Assessment Of Soil Compaction Research Articles

Validation of a new gamma ray soil bulk density sensor

AbstractSoil compaction and soil bulk density are key soil properties affecting soil health and soil ecosystem services like crop production, water retention and purification and carbon sequestration. The standard method for soil bulk density measurements using Kopecky rings is very labour intensive, time consuming and leaves notable damage to the field. Accurate data on bulk density are therefore scarce. To enable large‐scale data collection, we tested a new portable gamma ray sensor (RhoC) for in situ field and dry bulk density measurements up to 1 m depth. In this first validation study, measurements with the RhoC‐sensor were compared with classic ring sampling. Measurements were made in two agricultural fields in the Netherlands (a sandy clay loam and a sandy soil), with large variation in subsoil compaction. At 10 locations within each field, three soil density profiles were made. Each profile comprised six depth measurements (every 10 cm from 10 to 60 cm depth) using the RhoC‐sensor and Kopecky rings, resulting in 30 pairwise profiles and 180 measurements in total per field. At an average soil density of 1.5 g/cm3, the relative uncertainty was 9% for the Kopecky rings and 15% for the RhoC‐sensor. Because the RhoC‐sensor is easy and quick to use, the higher relative uncertainty can easily be compensated for by making additional measurements per location. In conclusion, the RhoC‐sensor allows a reliable quantitative in situ assessment of both field and dry bulk density. This provides the much‐needed possibility for rapid and accurate assessment of soil compaction. The acquisition of this data supports the calculation of soil organic carbon stocks and is indispensable for (national) soil monitoring, to assess soil health and to inform sustainable land management practices for sustained or improved soil health and provision of soil ecosystem services, such as requested in the proposed EU Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience.

Risk assessment of soil compaction due to machinery traffic used in infield transportation of sugarcane during mechanized harvesting

Soil stress imposed by tire-soil contact from transshipment vehicles used in mechanized sugarcane harvesting results in increase in the degree of compactness. In this study we aimed to: (i) estimate the magnitude and propagation of vertical stress into soil caused by sugarcane transshipment wheeling; and (ii) assess the risk and occurrence of soil compaction in an Oxisol of southeastern Brazil. Three tractor-trailers with a carrying capacity of 10, 21, and 30 Mg, and an autonomous truck-trailer with a carrying capacity of 20 Mg were evaluated as field traffic treatments. For each treatment, magnitude and distribution of vertical soil stress (σz) and soil strength (precompression stress, σp) were predicted by modeling estimation and risk of compaction was assessed by σp/σz relationship. The occurrence of soil compaction was evaluated based on measured changes in the bulk density and macroporosity (equivalent pore diameter > 50 μm) up to 0.70 m deep after wheeling. Estimates indicated that the autonomous truck applied stresses that reached 595 kPa at the soil surface beneath the centerline of the tire, imposing the greatest risk of compaction up to a depth of 0.35 m depth. The stresses at the soil surface beneath the centerline from the tractor-towed trailer tires ranged from 275 to 279 kPa, imposing a risk of compaction that did not exceed 0.29 m depth. All assessed transshipment configurations promoted soil compaction, detected by increases in the soil bulk density and decreases in the macroporosity, even at greater depths where risk prediction had not alerted to the soil compaction. The most significant impact on soil compaction was observed for the autonomous truck-trailer and the tractor-towed trailer with a carrying capacity of 30 Mg, also affecting subsoil, as evidenced by a relative increase in soil bulk density of 5 % and 7 % in the 0.30−0.50 m and 0.50−0.70 m layers, respectively, and a relative reduction in macroporosity of 40 % and 50 % in these same soil layers.

