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The effect on soil conditions of mechanized cultivation at high moisture content and of loosening by hand digging

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

P. T. Gooderham
P. T. Gooderham
Affiliation:
Wye College, University of London, Ashford, Kent
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Extract

Untimely ploughing and rotavation of a silt loam soil was found to increase bulk density, and mechanical resistance to a needle penetrometer probe, and to reduce air porosity. These effects were not found deeper than 8 cm, although measurements with a 13 mm field penetrometer probe indicated some increase in mechanical resistance down to 30 cm. The effect of untimely cultivations on soil conditions was small when compared with the effect of loosening by hand digging. This treatment reduced substantially the bulk density and mechanical resistance; it increased air porosity and moisture content of the subsoil. Although measurements of mechanical resistance with the laboratory penetrometer were 2·4 times those of the field penetrometer, there was nevertheless good correlation between measurements.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 86 , Issue 3 , June 1976 , pp. 567 - 571
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1976

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