The water in the soil acts as a lubricant, allowing soil aggregates to be destroyed and soil particles to be compressed together, forcing out the water. The results are both surface and subsoil compaction. These are extreme areas, but compaction will impact root development and water infiltration. You may have dug up canola plants and seen the roots going down an inch and then sideways. This is caused by compaction.
In a wet year, plants can get enough moisture and nutrients, but in dry years, this type of root development can significantly impact yields. Since , we have seen a rapid increase in the size of farms in Western Canada. As a result, we have larger and heavier equipment. A fully-loaded combine may have an axle load of 25 tonnes per axle and a fully-loaded single -axle grain cart is approximately 20 tonnes.
Here are the top 10 reason to avoid soil compaction: 1. Causes nutrient deficiencies 2. Reduces crop productivity 3. Restricts root development 4. Reduces soil aeration 5. Decreases soil available water 6. Soil compaction of 4 wheel drive and tracked tractors under various draft loads SAE Technical Paper Daum, D. Agricultural soil compaction — causes, effects, and cures Penn State University publication B DeJong-Hughes, J.
Soil compaction: Causes, effects and control revision. Krmenec, A. Vehicle traffic and soil compaction. Reichenberger, L. Harnessing all your horsepower. Successful Farming, March edition, Sidhu, D. Soil compaction in conservation tillage: Crop impacts. Agronomy Journal, 98 1 , , Soane, B. Chapter Soil compaction in crop production pp. Voorhees, W. Extent and persistence of subsoil compaction caused by heavy axle loads. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 50, Compaction and soil structure modification by wheel traffic in the Northern Corn Belt.
Soil Science Society of America Journal, 42, Wolkowski, R. The author wishes to thank Dr. Dave Franzen and Dr. Joe Pikel for their constructive comments when reviewing this publication. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Home Crop production Soil and water Soil management and health Soil compaction. Quick facts Soil compaction concerns have been growing in Minnesota as both annual precipitation and farm equipment size have dramatically increased.
Myths about soil compaction There are two common, widespread myths about soil compaction: Freeze-thaw cycles will alleviate a majority of the soil compaction created by machinery. Open all Close all. Freeze-thaw cycles.
Predicting the effects of subsoiling is difficult and may be due to the following: Soil differences Degree of subsoil compaction Soil moisture Future traffic Weather conditions Crops grown Tillage methods. Causes of compaction There are several forces, natural and man-induced, that compact a soil Figure 3.
Tillage operations Continuous moldboard plowing or disking at the same depth will cause serious tillage pans compacted layers just below the depth of tillage in some soils. Wheel traffic Wheel traffic is without a doubt the major cause of soil compaction Figure 5.
Minimal crop rotation The trend towards a limited crop rotation has had two effects: Limiting different rooting systems and their beneficial effects on breaking subsoil compaction. Increased potential for compaction early in the cropping season, due to more tillage activity and field traffic.
Consequences of compaction. Soil structure Under the influence of microbial activity, soil particles bind into generally stable units called aggregates Figure 7. Impact of deep tillage In the Midwest, using deeper tillage implements in combination with disks, shanks and harrows destroys soil structure and loosens the soil to a depth of 10 to 16 inches.
Nutrient uptake Soil compaction increases soil density. Crop emergence and stand. Crop growth and root development. Treatment Corn plant height: Six weeks after planting Corn plant height: At harvest No compaction Crop yield Crop yields reduce when soil compaction decreases crop emergence, crop growth and nutrient uptake.
Study 1 Researchers found significant yield reductions with the annual road tire compaction compared to the control in three of the four years. Study 2 A study from Purdue University found that differences in stand count affected final yield in trafficked versus non-trafficked fields.
Study 3 Researchers at Purdue University observed stand count reductions of 20 to 30 percent in the compacted plots. Other studies. Iron deficiency chlorosis IDC. Overall crop energy Compacted soil requires more force and energy to accomplish tillage operations. Strategies for reducing soil compaction The best way to manage soil compaction is to prevent it from happening. Preventing soil compaction will Increase water infiltration and storage capacity Increase timeliness of field operations Decrease the stress on plant roots Decrease diseases potential.
Control traffic In a normal year, as much as 90 percent of the field may be tracked by equipment Figure How to control traffic Corn and soybean farmers who use GPS, ridge-till, strip-till or no-till can confine traffic between certain rows and avoid compacting the row area. Benefits of controlled traffic There are occasional reports of adverse effects on plant growth where the wheel tracks are on both sides of the row, but even then, the damage is confined to certain rows.
Benefits to controlled traffic, using permanent compacted lanes, are Improved tractor efficiency and floatation Less powerful machinery needed Improved timeliness of operations Factors to consider when buying machinery.
Manage axle loads and tire pressure Properly maintaining tire inflation rates and decreasing axle loads is another strategy for managing compaction. Manage axle loads Heavy axle loads and wet soil conditions will increase the depth of compaction in the soil profile.
Field equipment Axle load Slurry tanker 4, gallons tons per axle Slurry tanker 7, gallons tons per axle Class 9 combine hp, bushel capacity 20 tons per axle row combine full with head 24 tons per axle Grain cart bushels, full, 1 axle 22 tons per axle Grain cart 1, bushels, full, 1 axle tons per axle Grain cart 2, bushels, full, 1 axle tons per axle Terra-Gator rear axle tons per axle 4WD tractor hp, front axle 7.
Properly inflate tires Total axle load, as well as contact pressure between the tire and soil, affects subsoil compaction. To confirm proper tire pressures, check with your tire dealers or search online. Severely compacted areas often have sparse growth or are bare due to these problems. Soil compaction can be created from both natural causes and operational functions. Severe compaction is almost always created through management practices.
Natural compaction is produced by raindrop impact which can form a thin crust on the soil surface. Management sources come from traffic and tillage.
Wheel traffic is a main contributor of soil compaction issues. Tillage operations at the same depth over time can also cause severe compaction of the soil layers below tillage depth. Wet soils are the most susceptible to compaction. Spring planting and haying operations are often performed on wet soils.
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