Effects of 130 Years of Selected Cropping Management Systems on Soil Health Properties for Sanborn Field

Core Ideas Soil health characterization was useful for discriminating among long‐term cropping systems. Positive associations were found among most soil health properties. Most soil health properties evaluated had negative correlations with bulk density. Incorporation of crop rotations into cropping systems has been suggested as an effective practice to improve soil health for sustainable agriculture. This study was conducted on selected cropping systems with little fertilizer input to evaluate long‐term cropping system effects on soil health properties in Sanborn Field. Soil samples were collected on two dates during 2 yr from each plot. Soil physical, chemical, and biological characteristics were analyzed in the laboratory for these samples to assess soil health using a cumulative normal distribution method. Soil samples collected from Tucker Prairie were used as a proxy for the original state of Sanborn Field soils to compare with soil from the selected cropping systems. The results from the characterization indicated that continuous timothy ( Phleum pretense L.) and warm‐season grass treatments were classified with very high soil health scores, followed by middle scores for rotations and continuous wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) and by the lowest score for continuous corn ( Zea mays L.). In addition, results showed strong positive linear associations between the following properties: soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, potentially mineralizable nitrogen, active carbon, microbial biomass, and water‐stable aggregates ( r = 0.60 to 0.96). In contrast, these properties had strong negative linear correlations with bulk density ( r = −0.59 to −0.71). An integrated soil health index requires a combination of soil physical, chemical, and biological properties to adequately assess the soil health status of selected cropping systems and to make potential recommendations for future sustainable management.