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Plow‐Layer Porosity and Surface Roughness from Tillage as Affected by Initial Porosity and Soil Moisture at Tillage Time
Author(s) -
Allmaras R. R.,
Burwell R. E.,
Holt R. F.
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1967.03615995003100040033x
Subject(s) - porosity , water content , tillage , plough , surface roughness , moisture , bulk density , materials science , surface finish , soil science , environmental science , composite material , agronomy , soil water , geotechnical engineering , geology , biology
Total porosity increase and random roughness due to plowing were each significantly affected by the moisture content at tillage time. Their magnitudes were greatest at low moisture contents, decreased approximately linearly as soil moisture increased to the lower plastic limit (LPL), and then increased at moisture contents greater than LPL. The porosity before plowing more significantly affected tillage‐induced random roughness than total porosity increase. There were significant deviations from these generalities within each of the three soil associations: Barnes‐Aastad, Kranzburg‐Poinsett, and Nicollet‐Webster. In all three associations, the porosity decrease by subsqeuent disking and harrowing was more pronounced where plowing gave the greatest porosity increase. Only in the Kranzburg‐Poinsett association (high in silt content) were porosity increases observed from disking and harrowing near and above the LPL. Disking and harrowing nearly always reduced random roughness, and the reduction increased linearly as the random roughness of the plow treatment increased.