Compaction can be present in fields for a number of reasons. Normally it’s created when heavy equipment, wagons, trucks, tankers or spreaders make passes on fields when the soil is too wet to hold them. Even heavy planters, tractors or sprayers can cause compaction.

Compaction also occurs from tillage, usually just below the tillage pass. Discing and chiseling can create compaction if the soil is too wet when being worked.

So when moving to no-till, it’s a good idea for farmers to evaluate fields for compaction because this condition can really inhibit root growth and impact water infiltration.

If moderate compaction occurs in no-tilled fields, soil structure will expand and contract with frost and water movement in and out of the soil.

But when you’re forced to operate equipment when it’s too wet, you will have to remove compaction with a no-till ripper, or possibly try deep-rooted cover crops.

Evaluating Compaction

Just like soil testing and other important field operations, it’s crucial to evaluate compaction in no-till systems by locating field areas that may have this problem and gauge the depth and severity of the problem.

A common method is using a probe that’s pushed into the soil that indicates how much pressure was needed to penetrate compaction layers. A scale on the probe determines compaction depth.

Evaluate compaction in different areas of the field, and as you’re probing, make sure you’re doing it near the row and in between the rows. This helps you determine if compaction is related…