# Avoiding soil compaction



## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Some areas are wetter than desired for this falls harvest, a few tips on avoiding soil compaction,

http://www.agweb.com/article/dont-crush-your-soil-during-harvest/


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

Let me add......

Farm with horses.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

So they are saying so long as it doesn't leave a rut then no compaction? We have a 160 acre farm we rent out. It's been in grass and alfalfa hay for over 8 years since it was last plowed, ripped even disked. The guy renting the farm never has made ruts when doing any haying activities. Though he does start cutting hay a little soon after irrigation was stopped. We've kinda thought there was some compaction, but not entirely sure. He bales with big square balers and uses a semi to pick up the bales. However an oil company had to redo a pipeline to a gas well. Which mean they made a trench a year or so ago. The grass growing over the trench is about 5 inches taller then the rest of the field. Same grass hay. Just no compaction.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Teslan said:


> Same grass hay. Just no compaction.


To me, that means there is significant compaction elsewhere! Wonder what would happen if it was ripped?

Ralph


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

rjmoses said:


> To me, that means there is significant compaction elsewhere! Wonder what would happen if it was ripped?
> 
> Ralph


 i agree. The season after next will be the end of the lease and I will either rip it and plant it back in alfalfa and if I feel brave for one year, teff. Or I will lease it for a year to a guy who grows suger beets. He would rip it, plow it fumigate it (there might be nemotodes and beet farmers always fumigate anyways) and fertilize it heavily.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Digging that trench would also free up nitrogen that was immobile in the soil. There could be multiple factors involved in that higher grass.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

8350HiTech said:


> Digging that trench would also free up nitrogen that was immobile in the soil. There could be multiple factors involved in that higher grass.


That's true. Might be nitrogen below the root level that was brought up.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I thought the same as well about ruts, you don't have to mark it up to be screwing it up.


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

Depends on your definition of a rut


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Bgriffin856 said:


> Depends on your definition of a rut


I don't like to see any indentation from a tire in the soil.


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## cornshucker (Aug 22, 2011)

Teslan said:


> I don't like to see any indentation from a tire in the soil.


Very good point.


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## aawhite (Jan 16, 2012)

If you have a market, a year in sunflowers really helps loosen soil.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

I am afraid we are going to make some compaction this fall. Rain forecast every day the next week. Yields are high enough that combine can't make a round in most fields so here comes the cart.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Interesting read on compaction from Agnews.

Regards, Mike

http://www.agweb.com/article/dont-crush-your-soil-during-harvest/


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

haybaler101 said:


> I am afraid we are going to make some compaction this fall. Rain forecast every day the next week. Yields are high enough that combine can't make a round in most fields so here comes the cart.


Same here, I'd rather have seen dust flying instead of getting that 3.5 inches of rain.

Tires are sinking in the depth of the tread on the combine, but thats here on the home farm which is tiled better than any of the ground we rent.

We always use the cart here, if the combine ain't moving it ain't picking, we try to keep it moving at all times.


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

I have always been told every time you drive over the soil wet or dry, indentation or no indentation. Your still causing compaction. Usually dont worry here till you start cutting in with implement tires and makes ruts. Usually frost will fix most minor compaction. Moldbard for anything else. But then again we aren't driving combines, grain carts or ten ton+ vehicles on our ground


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Bgriffin856 said:


> I have always been told every time you drive over the soil wet or dry, indentation or no indentation. Your still causing compaction. Usually dont worry here till you start cutting in with implement tires and makes ruts. Usually frost will fix most minor compaction. Moldbard for anything else. But then again we aren't driving combines, grain carts or ten ton+ vehicles on our ground


You have to be careful with the automatic assumption that it's the big equipment that causes the compaction. Those big combines and carts have equally big tires, engineered in an era which is concerned with compaction. They're more likely to cause compaction because of farmers forcing them into the field in adverse conditions instead of just being big. Something like a well loaded, antiquated, single axle silage wagon can easily have a more negative effect on the ground beneath it, although there is inherently less ground beneath it.


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## Hugh (Sep 23, 2013)

The problem of 'soil compaction' is tossed about in agricultural circles as if we are close to Armageddon in farming. Made-made tools are the villain, the big tractors and machines we use are destroying our farm soils - so they claim.

