Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-08T06:34:05.091Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

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
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

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

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Agricultural Advisory Council (U.K.) (1970). Modern Farming and the Soil (N. Strutt, Chairman). LondonGoogle Scholar
Batey, T. & Davies, B. D. (1971). Soil structure and the production of arable crops. Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England 132, 106–22.Google Scholar
Baeumer, K. & Bakermans, W. A. P. (1973). Zerotillage. Advances in Agronomy 25, 77–123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crampton, C. B. (1965). An indurated horizon in soils of South Wales. Journal of Soil Science 16, 230–41.Google Scholar
Ehlers, W. (1973). Strukturzustand und zeitliche Änderung der Wasser- und Luftgehalt während einer Vegetationsperiode in unbearbeiteter und bearbeiteter LöB-Parabraunerde. Zeitschrift für Acker- und Pflanzenbau 137, 213–32.Google Scholar
El Kabouri, M. O. H. (1974). Studies of soil compaction in relation to plant growth. Ph.D. thesis, London University.Google Scholar
Flsher, N. M., Gooderham, P. T. & Ingram, J. (1975). The effect on the yields of barley and kale of soil conditions induced by cultivation at high moisture content. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 85, 385–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fitzpatrick, E. A. (1956). An indurated soil horizon formed by permafrost. Journal of Soil Science 7, 248–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gooderham, P. T. (1973). Soil physical conditions and plant growth. Ph.D. thesis, Reading University.Google Scholar
Romans, J. C. C. (1962). The origin of the indurated B3 horizon of podsoic soils in North-east Scotland. Journal of Soil Science 17, 184–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warboys, I. B., Gooderham, P. T., Wilkes, J. M. & Wilkins, S. M. (1975). Research and development at Wye College. A double-digging machine. Agricultural Engineer 30, 36.Google Scholar