Tall Fescue Management Effects On Soil Aggregate and Organic Matter Fractions.

Soil structure and organic matter can change rapidly when crop fields are altered to pasture land.  The value of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) for carbon sequestration and soil conservation in addition to forage production is important.  The objective of this study was to identify type of tall fescue management practices that improve soil structure following C sequestration enhancement.  The study was conducted in silt loam soils of Kentucky at the depth 0f 0-15 and 15 to 30 cm.  Three experiments including a study on the impacts of annual Italian ryegrass and tall fescue, the effects of mono- and polyculture of tall fescue stands and the impacts of endophyte + (E +) and endophyte –  (E-) tall fescue on aggregate and SOM fractions were performed.   Results from these experiments will be covered in a poster with discussion focusing on soil carbon content, particulate organic matter, macroaggregates, microaggregates, macroaggregate- and microaggregate associated carbon.  Data from this study can be used as a base line data that can be used to monitor conservation efforts and the consequences of pasture renovation strategies.