Impacts of water optimization practices on soil health and soil water infiltration
Cheyenne Reid
Water scarcity is a major challenge for agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions. This study evaluates the long-term effects of deficit irrigation (DI) and land management practices, including no-tillage (NT), crop genetics, crop types, and cover cropping (CC), on soil health and water infiltration. Field experiments were conducted from 2019 to 2024 at three sites in Utah, USA, to study the effects of conservation practices in Wellsville, Vernal, and Cedar City. Two irrigation levels (100% and