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Continuous Cropping Systems Reduce Near‐Surface Maximum Compaction in No‐Till Soils
Author(s) -
BlancoCanqui Humberto,
Stone L. R.,
Schlegel A. J.,
Benjamin J. G.,
Vigil M. F.,
Stahlman P. W.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj2010.0113
Subject(s) - loam , agronomy , soil water , sorghum , bulk density , compaction , environmental science , stover , mollisol , cropping system , silt , soil science , field experiment , biology , geology , crop , paleontology , geotechnical engineering
Because of increased concerns over compaction in no‐till (NT) soils, it is important to assess how continuous cropping systems influence risks of soil compaction across a range of soils and NT management systems. We quantified differences in maximum bulk density (BD max ) and critical water content (CWC) by the Proctor test, field bulk density (ρ b ), and their relationships with soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration across three (>11 yr) cropping systems on a silty clay loam, silt loam, and loam in the central Great Plains. On the silty clay loam, BD max in sorghum [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]–fallow (SF) and winter wheat [ Triticum aestivum (L.)]–fallow (WF) was greater than in continuous wheat (WW) and continuous sorghum (SS) by 0.1 Mg m −3 in the 0‐ to 5‐cm soil depth. On the loam, BD max in WF was greater than in W–corn ( Zea mays L.)–millet ( Panicum liliaceum L.) (WCM) by 0.24 Mg m −3 and perennial grass (GRASS) by 0.11 Mg m −3 On the silt loam, soil properties were unaffected by cropping systems. Elimination of fallowing increased the CWC by 10 to 25%. The ρ b was greater in WF (1.52 Mg m −3 ) than in WW (1.16 Mg m −3 ) in the silty clay loam, while ρ b under WF and WCF was greater than under WCM and GRASS in the loam for the 0‐ to 5‐cm depth. The BD max and ρ b decreased whereas CWC increased with an increase in SOC concentration in the 0‐ to 15‐cm depth. Overall, continuous cropping systems in NT reduced near‐surface maximum soil compaction primarily by increasing SOC concentration.