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Report, 1994

Finns packningsskador kvar efter plöjning?: resultat från 21 långliggande fältförsök

Arvidsson, Johan; Håkansson, Inge

Abstract

Soil compaction effects, persisting after ploughing, was investigated in totally 21 long-term field experiments in Sweden. Emphasis was laid on crop yield, but soil physical properties (dry bulk density, porosity, water retention curve, saturated hydraulic conductivity, air permeability, seedbed properties, aggregate size distribution and tensile strength of aggregates), nutrient uptake and plant establishment was also determined. The experiments had two treatments in common: one control treatment with no extra traffic, and one treatment where the soil was compacted by traffic with a tractor and trailer in the autumn prior to ploughing, with an intensity of 350 Mgkm/ha (the weight of the machinery, multiplied by the distance driven per hectare). During the rest of the year, the experiment was conventionally tilled, and in the same way for the different treatments. The compaction was repeated each autumn for about 10 years, and the yield was determined each year and about five years after the termination of the experimental traffic. The individual experiments also included other treatments, i.e. different traffic intensities, ground pressures, soil moisture contents when applying extra traffic and compaction of the subsoil as well as the topsoil. The compaction affected the soil structure on clay soils. There was a lower amount of fine aggregates in the seedbed in the compacted treatments, which also led to a lower soil moisture content in the seedbed. Compaction decreased the porosity and the proportion of big pores <0,15 mm) and increased the tensile strength of dry aggregates. However, there was a big variation in the results, and there were no clear differences between treatments for some properties, i.e. saturated hydraulic conductivity. The compaction caused a cumulative decline in yield the first years after the start of the experiments, but from the fourth year the effects did no longer increase. Four to five years after the experimental traffic was terminated, the yield in the compacted treatment was the same as in the control. From the fourth year until the end of the compaction period, there were totally 107 location-years with a mean yield loss of 11,4% in the treatment with a traffic intensity of 350Mgkm/ha. The average yield in the compacted treatment (control=100) at specific sites was correlated to the clay content of the soil: Relative yield = 101.2-0.457 x clay content of the soil: Relative yield = 101,2-0,457 * clay content (R2=0.42) Results from other treatments indicated the yield loss to be linearly correlated to the traffic intensity up to 300-400 Mgkm/ha. Extra compaction of the subsoil lowered yield on some sites, but not on average for all sites. Higher ground pressure and traffic at higher moisture con tent lowered yield. Soil compaction effects on yield was about the same for all spring-sown crops, whereas it did not decrease yield in winter wheat. The yield decrease in percent seemed to be independent of the yield level in kg/ha. The number of plants were 5.1 % lower in the compacted treatment than in the control. The yield decrease was significantly correlated to the number of plants, but with a low coefficient of determination. Results were highly variable between years at the same site, but it was very difficult to correlate yield to differences in water content at the time of traffic or the weather conditions during the growing period. However, it is clear that soil compaction affected yield in years with good as well as bad conditions for crop growth

Keywords

jordbearbetning; strukturskador; packning; avkastning; såbädd; växtnäringsupptag; fältförsök; plantetablering

Published in

Rapporter från Jordbearbetningsavdelningen, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
1994, number: 85
Publisher: Institutionen för markvetenskap, Jordbearbetningsavdelningen, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Agricultural Science

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/30283