Cover crop effects on infiltration, aggregate stability, and water retention in the Lower Mississippi River Valley

Cover crops are widely considered to improve soil health in the form of erosion control, organic matter additions, and improving water-holding capacity. Despite generally well-documented benefits, cover remain under-studied Lower Mississippi River Valley (LMRV), an area historically dominated by intensive cultivated agriculture, with soils prone erosion, where need for irrigation has led unsustainable aquifer withdrawals. The objective this study was evaluate crop (with [CC] without [NCC]) effects on near-surface physical, chemical, hydraulic properties. Soil sample collection situ measurements were conducted, once per site, between May 2018 2019 across four locations within LMRV portion eastern Arkansas. Overall steady-state infiltration rates unaffected (p > .05) cover-crop treatment. Across all locations, extractable Na content top 10 cm greater ≤ NCC (31.6 kg ha−1) compared CC (21.6 ha−1). Averaged treatment depth (0 5 cm), water-stable aggregate concentration 0.25- 0.5- (0.101 g g−1) 1.5 times than that 1.0- 2.0-mm size class (0.068 g−1). Though many properties did not significantly differ treatments due their collective variations, results demonstrate wide-spread implications use a region.