A Multi-Data Approach for Spatial Risk Assessment of Topsoil Compaction on Arable Sites

Abstract

Soil compaction is a human-induced threat which negatively affects soil functions and is highly dependent on site-specific soil conditions and land use patterns. Proper management techniques are indispensable for sustainable soil protection to ensure its function in the long term. A number of concepts exist to develop risk maps on the basis of soil inherent susceptibility to compaction at a given soil moisture level (mostly field capacity). However, the real soil conditions, e.g., current soil moisture content at the time of field work and the real machinery load, are not taken into account. To bridge this gap, we present a multi-data approach for qualitative risk assessment, which combines spatially and temporally explicit data on soil, soil moisture, and land use information. The contributing components integrate daily probability distribution, including inter- and intra-annual variations in land use and weather. We combined soil susceptibility to compaction and field work for the federal state of Lower Saxony per half-months and identified three clusters with more or less compaction risk for Lower Saxony. In spring, mainly manure spreading to maize and in autumn harvesting of maize and sugar beets are contributing to the yearly probability of compaction risk in top soils. With the presented approach risk areas can be identified. For the evaluation of the current compaction risks, farm specifications on machinery and timing of field work must also be taken into account.

Sustainable soil management measures: a synthesis of stakeholder recommendations

“…Many studies recommend the use of lighter machinery and an increase in the size of the contact area (Frelih-Larsen et al 2018;Ledermüller et al 2018;ten Damme et al 2019), as well as low tire pressure (Brunotte and Lorenz 2015;ten Damme et al 2019). The use of lightweight agricultural robots is still uncommon in Germany.…”

“…Technical solutions are also under development. These include decision-support tools and concepts that define the timeframe for the workability of the soil, considering the weather, compaction risk, and machine utilization (Edwards et al 2016;Ledermüller et al 2018;Lorenz et al 2016;Obour et al 2017). They could help optimize the timing of wheeling as much as possible, without requiring a substantial systemic change for farms.…”

Spatio-Temporal High-Resolution Subsoil Compaction Risk Assessment for a 5-Years Crop Rotation at Regional Scale

“…Newer approaches try to consider the dynamics of soil stress and soil strength in soil compaction risk modelling at regional scale (Kuhwald et al, 2018;Ledermüller et al, 2018). The approach of Ledermüller et al (2018) uses available soil moisture information at a spatial resolution of 1*1 km 2 provided by the German weather service (DWD) and land use data from the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) to calculate soil compaction risk according to Lorenz et al (2016). This method aims at a long-term assessment of topsoil compaction risk, which can support famers in decision making.…”

Assessment and Governance of Sustainable Soil Management

“…The contribution by Ledermüller et al [35] also reports on the development of a decision support tool for farmers to help avoid soil degradation. This tool addresses the problem of soil compaction caused by heavy machinery.…”

“…Soil moisture determines the susceptibility of soils to compaction under mechanical pressure and is highly dynamic depending on temporal patterns of precipitation. Ledermüller et al [35] integrated spatiotemporal factors into a risk map for soil compaction, which farmers can use to optimize the timing of traffic and tillage operations. Such decision-support systems are particularly important to assist farmers in better aligning soil management with soil function maintenance.…”