41-16 Measuring Impacts of Varying Agricultural Land Use Types on Water Infiltration Rates of Two Soil Series in Northwest Missouri: Implications for Drought Resilience

Session: Paleontology, Stratigraphy, Sediments, and Soils (Posters)

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The nation's food supply is heavily reliant on agricultural production from the Midwestern United States. Agricultural practices influence the physical and chemical properties of soils, particularly through their effects on soil density and organic matter content. These soil attributes play a critical role in determining water infiltration rates, which govern the soil’s capacity to absorb precipitation rather than lose it via surface runoff. There are no region-specific assessments in northwest Missouri on how land management practices influence soil structure, physical properties, and hydraulic behavior. Two prevalent soil series in northwest Missouri are the Higginsville and Lamoni series. These soil types vary in parent material and landscape position. They have been selected in this study to ensure representative coverage of the region’s soil variability. The dominant agricultural land use types in the region include corn–soybean-alfalfa crop rotations and pasture systems. These four variables -soil series and land use types- make the framework for this research. Comparing between them isolates each variable with four combinations of treatment types. Soil compaction and organic matter content have been identified as primary factors that vary with land use and influence soil infiltration rates. These rates are calculated using a double-ring infiltrometer measuring inches of water infiltrated hourly. Soil samples were collected from the field and brought to the lab to measure compaction through bulk density. Organic matter content was calculated by weighing samples before and after ignition in a muffle furnace. These variables are assessed in conjunction with soil texture, structure, and horizon thickness to analyze their relationships with observed infiltration dynamics. Post data collection analysis will include principal component analysis, linear regression, and modelling to correlate similarities between water infiltration rates, soil compaction and organic material content. These test results could provide beneficial information to Midwest farmers, strengthen knowledge of regional soil dynamics, and aid in sustainable agricultural practices for drought resilience.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 1, 2026

doi: 10.1130/abs/2026SE-13265

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