Vulnerability of Bavarian silty loam soil to compaction under heavy wheel traffic: impacts of tillage method and soil water content

Soil compaction caused by traffic of heavy vehicles and machinery has become a problem of world-wide concern. The aims of this study were to evaluate and compare the changes in bulk density, soil strength, porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity and air permeability during sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) harvesting on a typical Bavarian soil (Regosol) as well as to assess the most appropriate variable factors that fit with the effective controlling of subsequent compaction. The field experiments, measurements and laboratory testing were carried out in Freising, Germany. Two tillage systems (conventional plough tillage and reduced chisel tillage) were used in the experiments. The soil water contents were adjusted to 0.17 g g⁻¹ (w₁), 0.27 g g⁻¹ (w₂) and 0.35 g g⁻¹ (w₃).Taking the increase in bulk density, the decrease in air permeability and reduction of wide coarse pore size porosity (−6 kPa) into account, it seems that CT (ploughing to a depth of 0.25 m followed by two passes of rotary harrow to a depth 0.05 m) of plots were compacted to a depth of at least 0.25 m and at most 0.40 m in high soil water (w₃) conditions. The trends were similar for “CT w₁” (low soil water content) plots. However, it seems that “CT w₁” plots were less affected than “CT w₃” plots with regard to bulk density increases under partial load. In contrast, diminishments of wide coarse pores (−6 kPa) and narrow (tight) coarse pores (−30 kPa) were significantly higher in “CT w₁” plots down to 0.4 m. Among CT plots, the best physical properties were obtained at medium soil water (w₂) content. No significant increase in bulk density and no significant decrease in coarse pore size porosity and total porosity below 0.2 m were observed at medium soil water content. The soil water content seemed to be the most decisive factor.It is likely that, CS (chiselling to a depth of 0.13 m followed by two passes of rotary harrow to a depth 0.05 m) plots were less affected by traffic treatments than CT plots. Considering the proportion of coarse pore size porosity (structural porosity) and total porosity, no compaction effects below 0.3 m were found. Medium soil water content (w₂) provides better soil conditions after traffic with regard to wide coarse pore size porosity (−6 kPa), air permeability (at 6 and 30 kPa water suction), total porosity and bulk density. Proportion of wide coarse pores, air permeability and bulk density seems to be suitable parameters to detect soil compaction under the conditions tested.     

Methods for predicting the optimum and the range of soil water contents for tillage based on the water retention curve

Information is needed on the range of soil water contents for tillage. The objective of the work was to develop methods for the prediction of the soil water contents at which tillage may be done satisfactorily. Three water contents are considered: the lower (dry) limit, the optimum water content, and the upper (wet) limit. This paper makes a synthesis of published results from tillage and soil physics experiments and also includes some new experimental results. The effects of tillage are considered in relation to some “fixed points” including the lower plastic limit, field capacity and a new fixed point “the inflection point”. These considerations lead to methods for prediction of the lower (dry) tillage limit, the optimum water content, and the upper (wet) tillage limit in terms of the parameters of the van Genuchten equation for soil water retention. Predictions can be made in terms of soil composition through the use of pedotransfer functions for the parameters of the van Genuchten equation. The new methods will enable the effects of soil degradation and climate change on tillage work days to be estimated. The results are potentially mappable using geographic information systems.     

Prediction of the soil structures produced by tillage

Data are presented for the amount of clods >50 mm produced when five different soils were tilled at a range of different, naturally occurring water contents. The optimum water content for soil tillage is defined as that at which the amount of clods produced is minimum. The amount clods produced at this optimum water content is shown to be linearly and negatively correlated with the value of Dexter's index S of soil physical quality. This results in a rational model for soil tillage that enables predictions to be made for all different soils and conditions. Pedo-transfer functions can be used to estimate the input parameters for the model for cases, for which measured values are not available. It is concluded that for soils with good physical condition (i.e. S > 0.035), no clods >50 mm are produced during tillage.     

