Agroforestry buffer, biomass crop, and grain crop effects on soil quality and soil water use

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Soil degradation, impaired water quality, and reduced soil organic carbon have become major concerns in the management of degraded claypan soils with their associated ecological and environmental challenges. Restoration of degraded soils by the adoption of recommended perennial vegetative management systems can rehabilitate watersheds and lead to enhancing soil health. Sustainable management practices such as trees, grasses, biomass crops may avoid soil degradation as well as improve soil and water quality. The objectives of this study were (i) to evaluate the effects of different perennial vegetative management systems and soil depth (10-cm depth increments from the surface to the 40-cm depth) on soil bulk density (ρb), saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), soil water retention, and pore size distributions as compared to corn (Zea mays L.) -- soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation; (ii) to assess the influence of perennial mament systems, landscape positions (summit, backslope, and footslope), soil depth, and the distance from the tree base for the agroforestry buffer (AB) (50 and 150 cm) treatment on soil quality relative to row crop management; (iii) to determine the impacts of perennial vegetation practices and soil depth on soil water dynamics as compared to row crop system; (iv) to evaluate the effects of long-term perennial management and cropping systems, landscape positions, and the distance from the base of a tree trunk on soil microbial biomass and soil organic carbon (SOC); and (v) to assess the conservation vegetative management practice effects on potential evapotranspiration (ETo). The experiment was conducted at the Greenley Memorial Research Center in northeastern Missouri, USA. Vegetation management treatments were row crop (RC), grass buffer (GB), agroforestry buffer (AB), grass waterways (GWW), and biomass/biofuel crop (BC), which were established in 1991, 1997, 1997, 1997, and 2012, respectively. ... The results of these studies imply that the establishment of perennial vegetative management systems of trees, grasses, and biomass crops on degraded soils can improve soil hydraulic properties, soil quality, soil water storage, soil microbial biomass, and soil water use. These improvements may ameliorate the productivity of degraded claypan soils as well as provide more economical and environmental benefits. Perennial management systems such as trees and grasses can play a considerable role in enhancing soil health for future sustainable production and ecosystem services.