Comparing Soil Properties of Fields in Production vs. Not in Production in Western Kentucky

Understanding soil properties is a key process in comprehending how to properly maximize your yield. Soil properties observed in this study include: soil pH, soil organic matter, bulk density, soil organic carbon, soil water holding capacity, total porosity, macroporosity, and soil water at field capacity. The objective of this study was to determine the differences of soil properties of fields that are currently in production and those that have not been in production for the last fifty years. The sites used for this study vary from Marshall County, Kentucky to Ballard County, Kentucky. The fields that are currently in production have produced corn, soybeans, and wheat. It has been observed that the fields in production located in Ballard County, Kentucky have lower levels of soil organic carbon and macroporosity. The non-productive fields in Marshall County, KY had high levels of soil organic carbon, soil water holding capacity and macroporosity. The soil organic matter recorded from the productive fields averaged at 4.71%, this is higher than the soil organic matter content for the non-productive fields which averaged to be 4.41%. Bulk density and soil total porosity levels were very similar between both productive and non-productive fields. The soil pH ranges were much higher in non-productive fields; the highest pH being 8.5, while the highest pH range in the productive fields was 6.6. This information is beneficial to any farmer who needs to determine which plots of land have the best capability to produce high yields. Keywords: Bulk Density, Soil pH, Organic Matter, Porosity, Soil Organic Carbon