Effect of Seedbed Firming on the Establishment of Crested Wheatgrass Seedlings

Abstract

While soil compaction usually reduces crop yields and water infiltration, there is strong evidence that firming the seedbed is desirable for seedling establishment when seeding rangeland. Hyder and Sneva (1956) reported that on firmed seedbed, soil-moisture retention, seedling growth, seedling survival, and lateral root distribution were substantially better than on a loose seedbed. A wheel-track planter was developed in Oregon (Hyder, et al., 1961) to provide a firm seedbed in the row where the seed was to be planted before seed placement. On loose, sandy areas, seedling establishment was much better with the wheel-track planter than with a conventional drill on the unfirmed seedbed. Adams2, in a greenhouse study, reported that packing the soil improved emergence, particularly where the soil was not kept moist. In a Michigan study, Triplett and Tesar (1960) reported that packing the soil after planting alfalfa (press-wheel packing) decreased soil-moisture stress one day after planting and increased seedling emergence when no supplemental irrigation was provided. When the plots were irrigated immediately after planting, soil packing gave a much smaller benefit. Stout, et al. (1961)) reported that in a laboratory study packing the soil after planting