How and Why to Avoid Soil Compaction

摘要

This spring most Iowa soils have plenty of moisture in the profile and in some areas may exceed field capacity, causing many producers to enter fields at less-than-ideal soil conditions. High soil moisture increases soil compaction caused by field traffic and machinery. Over the past decade the size of Iowa farms has increased, leading to larger and heavier equipment. However, equipment size is only one factor among many causes of the soil compaction problem.