Tillage Tools for Removing Compaction

Determining Compaction

• Researchers use a device known as a cone penetrometer. This measures penetration resistance. This instrument also is expensive and difficult for laypersons to use. Use a shovel to dig a hole and check the soil's density. In case of heavy precipitation, the top layer of soil will be dense. However, if the first 8 inches of soil are dense, the cause of compaction is tilling continuously at the same depth. Compaction caused by farm vehicles is difficult to determine because the soil will not have a dense layer even though it is compacted. Vehicular soil compaction is most often identified by water that stagnates on soil.

Tilling Compacted Soil

• Compacted soil should be dry before tilling. The soil should be dry so that soil particles separate and more pore space is created. Avoid using tractors and other farm vehicles with an axle weight exceeding 15,000 pounds because it might force compaction to extend below normal tillage depth.

  Do not attempt tilling in a no-till field. Farmers instead should wait for a freeze and subsequent thaw to remove compaction from the soil's surface. If this method does not alleviate compaction, tillage should be done in spring when soil has a reduced moisture content.

Tillage Tools

• Use a regular shovel to remove surface soil compaction over a small stretch of land. However, this will not work when compaction extends to deeper layers of soil. A sub soiling approach is required in this case.

  The ideal tillage tool for removing compaction in large field tracts is a chisel plow. This tool can remove surface compaction with ease. However, the chisel plow should extend just below the compacted layers of soil for it to be effective.

  Compaction cause by tractors and other farm vehicles will extend deeper than the normal tillage depth. Remove the compaction with a C-shank chisel, but know that the soil also may require sub soiling. Examine how deep the compaction is before using this tillage tool.

Sub Soiling

• Sub soiling can be done with heavy-duty shanks. Perform sub soiling at a depth of 15 inches to 24 inches. It can be beneficial at times to extend sub soiling deeper. However, this is an expensive method for removing soil compaction because each shank will require around 30 horsepower. Some researchers also contend that sub soiling has short-term benefits and can worsen compaction in the future.