Does no-tillage mitigate the negative effects of harvest compaction on soil pore characteristics in Northeast China?

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals

Tian, M., Whalley, W. R., Zhou, H., Ren, T. and Gao, W. 2023. Does no-tillage mitigate the negative effects of harvest compaction on soil pore characteristics in Northeast China? Soil & Tillage Research. 233, p. 105787. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2023.105787

AuthorsTian, M., Whalley, W. R., Zhou, H., Ren, T. and Gao, W.
Abstract

Optimizing tillage management is one way to reduce the risk of soil compaction due to traffic load in Northeast China. In this study, we aimed to examine the responses of precompression stress (σpc), compression index (Cc), pore morphology (>30 µm), air-filled porosity (εa60), air permeability at matric potential of − 60 hPa (ka60) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) to harvest traffic on soil from two contrasting tillage practices using a 10-yr old field experiment. After the crop was harvested with a combine harvester, undistributed soil cores were collected in the 0–10 and 10–20 cm layers from non-traffic and traffic zones of no-tillage (NT) and moldboard plough (MP) plots. In the non-traffic zone, the MP management showed greater total porosity (εtotal), εa60 and macroporosity (εX-ray) than the NT. There were no differences in pore connectivity, mean pore size and ka60 of the 0–10 cm layer and in Ks of the 0–20 cm layer between the two tillage practices, however, more biopores were observed under NT. Harvest traffic showed no significant effects on NT soil. In the MP plots, the εtotal, εX-ray, and pore connectivity, were decreased and pores larger than 0.15 mm were preferentially compacted. As a result of traffic, MP soil displayed lower ka60 in the 0–20 cm layer and lower εX-ray and connectivity in the 10–20 cm layer. In the NT management, the pore system had greater water and air conduction efficiencies and stable properties. Thus, compared to MP, NT can mitigate the negative effects of harvest compaction on soil in Northeast China.

KeywordsNo-tillage; Machinery traffic; Pore morphology; Air permeability; Soil compaction
Year of Publication2023
JournalSoil & Tillage Research
Journal citation233, p. 105787
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2023.105787
Open accessPublished as non-open access
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online07 Jun 2023
Publication process dates
Accepted30 May 2023
PublisherElsevier
ISSN0167-1987

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