Theses and Dissertations

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9713-5815

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Bi, Guihong

Committee Member

Feng, Gary

Committee Member

Jenkins, Johnie N.

Committee Member

Reddy, K. Raja

Committee Member

Wijewardane, Nuwan K.

Date of Degree

8-8-2023

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Horticulture

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Department

Department of Plant and Soil Sciences

Abstract

Soil health-based agricultural management practices are widely promoted to improve soil structure, infiltration and reduce erosion. This study was conducted at two locations in North-Central Mississippi to evaluate the influence of different cover crop species and poultry litter on soil health that can impact crop production, climate change, and resilience. The results indicated that the cover crops showed a little effect on some soil health indicators compared to control treatment. However, in one location, rye, and a mixture of cover crops decreased bulk density and increased available water content and organic matter. The poultry litter had a positive effect on most soil physical and chemical health indicators. The cover crop species at Pontotoc decreased bulk density, increased field capacity, CEC, and total carbon. However, there was no significant effect of cover crops on most soil chemical health indicators, and soil responses may take more than five years for the changes to appear.

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