Mechanization Assessment of Soil Compaction Induced by Traffic of Farm Machinery

This study was conducted to investigate the impacts of compacted and non-compacted soils induced by traffic of farm machines and equipment during the agricultural operations on some mechanization properties (e.g. Draught Force, Specific Resistance, Energy Use Efficiency and Soil resistance to cutting and shaping). The experiment was conducted during the spring agricultural season of 2022 in one of the farms that located about 30 km Northwest Mosul city - Nineveh Governorate - Iraq. Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used for data analyses with four replications (n=4). The experimental site was divided into two main blocks based on the investigated factors (1) two levels of rear tire pressure were tested (8 psi and 15 psi), (2) number of traffic (no traffic, one traffic, two traffics and three traffics). These variables were investigated under two different soil textures (clay soil, silty loam soil). Duncan’s multiple range test was utilized to compare between the means at a 5% probability level. The results showed that CTF system represented by non-trafficked soil has achieved the best values (P< 0.05) for all studied indicators, particularly when practiced under clay soil. Draught force was significantly better with non-trafficked soil compared to the one-traffic, two-traffics and three-traffics by approximately 30%, 33% and 40%, respectively. Energy Use Efficiency was also increased under non-trafficked soil (no-traffic) by approximately 30%, 45%, 48% compared to the one-traffic, two-traffics and three-traffics of farm machinery, respectively. The best values of the investigated indicators were reported when CTF has practiced (no-traffic) in the clay soil using 15 psi tire pressure.

Assessment of soil compaction and rutting in managed forests through an airborne LiDAR technique

AbstractTo ensure sustainable forest management, the assessment and monitoring of soil compaction and rutting are essential. Here, we used airborne light detection and ranging‐derived digital terrain model (LiDAR‐derived DTM), available for the forest of Compiègne in northern France, to compute a spatial index of soil rutting. Following an environmental systematic sampling design, we selected 45 plots representative of the forest stand conditions where we subsequently extracted information from the DTM to compute the cumulative length of ruts (CLR). To assess the quality of this LiDAR‐derived index, we related the CLR index to in‐situ soil and vegetation parameters such as soil texture, soil pH, and understory plant species composition. Floristic surveys were carried out across all 45 plots to generate plant species response curves along the CLR gradient. We found soil texture, soil type, and soil pH to be important determinants of CLR. For instance, CLR was the highest in soils with the highest clay content. A total of 22 out of the 94 understory plant species we analyzed showed a significant response curve along the CLR gradient. Most important, the occurrence probability of species associated with wet soils and stagnant waters (e.g., Juncus effusus), like those found in ruts, increased with CLR. Other species associated with dry soils (e.g., Hedera helix) showed a negative response curve along the CLR gradient. In conclusion, the proposed index (CLR) has proven useful to remotely assess soil compaction and rutting after logging operations.

Soil Water Retention and Soil Compaction Assessment in a Regional-Scale Strategy to Improve Climate Change Adaptation of Agriculture in Navarre, Spain

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the different agricultural management adaptive strategies considered in the framework of a regional climate change adaptation roadmap in Navarre (Spain), from the point of view of soil physical indicators associated to soil compaction and water retention. These indicators were chosen as representative of the potential of these strategies to improve the soil physical condition. That for, the effectiveness of conservation agriculture (CA), crop rotations (ROT), additions of organic matter (ExO), irrigation (IRR) and innovative grassland management (GSS) was assessed by monitoring soil bulk density (BD) and soil available water holding capacity (AWHC) in a network of 159 agricultural fields across homogeneous agro-climatic zones in the region. A sampling protocol designed to compare groups of plots with or without adaptive practices, and with equal soil characteristics within each zone, allowed to determine the effect size of each strategy (measured as response ratios, RR, calculated as the relative value of BD and AWHC in fields with adaptive management vs. without). Both parameters responded to soil and crop management, although the observed effect was highly variable. Only the ExO strategy showed an overall positive effect on BD. ROT, IRR and GSS displayed no effect and, in the case of CA, the effect was negative. In terms of AWHC, although the results within the zones were heterogeneous, the overall effect associated to the strategies ROT, ExO, IRR and GSS was neutral, and only CA resulted in an overall negative effect. The observed variability in terms of the effectiveness of the five strategies tested in this region highlights the need to understand the complexity of interrelationships between management and dynamic soil properties at the regional scale.

