Short‐Term Response of Soil Health Indicators to Cover Crop Management in Small‐Scale Vegetable Cropping Systems

ABSTRACT A 2‐year field experiment (2022–2023) was conducted on a clay loam soil in Quebec, Canada, to evaluate the short‐term effect of spring‐seeded cover crop termination methods on soil health indicators. A mixture of field peas ( Pisum sativum L.) with oats ( Avena sativa L.) in 2022 and with faba beans ( Vicia faba L.) in 2023 was seeded in early May and terminated in early July before transplanting a vegetable crop. The experimental design followed a randomized complete block design, comparing three cover crop termination methods — roller‐crimping (ROLL), flail mowing and tarping (TARP), flail mowing and disking (DISK)—alongside a fallow control without cover crops (CTRL). Soil samples (0–10 cm) were collected during vegetable harvest in September each year, 8 to 10 weeks after cover crop termination. In 2023, treatments with cover crops resulted in a greater mean‐weight diameter of water‐stable aggregates in comparison to the CTRL treatment. The termination of field peas and faba beans (2023) led to a greater flush of CO 2 and microbial biomass nitrogen concentrations under the ROLL and TARP treatments compared to the CTRL treatment. No significant differences in soil organic carbon fractions or chemical indicators were found between treatments in either year. Overall, in the short term, the use of cover crops had a greater impact on soil health than termination methods. Future research should further explore the interaction between tillage and other spring‐seeded cover crop mixtures on contrasting soil textures for optimizing management practices in organic vegetable production systems.