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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #178364
Title: THE COMPACTION PROBLEM: SENSORS ADDRESS SOIL COMPACTION VARIATIONS

Author
item Sudduth, Kenneth - Ken
item CHUNG, SUN-OK - NAT INST OF AG ENG, KOREA

Submitted to: Resource Magazine
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/18/2005
Publication Date: 5/1/2005
Citation: Sudduth, K.A., Chung, S. 2005. The compaction problem: Sensors address soil compaction variations. Resource 12(4):9-10.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Soil compaction due to wheel traffic and tillage is an issue in soil management and crop production. This article describes a new approach to measuring compaction that provides data more efficiently than previous approaches. An instrumented shank pulled through the field by a tractor takes measurements at multiple depths. That data can then be used to generate multi-layered soil strength maps that indicate compaction differences. A future use of these soil strength data may be to control site-specific and/or variable-depth tillage to address localized compaction problems.