Compaction and No-Till Farming

Continuing my series on the CCA convention in Springfield. 

Dr. Sjeord Duiker of Pennsylvania State University spoke on Soil Compaction, Reduced Tillage, and Some Cover Crops.  He has done a good deal of research on the topic, which my readers and I both consider to be important.  Soil compaction is an issue whether soil is wet or dry, because it changes the air, water and plant root interactions in the soil.  In wet weather, compaction will reduce air in the soil even further and speed up denitrification.  It will increase runoff.  In dry conditions, compaction can slow down root penetration and reduce available water capacity. 

Dr. Duiker's research has lead him to conclude that No-Till Farming is the best farming method to keep soil in good condition.  I probed lots of compacted soil this fall.  Even to the point of developing extreme sore shoulders.  The least compacted soils I probed were soils where the producer used no-till, very minimal tillage, or used a No-till Ripper.  Dr Duiker was not as excited about the No-Till Ripper as I am, but he did admit that it was preferred over most other tillage tools. 

He attributes a lot of compaction problems to moldboard plowing, large grain carts, and high tire pressure.  He says to avoid compaction problems: Reduce Tillage, Use Radial Tires with lower pressure, Try to keep weights below 10 Tons per axle.  Use larger Tires, and use cover crops.  He did not mention controlled traffic patterns, but with RTK technology, that is also a possibility to consider.  He found that some radishes put down their roots as deep as 16 inches and do an excellent job of breaking up old tillage pans.   Alfalfa can also do the same with its taproot.  My old friend Dan Towery promotes Annual ryegrass for its positive properties as well.  check his blog listed on the right hand panel of mine.