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Controlled Traffic Impacts on Physical and Hydraulic Properties in an Intensively Cropped No‐Till Soil
Author(s) -
Blanco-Canqui Humberto,
Claassen Mark M.,
Stone Loyd R.
Publication year - 2010
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/sssaj2010.0061
Subject(s) - sorghum , loam , bulk density , agronomy , hydraulic conductivity , compaction , soil compaction , cropping system , soil water , soil structure , environmental science , crop , soil science , geology , biology , geotechnical engineering
Changes in soil properties with wheel traffic involving intensive cropping systems under no‐till (NT) are not well understood. We assessed the 8‐yr impacts of intensive cropping systems and wheel traffic on soil physical and hydraulic properties and their relationships under NT on a Ladysmith silty clay loam (a fine, smectitic, mesic Udertic Argiustoll) near Hesston, KS. Winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) (W), grain sorghum [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] (S), double‐crop grain sorghum (*S), soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] (B), and double‐crop soybean (*B) arranged in S‐S‐S, W*S‐S‐B, W‐S‐B, and W*B‐S‐B rotations were studied. In doubled crops, sorghum or soybean was planted immediately after wheat harvest. Cropping systems had less of an effect on soil properties than wheel traffic. Wheel traffic increased bulk density (ρ b ) from 1.16 ± 0.06 (mean ± SD) to 1.38 ± 0.03 Mg m −3 , cone index (CI) from 1.78 ± 0.29 to 3.10 ± 0.15 MPa, shear strength (SHEAR) from 23 ± 2.2 to 61 ± 5.2 kPa, and aggregate tensile strength from 377 ± 80 to 955 ± 148 kPa over nontrafficked rows in the 0‐ to 7.5‐cm depth. Wheel compaction reduced cumulative infiltration by 40 to 120 times except in S‐S‐S. It also reduced the logarithm of the saturated hydraulic conductivity (log K sat ), soil water retention at 0 kPa, plant‐available water, effective porosity (ϕ e ), and the volume of >50‐μm pores. An increase in ρ b , CI, and SHEAR linearly reduced ϕ e ( r > −0.74), which, in turn, reduced cumulative infiltration and log K sat ( r > 0.74). Data strongly support the need for using controlled traffic to reduce the adverse impacts of wheel traffic on soil physical quality.