Assessing the Effects of Tillage Practices and Machinery Traffic on Soil Hydro-Physical Properties

Highlights Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs) was significantly higher under no-tillage compared to conventional tillage. Cone penetration resistance was significantly lower in no-tillage under no tire track at 10–40 cm. Kfs differed significantly between conventional and no-tillage without tire tracks. Overall, conservation tillage reduced soil degradation by enhancing soil sustainability. ABSTRACT. Soil conservation is crucial for sustaining agricultural productivity and resilience, especially in regions like the North American Northern Great Plains, where farming supports economic stability. This study evaluated the impacts of tillage practices and tire tracks on critical soil physical properties, providing insights to improve soil health and water management. Key properties measured were in situ infiltration rate, field saturated hydraulic conductivity (K fs ), cone penetration resistance (PR) at depth (0–50 cm), and bulk density (BD) at 5–10 cm. Six treatments were assessed, spanning three tillage practices (conventional, vertical, and no-tillage) and locations inside and outside tire tracks. Total measurement locations varied by parameter: 36 for K fs , 108 for soil BD, and 180 for PR. Results revealed significant differences across tillage practices, tire track, and the interaction between the two variables. No-tillage had significantly higher K fs (p < 0.05) than conventional tillage but did not differ significantly for vertical tillage. No-tillage under tire tracks was not significantly different from vertical or conventional tillage with and without tire tracks. No-tillage without tire tracks had significantly lower PR (p < 0.01) at 10–40 cm depth, whereas PR did not differ significantly among tillage practices at any depth under tire-track conditions. No-tillage exhibited the highest BD (p < 0.05) at 5–10 cm depth, suggesting surface compaction. These findings emphasize that while no-tillage can alter soil hydrologic function, compaction through traffic plays a significant role and likely reduces the positive impact of conservation tillage. No-tillage is touted to be a powerful tool in the conservation and soil health toolbox. This research demonstrates that steps must be taken to alleviate compaction for any hydro-physical benefit of reduced tillage to be realized. Keywords: Cropland traffic, Infiltration, Saturated hydraulic conductivity, Soil compaction and strength, Soil penetration resistance, Tillage practices.