampling technique at Pullen Farm across three gardens (Mable Garden, Cut Flower Garden, and Community Garden) and three crop fields (Corn, Soybean, and Corn Maize). The outcome variables were soil health indicators. Bulk density (BD), porosity, and soil water-holding capacity were determined by oven-drying the soil samples, while soil pH was measured after dissolving the soil in distilled water for 30 minutes. The data were entered into and analyzed using MS Excel version 2016. Out of the six fields, soil organic matter (SOM) was highest (24.34%) in the Cut Flower Garden and lowest (5.5%) in the Corn field. Similarly, bulk density was highest (1.47g/cm3) in the Corn field and lowest (1.33g/cm3) in the Cut Flower Garden. Likewise, Mable Garden had the highest porosity (52.58%), while the Corn field had only 44.44%. Regarding pH, the Cut Flower and Community Gardens had a pH of 6.3, while the Corn field had a pH of 5.4. Soil water-holding capacity was highest (37.41%) in the Corn Maize field and lowest (17.84%) in the Community Garden. The study highlighted that no-till practices in gardens resulted in better soil health indicators, such as lower BD, higher SOM, and higher porosity, improving water infiltration and reducing potential runoff, while conventional tillage in crop fields led to poorer soil quality. These findings demonstrate the significant impact of tillage practices on soil physical properties and their role in sustainable soil and water resource management.

Keywords: Agricultural Sustainability, Conventional Tillage, No-till, Soil Physical Properties, Soil Quality, Water Resources.

Conference

Conference Name : 2025 Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

Date: September 12, 2025

Sponsoring Body: Kentucky Water Research Institute.

Conference Website: https://kwri.uky.edu/annual-symposium

Funding Type

Travel Grant

Academic College

Hutson School of Agriculture

Area/Major/Minor

M.SC. Agriculture

Degree

Graduate

Classification

Graduate

Name

Dr Iin Handayani

Academic College

Hutson School of Agriculture

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