Soil structures produced by tillage as affected by soil water content and the physical quality of soil

Tillage experiments were carried out in order to study the effect of water content on the aggregate size distribution produced by tillage, and to investigate the relationship between the soil structures produced by tillage and Dexter's index of soil physical quality, S. Tillage with a mouldboard plough was done on four different soils over a range of naturally occurring water contents. The aggregate size distribution and the specific surface area produced by tillage were obtained by sieving. We define the optimum water content for tillage, θ_OPT, as the water content at which the specific surface area of the aggregates produced is maximum. This is consistent with the water content at which the amount of small aggregates produced is greatest and the proportion of clods produced is smallest. For the four investigated soils, θ_OPT was found to be close to the water content at the inflection point of the water retention curve, and in the vicinity of 0.8θ_PL (where θ_PL is the lower plastic limit). At water contents either lower or higher than θ_OPT, the specific surface area produced was smaller. The specific surface area produced at θ_OPT was found to be strongly correlated with the index of soil physical quality, S. The specific surface area produced is larger the greater S, i.e. the better the soil physical quality. Consistently, the proportion of small aggregates produced at θ_OPT is larger and the proportion of clods produced at θ_OPT smaller, the greater S. No clods (>50 mm) are produced on soils with good physical quality.     

Factors contributing to temporal stability in spatial patterns of water content in the tillage zone

The rates of many biological processes vary across an agricultural landscape in response to the spatial patterns of water content in the tillage zone. Although, water content varies temporally through the growing season, the combined effects of soil properties, landscape attributes, tillage or position relative to the crop row on the temporal variation in the spatial pattern in soil water content are not well understood. We measured the soil water content (0–0.20 m) regularly through three growing seasons at 32 positions along each of two transects in a side-by-side comparison of corn under conventional tillage (plowing and secondary tillage) and no till in order to identify factors with the strongest influence on the spatial patterns in water content. The tillage comparison traversed a landscape in which the clay content (cl) varied from 5.8 to 37.4% and the organic carbon content (OC) varied from 0.9 to 3.9%. The spatial pattern in water contents during wetting and drying events were temporally stable, as reflected in R²>0.7 of correlation analysis of water contents on successive measurement dates. Multiple regression analyses indicated that the water contents, averaged over all measurement dates, were positively correlated with cl and ln(OC) and were smaller in the row than the inter-row position. The reduction in water content due to conventional tillage was diminished with increasing OC. However, application of multiple regression analyses to each set of water contents measured on a given day for each year indicated that the impact of soil properties, tillage and position relative to the row varied within and among seasons.     

Effects of soil water content during primary tillage – laser measurements of soil surface changes

Soil water content during tillage can have a large impact on soil properties and tillage outcome. Measurement of soil relief in relation to fixed elevation points provides a non-destructive method of monitoring loosening/compacting processes during the year. The main objective of this study was to determine the effect of soil water content during primary tillage on soil physical properties.

The treatments included mouldboard and chisel ploughing of a clay soil on three occasions in the autumn, with gradually increasing water content (0.76, 0.91 and 1.01 × plastic limit). Soil surface height was measured by laser within a 0.64 m² area from fixed steel plates after each tillage occasion, and before and after seedbed preparation in the following spring. The measurements of surface height were compared with measurements of other soil physical properties, such as bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity and seedbed properties.

Tillage at the lowest water content (0.76 × plastic limit) produced the greatest proportion of small aggregates, and generally the most favourable soil conditions for crop growth. Soil loosening, as measured by increase in soil height during primary tillage, was highest for mouldboard ploughing and for tillage at the lowest water content. Differences between tillage treatments decreased with time, but were still significant after sowing in the spring. Natural consolidation during winter was smaller than the compaction during seedbed preparation in the spring. No significant differences in bulk density were found between treatments, and thus soil surface height was a more sensitive parameter than bulk density determined by core sampling to detect differences between treatments.

