Effects of Controlled‐Traffic on Soil Physical Properties and Crop Rooting

Abstract

Soil structural deterioration from wheel compaction can adversely affect crop development and root growth. This study was conducted to determine the effect of controlled-traffic lanes on soil physical properties and crop rooting for no-tillage and conventional tillage cropping systems on a swelling clay soil. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), cotton (Gossypiu(!l hirsutum L.), and wheat (Triticum aesti11um L.) were field grown over 3 yr on an Austin silty-clay (finesilty, carbonatic, thermic Entic Haplustolls). Soil physical properties, including soil strength, bulk density, and total porosity, were not different between tillage treatments in the non-trafficked area during the crop growing season, but soil strength and bulk density were higher in the traffic lane of the no-tillage as compared to the conventional tillage treatments. Soil compaction in the traffic lanes was confined to the top 0.15-m soil layer and did not restrict root development in early stages of crop development. Root densities were lower in the top soil layer of the no-till traffic lane compared to the non-trafficked area at harvest, but were representative of values reported for these crops in the literature under conventional management practice. At depths > 0.3 m, root density was not affected by crop species, tillage, or traffic. Although controlled-traffic has been reported to improve soil physical properties and crop rooting, our data suggest it may not necessarily apply to all soils, especially soils with 40% or more 2:1 clay minerals. Soil moisture and nutrients under traffic lanes will be available to crops.Additional index words: Vertisol, Bulk density, Cone index, Total porosity, Soil water content, Root length density, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, Gossypium hirsutum L., Triticum aesti11um L. 1 Contribution of the Texas Agric. Exp. Stn., Texas A&M Univ. Systems, in cooperation with USDA-ARS. Received 7 Apr. 1986. 2 Associate professor, Blackland Res. Ctr., PO Box 6112, Temple, TX 76503-6112, and agricultural engineer and soil scientist, USDA-ARS, PO Box 6112, Temple, TX 76503-6112. Published in Agron. J. 79:434-438 (1987).

Journal of Range Management, Volume 53, Number 6 (November 2000)

“…This study showed subsoil compaction persisted in the following year of tracked vehicle application, agreeing with Voorhees et al (1986). One of the most direct methods for avoiding compaction is the concept of controlled traffic (Taylor 1983, Gerik et al 1987. A controlled-traffic system restricts wheel traffic to specific lanes or inter rows.…”

Heterogeneidade da compactação de um latossolo vermelho-amarelo sob pomar de laranja

“…Houve menor incremento da densidade do solo com a aplicação das pressões nas posições ER (1,54 a 1,81 Mg m -3 ), R (1,58 a 1,83 Mg m -3 ) e PC (1,58 a 1,85 Mg m -3 ) em relação a L (1,41 a 1,73 Mg m -3 ). Este comportamento pode estar associado ao maior estado de compactação inicial observado nas posições ER, R e PC, proporcionado pelo tráfego de máquinas no pomar para executar as operações agrícolas de adubação, pulverização e controle de plantas daninhas, o que corrobora os resultados descritos por Gérik et al (1987). O valor reduzido do IC indica que o solo estudado apresenta possivelmente uma reduzida susceptibilidade à compactação.…”

Influência de sistemas de preparo do solo na produtividade da mandioca (Manihot esculenta, Crantz)

“…Sob plantio direto, o contínuo tráfego de máquinas, aliado à ausência de revolvimento do solo, promoveu aumento da compactação, o que se refletiu num aumento da densidade do solo (Sidiras et al, 1983;Mielke et al, 1986;Gerik et al, 1987).…”