Soil, Water, and Iceberg Lettuce Responses to a Sesbania Cover Crop at Field-Scale

Using a rigorous statistical approach, the project team will quantify changes in soil health and iceberg lettuce performance and production with and without a Sesbania cover crop. To assess effects of Sesbania on soil health, we will measure total soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), total organic C (surrogate for organic matter), potentially mineralizable N, saturated paste salinity, inorganic carbonate content, Exchangeable Sodium Percentage (ESP), and Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) in 36 samples in each field, consisting of 12 samples taken at three stages of the in Sesbania development: 1) pre-Sesbania planted, 2) full Sesbania before till under, and 3) after till under and full bed construction, but before iceberg lettuce planting.