Murray State University

Comparing Soil Characteristics Between Double-Crop and Single-Crop Soybean Fields in Ballard County, KY and Webster County, KY

Emily MarshFollow

Grade Level at Time of Presentation

Senior

Major

Agronomy

Institution 23-24

Murray State University

KY House District #

11

KY Senate District #

4

Department

Hutson School of Agriculture

Abstract

Crop management practices such as double-cropping soybeans has a significant impact on the chemical and physical makeup of the soil. This study was conducted to compare the differences in soil characteristics such as soil water holding capacity, soil water field capacity, total porosity, compaction, soil pH, and bulk density within double-crop soybean fields and single-crop soybean fields in Webster County, Kentucky and Ballard County, Kentucky. The soil samples that were collected for this study were taken at two different depths, one being 0 to 7.5 cm and the other being 7.5 to 15 cm deep. Some significant differences were found within the study that showed major differences in the soil properties when a crop like wheat is grown before the soybeans. It was found that the average soil water holding capacity (SWHC) was higher within the double-crop fields than the single-crop fields between both counties; the Webster County double-crop field had the highest SWHC at 29.69% and then the lowest SWHC 19.10% was found in the Ballard County single-crop field. The soil from the double-crop soybean fields were less compacted than the soil from the single-crop soybean fields because of the previous crop that had been grown within that soil, which was wheat. This was found by measuring Bulk Density. The lower the bulk density then the lower the compaction was within the samples. The Ballard County double and single-crop fields weren’t very different in Bulk Density, but the double-crop soybean field was still less than the single-crop field, therefore less compacted. The Webster County fields really displayed a big difference in compaction and bulk density within the double and single-crop fields as the double-crop had a bulk density of 1.29 g/ and the single-crop field had a bulk density of 1.45 g/. From the results of this study, double-crop soybean fields tend to have better soil quality over the single-crop soybean fields that were included within this research. These results will allow producers to see the beneficial effects of a double-cropping system within a crop rotation.

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Comparing Soil Characteristics Between Double-Crop and Single-Crop Soybean Fields in Ballard County, KY and Webster County, KY

Crop management practices such as double-cropping soybeans has a significant impact on the chemical and physical makeup of the soil. This study was conducted to compare the differences in soil characteristics such as soil water holding capacity, soil water field capacity, total porosity, compaction, soil pH, and bulk density within double-crop soybean fields and single-crop soybean fields in Webster County, Kentucky and Ballard County, Kentucky. The soil samples that were collected for this study were taken at two different depths, one being 0 to 7.5 cm and the other being 7.5 to 15 cm deep. Some significant differences were found within the study that showed major differences in the soil properties when a crop like wheat is grown before the soybeans. It was found that the average soil water holding capacity (SWHC) was higher within the double-crop fields than the single-crop fields between both counties; the Webster County double-crop field had the highest SWHC at 29.69% and then the lowest SWHC 19.10% was found in the Ballard County single-crop field. The soil from the double-crop soybean fields were less compacted than the soil from the single-crop soybean fields because of the previous crop that had been grown within that soil, which was wheat. This was found by measuring Bulk Density. The lower the bulk density then the lower the compaction was within the samples. The Ballard County double and single-crop fields weren’t very different in Bulk Density, but the double-crop soybean field was still less than the single-crop field, therefore less compacted. The Webster County fields really displayed a big difference in compaction and bulk density within the double and single-crop fields as the double-crop had a bulk density of 1.29 g/ and the single-crop field had a bulk density of 1.45 g/. From the results of this study, double-crop soybean fields tend to have better soil quality over the single-crop soybean fields that were included within this research. These results will allow producers to see the beneficial effects of a double-cropping system within a crop rotation.