ANALYSIS OF SOIL QUALITY DYNAMICS UNDER NO-TILL AND CONVENTIONAL TILLAGE PRACTICES IN KENTUCKY

Understanding the effects of tillage practices on soil quality is essential for promoting sustainable agriculture. This study examines how no-till and conventional tillage affect soil quality dynamics. A total of 24 soil samples, both disturbed and undisturbed, were collected using a systematic sampling technique at Pullen Farm of Murray State University across three gardens (Mable Garden, Cut Flower Garden, and Community Garden) which are No-till fields and three crop fields (Corn, Soybean, and Corn Maze) which are conventional tillage fields. The outcome variables were soil health indicators, such as bulk density (BD), porosity, and soil water-holding capacity were determined by oven-drying the soil samples, while soil pH was measured after dissolving the soil in distilled water (1:2.5). The data were analyzed using MS Excel version 2016. Out of the six fields, soil organic matter (SOM) was highest (24.34%) in the Cut Flower Garden and lowest (5.5%) in the Corn field. Similarly, bulk density was highest (1.47g/cm3) in the Corn field and lowest (1.33g/cm3) in the Cut Flower Garden. Likewise, Mable Garden had the highest porosity (52.58%), while the Corn field had only 44.44%. Regarding pH, the Cut Flower and Community Gardens had a pH of 6.3, while the Corn field had a pH of 5.4. Soil water-holding capacity was highest (37.41%) in the Corn Maze field and lowest (17.84%) in the Community Garden. The study reveals that no-till practices enhance soil organic matter, soil pH, lowering bulk density and total porosity means fostering sustainable soil health and resilience.