ASHS 2025 Conference

With increasing focus and shift towards soil health, sustainable soil management practices stand as critical approach to enhance the crop productivity and quality while improving production system as a whole. One method to improve soil health is through addition of soil amendments such as compost, animal manure and crop residues. However, there is limited literature on emerging organic amendments like biochar, vermicompost and peatmoss and their role in crop production in field-based conditions. Specifically, biochar has high cation exchange capacity and improves soil homeostasis, while vermicompost has more readily available nutrients. Several researchers have found synergistic effects when biochar and vermicompost were used in combination with high nutrient retention and uptake, supported by high activity of soil microorganisms. Similarly, peat moss is rich in organic matter and has high water absorption capacity. Although its use in soilless substrates has been widely explored, peat moss as soil amendment in open fields has limited literature. Hence, the current study investigated the role of organic soil amendments on yield attributes and nutritional profile of a leafy green vegetable, collard greens. Furthermore, soil parameters like organic matter content, soil nutrients and soil bulk density were observed before and after the crop period. Two open field trials were conducted in spring and fall under at Students Farm, Oklahoma State University, following certified naturally grown production practices. The soil amendment treatments were arranged in randomized complete block design within four blocks. Collard greens’ phytochemicals such as chlorophylls, carotenoids, flavonoids, phenols, and sugars were analyzed after harvest. Results show that vermicompost facilitated better crop performance by improving soil physical and chemical properties. The findings of this study provides sustainable horticulture practices by providing more information on added amendments and their role in improving soil health and enhancing crop quality, offering actionable insights for soil health focused production systems.