For 200 million years, animals have stomped down soils and compacted them. My bet is that soil compaction form these trillions of animals is at least a million times more that of man-made equipment. In P.S.I. of compacting force, a bison hoof is more compacting than a tractor tire. Prior to Columbus landing in America, it is estimated that 60 million bison roamed the North American continent. The average life-span of a bison is about 15 years. Since the last ice age, that would equate to at least 600 generations of bison which would equate to 36 billion bison hammering the soils.

A good soil de-compactor is earthworm activity. Earthworms churn and fluff the soil. It has been shown that earthworms can bring up to 50 tons of soil to the surface per acre per year. The mass of earthworms on Earth is at least 8 times that of humans.

A way to increase earthworm activity is to make sure your PH is about 7. Soil acidity will lead to lower populations. Good drainage is also important. Constant tillage can lower the populations, but occasional tillage may benefit long term populations. Anhydrous ammonia can kill earthworms.

Earthworms counteract compaction effects and keep the soils fluffed. Without the worms and microbes, all of these trillions of animals over millions of years would have compacted soils to the consistency of slate.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Hugh said:


> The problem of 'soil compaction' is tossed about in agricultural circles as if we are close to Armageddon in farming. Made-made tools are the villain, the big tractors and machines we use are destroying our farm soils - so they claim.
> 
> For 200 million years, animals have stomped down soils and compacted them. My bet is that soil compaction form these trillions of animals is at least a million times more that of man-made equipment. In P.S.I. of compacting force, a bison hoof is more compacting that a tractor tire. Prior to Columbus landing in America, it is estimated that 60 million bison roamed the North American continent. The average life-span of a bison is about 15 years. Since the last ice age, that would equate to at least 600 generations of bison which would equate to 36 billion bison hammering the soils.
> 
> ...


Can my local co op spread these earthworms for me?


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## Hugh (Sep 23, 2013)

We have several roads on our property where we drive to move irrigation pipe, check water, etc. I drive a side x side most of the time but pick ups and our tractor go down these roads as well. I haven't used them for a couple of weeks and there are already thousands of earthworm mounds showing on the surface the very hard and compacted soil. The weeds will not grow there, but the worms are churning the soil. If left undisturbed, the worms would return the soil to normal in just a matter of a couple of years.

I have a gut feeling that compaction is a problem in areas where a lot of anhydrous is used and the compaction problem is persistent do to low earthworm activity. In the big picture of things, compaction is a short term problem.


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

8350HiTech said:


> You have to be careful with the automatic assumption that it's the big equipment that causes the compaction. Those big combines and carts have equally big tires, engineered in an era which is concerned with compaction. They're more likely to cause compaction because of farmers forcing them into the field in adverse conditions instead of just being big. Something like a well loaded, antiquated, single axle silage wagon can easily have a more negative affect on the ground beneath it, although there is inherently less ground beneath it.


All about p.s.i of the foot print of the tire


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Ground is soooo wet hereabouts that I can't hardly walk across the yard without sinking.

We have 10 days forecast with no rain, but I'll bet that it takes 5 days to dry out enough to get into the fields.

Ralph


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Between the 20.8-42 radials on the cart tractor and combine and then with 30.5-32's on the grain cart, you more likely to cause compaction with the grain trucks than the actual harvest equipment


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Good, bad, or indifferent, went back to shelling corn this evening. Quit raining at noon yesterday after raining for 10 days. Fields are fairly solid, making a nice lug track but are very slick and slimy. Finally got a 4 wheel drive combine last year and threw the switch in for the first time ever. I have shelled corn with a 1480 2 wheel drive in the mud and that took talent, but this combine is a piece of cake.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

haybaler101 said:


> Good, bad, or indifferent, went back to shelling corn this evening. Quit raining at noon yesterday after raining for 10 days. Fields are fairly solid, making a nice lug track but are very slick and slimy. Finally got a 4 wheel drive combine last year and threw the switch in for the first time ever. I have shelled corn with a 1480 2 wheel drive in the mud and that took talent, but this combine is a piece of cake.


