Changes in quality of soils with contrasting moisture regimes as affected by cultivation: with an emphasis on soil physical quality

Agricultural practices may decline the quality of soils. Knowing the temporal changes of soil quality in the agriculture lands is crucial for optimal management of lands and to achieve the maximum economic efficiency. In this study, some physical characteristics of four cultivated soil were compared with neighboring non-cultivated soils as control treatments. A given site, four soil samples (including two soil samples from cultivated lands and the two soil samples from adjacent non-cultivated lands) were collected. Soil structural stability, soil moisture retention curves, particle size distribution and porosity of soil, mechanical strength, plant available water and aeration, relative field capacity, integral water capacity was measured. In the cultivated lands, soil structural stability, macroporosity and field capacity were decreased, while the microporosity and soil sensitivity to crusting were increased compared with the uncultivated lands. It could be concluded that agricultural practices decline the soil quality that should be avoided by proper soil management.