Jodi DeJong-Hughes, a University of Minnesota Extension educator in the Water Resources Center, was our guest in this Minnesota CropCast (#54) podcast. Jodi specializes in how tillage impacts crop yield and soil health and has developed expertise in soil compaction causes, prevention and remediation.
During the podcast Jodi reviewed how soil compaction can occur any time a heavy piece of equipment moves across a field and which factors increase the probability of it occurring. Moving heavy equipment or tilling the soil when it is wet, for example, causes clay particles to slide against each other. This reduces the number and size of soil pores, which is the definition of compaction. Jodi emphasized that preventing soil compaction is the primary goal via practices like reducing axle loads, number of trips across the field, and adjusting tire pressure. Jodi also discussed different field-based practices/tillage options to alleviate soil compaction via mechanical remediation etc.
Finally, Jodi recommended that crop producers consider attending the Northern Soil Compaction Conference, a webinar series with in-depth discussions around the factors causing, preventing and alleviating soil compaction. The series will occur on four Tuesday mornings (9 am-noon CST) this February (Feb 3, 10, 17, 24). Registration for the conference can be found at the conference site.
Source : umn.edu