Soil Compaction Assessment
Compacted soil is soil that has been compressed causing it to lose its natural structure, resulting in an inability to absorb water and air. Soil's inorganic matter is made up of different-sized particles, sand, silt, and clay. These particles are found in soils across the world with different ratios resulting in very diverse soil types. Soil is further mixed with organic matter, microorganisms, and plant roots which assist in creating soil structure. The soil's structure is critical to its ability to infiltrate water and allow oxygen diffusion deep into the soil which is key for plants. What soil structure requires is pores spaces that allow water, air, and microorganisms to travel through soil. This provides the necessary conditions for healthy plant growth.
How do we test for Compaction?
-
Using a Soil Penetrometer to insert into the soil allows you to test resistance. Once the resistance level has reached a certain threshold we can be sure the soil is compacted.
​
-
Using this data we will map your soil's hardness across the area. This allows you to visually see where the compaction layers exist.
​
-
If you are interested in purchasing a Soil Penetrometer contact me to arrange details.
Why do you need to test for compaction layers?
-
Crops growing in compacted soils will continuously underperform.
-
Collapsed soil structure means water and oxygen are unable to infiltrate deep into the ground.
-
Plant roots will be unable to grow through the compaction layer due to a lack of available oxygen and water beneath.
-
Above-ground pooling in heavy rain due to poor infiltration will drown out the crops.
-
Higher rates of surface water run-off leads to erosion of topsoil.
-
Compaction layers can exist between 10 - 150 cm. The issue is not always obvious without testing
