Spatial variability of precompression stress and volumetric water content of a red-yellow latosol (Oxisol)

The intensive agricultural machinery traffic to which soils under coffee crops are exposed may cause significant changes in soil structure. The goals of this study were to: a) characterize the spatial variability of precompression stress (σp) and volumetric water content (θ) of a Red-Yellow Latosol (Oxisol) and determine their spatially dependent structures using ordinary kriging semivariograms; b) using this date to construct a load-bearing capacity (LBC) map for the site, identifying the depth with higher ; and c) use the map as a decision support tool regarding agricultural machinery logistic management in coffee plantations. The research was conducted on an experimental farm of the Agricultural Research Company of Minas Gerais (Epamig), Patrocinio, MG, on a clayey Oxisol. Samples were collected from 2.0 × 1.5 m sampling pits at intersections of a rectangular 40 × 150 m grid, totaling 28 sampling points. The soil samples were collected with metal rings (0.0254 m in height and 0.0630 m in diameter) using an Uhland sampler. Sampling at each pit was at 3 layers: 0.00–0.03 m, 0.10–0.13 m, and 0.25–0.28 m, and seven samples arranged in a matrix form were collected at each layer, totaling 588 samples. The σp and θ showed a spatially dependent structure. The depth of 0.00–0.03 m showed higher LBC, indicating that this depth was more compacted compared to other depths. Based on the σp maps, the tractor and the combine should not traffic into the areas at water content of 0.45 m3 m-3, because the soil has a LBC of 200 kPa. If this condition is not respected, additional compaction will occur. Tractor traffic is permissible when the water content reaches values less than 0.36 m3 m-3, whereas for combine traffic, the water content values must be less than 0.30 m3 m-3.

Estimation of precompression stress in an Ultisol cultivated with sugarcane

ABSTRACT Compressive soil properties are typically used for the understanding of compaction process. As an alternative to laboratory tests, pedo-transfer functions have been used to estimate the mechanical behaviour of soil as a function of soil physical parameters. The impact of soil bulk density (BD) and gravimetric water content (w) was examined on soil strength and pedo-transfer functions were proposed to predict the precompression stress (σp) in an Ultisol cultivated with sugarcane. Undisturbed soil cores were sampled at the depths of 0-0.20 and 0.20-0.40 m, subjected to different water contents, and subsequently, compression tests were performed to determine σp. The data were subjected to analysis of variance and regression analysis. Bulk density and w affected σp positively and negatively, respectively. Approximately 70% of the variation of the σp could be explained as a function of BD and w through an accessible multiple regression model. Comparisons with other pedo-transfer functions showed that estimates of σp may be rather sensitive to soil management and textural classes. Variations imposed by soil management and cohesive character into depth suggest that independent models should be considered to characterise compressive behaviour of soil by horizon or layer.

Soil compaction during harvest operations in five tropical soils with different textures under eucalyptus forests

ABSTRACT Traffic of farm machinery during harvest and logging operations has been identified as the main source of soil structure degradation in forestry activity. Soil susceptibility to compaction and the amount of compaction caused by each forest harvest operation differs according to a number of factors (such as soil strength, soil texture, kind of equipment, traffic intensity, among many others), what requires the adequate assessment of soil compaction under different traffic conditions. The objectives of this study were to determine the susceptibility to compaction of five soil classes with different textures under eucalyptus forests based on their load bearing capacity models; and to determine, from these models and the precompression stresses obtained after harvest operations, the effect of traffic intensity with different equipment in the occurrence of soil compaction. Undisturbed soil samples were collected before and after harvest operations, being then subjected to uniaxial compression tests to determine their precompression stress. The coarse-textured soils were less resistant and endured greater soil compaction. In the clayey LVd2, traffic intensity below four Forwarder passes limited compaction to a third of the samples, whereas in the sandy loam PVd all samples from the 0-3 cm layer were compacted regardless of traffic intensity. The Feller Buncher and the Clambunk presented a high potential to cause soil compaction even with only one or two passes. The use of soil load bearing capacity models and precompression stress determined after harvest and logging operations allowed insight into the soil compaction process in forestry soils.