Soils are a critical natural resource given their role in everything from climate mitigation to food production. We examined the effects of varied tilling practices on long-term soil health and carbon retention. We focused on dairy farms in Washington County, NY that maintain multiple fields to grow crops to feed their livestock. Tilling practice had an impact on total carbon, total nitrogen, soil organic matter, macro- and micro-aggregates, and microbial diversity, with moldboard tilling showing the most significant and immediate soil impacts.
