Articles | Volume 8, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-189-2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-189-2017
Research article
 | 
20 Feb 2017
Research article |  | 20 Feb 2017

Cooperative effects of field traffic and organic matter treatments on some compaction-related soil properties

Metin Mujdeci, Ahmet Ali Isildar, Veli Uygur, Pelin Alaboz, Husnu Unlu, and Huseyin Senol

Abstract. Soil compaction is a common problem of mineral soils under conventional tillage practices. Organic matter addition is an efficient way of reducing the effects of field traffic in soil compaction. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of number of tractor passes (one, three, and five) on depth-dependent (0–10 and 10–20 cm) penetration resistance, bulk density, and porosity of clay-textured soil (Typic Xerofluvent) under organic vegetable cultivation practices in the 2010–2013 growing seasons. Fields were treated with farmyard manure (FYM, 35 t ha−1), green manure (GM; common vetch, Vicia sativa L.), and conventional tillage (CT). The number of tractor passes resulted in increases in bulk density and penetration resistance (CT > GM > FYM), whereas the volume of total and macropores decreased. The maximum penetration resistance (3.60 MPa) was recorded in the CT treatment with five passes at 0–10 cm depth, whereas the minimum (1.64 MPa) was observed for the FYM treatment with one pass at 10–20 cm depth. The highest bulk density was determined as 1.61 g cm−3 for the CT treatment with five passes at 10–20 cm depth; the smallest value was 1.25 g cm−3 in the FYM treatment with only one pass at 0–10 cm depth. The highest total and macropore volumes were determined as 0.53 and 0.16 cm3 cm−3 respectively at 0–10 cm depth for the FYM treatment with one pass. The volume of micropores (0.38 cm3 cm−3) was higher at 0–10 cm depth for the FYM treatment with three passes. It can be concluded that organic pre-composted organic amendment rather than green manure is likely to be more efficient in mitigating compaction problems in soil.

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Short summary
Organic matter addition is an efficient way of reducing the effects of field traffic. The depth-dependent (0–10 and 10–20 cm) changes in some physical soil traits such as penetration resistance, bulk density, and porosity as a function of tractor passes and organic matter addition to clay soil. The enhancing effects of treatments on the investigated parameters were C>GM>FYM. The increase in tillage lines made the soil properties worse and corresponded with the type of organic matter.