ARS | Publication request: Tillage Effects on Bulk Density and Hydraulic Properties of a Sandy Loam Soil in the Mon-Dak Region, USA

Submitted to: World Congress of Soil Science
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: December 14, 2009
Publication Date: July 31, 2010
Citation: Jabro, J.D., Stevens, W.B., Iversen, W.M., Evans, R.G. 2010. Tillage Effects on Bulk Density and Hydraulic Properties of a Sandy Loam Soil in the Mon-Dak Region, USA. [CD ROM]. Proceedings of the 19th Congress of Soil Science.

Technical Abstract: We evaluated the effects of conventional (CT) and strip (ST) tillage practices on bulk density (BD), water content (MC), infiltration rate (Ir) and hydraulic conductivity (Ks) in a Lihen sandy loam soil. Soil cores were collected from each plot at 0 to 10 and 10 to 30 cm depths under each tillage practice to measure BD and MC. In-situ Ir and Ks measurements were determined in each soil using a pressure ring infiltrometer (PI) and a constant head well permeameter (CHWP) at the soil surface and 10 - 30 cm depths, respectively. Soil BD and MC did not differ significantly between CT and ST in both years with the exception of BD in 2007. The log-transformed Ir was significantly affected by tillage at P= 0.1 in 2007 while Ir did not differ significantly between CT and ST practices in 2008. The effects of tillage on soil Ks were significant in 2007 and 2008 at P= 0.05 and at P = 0.1, respectively. The Ks values were 68% and 56% greater for ST than for CT in 2007 and 2008, respectively. It was concluded that the CT operations increased soil compaction, which consequently altered BD, thereby reducing Ks in the soil.