Wheat cover crop has minimal effect on physical soil properties in the North Carolina Piedmont

Environmental awareness about soil and water conservation in agroecosystems has shifted behaviors toward favoring conservation practices in agricultural management. Interest in conservation tillage and cover cropping has increased, but some regions encounter major challenges with adjusting management to accommodate these practices while optimizing crop production. In an Ultisol in the North Carolina Piedmont, a long‐term corn (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) rotation with tillage intensities ranging from no‐till to moldboard plowing in a randomized complete block design was used to assess changes in physical soil properties after introducing wheat (Triticum aestivum) as a winter cover crop. Cover crop biomass was measured along with volumetric water content (VWC) and bulk density (BD) at 0–15 cm, water retention (WR), water‐stable aggregation (WSA), and soil organic carbon (SOC) at 0–7.5 cm, and penetration resistance (PR) at 0–45 cm. No differences in VWC or WR could be solely attributed to cover cropping, but no‐till with cover cropping had the highest macroporosity where there was no vehicle traffic. Vehicle traffic had a stronger effect on soil compaction (BD and PR) than cover cropping regardless of tillage. Conservation tillage increased WSA and SOC when compared to plow tillage, but three seasons of a wheat cover crop did not significantly change these properties, possibly because wheat produced low biomass each year (750–1900 kg ha−1). Wheat had minimal effect on physical soil properties in the short term, and potential for improvement with long‐term optimal cover crop management in this region requires further assessment. Core Ideas Long‐term conservation tillage improved soil structure and soil‐water interactions. Three seasons of a wheat cover crop had minimal effect on physical soil properties. Differences in soil properties were driven more by vehicle traffic than by the wheat cover crop.