. Agri-news. Agriculture. -ft. CO GO GO GO 00 GO 00 C October 7,1996 Deep tillage not always the answer Soil compaction can be a problem, especially with some irrigated soils. Compacted soils have less space for air and water which usually results in poorer yields. When dealing with compaction, deep ullage may not provide much help. "Cultivation reduces soil organic matter amounts and quality," says Gordon Frank, crop specialist with Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. "Some organic matter oxidizes faster with tillage. Mixing the soil can reduce the percentage of or
. Agri-news. Agriculture. -ft. CO GO GO GO 00 GO 00 C October 7,1996 Deep tillage not always the answer Soil compaction can be a problem, especially with some irrigated soils. Compacted soils have less space for air and water which usually results in poorer yields. When dealing with compaction, deep ullage may not provide much help. "Cultivation reduces soil organic matter amounts and quality," says Gordon Frank, crop specialist with Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. "Some organic matter oxidizes faster with tillage. Mixing the soil can reduce the percentage of organic matter by diluting it with the poorer soil from below. The type of organic matter present in a conventionally tilled field does not have as many water stable aggregates as found in soil under native prairie. These aggregates are important for good soil ; An Ontario study, concluded that depth of plowing had little lasting effect on soil pore space, especially in wet seasons. The data also showed that within a few weeks, soil worked to a 30 cm depth before seeding was just as compacted as undisturbed soil. Contrary to common beliefs, reduced or conservation tillage may improve soil pore space and reduce compaction. Reduced tillage is becoming increasingly popular in Alberta because it saves moisture, requires less energy and protects the soil from erosion. There is also greater infiltration of water into large pores under conservation tillage. "In southern Alberta tillage is still very common," says Frank. "It is used for seedbed preparation and weed control. The high cost of no-till seed drills and, to some extent, the cost of herbicides are a deterrent to conservation or reduced tillage. Each producer should assess their situation to determine their course of action. It is possible to reduced tillage, especially deep tillage, and not increase soil ; Some soils respond differendy to reduced tillage than others. Research, howev
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