Soil Compaction. By: Kelly Patches Soils 401 April 8, 2009

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1 Soil Compaction By: Kelly Patches Soils 401 April 8, 2009

2 The Problem 3 acre field on my family s dairy farm has compaction Compaction forms a hardpan increase bulk density decrease pore space ponding/runoff poor drainage little to no infiltration of water and nutrients hard for some roots to penetrate the hardpan the crops then cannot get the nutrients they need

3 The Agronomy Facts 63 publication states that soil compaction can easily reduce crop yields by 10 percent, and can lead to water and soil quality degradation due to increased runoff and soil structure destruction (Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, 2002). When pore space shrinks, there is less air and moisture in the soil, a condition that negatively influences seed germination, seedling emergence, root growth, nutrient uptake, and in reality all phases of crop growth and production (Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, 1996c). In their study, Egli, et. al. (2007) reported that an increase of compaction caused less seeds to emergence.

4 Possible Causes: spring in corner of field poorly drained soil wet spots right next to a stream 50 foot buffer machine traffic It is my objective to find a solution to help reduce compaction in this field.

5 Where is this field? (Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, 2009)

6 Year Crop 2007 Soybeans (no-till) 2008 Corn grain (no-till) 2009 Corn grain (minimum till) (Patches, 2009)

7 Soil Data Brinkerton Soil (BrB) Taxonomic Class Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Fragiaqualf silt loam very deep poorly drained slow to moderate permeability slow to rapid surface runoff slope: 3-8% formed from acid gray shale and siltstone (Soil Survey Staff, 2009)

8 Brinkerton Typical Pedon Horizon Depth Color Texture Other Ap 0 to 8 inches Dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) Btg1 8 to 14 inches Grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) Btg2 14 to 21 inches Grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) Btxg1 21 to 29 inches Grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) Btxg2 29 to 34 inches Grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) Btx 34 to 42 inches Pale brown (10YR 6/3) C 42 to 65 inches Brown (10YR 5/3) Silt loam Silty clay loam Silty clay loam Silt loam Silt loam Silt loam Channery silt loam Iron accumulation in matrix; firm Iron depletions in matrix; firm Iron accumulation in matrix; firm, brittle Iron accumulation in matrix; firm, brittle Iron depletions in matrix; firm, brittle Iron depletions in the matrix; firm; 15% rock fragments (Soil Survey Staff, 2009)

9 Solutions Convert to continuous no-till Deep-rip the field Use the lightest equipment and make as little trips across the field as possible Plant a cover crop over the winter Stay off the field when it s too wet Haul manure when the soil is frozen Put alfalfa and soybeans in the crop rotation

10 Convert to continuous no-till Great for conserving soil. However, high traffic intensity in no-till, especially since it is a dairy farm. Soil compaction is a concern in no-tillage, especially on dairy and livestock farms where traffic intensity is high (Duiker and Sidhu, 2006). No plowing to break up the compaction. (Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, 1996b) Continuous no-till does not improve compaction. One find was that [t]he 35-yr NT management compacted soil more than the 5-yr NT management (Blanco-Canqui and Lal 2007)

11 Deep-rip the field Deep-ripping is a process where a machine, such as a heavy chisel or a deep-ripper, goes through the compacted layer, breaking up the compaction. Since this field is so wet, deep-ripping will only cause more compaction. (Patches, 2009) If equipment is run across the field after deepripping, the compaction can go deeper, because compaction goes as deep as you rip up the soil. (Patches, 2009)

12 Use the lightest equipment and as little trips across the field as possible A conclusion from the study was that if farmers can restrict driving on the field to when the soil is dry and use light equipment, the effects of compaction will be nominal (Duiker and Sidhu, 2006) less equipment = less impact However, sometimes an unplanned application of, for example, fertilizer or pesticides, is needed. more traffic, more compaction

13 (Blanco-Canqui and Lal, 2008).

14 Plant a cover crop over the winter Cover crops spread weight of the machines over the root system. (Patches, 2009) Less impact and compaction per unit of soil. Cover crops also help to conserve soil.

15 Hairy Vetch Rye Wheat Austrian Field Peas

16 Stay off the field when it s too wet When a field is wet, it compacts more easily and will cause a bigger problem with compaction. (Patches, 2009) Fields that are poorly drained are more susceptible to compaction because they are wet for longer periods of time. (Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, 1996c) Staying off the field when wet will reduce the chances of causing more compaction.

17 To avoid soil compaction, manure should not be spread on wet soils. (Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, 1996b) However, if the crop is ready for harvest but the field is more wet than desired, the farmer might have to harvest the wet field anyway to get the much-needed crop in.

18 Haul manure when the soil is frozen If the ground is already solid, equipment will not compact the soil as much as nonfrozen ground. (Patches, 2009)

19 Put alfalfa and soybeans in the crop rotation The roots of alfalfa and soybeans can penetrate the compaction if it is not too severe. (Patches, 2009) Breaking up the compaction with plant roots will help to lessen the need for another trip across the field to deep-rip. A crop rotation system that is well planned can help avoid soil compaction. Tap roots such as clover can help to reduce compaction. (Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, 1996a) The Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences (1996c) suggests that in order to improve drainage, and manage compaction, farmers should use deep-rooting forage crops.

20 My Recommendation It is my recommendation to implement the following solutions to reduce compaction: use light equipment and try to make as little trips as possible across the field; plant cover crops for over the winter; stay off the field when it is wet; haul manure when the ground is frozen; and to put alfalfa and soybeans in the crop rotation.

21 References Blanco-Canqui, H., and Lal, R. (2007). Regional Assessment of Soil Compaction and Structural Properties under No-Till Farming. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 71, Blanco-Canqui, H., and Lal, R. (2008). Axle Load Impacts on Hydraulic Properties and Corn Yield in No- Till Clay and Silt Loam. Agronomy Journal, 100, Egli, D.B., Hyatt, J., TeKrony, D.M., and Wendroth, O. (2007). Soil Compaction and Soybean Seedling Emergence. Crop Science Journal, 47, Duiker, S., and Sidhu, D. (2006). Soil Compaction in Conservation Tillage: Crop Impacts. Agronomy Journal, 98, Patches, Dean Personal Communication. Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. (1996a). Conservation Tillage Series, Number One. Crop Rotations and Conservation Tillage. Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. (1996b). Conservation Tillage Series, Number Four. Nutrient Management in Conservation Tillage Systems. Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. (1996c). Conservation Tillage Series, Number Three. Soil Compaction and Conservation Tillage. Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. (2002). Agronomy Facts 63. Diagnosing soil compaction using a penetrometer (soil compaction tester). Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, SoilMap. Retrieved March 2009 from Soil Survey Staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Brinkerton Series. Retrieved February 14, 2009, from Natural Resources Conservation Service Official Series Description: www2.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/osd/dat/b/brinkerton.html