Soil compaction assessment as a manipulative strategy to improve soil biodiversity: an approach for meeting SDG two and six

The rapid increase in soil deterioration has been a drawback to global development, acting like a barrier to sustainability of Agriculture and the environment. Biodiversity in soil plays a crucial role in ecosystem sustainability, but yet there exist a rapid deterioration in soil biodiversity especially due to increase soil toxins, chemical spills, wind erosion including the rapid down-pour by rainfall which destroys soil structure and degrade soil biota. Soil compaction reduction manipulation through tillage and application of fertilizer plays a major role for food production, apart from being a part of environmental sustainability strategy. Field studies was conducted, where the status of soil compaction was examined, a replicate of four (4) soil sample were collected at a twenty (20) points sampling station using the proportionate stratified random sampling technique. Laboratory analysis output indicated high soil compaction. Laboratory analysis output was ranked with FAO standardize rate for compaction effect on soil biodiversity. Result of the finding indicated high soil compaction with bulk density value range of 1,56 gcm-3 – 2,71 gcm-3 which was found to be too compact for sustainable soil biota development. And porosity value range of 1% - 41% was obtained, which indicated tight soil spore that can imped soil biodiversity. Correlation analysis (R2) revealed a positive correlation between topography and soil compacting, with a ranking output of the soil been poor in biodiversity (biota load). Outcome of this investigation concluded that proper tillage, application of fertilizer including organic matter be carried out for the study area soils and soils of its environs.

Long-term cropping systems management influences soil strength and nutrient cycling

Elucidating complex interactions of cover crops and crop residues on soil physicochemical properties is critical to sustaining soil productivity long-term. Our objective was to compare soil strength and chemistry (physiochemical), cover crop residue composition, and soil compaction following 15-years of cropping system implementation under non-tillage. Main effects were cropping sequences of soybean (Glycine max L.), corn (Zea mays L.), and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), grown on a Loring silt loam, and sequences of corn and soybean on a Maury silt loam. Split-block treatments consisted of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), Austrian winter pea (Pisum sativum L. sativum var. arvense) and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) cover crops, as well as poultry litter, and a fallow control. Soil physicochemical characteristics were evaluated at surface (0–15 cm) and sub-surface (15–30 cm) depths. Overall, soil physicochemical parameters were more affected by long-term cover crops and poultry litter in surface layers, whereas crop rotations impacted soil chemistry at sub-surface layers. High-nitrogen (N) containing cover crops had more desirable composition for soil biota (less recalcitrant), whereas corn had the highest soil carbon (C), N, and C:N ratio, likely owing to the greatest amount of residue being produced under this cropping sequence. Whole profile (0–1.2 m) assessment of soil compaction indicates: continuous cotton > continuous soybean > corn-soybean > continuous corn > corn-cotton, likely owing to greater planting and spraying traffic throughout the cotton production cycle. Study results help identify cropping system management effects on soil physicochemical properties under no-tillage and such data are needed for quantifying soil quality per soil conservation management.

An Assessment of Soil Compaction after Logging Operations in Central Amazonia

AbstractIn the forests of the Amazon Basin, there are still few studies on soil compaction caused by logging activities. This study evaluated an operation located on the property of a timber company in Central Amazonia, which uses harvesting techniques based on the harvesting system developed by the Centre for Agricultural Research in Suriname. The timber-extraction method employed by the timber company consists of three activities: (1) skid trail construction with a track-type tractor, (2) log winching with a winch attached to the tractor, and (3) log skidding with a rubber-tired skidder. Soil bulk density and soil penetration resistance were quantified to 20 cm in depth. After a single tractor ingress and egress for trail construction, the soil incurred an increased root growth-limiting bulk density and penetration resistance. However, log winching did not cause significant soil compaction. The conclusions of the study were: (1) the greatest impact from this harvesting system came from the skid trail construction, (2) the technique of log winching limited forest floor compaction and disturbance that damages forest regeneration, and (3) log skidding during dry soil conditions limited increases in compaction and track formation.

Risk assessment of soil compaction in Europe – Rubber tracks or wheels on machinery