Late tillage under wet conditions caused a greater roughness of the soil surface and the seedbed base, which was also found in the traditional seedbed investigation. The effect of tillage time on seedbed properties also resulted in a lower number of emerged plants in later tillage treatments.

The laser measurements were effective for studying changes in soil structure over time. The results emphasize the need to determine changes in soil physical properties for different tillage systems over time in order to model soil processes.     

Slurry-application implement tine modification of soil hydraulic properties under different soil water content conditions for silt–clay loam soils

Tillage action associated with liquid slurry application systems/management practices can modify soil infiltration properties. The degree or nature of such modification will depend largely on the type of tillage implement used, and the soil conditions at time of tillage activity. The specific objective of this study is to evaluate differences in soil infiltration properties, as measured using pressure infiltrometers and Guelph permeameters, resulting from the immediate tine action of two commonly used slurry application tillage implements (Kongskilde Vibro-Flex (S-tine) and the AerWay SSD (rolling aerator-type tine)) over a variety of silt–clay loam soil water content conditions. The results indicated that there were consistent negative correlations between field saturated hydraulic conductivity and soil water content for all tine-disturbed and undisturbed soil treatments. For Kongskilde, field-saturated hydraulic conductivity was, on average, lower in tine-influenced furrow bottoms, relative to those measured in undisturbed conditions at similar depths for most water content conditions. Generally, the Kongskilde tine-action reduced macropore-based infiltration in the bottom of the furrow for most soil conditions, albeit, this effect was most pronounced at the higher soil water contents. For AerWay, the tine-disturbed soils had generally higher field saturated hydraulic conductivities than undisturbed soil treatments over the observed water content range. This effect was manifested to a greater degree at higher, relative to lower observed water contents.     

Development and evaluation of a soil water evaporation model to assess the effects of soil texture, tillage and crop residue management under field conditions

Abstract. A number of mathematical models to predict soil water evaporation are available in the literature which generally require complex input data. In the present study, a simple parametric model has been developed by coupling existing and newly developed equations to assess soil water evaporation and drainage under field conditions in relation to potential evaporation rate, soil texture, time and depth of tillage and crop residue management. The model has moderate input data requirements and predicts well the effects of tillage and crop residue management practices on soil water loss (evaporation+drainage) with multi-drying and -wetting cycles prevailing under natural conditions. The root mean squares of deviations between observed and predicted cumulative water loss at different periods of study were 0.82, 2.04, 2.31 and 1.74  cm for untreated, residue-mulch, tillage and residue-incorporated treatments, respectively. Simulation analysis on cumulative evaporation and evaporation rate has shown that the evaporation reduction with different combinations of tillage and crop residue followed the order of residue-undercut>residue-mulch>residue-incorporated>tillage. Thus, the magnitude of beneficial effects of crop residues and tillage on soil water evaporation reduction are associated with amount of residues, mode of residue management (mulched or incorporated in the soil) and time and depth of tillage.     

Influence of spring preparation date and soil water content on seedbed physical conditions of a clayey soil in Sweden

Secondary tillage performed under inadequate soil water contents usually leads to a poor seedbed. Under normal Swedish weather conditions, clayey soils ploughed during autumn form a very dry top layer in spring, which acts as an evaporation barrier so that deeper layers remain wet. Thus, the conventional approach considering soil workability in relation to a single value of soil water content is difficult to apply. Hence, a field experiment was carried out to study the effect of seedbed preparation date, the associated soil water contents and traffic consequences on the physical properties of a spring seedbed. The field was autumn ploughed and the experiment started as soon as the field was trafficable after winter thawing. The seedbed preparation consisted of three harrowing operations on plots 8 m×8 m (three replications) with a spring tined harrow and a tractor mounted with dual tyres and was performed on 10 occasions from the beginning of April to the middle of May. With the exception of some short periods after rain, the soil had a clear water stratification during the experiment, with a very dry superficial layer (5–20 mm thick) contrasting to water contents over 300 g kg⁻¹ from only 40 mm depth. After the harrowing operation, the seedbed aggregate fraction less than 2 mm increased from about 40% at the beginning of April to about 60% for the last four treatments in May. Contributing factors to the rise were attributed to the lower water contents of the top layer (<40 mm) and the drying–wetting and freezing–thawing cycles that occurred in the surface layer during April. There were no significant differences in bulk density after harrowing between the treatments but an increase in penetration resistance up to a depth of 180 mm in the harrowed plots was statistically significant (P<0.001). In the non-harrowed soil, penetration resistance also increased, including in those soil layers where water contents kept nearly constant.

