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Effects of Cover Crops on Pore‐Size Distribution in a Coastal Plain Soil
Author(s) -
Lutz J. F.,
Nelson W. L.,
Brady N. C.,
Scarsbrook C. E.
Publication year - 1947
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1947.036159950011000c0007x
Subject(s) - citation , coastal plain , library science , cover (algebra) , cover crop , soil water , distribution (mathematics) , mathematics , computer science , environmental science , soil science , engineering , ecology , agroforestry , biology , mechanical engineering , mathematical analysis
W INTER cover crops have been recommended for many years. Beneficial effects such as increased yields of succeeding crops, soil and water conservation, and an improved physical condition of the soil have been attributed to them. Experimental data show conflicting results on the first two contentions, even though most of them are favorable (i, 2, 3, 7, 8, io). Increased yields usually have been attributed to the nitrogen supplied by the cover crop. In some instances this has been substantiated by adding commercial nitrogen to the no-cover crop plots. In other cases fertilizer treatments were not as effective as cover crops. Hence, it was generally assumed, without much experimental data, that the responses were due to the effect of the cover crops upon the physical condition of the soil. Several investigators have studied the effects of crops on aggregation (2, 3, 7, io). Relatively little work has-been done on the effects of crops on the pore-size distribution in soils (I). It is the purpose of this paper to present some data on the effects of certain winter cover crops, in two rotations, on the size distribution of pores in the soil. Some penetrometer data also will be given.