Comparing soil organic matter and nitrogen content to corn field treatments utilizing no-till, tillage, and cover cropping in Waterford, Pennsylvania.

Hanas, Adrienne

Comparing soil organic matter and nitrogen content to corn field treatments utilizing no-till, tillage, and cover cropping in Waterford, Pennsylvania.

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10456/59130

Author(s)

Hanas, Adrienne

Date Issued

April 2025

Abstract

Agriculture has changed throughout history into what it is today. Present large-scale grain farming operations have dominated the United States and pose concerns with soil health and environmental sustainability. Tillage of monoculture crop fields has resulted in loss of topsoil with consistent erosion, ultimately leading to devastating losses of nutrients including nitrogen and soil organic matter, both of which are responsible for soil health, and plant function. More recent sustainable treatments on large-scale fields including no-till and cover cropping help to mitigate the environmental impact of agriculture while maintaining profitable yields, but research has focused on the midwest region of the United States. This study investigates the correlation between the decision to utilize cover cropping with tillage and no-till grain farming, and soil organic matter and nitrogen content in Waterford, Pennsylvania. Results show that the combination of no-till and cover cropping field treatments supports the highest amount of both soil organic matter and nitrogen, while tillage without cover crops held the lowest. This research suggests adopting sustainable farming practices in Erie County, Pennsylvania increases soil health, which is linked to higher yields, carbon sequestration, and mitigation of soil and surrounding ecosystem degradation. Further research should be conducted on this response to yield and profitability to farmers in this area, and an economic analysis on the feasibility to transition from tillage to no-till systems.

Major

Environmental Science and Sustainability

Honors

Environmental Science and Sustainability, 2025

First Reader(s)

Bradshaw-Wilson, Casey R.