In:
Soil Research, CSIRO Publishing, Vol. 39, No. 2 ( 2001), p. 239-
Abstract:
Wheel traffic can lead to compaction and degradation of soil physical
properties. This study, as part of a study of controlled traffic farming, assessed the impact of compaction from wheel traffic on soil that had not been
trafficked for 5 years. A tractor of 40 kN rear axle weight was used to apply traffic at varying wheelslip on a clay soil with varying residue cover to
simulate effects of traffic typical of grain production operations in the northern Australian grain belt. A rainfall simulator was used to determine
infiltration characteristics. Wheel traffic significantly reduced time to ponding, steady infiltration rate,
and total infiltration compared with non-wheeled soil, with or without residue cover. Non-wheeled soil had 4—5 times greater steady infiltration
rate than wheeled soil, irrespective of residue cover. Wheelslip greater than 10% further reduced steady infiltration rate and total infiltration
compared with that measured for self-propulsion wheeling (3% wheelslip) under residue-protected conditions. Where there was no compaction from wheel
traffic, residue cover had a greater effect on infiltration capacity, with steady infiltration rate increasing proportionally with residue cover
(R 2 = 0.98). Residue cover, however, had much less effect on inf iltration when wheeling was
imposed. These results demonstrated that the infiltration rate for the non-wheeled soil
under a controlled traffic zero-till system was similar to that of virgin soil. However, when the soil was wheeled by a medium tractor wheel,
infiltration rate was reduced to that of long-term cropped soil. These results suggest that wheel traffic, rather than tillage and cropping, might be the
major factor governing infiltration. The exclusion of wheel traffic under a controlled traffic farming system, combined with conservation tillage,
provides a way to enhance the sustainability of cropping this soil for improved infiltration, increased plant-available water, and reduced
runoff-driven soil erosion.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1838-675X
Language:
English
Publisher:
CSIRO Publishing
Publication Date:
2001
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