The Drumbeat of Understanding the Issues of Soil Compaction – Ideas on Minimizing Compaction
From the late 60’s early 70’s , the Mama’s and Papa’s as well as Sonny and Cher sang the song about “The Beat Goes On”. Yes I date myself rather quickly but these musicians wrote the lyrics about music going through our heads from time to time. Here I bring an issue that is always worth commenting about, especially us who work in the realm of Tillage. You as a grower or consultant who deal with compaction in nearly every season may have a reasonable understanding how this limiting set of layers happen in the soil where you plant seeds. But allow me to add some firewood to the winters fireplace or stove.
I was reading more information from some field research that was accomplished recently at Ohio State University and some in-depth conversations from Ian McDonald, scientist from Ontario Ministry of Agriculture. Too often in the field we inadvertently run the same tire air pressure that we do ‘roading’ our tractors or combines into the field and think nothing of it. Pulling a grain cart (>1000bu capacity) on a road generally requires higher air pressure. But going in a field this is very unwise for the negative impacts to soil in the upper 20 inches (50cm), especially when above 80% of field capacity moisture content.
“What matters in soil compaction is the mass of the total load, the pressure that is applied, how that load is distributed over the soil and where the soil moisture level is,” McDonald said. “The greater the soil moisture level (higher percentage of field capacity)( FC), the greater the potential for compaction to occur.” This scientist is saying the same things I have as well as others before me; tire pressure makes such a difference in whether or not you are inserting compaction and limiting your crops potential, water and nutrient movement and cash flow.
There is so much more we can do to limit compaction from being the limiting factor that haunts so many growing row crops around the world. New efforts of research from Ohio State University show that weights of 10 ton axle load showed nominal yield loss in soil conditions drier than 60% of FC. But under conditions like we saw so much in the spring months of 2019, losses are 10% and more. Increase the axle load to 20 tons, oh here it comes. Losses jumped to 20% to 25% when compacted in a much wetter state. What can we, you do?
Tire companies have devised the IF and VF tires for the tractor and combine. The tire companies out there who supply tractor tires and rims have the Increased Flexion [IF] and Very High Flexion [VF] tires to support the loads and pulling needs of your tractors. So load up a new 370hp tractor with sidetanks of 400 gallons each side of the frame, 38970 lbs without tanks/frame/fluid. 480R50 tractor tires, no weights. Add the fluid of 800 gallons at 11.2lbs/gallon – 8960lbs, the tank system is another 800-1000 lbs. Now we are up to 48,900+ lbs or 24.45tons. Add a planter, seed, whether it is three point or drawbar, we are adding weight onto the tractor to pull it. The tractor tires and rims are designed to handle these loads, distribute the weight and travel across the soil. But during that it puts a heavy load on the soil especially with 15 to 25 psi in the tires. In a little bit I offer a website to read up on IF & VF tires/rims.

From No-Till Farmer – Heavy One-Pass planting operation. Could he be inserting compaction?