Soil Characteristics of a Permaculture Orchard in the Jackson Purchase
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Horticulture
Minor
N/a
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Steve Still, PhD; Dr. Iin Handayani, PhD
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
Permaculture is the development of agriculture systems that are sustainable and self-sufficient. Addressing conservation issues such as diminishing natural resources and changing environmental conditions, permaculture allows for adaptive and resilient agriculture ecosystems that are able to cope with environmental stresses while reducing inputs. The objective of this research is to evaluate eight different zones in a permaculture ecosystem for selected soil attributes, in Briensburg, Kentucky (USDA Hardiness Zone 7b, approximately 51.1” (129.5cm) rainfall/year). As this is the beginning of a long term longitudinal study, only preliminary baseline measures were collected originally, including soil water retention and soil organic carbon. Sampling, processing, and analysis started in December, 2016 and was repeated in September, 2017. A general increase (although not significant except in the case of site 5) in measures of soil organic carbon (SOC) was observed. Measures of soil water holding capacity (SWHC) of the sampled sites increased significantly in 6 of the 8 sites sampled.
Affiliations
Sigma Xi Poster and General Posters, Posters-at-the-Capitol and General Posters, Kentucky Academy of Science
Soil Characteristics of a Permaculture Orchard in the Jackson Purchase
Permaculture is the development of agriculture systems that are sustainable and self-sufficient. Addressing conservation issues such as diminishing natural resources and changing environmental conditions, permaculture allows for adaptive and resilient agriculture ecosystems that are able to cope with environmental stresses while reducing inputs. The objective of this research is to evaluate eight different zones in a permaculture ecosystem for selected soil attributes, in Briensburg, Kentucky (USDA Hardiness Zone 7b, approximately 51.1” (129.5cm) rainfall/year). As this is the beginning of a long term longitudinal study, only preliminary baseline measures were collected originally, including soil water retention and soil organic carbon. Sampling, processing, and analysis started in December, 2016 and was repeated in September, 2017. A general increase (although not significant except in the case of site 5) in measures of soil organic carbon (SOC) was observed. Measures of soil water holding capacity (SWHC) of the sampled sites increased significantly in 6 of the 8 sites sampled.