| Improve
Yields: Control Compaction |
| Most farmers agree that reducing
soil compaction can have a significant positive effect on plant
growth and crop yields. What tire do you currently use following
primary tillage to prepare your seedbed and plant? What inflation
pressure do you use in these tires? |
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| What Is Soil Compaction? |
- Soil scientists describe a good root bed as having 50%
of the soil volume occupied by solids, 25% by water &
25% by air
- Soil compaction results when soil particles are squeezed
together
- This reduces the air & water carrying capacity of
the soil by reducing the pore size between soil particles
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Causes of
soil compaction?
Did you know that:
- Ground pressure on soil
imposed by tracks or wheels is the primary cause of
compaction?
- Approximately 80% of
soil compaction occur during a machine’s first
pass over loose soil? When a tire with low ground
pressure is used on the first pass, subsequent passes
with tires having higher ground contact pressure cause
minimal additional compaction.
- Soil composition (proportion
of sand, silt and clay) and moisture content are important
factors affecting compaction. Wet soil and clay-type
soil are more prone to compaction.
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Effects of soil compaction?
The consequences of compacted
soil are:
- Restricted root growth, a poor
root zone aeration and drainage
- Emergence problems for plants,
sparse crop growth (compaction restricts the nutrients
availability)
- Plants are also subject to
moisture stress.
Crop
yields may be reduced
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