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Title: Continuous Cropping Systems Reduce Near-Surface Maximum Compaction in No-Till Soils

Author
item HUMBERTO, BLANCO-CANQUI - Kansas State University
item STONE, LOYD - Kansas State University
item SCHLEGEL, ALAN - Kansas State University
item Benjamin, Joseph
item Vigil, Merle
item STAHLMAN, PHIL - Kansas State University

Submitted to: Agronomy Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/26/2010
Publication Date: 5/20/2010
Citation: Humberto, B., Stone, L.R., Schlegel, A.J., Benjamin, J.G., Vigil, M.F., Stahlman, P.W. 2010. Continuous Cropping Systems Reduce Near-Surface Maximum Compaction in No-Till Soils. Agronomy Journal. 102:1217-1225. DOI:10.2134/agronj2010.0113.

Interpretive Summary: Because of increased concerns over compaction in NT soils, it is important to assess how continuous cropping systems influence risks of soil compaction across a range of soils and NT management systems. We quantified differences in maximum bulk density and critical water content (CWC) by the Proctor test, field bulk density, and their relationships with SOC concentration across three (>11 yr) cropping systems on a silty clay loam, silt loam, and loam in the central Great Plains. On the silty clay loam, maximum bulk density in sorghum-fallow (SF) and winter wheat -fallow (WF) was greater than in continuous wheat (WW) and continuous sorghum (SS) by 0.1 Mg m-3 in the 0- to 5-cm soil depth. On the loam, maximum bulk density in WF was greater than in wheat-corn-millet (WCM) by 0.24 Mg m-3 and perennial grass by 0.11 Mg m-3. On the silt loam, soil properties were unaffected by cropping systems. Elimination of fallowing increased the CWC by 10 to 25%. The bulk density was greater in WF (1.52 Mg m-3) than in WW (1.16 Mg m-3) in the silty clay loam, while bulk density under WF and WCF was greater than under WCM and GRASS in the loam for the 0- to 5-cm depth. The maximum bulk density and bulk density decreased whereas CWC increased with an increase in SOC concentration in the 0- to 15-cm depth. Overall, continuous cropping systems in NT reduced near-surface maximum soil compaction primarily by increasing SOC concentration.

Technical Abstract: Because of increased concerns over compaction in NT soils, it is important to assess how continuous cropping systems influence risks of soil compaction across a range of soils and NT management systems. We quantified differences in maximum bulk density (BDmax) and critical water content (CWC) by the Proctor test, field bulk density (bd), and their relationships with SOC concentration across three (>11 yr) cropping systems on a silty clay loam, silt loam, and loam in the central Great Plains. On the silty clay loam, BDmax in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]-fallow (SF) and winter wheat [Triticum aestivum (L.)]-fallow (WF) was greater than in continuous wheat (WW) and continuous sorghum (SS) by 0.1 Mg m-3 in the 0- to 5-cm soil depth. On the loam, BDmax in WF was greater than in W-corn (Zea mays L.)-millet (Panicum liliaceum L.) (WCM) by 0.24 Mg m-3 and perennial grass (GRASS) by 0.11 Mg m-3. On the silt loam, soil properties were unaffected by cropping systems. Elimination of fallowing increased the CWC by 10 to 25%. The bd was greater in WF (1.52 Mg m-3) than in WW (1.16 Mg m-3) in the silty clay loam, while bd under WF and WCF was greater than under WCM and GRASS in the loam for the 0- to 5-cm depth. The BDmax and bd decreased whereas CWC increased with an increase in SOC concentration in the 0- to 15-cm depth. Overall, continuous cropping systems in NT reduced near-surface maximum soil compaction primarily by increasing SOC concentration.