Assessing impact of conservation agriculture practices on soil physical properties under on‐farm conditions in Central Ohio, USA

Basic indicators of soil health that influence water infiltration, root growth, gaseous exchange, and overall agronomic productivity are soil physical properties such as bulk density (BD), total porosity (TP), particle density (PD), and penetration resistance (PR). Agricultural practices, particularly tillage and land use, are known to alter soil physical properties by disrupting soil structure and altering soil organic matter content. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effects of conservation agriculture practices, meadows, and woodlands on above‐mentioned soil properties. This on‐farm study was conducted at 41 sites located within five counties that covered five soil series (Blount, Eldean, Pewamo, Spinks, and Warsaw) in Central Ohio. From November 2023 to July 2024, soils (0‐ to 10‐cm depth) were sampled from cropland under conventional tillage, minimum tillage (MT), and no‐tillage (NT), as well as from meadows and woodlands, to evaluate BD, PD, and TP. PR was measured in the field. All land management practices had been in place for at least 15 years prior to sampling. Data were analyzed using a linear fixed‐effects model to test the effects of land use within each soil series. Soil TP, BD, and PR varied significantly ( p < 0.05) across land management practices and soil series, with woodland soils consistently showing lower BD and PR, and higher TP compared to those under cropland independent of tillage practice and those under meadow, whereas PD did not differ among practices. Soil TP, BD, and PR were significantly related ( R 2 ≥ 0.33, p < 0.001) to soil organic carbon (SOC) content, reflecting a moderate influence of SOC on reducing soil compaction. Overall, these findings highlight the lasting positive impact of relatively undisturbed land use (woodlands) on soil physical health, while also suggesting that NT and MT may require longer timeframes (>15 years) to induce improvements in soil structure and compaction.