Subsoil compaction is persistent and affects the wide diversity of ecological services provided by agricultural soils. Efficient risk assessment tools are required to identify sustainable agricultural practices. Vehicles should not transmit stresses that exceed soil strength. Wheel load is the primary source of high stress in the subsoil. However, very low contact stress without reduction of wheel load would also help reduce stress in the subsoil. The aims of our study were to: (i) test experimentally the use of tracks instead of tires as a technical solution to increase contact area and reduce the magnitude of contact stresses, (ii) compare effects of traffic on soil physical properties using tires or tracks, and (iii) evaluate a state-of-the-art method for risk assessment of soil compaction beneath tracks or tires at the European level. We measured contact stress below a fully-loaded sugar beet harvester equipped with either a large tire or with a rubber track in a realistic harvest situation. Seventeen stress transducers were installed across the driving direction at 0.1 m depth and covered with loose soil. Dry bulk density and air permeability were measured at 0.35 m depth after traffic. The contact area was larger and the maximum and vertical stress smaller beneath the rubber track than beneath the tire. Nevertheless, stress distribution beneath the rubber track was far from uniform, presenting high peak stresses beneath the wheels and rollers. Dry bulk density was similar after traffic for the two undercarriage systems, but air permeability was lower after traffic using the rubber track. Measured stress distributions beneath the tire and the track were used as input to calculate the soil profile vertical stress for comparison with soil strength at 0.35 m depth. Wheel load carrying capacity was calculated for European soils for assessment of subsoil compaction risk when using the tire, the rubber track, and the rubber track assuming an even stress distribution. As expected from the contact area and stress measurements, the rubber track could carry higher loads than the tire. However, the air permeability results are interpreted as soil distortion due to high shear forces under the rubber track. This calls for a further development of the risk assessment method.

Soil Compaction Assessment Using Spectral Analysis of Surface Waves (SASW)

Compaction is a process of soil densification in earthworks via by pressing the soil particles with air being expelled from the soil mass, thereby increasing its unit weight. Thus, it is important to evaluate the quality of soil compaction as prescribed in the technical requirement. SASW method is widely used for estimating material properties in layered structures based on the dispersion characteristics of Rayleigh Waves. The small scale at dimension area of 1.0 m width x 1.0 m length x 0.9 m depth was excavated and back filled with laterite soil. The soil was compacted for every layer at 0.3 m thickness. Each layer of soil compaction was conducted compaction test using core cutter methods and SASW test to determine the density and shear wave velocity. The phase velocity for layer 1 was between 112 m/s and 114 m/s, layer 2 was between 67 m/s and 74 m/s and layer 3 was between 74 m/s and 97 m/s. The result shows that the compacted soil layers are not fulfilled the quality of compacted soil layers where supposedly the expected shear wave velocity for the compacted layers should be higher than 180 m/s which is classified as stiff soil.

Soil compaction during harvest operations in five tropical soils with different textures under eucalyptus forests

ABSTRACT Traffic of farm machinery during harvest and logging operations has been identified as the main source of soil structure degradation in forestry activity. Soil susceptibility to compaction and the amount of compaction caused by each forest harvest operation differs according to a number of factors (such as soil strength, soil texture, kind of equipment, traffic intensity, among many others), what requires the adequate assessment of soil compaction under different traffic conditions. The objectives of this study were to determine the susceptibility to compaction of five soil classes with different textures under eucalyptus forests based on their load bearing capacity models; and to determine, from these models and the precompression stresses obtained after harvest operations, the effect of traffic intensity with different equipment in the occurrence of soil compaction. Undisturbed soil samples were collected before and after harvest operations, being then subjected to uniaxial compression tests to determine their precompression stress. The coarse-textured soils were less resistant and endured greater soil compaction. In the clayey LVd2, traffic intensity below four Forwarder passes limited compaction to a third of the samples, whereas in the sandy loam PVd all samples from the 0-3 cm layer were compacted regardless of traffic intensity. The Feller Buncher and the Clambunk presented a high potential to cause soil compaction even with only one or two passes. The use of soil load bearing capacity models and precompression stress determined after harvest and logging operations allowed insight into the soil compaction process in forestry soils.

Real-Time Monitoring of Soil Compaction Using Piezoceramic-Based Embeddable Transducers and Wavelet Packet Analysis

Quantitative assessment of soil compaction is of great importance to construction work, precision agriculture, and geotechnical research. Currently, measurement of soil compaction is mainly performed through field measurements, and the accuracy is highly influenced by personnel experience. In addition, most of the current methods for soil compaction measurement are capable of real-time monitoring. This paper presents an exploratory study of using a piezoceramic-based active sensing approach coupled with wavelet packet analysis to quantitatively monitor soil compaction in real time. In the active sensing approach, a pair of smart aggregates (SA) consisting of piezoceramic transducers embedded inside a host material are embedded into soil. In the pair, one SA acts as transmitter to transmit a modulated stress wave towards the other SA, which acts as receiver. The attenuation ratio of the stress wave propagating energy in soil is governed by the degree of soil compaction, so that the received wave properties of the smart aggregate sensor can be further characterized by using wavelet packet as an index to evaluate the soil compaction in real time. Integrated with remote sensing technologies, the proposed method has potential to be utilized as a real-time remote-sensing technology, which can offer a solution in the monitoring the degree of soil compaction.

