Soil Quality
Fact Sheets - Controlled Traffic for Reduced Soil Compaction
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- Controlled Traffic 199 Kb PDF
Summary
It is estimated that up to 13M ha (70%) of Western Australia’s agricultural soils have moderate to high susceptibility to subsurface compaction (DAFWA 2006). Subsurface compaction is caused by compression from agricultural machinery traffic with the compacted layer forming between 10 and 40 cm (Davies 2007).
Compaction results in decreased pore space around the root zone of the plant, creating an environment high in density and strength. Less pore space reduces soil water holding capacity, and water that is available to plants is held more tightly in the smaller pores (Hamza and Penny 2005). Therefore the plant has to exert more energy to extract water rather than using that energy for producing yield. Low soil porosity can also be detrimental to soil bio- logical activity. There are limited options for ameliorating subsurface compaction apart from physical tillage of the compacted zone. However, management practices can be implemented to reduce or avoid subsurface compaction.
Related Soil Tests
- Bulk Density
