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Compressive properties and least limiting water range of plough layer and plough pan in sugarcane fields
Author(s) -
Lima Renato P.,
Rolim Mário M.,
Dantas Daniel da,
Silva Anderson R.,
Mendonça Edwardo A. S.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
soil use and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.709
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1475-2743
pISSN - 0266-0032
DOI - 10.1111/sum.12601
Subject(s) - plough , compaction , tillage , penetration (warfare) , permeability (electromagnetism) , soil science , environmental science , geotechnical engineering , agronomy , materials science , geology , mathematics , chemistry , biology , biochemistry , operations research , membrane
In this work, we aimed to investigate changes in compressive properties and least limiting water range ( LLWR ) of the plough layer and plough pan induced by successive years of sugarcane cultivation. Undisturbed soil samples were collected in a sugarcane field at the plough layer and below tillage depth (plough pan). Uniaxial compression tests were performed for a water tension (h ) range of 30 to 15,000 hP a for calculations of the compressive parameters N (the specific volume at 1 kP a), λ (compression index) and κ (recompression index), besides the precompression stress ( σ p ). The LLWR was examined through the water retention and penetration resistance curves. σ p linearly increased with the increase in the compaction state (plough pan) and h , whereas κ decreased with the increase in the h with no significant effect of compaction level. N and λ presented peaks at intermediate h values (100–2,000 hP a). Considerable reductions in the LLWR were observed from the plough to plough pan layer, which was induced by the increase in the soil penetration resistance. These results suggest that the residual plough pan induced by the successive years of intensive use of machinery for field operations in sugarcane areas originates a soil layer of lower compressibility and higher strength that further increases as the soil dries in response to h . Moreover, the consequent increase in the soil penetration resistance from the plough to plough pan is the main factor negatively affecting the LLWR.