Finite Element Method Study on Stress State in Soil Induced by Agricultural Traffic

In general, when a tyre is running on a deformable soil, the soil compaction will occur not only on surface layers, but also on soil profile, in deeper layers. This leads to a series of negative effects not only on physical and mechanical properties of soil, but also influences the crops growth and the crop yield. For these reasons, currently are needed solutions to reduce soil compaction, caused mainly by agricultural implements passing on the soil surface in order to aply the specific crop production technologies. From our simulation we can draw the following conclusions: the soil stresses decreased with depth; the soil displacements magnitude increased with soil water content due to lower friction forces between soil particles (water acts like a lubricant between soil particles); decreasing rate for soil displacement is influenced by load magnitude and tyre inflation pressure; the soil particles moved in vertical plain from the top to the bottom, but also in horizontal direction, from the center to the edge in cross section and in longitudinal direction; the dimensions of the geometric shape of the mentioned soil volume is influenced by load and tyre inflation pressure. In this paper the agricultural traffic and its influence on stress state in soil, it was used a software application based on Finite Element Method, that has been proved to be a useful tool for soil compaction assessment in order to find the right decisions for a proper field traffic management.

Risk Assessment of Soil Compaction in the Walloon Region in Belgium

It is well known that soil compaction affects root growth and disrupts the activity of soil microfauna and microorganisms, resulting in yield loss. With the more intensive use of heavy machines in agriculture and forestry, the risk of soil compaction is increasing. In this study, precompression stress (Pc) was chosen as an indicator of the susceptibility of soils to compaction and was calculated using pedotransfer functions (PTFs). PTFs involve eight variables related to the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of soils: organic matter content, bulk density, air capacity, available water capacity, non-plant available water capacity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, cohesion, and angle of internal friction. Combining these PTFs with geostatistics and Monte Carlo simulations, Pc maps were produced at the regional scale for Wallonia in Belgium, accompanied by uncertainty quantification maps. These maps were then used to produce compaction risk maps based on common scenarios. The results showed that the modal Pc map was coherent with the spatial distribution of the main variables, namely soil texture and organic matter content. The risk maps enabled areas with a compaction risk in both agricultural and forestry contexts to be identified. These maps could be useful in drawing up soil protection measures and policies.

Soil Compaction Assessment in Sugarcane Fields under Different Planting Conditions Using Soil Bulk Density, Relative Bulk Density and Cone Index

Considering soil compaction problem in sugarcane fields due to using heavy harvester and haulout equipment under unsuitable moisture conditions, this research aims to assess soil compaction in sugarcane fields located in Da'balKhazaei Plantation unitofSugarcane Development and By-product Company, Ahvaz. Undisturbed soil samples from the furrow (wheel tracks) were collected for measuring soil water content and bulk density. Considering the changes in soil texture of sugarcane fields, for expressing the degree of soilcompactness, in addition to soil bulk density (BD), relative bulk density (BD divided by reference BD) was also determined. The change in soil mechanical resistance with depth was determined by a cone penetrometer. Results showed that most of soil BD values measured in the sugarcane fields were in the range of small root development scale (high limitation). Comparingthe calculated RBD values with optimum value (0.85), it was observed that most of the values were higher than the optimum values recommended for root growth. This shows excessivesoil compaction in the sugarcane fields. The values of cone indices measured in soil profiles indicated that most of the values were higher than either limiting (2 MPa) or critical (3 MPa) values for root growth. Therefore, for improving soil physical fertility and achieving sustainability in crop production, management of farm machinery traffic in sugarcane fields, especially at the harvest time, needs to be reconsidered.

