Effect of Soil Manipulation and Other Field Parameters on Soil Physical Properties

The effects of tillage practice on soil physical properties (bulk density, air porosity, and infiltration rate) were investigated. The three tillage systems studied were: moldboard plowing; chisel plowing; and no tillage. Soil bulk density and air porosity were measured on cores obtained by a manually-operated tool. The collection of soil samples was replicated twice within each plot and at four depth increments of 10 cm each. Chisel and moldboard plowing significantly reduced bulk density of the upper 20 cm of the soil compared to no-till treatment while deeper levels were not affected. The amount of bulk density reduction in the chisel plowed plots was higher than the bulk density reduction in the moldboard plowed plots. The same tend was seen with the air porosity in the upper 10 cm of the soil; deeper levels were not significantly affected. Steady state water infiltration rate in the plow zone was higher in the chisel treatment than in the other two treatments.