By: Nancy Van Sas, Regional Communication Coordinator, Golden Horseshoe Region
Over the past five years, compaction events have been occurring all over Ontario. An interactive database on the results of these compaction events will be available in the future on Field Crop News for producers to search tire configurations and how they have reacted at different compaction events. Certainly, weighing and testing equipment has been at the heart of these events (see The Innovator November 2022 issue), but equally important lessons we learned at these events are to identify your soil types and learn how they interact in order to know how best to manage them.
Photo courtesy of Nancy Van Sas.
According to the email tagline of Jim Warren, Pedologist Professor at University of Guelph and OMAFRA Specialist, “Look deep into your soil… there’s more to it than you think.” Unfortunately, many people assume they know their soil type, when in reality they do not know the exact soil type, which can make a difference. They also do not know how the layers of soil work together as a system. Part of the compaction day teachings has Jim ‘down in the pit’ explaining the soil horizons of A (topsoil), B (mottled topsoil and subsoil) and C (subsoil), along with various other soil features. The soil texture and features all affect how compaction happens, whether it be clay, loam or sand; soil will compact if you subject it to certain conditions.
How to Look for Evidence of Compaction
A penetrometer, with or without a gauge, is the standard tool for probing for compaction. However, it tends to be expensive and unnecessary as you can determine if you have compaction by using less expensive, everyday tools on the farm.
A standard tile probe or a 12” long screwdriver can be used to push down into the surface to identify resistance, a sign of potential compaction.
Digging a hole with a spade to uncover the soil underneath is ideal for opening up your mind to the types of soil within your field(s).
Once you have dug your hole, you can take a knife or any other sharp object to press into the layers of soil to identify if they are granular or have turned platy as a result of compaction.
The Tile Probe
At the Norfolk Compaction Day on August 3, 2023, Dan Saurette, Land Resource Specialist at OMAFRA explained about the nature of compaction on the site and had participants probing for compaction layers. In a soil type thought to be less prone to compaction, Dan and participants were able to probe hardpan with the probes finding several areas of compaction on the headlands.
The Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS) Test
Sebastian Belliard, Soil Management Specialist at OMAFRA, highly recommends grabbing a shovel and opening a pit in your field to fully investigate what your soil has to tell you. At the Quinte compaction day on September 5, 2023, Sebastian had participants complete a VESS (Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure) test using a simple spade and clean white corrugated board for the test.
Sebastian provides step-by-step instructions on how to complete your own VESS test through a video at: https://fieldcropnews.com/2022/08/visual-evaluation-of-soil-structure/.