Effect of Wheel Traffic and Tillage on Soil ...

Controlled traffic with conservation tillage is an useful way to solve the problem of wheel track induced soil compaction. Effect of traffic and tillage on soil water infiltration and water use efficiency were conduced by experiments in Nothern China Plain with four treatments, including zero tillage with controlled traffic (NTCN), subsoiling with controlled traffic (STCN), zero tillage with random traffic(NT) and traditional tillage system with random traffic(CK). Results showed that, random wheel track caused significant soil compaction in the surface layer in annual two-crop region. Controlled traffic with conservation tillage reduced soil bulk density in 0-20cm soil layer, therefore improved water infiltration. Compared with non-controlled traffic treatments, controlled traffic with conservation tillage increased mean accumulative infiltration at steady infiltration by 67.4%. As more soil water was conserved in controlled traffic system, corp production was enhanced. Averagely, controlled traffic treatments increased annual yield by 3.8% compared with non-controlled traffic system Consequently, annaul water use efficiency increased 11.5% in controlled traffic system.In conclusion, controlled traffic farming has a better performance on soil and water conservation, and crop production.