In some areas, fall rains have left the fields soft and ruts are being cut into the soil during harvest. These ruts leave the soil surface rough and have severe compaction below them.

Grazing has been largely excluded from our croplands but is receiving new interest as an additional profit center for farmers, as well as a way to improve soil.

The key to eliminating deep subsoil compaction is to keep axle load low.

Nutrient uptake from the soil is a seven-step process, requiring input from the plant with participating elements of the roots, energy input, and vascular tissues.

Marla Riekman, soil management specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, discusses how much damage from compaction can occur in that first equipment pass.

Kansas State University Extension shares some detailed directions for measuring bulk density in soils to both analyze the effects of different management practices on soil quality and quantify the differences in soil density at various depths within the soil.

When soil moisture is at or exceeding field capacity, there is an increased potential for soil compaction, particularly at topsoil depths, says Iowa State University Extension.

Productive agriculture depends on healthy soil. Soil guarantees that nutrients are made available in sufficient amounts during a plant’s life cycle and it holds water that is then available to plants. It also provides many critical ecosystem functions that are necessary for life. In this free publication from Penn State University, you’ll learn how you can protect this valuable resource through no-till.

Subsoiling is not justified in long-term no-till fields, as regular compaction can be managed with cover crops and flotation tires, says Penn State Extension.