Author
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Daniel, John |
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Submitted to: Southern Conservation Tillage Systems Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2006 Publication Date: 6/26/2006 Citation: Daniel, J.A. 2006. Soil compaction impacts from conservation-tillage in a stocker/winter wheat production system [abstract]. In: Proceedings of 28th Southern Conservation Systems Conference, June 26-28, 2006, Amarillo, Texas. p. 285. Interpretive Summary: ABSTRACT ONLY. Technical Abstract: Winter wheat grown in the southern Great Plains can be used in the fall and spring as forage for beef cattle. While fallow is a common summer practice associated with winter wheat, summer forage crop can extend the grazing season and increase profits. But little is known about the impact of increased grazing on soil compaction, particularly with conservation-tilled winter wheat. Soil compaction from two summer practices associated with winter wheat production systems (summer fallow and summer forage) were evaluated on 4 experimental paddocks at the USDA-ARS Grazinglands Research Laboratory at El Reno, Oklahoma from 1998 to 2000. Two exclosures were located in each paddock and were used as ungrazed control sites. Soil compaction impacts were determined by calculating a cone index using resistance to penetration methods. Results show that soil surface cone index values were higher in both grazed production systems as compared to the ungrazed control sites. However, as compared to ungrazed summer paddocks, the additional summer grazing of the legumes did not further increase soil compaction. The results from this study suggest that fall and winter grazing increased soil compaction, but additional summer grazing during the fallow period does not further increase soil compaction. |