In conclusion, the seedbed preparation dates had only a minor effect on soil compaction, as measured by bulk density and penetration resistance, due to the slow drying beneath the dry top layer. The fraction of fine aggregates in the seedbed increased with time. Thus, the optimal time for seedbed preparation depended mainly on soil friability and not on the risk of compaction.     

不同耕作措施对土壤水分和青贮夏玉米水分生产率的影响

适宜的耕作与覆盖措施可在不同程度节约农业用水。本文选用了翻耕处理、燃茬免耕处理和覆盖免耕处理为主要耕作措施,开展了为期2a的田间试验,研究不同措施对农田土壤含水量、土面蒸发、夏玉米生长指标、产量和水分生产率的影响。研究结果表明在降雨较少年份(2010年),覆盖免耕处理0～20cm土壤含水量均高于其他2处理,2a试验期间覆盖免耕处理0～120cm土壤贮水量一直高于其他2处理,且其土面蒸发量最小。2a试验期间,覆盖免耕青贮夏玉米产量较翻耕和燃茬免耕分别提高了11%和9%,青贮夏玉米水分生产率分别提高了11.7%和14.8%。覆盖免耕能减少土面蒸发和提高水分生产率,因此建议在北京地区夏玉米种植采用覆盖免耕措施。     

超声波土壤含水量检测装置的模型建立与验证

为探究利用超声波脉冲速度检测土壤体积含水量的可行性,以广东省红壤、赤红壤、水稻土为研究对象,设计了一种超声波土壤含水量检测装置,并利用ZBL-U510型非金属超声波检测仪在3种不同温度环境下(10、20、30℃)对不同含水量的土壤样本进行声速测定,构建了土壤体积含水量与超声波差值声速的温度效应数学模型。结果表明:超声波在水稻土中的传播速度比红壤、赤红壤快,且温度对超声波声速随土壤体积含水量变化节律的影响不同。20℃环境下超声波在土壤中的传播速度最快,10℃其次,30℃最慢。采用Richards模型表征土壤体积含水量与超声波差值声速关系的预测误差在3%左右,采用分段结构温度效应模型的预测误差在5%以内,证明该文提出的超声波脉冲速度-土壤体积含水量的温度效应模型可用于动态温度条件下的土壤含水量预测。该研究可为超声波技术在土壤水分检测领域的应用研究提供参考。     

Variability in topsoil texture and carbon content within soil map units and its implications in predicting soil water content for optimum workability

