Heavy soil loading its consequence for soil structure, strength, deformation of arable soils

Abstract The alteration of mechanical soil properties by a single stress application exceeding all previously applied stresses is analyzed for a conventionally tilled and a conservational managed (since 1992) Stagnic Luvisol. Despite the more pronounced compactness of the plough layer under conventional management, it turned out to be less rigid compared to the “relictic” plough layer under conservation management. We assume that wheeling with a sugar beet harvester (rear wheel 140 kPa, front wheel 110 kPa, total mass 37 Mg) resulted in a break up of the plough pan. This was most obvious in the conventionally tilled soil whereas under conservation tillage, the plough pan seemed to resist the induced forces. Our results suggest that a break up of the compact plough layer and the subsequent re‐arrangement of newly formed fragments results in a smaller mechanical stability of the deformed soil. Soil structural changes within the plough pan are also indicated by the alteration of the anisotropy of cohesion and precompression stress, respectively. Altered mechanical properties induced by heavy soil loading affects the soil response to subsequent loading events, which could be shown by finite‐element simulations of stress‐strain properties. The simulations showed that a decrease in soil stiffness reduces the stress attenuation within the plough pan causing compressive and shear stresses to be transmitted into deeper soil levels, while at the same time shear strain increased.