Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: November 4, 1999
Publication Date: N/A
Technical Abstract: Soil quality indicators reflect both inherent (pedogenic) and dynamic (management related) surface and profile conditions. A controlled study was initiated in a two-story rhizotron to compare soil quality indicator response for Cecil, Pullman, Weld, and Miami soils from Georgia, Washington, Colorado, and Indiana to tilled and non-tilled surface management. This presentation will focus on the challenges associated with collecting, transporting, and preparing the 40 x 40 x 100 cm soil monoliths. The four soils will now be managed in a wheat and grain sorghum rotation for the next 4 years with measurements of soil quality indicators, leaching loss, water and nutrient use efficiencies, and productivity for each cropping cycle. Techniques used to suspend and house the monoliths as well as to measure water use, soil temperature profiles, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and leaching loss will be discussed.