The ability to predict the timing of optimum soil workability depends on knowledge of the extent and structure of variability in main physical characteristics of the soil. Our objectives were to quantify the variability in texture and carbon content within soil map units in a small agriculture-dominated catchment in South-east Norway and to assess implications of variability in texture and carbon content on land management operations, using the predicted maximum water content for optimum workability as an example. Information from three different sources were used: a soil map (1:5000), a large sample grid (100 m spacing, 270 ha extent), and a small sample grid (10 m spacing, 2.25 ha extent). Readily available information on texture and organic matter content from the soil map was found to be of limited use for soil management due to broad textural classes together with deviations from the mapped main textural classes. There were significant differences in clay, silt and sand content between the different soil textural classes on the soil map. Statistical distributions within soil map units were generally either positively or negatively skewed and the coefficient of variation was intermediate, 15–50%. Most of the variation in both grids was spatially correlated. The large grid was dominated by a patchy structure, whilst the small grid showed a systematic trend with a gradual transition indicating fuzzy boundaries between map units in this catchment. The effective range for texture was 16 times larger in the large grid. Implications of variability in texture and carbon content on land management operations were assessed for the maximum water content for optimum workability (Wopt), predicted using pedotransfer functions. Wopt was usually in the same range as the water content at–100 kPa matric potential, indicating that considerable evaporation in addition to drainage is required for obtaining workable conditions in the field. The time required for obtaining the water content was estimated to about 5 days, which is longer than an average length of periods without precipitation in the area, median 3.7 days. Wopt predicted from the soil map deviated strongly from Wopt predicted from the sample grids. Comparing estimates of Wopt from the large grid with measurements in the small grid showed differences corresponding to ±2–3 days of evaporation.     

耕作方式对土壤水分入渗、有机碳含量及土壤结构的影响

为探明不同耕作方式对土壤剖面结构、水分入渗过程等的作用机理,采集田间长期定位耕作措施(常规耕作、免耕、深松)试验中的原状土柱(0~100 cm)及0~10 cm、10~20 cm、…、90~100 cm环刀样、原状土及混合土样,通过室内模拟试验进行了0~100 cm土层土壤入渗过程和饱和导水率的测定,分析了不同土层的土壤有机碳含量、土壤结构特征及相互关系。结果表明:从土柱顶部开始供水(恒定水头)到水分全部入渗到土柱底部的时间为:常规耕作免耕深松;土柱土壤入渗速率和累积入渗量为:深松免耕常规耕作;土柱累积蒸发量为:常规耕作免耕深松。土壤的饱和导水率表现为:0~10 cm和50~60 cm土层,免耕深松常规耕作;20~50 cm和60~100 cm土层,深松免耕常规耕作。随土层的加深,0.25 mm水稳性团聚体含量和土壤有机碳含量均表现为先增加(10~20 cm)再降低的趋势。在0~40 cm土层和80~100 cm土层,均以深松处理0.25 mm水稳性团聚体含量最高。在60 cm以上土层,土壤有机碳含量表现为:免耕深松常规耕作,而60 cm土层以下土壤有机碳显著降低,均低于4 g·kg?1,且在70 cm以下土层,常规耕作免耕深松。综上,耕作措施能够改变土壤有机碳含量,改善土壤结构,促进土壤蓄水保墒;深松更利于水分就地入渗,而免耕则更利于有机碳的提升和水分的储存,其作用深度在0~60 cm土层。     

Maximum compactibility of Argentine soils from the Proctor test; The relationship with organic carbon and water content

Soil compaction is recognized as an increasingly challenging problem for the agricultural, horticultural and forest production in many climatic regions. The Proctor test provides a standardized method to study compactibility of disturbed soils over a range of soil water contents. The objectives of our study were: (a) to determine values of the critical water content for compaction and maximum bulk density from Proctor compaction curves for soils different in their properties; (b) to study the correlation between the maximum bulk density and readily available soil properties. Thirty soil samples were taken from six different locations in Argentina between 58 and 64°W and 34 and 38°S. The degree of saturation at maximum bulk density varied from 73.2 to 96.8%. Comparison of our data with data of two studies in USA showed that relationships between the maximum bulk density and the critical water content were similar to these studies. However, the slope of the relationship between the maximum bulk density and the organic carbon content was 50% less in our study as compared with the two others. The maximum bulk density was highly correlated with the organic carbon content and the silt content, the determination coefficient of the multiple linear regression, r², was 0.88.     

