Living mulch research has focused on crop health without digging in to the effects on soil health. Soil management influences soil structure, water infiltration, and compaction. The recent drought has affected the Great Plains where precipitation is already limited. This makes it important for the water to infiltrate into the soil instead of running off, taking nutrients along with it. Soil compaction limits plant root’s ability to reach ground water and nutrients deeper in the soil profile which are needed during dry spells. In this study, living mulches of three established clover varieties, ‘Domino’ white clover (WC) (Trifolium repens), ‘Aberlasting’ white x kura clover (KC) (T. repens x ambiguum), and ‘Dynamite’ red clover (RC) (Trifolium pratense), bare ground control (BG), in combination with in-row management of tilled (T), no-tilled (NT), tilled fabric (TF), and no-tilled fabric (NTF) were evaluate for water infiltration, soil compaction, soil temperature and moisture. Water infiltration was measured using a 25.4 cm PVC ring which was pounded in the ground to prevent lateral flow. Water was added every minute to measure the infiltration rate. Soil compaction was measured using a SpotOn soil penetrometer measuring the PSI needed to pass through the soil. Soil moisture and temperature were measured every hour using HOBO MX soil moisture and temperature logger. Water infiltration in NT soil management had a was 67% greater when compared to T soil management. Soil compaction readings from 0-15 cm had a range from 324 PSI in NT to 351 PSI in NTF. After one year of changing the soil management, there was a significant increase in on water infiltration rate in the NT which means the soil can handle much larger volumes of water compared to T. Soil compaction has changed very little between soil managements which can be expected since it takes many years to break compaction layers and improve the soil structure. Soil management can improve water infiltration rates which increases the water added to the soil and decreases the risk of erosion. More time is required to determine how soil management will affect compaction in this study.
