Soil aggregate stability and erodibility as influenced by soil amendments and winter cover crop in upland soils

Dai, Wei , Feng, Gary , Huang, Yanbo , Adeli, Ardeshir , Jenkins, Johnie N.

2025-02-25 SOIL SCIENCE SOCIETY OF AMERICA JOURNAL 2025   89(卷), 1(期), (null页)

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  • Agricultural management practices can affect soil aggregate stability and resistance to erosion. A four-field experiment near Pontotoc, MS, investigated the integration effects of poultry litter and inorganic fertilizer N with soil amendments and winter cover crop on upland soil aggregate stability and erodibility at 0- to 15-cm and 15- to 30-cm depths in a no-till corn system. Main plots were treated with either winter cover crop or no cover crop, while sub-plots received poultry litter (PL1), inorganic fertilizer N (FR1), or combinations of these with flue gas desulfurization gypsum and lignite (PL2 and FR2, respectively), alongside an unfertilized control. Soil aggregate stability indices were determined at the conclusion of the study. Results exhibited that 0.25-0.053 mm aggregates (38.3%-54.6%) were the most prevalent among treatments and depths. Winter cover crop resulted in the highest values of mean weight diameter (MWD) and geometric mean diameter (1.4 and 0.57 mm, respectively), while fractal dimension (FD) and soil erodibility factor K were lowest (1.81 and 0.08, respectively). Among the fertilization treatments, poultry litter alone exhibited the highest MWD (1.5 mm) and the lowest FD (1.8) and soil erodibility factor K (0.07). Spearman's correlation analysis and random forest modeling jointly demonstrated that >2 mm aggregates were the primary factor influencing the stability of aggregates and erodibility. Overall, the results emphasized that combining winter cover crops with poultry litter enhanced soil aggregate stability and erosion resistance in upland soils under a no-till corn system, offering sustainable agricultural practices to sustainably improve soil health and mitigate erosion risks.

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