滴灌夏玉米土壤水分与蒸散量SIMDualKc模型估算

为研究西北半干旱地区作物蒸腾和土壤蒸发规律,以及土壤蒸发量占蒸散量的比例(简称蒸发占比),开展2 a夏玉米滴灌控水试验,设置正常灌水(W1)、适度水分亏缺(W2)和中度水分亏缺(W3)3个灌水水平.采用W2实测土壤水分数据对SIMDualKc模型进行参数率定,并采用W1和W3实测土壤水分数据对模型进行验证;进一步基于SIMDualKc模型对不同水分供应的土壤水分胁迫系数、土壤蒸发量、植株蒸腾和蒸散量进行定量模拟分析.结果表明,SIMDualKc模型可以较好地模拟西北半干旱区滴灌夏玉米不同水分供应条件下的土壤水分动态变化过程,实测值与模型预测值有较好的一致性(R2＞0.88,RMSE＜5％);夏玉米生长期,模型能较好地估算不同水分供应的土壤水分胁迫系数、土壤蒸发量和植株蒸腾.土壤蒸发主要集中在生育前期,而生育中期较低,后期略微升高.植物蒸腾主要集中在快速生长期和生长中期,整个生育期呈先增大后减小的趋势.蒸散量随着土壤蒸发和植物蒸腾的变化而变化,前期主要受土壤蒸发的影响,快速生长期、生长中期和后期主要受植物蒸腾的影响.Wl～W3处理土壤蒸发量为78.1～100.2 mm,植株蒸腾为221.8～293.3 mm,蒸散量为299.3～383.0 mm,蒸发占比为24.1％～28.7％.研究可为西北半干旱地区制定合理的夏玉米滴灌制度和灌溉决策提供理论依据.     

吉林南部不同耕作管理下土壤水分对降雨事件的响应

土壤水分对降雨的响应特征与降水在地表和土壤中的分配密切相关。该研究为明确耕作方式对黑土土壤水分对降雨响应的作用,利用时域反射仪原位动态监测吉林南部耕作长期定位试验翻耕（CT）和免耕（NT）下玉米生育期含水率,通过7个指标量化两种耕作管理下土壤水分对降雨量大且持续时间长、降雨量小且持续时间短和降雨量较大且持续时间较短、降雨强度大的3类降雨事件的响应。结果表明：1）CT初始含水率较低,0～2.5、2.5～5和5～10 cm累积增加含水量（ASWI）显著高于NT;随土壤深度增加,CT的ASWI明显下降,而NT基本稳定。2）多数情况下,NT下相邻土层累积增加含水率之比（RSWI）大于100%,而CT低于100%。3）高降雨强度下NT相邻土层对降雨事件的响应时间（DRTlayer）平均值和异常值为负值的频率较多,说明NT下更易发生优先流。因此,极端降雨下NT土壤水分响应更剧烈,有利于降水向下层土壤渗透,减少地表径流形成。     

土壤含水率与土壤碱度对土壤抗剪强度的影响

土壤含水率和土壤碱度是表征土壤物理化学性质的两个重要参数。通过室内三轴不固结不排水试验,研究了土壤含水率和土壤碱度对土壤抗剪强度的影响。试验处理采用5种土壤碱度(土壤可交换钠百分比ESP=0、5、10、20、40)和4种土壤质量含水率(0.05、0.10、0.20以及饱和含水率0.34)水平。试验结果显示,土壤黏聚力随着土壤含水率的增加基本上呈先增大后减小之趋势;当土壤含水率在0.10附近时黏聚力达到其最大值。土壤内摩擦角随着土壤含水率的增加而线性减小。土壤碱度对土壤黏聚力的影响机理较为复杂,其影响效果随土壤含水率的增加而减小;但土壤碱度对土壤内摩擦角的影响较小。土壤碱度对土壤抗剪强度的影响程度明显地小于土壤含水率对其的影响程度。     

Errors in repeated measurements of soil water content in pots using a ThetaProbe

Abstract. The accuracy of a ThetaProbe (Delta-T Devices Ltd, UK) to obtain repeated measures of soil water content in pot plants was tested. This alternative to balance determinations led to a large underestimation of water content, varying from 12.2 to 21.8% of the total water content, depending on soil type.