Year 2025, Volume 10, Issue 3
| Year : | 2025 |
| Volume : | 10 |
| Issue : | 3 |
| Authors : | Gerhard MOITZI, Paul RIEDL, Thomas WENINGER, Gernot BODNER, Pia EUTENEUER, Helmut WAGENTRISTL |
| Title : | SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF FIELD TRAFFIC-INDUCED SOIL COMPACTION UNDER PANNONIAN CONDITIONS |
| Abstract : | Soil compaction induced by in-field traffic affects key soil functions and plant growth. In the context of the SoilCompaC project (EJP SOIL), a three-factorial field experiment was established in Lower Austria to investigate the effects of field traffic (slurry tanker-tractor combination wheeling with different loads in spring), soil tillage for cover crops (ploughing, cultivating, no-tillage) and cover crop mixtures (deep rooted, shallow rooted, no cover crop) on soil physical parameters and grain maize yield. The results of the experiment on short-term effects show that the measured indicators (track depth, soil penetration resistance, bulk density, crop yield) detect soil compaction well. Overall, the field experiment results show that the testing factor wheel load affects the measured parameters more than the factors tillage for cover crops and cover crop mixtures. The headlands of arable cropping fields are evident sites for long term soil compaction. The higher field traffic frequency with higher wheel load in the headland resulted in higher soil penetration resistance in the subsoil. Further soil physical parameters (saturated hydraulic conductivity, bulk density, air permeability) respond in the compacted headland – especially in the subsoil. This site-specific result indicates that the compacted soil in the headland accumulated organic carbon and nitrogen in the soil. This could be explained by a reduced decomposition of soil organic matter due to mitigated air permeability. The conclusion of this study is that physical soil protection with its technical and agronomic measures is a keystone in knowledge-based cropping (smart farming). |
| For citation : | Moitzi, G., Riedl, P., Weninger, T., Bodner, G., Euteneuer, P., Wagentristl, H. (2025). Short-term and long-term effects of field traffic-induced soil compaction under pannonian conditions. AGROFOR International Journal, Volume 10. Issue No. 3. pp. 15-24. DOI:10.7251/AGREN2503015M |
| Keywords : | Wheel load, Cover crop, Soil physical parameters, Headland, Earthworms, Crop yield, Soil organic carbon. |
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ISSN 2490-3434 (Printed)
ISSN 2490-3442 (Online)
ISSN 2490-3442 (Online)
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