Farm equipment such as tractors, combines, grain carts and self-propelled sprayers have become larger and heavier in recent years, and concern about soil compaction and its impacts on crop yields has increased apace.
The 2025 Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll, conducted by Iowa State University Extension, surveyed 945 farmers and found they are increasingly concerned about soil compaction and their views on management approaches are changing over time, according to an Extension news release.
The 2025 Farm Poll included questions previously used in the 2013 poll, allowing researchers to compare responses over time.
Eighty percent of respondents agreed they are concerned about the impact of soil compaction on the land they farm, up from 70% in 2013. Similarly, 81% agreed they are concerned about the impact of heavy agricultural machinery on soil health, an increase from 75% in 2013.
“Farms are getting larger while fieldwork windows are shrinking due to changing weather patterns, and equipment is getting bigger and heavier in order to plant and harvest faster,” said J. Arbuckle, director of the Farm Poll, professor and Extension sociologist at Iowa State. “The results suggest that these changes are leading to increased worries about soil compaction and its impacts on yields.”
There are many ways that farmers can manage soil compaction. Consideration of soil moisture when planning fieldwork garnered the most agreement at 92%, nearly identical to the 91% found in 2013. Similarly, agreement that wheel traffic control is an effective means of compaction management was 65% in both years.
“There were also some important changes in perspectives,” said Mehari Tekeste, associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering at Iowa State. “Agreement that use of no-till, which can improve soil structure and help mitigate compaction, is an effective compaction management practice increased from 57% to 63%.”
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