Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Graduate
Major
Agriculture
2nd Student Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Graduate
2nd Student Major
Agriculture
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Iin P. Handayani, PhD
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
Impact of Crop Rotation and Species Variation on Soil Quality Indicators
Pratibha Adhikari, Somasekhar Auduti, Uday Kiran Pittala
Mentor: Dr. Iin P. Handayani, Ph.D.
Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University, Murray, KY, USA
Designing crop rotations that counter the negative effects of monocropping requires crop choices that build carbon and create stable pore structure. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of crop rotation on selected soil health indicators and to interpret soil health conditions across agricultural fields. Soil samples were collected from West Farm, Murray, KY, from six crop fields—corn, soybean, tobacco, millet, cotton, and sunflower. Twenty-four undisturbed and 24 disturbed samples were collected from 0–7.5cm depth on September 2nd, 2025, with four replications per field. Disturbed samples were used to analyze soil organic matter (SOM), soil organic carbon (SOC), and pH. Bulk density (BD), porosity, soil water-holding capacity (SWHC), and water-filled capacity (WFC) were measured using undisturbed samples. Results identified rotation “builder” crops and “drawdown” crops. Sunflower and millet functioned as builders, showing higher SOM/SOC (sunflower SOM ≈5.63%, SOC ≈3.26%; millet SOM ≈5.20%, SOC ≈3.02%) with lower BD (≈1.29–1.30 g cm⁻³), favorable macroporosity (≈41% and ≈38%), and balanced WFC (≈35%). Corn exhibited the highest total porosity (≈50.9%) with moderate carbon status (SOC ≈2.04%), indicating value for aeration phases of a rotation. Soybean and tobacco behaved as drawdown crops in this dataset, trending toward lower SOM/SOC (≈3.3%/≈1.9%) and higher BD (≈1.41 g cm⁻³). Soil pH was acidic to near-neutral (≈4.8–6.2) across crops, indicating a need for lime management between rotation phases. Overall, rotations that pair deep-rooted, high-residue crops (sunflower, millet, corn) with brief lower-residue phases (soybean, tobacco) can improve soil carbon, reduce compaction, increase porosity, and enhance moisture stability.
Keywords: Bulk density, Crop rotation, Soil organic carbon, Soil health, Water retention
Fall Scholars Week 2025
Research Poster Competition and Presentations, Soil/Crop Management (Agriculture) and Sustainability
Included in
Impact of Crop Rotation and Species Variation on Soil Quality Indicators
Impact of Crop Rotation and Species Variation on Soil Quality Indicators
Pratibha Adhikari, Somasekhar Auduti, Uday Kiran Pittala
Mentor: Dr. Iin P. Handayani, Ph.D.
Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University, Murray, KY, USA
Designing crop rotations that counter the negative effects of monocropping requires crop choices that build carbon and create stable pore structure. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of crop rotation on selected soil health indicators and to interpret soil health conditions across agricultural fields. Soil samples were collected from West Farm, Murray, KY, from six crop fields—corn, soybean, tobacco, millet, cotton, and sunflower. Twenty-four undisturbed and 24 disturbed samples were collected from 0–7.5cm depth on September 2nd, 2025, with four replications per field. Disturbed samples were used to analyze soil organic matter (SOM), soil organic carbon (SOC), and pH. Bulk density (BD), porosity, soil water-holding capacity (SWHC), and water-filled capacity (WFC) were measured using undisturbed samples. Results identified rotation “builder” crops and “drawdown” crops. Sunflower and millet functioned as builders, showing higher SOM/SOC (sunflower SOM ≈5.63%, SOC ≈3.26%; millet SOM ≈5.20%, SOC ≈3.02%) with lower BD (≈1.29–1.30 g cm⁻³), favorable macroporosity (≈41% and ≈38%), and balanced WFC (≈35%). Corn exhibited the highest total porosity (≈50.9%) with moderate carbon status (SOC ≈2.04%), indicating value for aeration phases of a rotation. Soybean and tobacco behaved as drawdown crops in this dataset, trending toward lower SOM/SOC (≈3.3%/≈1.9%) and higher BD (≈1.41 g cm⁻³). Soil pH was acidic to near-neutral (≈4.8–6.2) across crops, indicating a need for lime management between rotation phases. Overall, rotations that pair deep-rooted, high-residue crops (sunflower, millet, corn) with brief lower-residue phases (soybean, tobacco) can improve soil carbon, reduce compaction, increase porosity, and enhance moisture stability.
Keywords: Bulk density, Crop rotation, Soil organic carbon, Soil health, Water retention