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Publication Date

1989

Location

Nice France

Description

Grassland soils, on which the crop is managed for conser­vation as silage, receive large amounts of vehicle and machinery traffic : rolling and multiple slurry and fertilizers applications, plus multiple harvests, are all activities which are potentially damaging to soil and sward. A number of short-term studies in the UK (Frame, 1987 and Frost, 1988) and elsewhere (Luten and Roozeboom, 1976, and Rasmussen and M¢ller, 1981) have indicated that dry matter yield can be reduced as a consequence of stress imparted to soil by agricultural tyres. Nevertheless, there is a general lack of information on the influence of soil compaction on sward productivity and on practical methods of minimising wheel-induced damage. This paper describes some results from the first three years (1986-1988) of a field experiment programme designed to pro­vide further information on soil compaction in grassland. In addition, opportunities for avoiding yield penalties are investi­gated by using traffic systems in which tyre/soil contact stresses are either eliminated or appreciably smaller than in conven­tional systems.

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Soil Compaction and Novel Traffic Systems in Ryegrass Grown for Silage: Effects on Herbage Yield, Quality and Nitrogen Uptake

Nice France

Grassland soils, on which the crop is managed for conser­vation as silage, receive large amounts of vehicle and machinery traffic : rolling and multiple slurry and fertilizers applications, plus multiple harvests, are all activities which are potentially damaging to soil and sward. A number of short-term studies in the UK (Frame, 1987 and Frost, 1988) and elsewhere (Luten and Roozeboom, 1976, and Rasmussen and M¢ller, 1981) have indicated that dry matter yield can be reduced as a consequence of stress imparted to soil by agricultural tyres. Nevertheless, there is a general lack of information on the influence of soil compaction on sward productivity and on practical methods of minimising wheel-induced damage. This paper describes some results from the first three years (1986-1988) of a field experiment programme designed to pro­vide further information on soil compaction in grassland. In addition, opportunities for avoiding yield penalties are investi­gated by using traffic systems in which tyre/soil contact stresses are either eliminated or appreciably smaller than in conven­tional systems.