 We always had the four drive engaged when we had it even if it wasn't needed. It lowers the operating temp and pressure of the system. Now with no-till if you need four wheel drive, your causing more damage than you can undo in a decade.


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## Supa Dexta (May 28, 2014)

Teslan said:


> The grass growing over the trench is about 5 inches taller then the rest of the field. Same grass hay. Just no compaction.


I've been watching different places on my own property with similar results. I'm leaning towards it being the added nutrients and organic matter in the soil from being dug up/turned over, rather than compaction. Compaction may play a role in it, but I think its minor.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Supa Dexta said:


> I've been watching different places on my own property with similar results. I'm leaning towards it being the added nutrients and organic matter in the soil from being dug up/turned over, rather than compaction. Compaction may play a role in it, but I think its minor.


But this was 2-3 years ago this trench was dug up. Should it still be producing those results. And this was after 3rd cutting grass hay.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Teslan said:


> But this was 2-3 years ago this trench was dug up. Should it still be producing those results. And this was after 3rd cutting grass hay.


It was compaction, from years of installing our own tile you can see the layers in heavily compacted soils, you can also see earthworm channels and previous root activity. I don't care how big a tractor you have, or how deep your ripper goes, you can't undo all of it mechanically. Alfalfa or tillage radish roots go far deeper than any ripper conceived.

If I ever could lay my hands on a good used StoneBear by Kongskilde I would start planting alfalfa on more of the clay as part of the rotation to undo some compaction at a deeper level.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

mlappin said:


> It was compaction, from years of installing our own tile you can see the layers in heavily compacted soils, you can also see earthworm channels and previous root activity. I don't care how big a tractor you have, or how deep your ripper goes, you can't undo all of it mechanically. Alfalfa or tillage radish roots go far deeper than any ripper conceived.
> 
> If I ever could lay my hands on a good used StoneBear by Kongskilde I would start planting alfalfa on more of the clay as part of the rotation to undo some compaction at a deeper level.


You solved a long standing problem I had: Dairy farm 10 miles away has one of those. When I googled to see what you were referring to my long standing question of WTF is that is now answered.


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## Hugh (Sep 23, 2013)

Big rooted plants such as alfalfa and the big radishes leave vertical tunnels in soil when these roots die. However, think about how these roots push the soil sideways and compact the soil not vertically like a tractor tire but horizontally.

If you want a long term solution to compaction, grow earthworms along with your crops. A good growing culture for earthworms is for most crops also a good culture. Get your soil to a ph of 7, lightly till in crop residue, avoid ammonia fertilizers (anhydrous ammonia, ammonia sulfate, ammonia nitrate, etc) and irrigate if possible.

Quote from the book, *The Biology of Human Freedom*: http://www.amazon.com/Biology-Human-Freedom-Understanding-Self-Ownership/dp/0692205667/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402085345&sr=8-1&keywords=the+biology+of+human+freedom

"There are about 2,200 described species of earthworms in the world. They vary from small kinds, such as the one-inch tree worms that live under rotting wood and bark, to the gigantic kinds found in tropical countries - some of them seven or more feet long when fully stretched out. Some are pallid in color; some are red-brown or purple; a few are gaily colored, such as the green-worm of Europe and North America, and a Philippine species that is mottled with bright blue. Most of them prefer alkaline soils but a few will live in acid soils and we know of two species that live in decomposing manure. Some kinds live in the wet mud of riverbanks; two or three thrive in the filter beds of sewage treatment plants, and there are a few that actually have gills and are entirely aquatic. ..... In very favorable conditions, there may be an many as two million earthworms per acre, but none in very sandy soils. Darwin estimated that 50,000 worms per acre may carry more than 18 tons of soil to the surface in a single year."15


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Nice post Hugh....and a great thought on the ammonia amendments.

Regards, Mike


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

We don't have enough livestock to spread manure on everything, so when we spread we call it feeding the earthworms. We try to spread mainly on hill tops or other areas that is known to be hard soil in the past, I also have 60 acres down the road, it's in three fields, the smallest is 3 1/2 acres and is probably the poorest we have, previous owner always plowed or chisel plowed in the fall, very little topsoil left so we try to spread manure heavier than normal on that one to help wit the organic content and to give any earthworms plenty to eat.


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