Impact of soil and water management practices on soil strength for field operations in southern Manitoba
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Date
2017
Authors
Mante, Afua
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Canadian Biosystems Engineering
Abstract
The main objective of this study was to assess the impact of soil and water management practices on soil strength for field operations on sandy loam soil in southern Manitoba. The study focused on the impact of subsurface drainage on soil strength and the impact of loose and moderately compact soil on soil water content. Field studies, laboratory studies, and HYDRUS (2D/3D) simulation exercise were used to obtain data for the study. The performance of subsurface drainage was assessed for promoting soil strength for field operations by comparing the soil strength of subsurface drained fields and undrained fields using soil water content observed in the field. The HYDRUS (2D/3D) model was used to extend the study by simulating soil water content changes due to different drain spacings under different weather conditions. The results showed that subsurface drainage impact was more significant within the 0.3 m to 0.5 m depth of the soil profile. Under different weather conditions, drain spacings less or equal to 12 m promoted soil strength in the top 0.5 m depth of the soil profile to allow field operations without any significant impact on the number of field workable days. The subsoil was found to be very vulnerable to compaction based on its high level of intrinsic susceptibility and the wetness condition. However, having drain spacing less or equal to 12 m promoted sufficient soil strength for the top 0.5 m depth of the soil profile, which provided protection for the subsoil. The impact of loose and moderately compact soil on soil water content was assessed by studying the effect of changes in bulk density on soil water content. The results showed that loose soil had relatively high soil water content due to increased pore space. Increasing the bulk density caused a decline in the soil water content within the range of the loose soil (1.0 Mgm-3 to 1.3 Mgm-3). The trend reversed as the bulk density increased in the range of moderately compact soil (1.3 Mgm-3 to 1.5 Mgm-3). This effect was more predominant during the spring field operation period.
Description
Keywords
Southern Manitoba, Potato, Subsurface drainage, Soil water content, HYDRUS (2D/3D), Evapotranspiration, Subsoiling, Compaction, Soil strength, Sandy loam soil, Lower plastic limit, Soil workability, Field workable days, ROSETTA program