Soil compaction produced by tractor with radial and cross-ply tyres in two tillage regimes

• Published in: Soil & tillage research Vol. 101; no. 1; pp. 44 - 51
• Main Authors: Botta, G.F., Rivero, D., Tourn, M., Melcon, F. Bellora, Pozzolo, O., Nardon, G., Balbuena, R., Becerra, A. Tolon, Rosatto, H., Stadler, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.09.2008; [Amsterdam]: Elsevier Science; Elsevier
• Subjects: agricultural soils; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Axle load; Biological and medical sciences; conventional tillage; Cropping systems. Cultivation. Soil tillage; direct seeding; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Ground contact pressure; loads; pressure; Soil compaction; Soil science; Soil tillage; Tillage. Tending. Growth control; tires; Tractor traffic; tractors; traffic; wheel tracks; Tractor traffic; Axle load; Soil compaction; Ground contact pressure; Tyre; Soils; Soil tillage; Soil science; Compaction; Field traffic; Tractor
• ISSN: 0167-1987; 1879-3444
• DOI: 10.1016/j.still.2008.06.001

The aim of this paper was to quantify soil compaction induced by tractor traffic on two tillage regimes: conventional tillage and direct drilling. Traffic was simulated with one pass of a conventional 2WD tractor, using four configurations of cross-ply rear tyres: 18.4–34, 23.1–30, 18.4–38 and 24.5–32, and four configurations of radial tyres 18.4R34, 23.1R 30, 18.4R 38 and 24.5R 32, with two ballast conditions used in each configuration. The experiment was conducted in the east of the Rolling Pampa region, Buenos Aires State, Argentina at 34°25′S, 59°15′W; altitude 22 m above sea level. Rut depth after traffic and soil bulk density and cone index in a 0–450-mm profile were measured before and after traffic. Considering topsoil level, in two tillage regimes, all treatments induced significant values of soil compaction as compared to the control plot without traffic. Subsoil compaction increased as total axle load increased and was independent of ground pressure. For the same tyre configuration, radial tyre caused less soil compaction than the cross-ply.