Impact of forest biomass for energy harvesting on soil compaction - Irish case study

An assessment of soil compaction caused by machinery used in stump and/or logging residue extraction for energy on soils typical of Ireland. We determined unaffected soil conditions and to find the compaction grade after timber harvesting and bundling activities, and to compare those results with stands where timber harvesting was followed by stump extraction for energy. The investigation was carried out in Ireland on three different locations which had a slightly different proportion of stones in their soils. Two of the soils were purely mineral soils, and the third was a mineral soil affected by anthropogenic activities. To ensure comparable results as much as possible, the moisture content of the soil on wet basis was investigated. Each location was purposely treated. Therefore, on each location plots were identified as follows: plots unaffected by operation (reference area), plots after timber harvesting, plots after timber harvesting and bundling operation, and plots after timber harvesting and stump extraction operation. According to the experimental design 40 repetitions on each of the three different treatments were set. The results showed that the compaction of soil occurred on plots after timber harvesting, but there was not a significant difference between compaction grades with and without logging residue bundling operation. However, once the site was extracted of stumps, the soil became too loose and no significant difference was found compared to unaffected soil. &amp;nbsp;

Development of Software Application for the Assessment of Agricultural Traffic

The compaction of agricultural soils is a serious problem in the agricultural community due to it’s proven negative effects that can be seen as a form of land degradation. Due to agricultural traffic, applied stresses are transmitted to deeper depths and may alter physical, chemical and biological properties of soils. This paper outlines the structure of a computer application for the assessment of in field agricultural traffic, which is developed as a module within a program for soil compaction control that can be also used as a standalone application that can be installed on any PC or mobile device. The proposed computer application is designed to be used not only as a standalone application but also build in an application for soil compaction assessment. The application is a result of extensive literature and experimental research activities, so it uses proper input parameters data available literature and personal research data gathered by authors of this paper. Following the available studies are defined the input parameters, the general layout of the software application is showed and described, the general structure is analysed and the output data is mentioned. In this paper we designed a software application for agricultural traffic assessment, developed to be as a useful tool not only for in field traffic management but also for soil compaction management on long term, that can be used on small or large farms so the user will have a clear status of the traffic on the field.

Assessment of Soil Compaction Related to the Bulk Density with Land use Types on Arable Land

Soil compaction is affected by soil texture, organic matter (OM), strength (ST) and soil moisture, which is difficult to understand the degree and effects of related factors. The purpose of the study is to assess the impact of them on the compaction with bulk density (BD). The analysis was conducted with data collected from national-wide monitoring sites including 105 upland soils, 246 orchard soils, and 408 paddy soils between 2009 and 2012. The distributions of soil physical properties were measured. The correlation and multi linear regression analysis were performed between soil physical properties using SAS. The regression equation of BD(y) includes ST, gravitational water contents (GWC), and OM as variables commonly, having additional factors, clay content and sand content in paddy soil and upland soil for only subsoil (p<0.001). Our results show that the BD could be explained about 40~50% by various physical properties. The regression was mainly determined by ST in orchard and upland soil and by the GWC in paddy soil. To mitigate soil compaction, it is important to maintain the proper level of OM in upland soil and to consider the moisture condition with soil texture in paddy soil when making work plan. Furthermore, it would be recommended the management criteria classified by soil texture for the paddy soils.

Assessment of Soil Compaction under Center Pivot Irrigation Systems and its Effect on Crop Performance

A field study on two 12.5 ha plots cultivated with wheat and alfalfa was conducted to determine Soil Compaction (SC), its spatial variability and its effect on crop performance under center pivot irrigation systems. Considering compaction at two tested soil depths, results revealed that the soil of the alfalfa plot exhibited significantly (p

Development of Software for Soil Compaction Assessment

In today modern agriculture are required specific computer applications for the monitoring of agricultural field status. This paper analyses the possibilities to develop user-friendly software for soil compaction assessment, which uses input data related to soil properties, in field agricultural traffic specific conditions and other parameters, in order to get the most accurate solutions for soil compaction spatial management. Within paper are mentioned the main requirements for proper structural design of the developed software, the main input parameters are defined and the main structure of the developed software is described. The designed software will be a useful tool for soil compaction management on long term, not only on farm scale but also on national scale.