Editorial Book

Book Title: Recent Research Trends in Soil Science (Volume 1)

PAID ACCESS | Published on : 25-Aug-2026 | Pages: 83-87 |

Soil Compaction and Its Effect on Crops

• Rohit Nain
• PhD Research Scholar, Department of Soil Science, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, India.


• Rameshwar Singh
• Associate professor, Department of Soil Science, Rani Laksmi Bai Central Agricultural University, Jansi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Abstract

Soil compaction is one of the most widespread yet least visible forms of soil degradation in modern agriculture, arising when external pressures rearrange soil particles into a denser packing and expel the large pores on which roots, water and air depend. This chapter reviews the nature, causes, measurement, effects and management of soil compaction with reference to crop production. Compaction raises bulk density and mechanical strength while reducing microporosity, water infiltration, aeration and hydraulic conductivity, and it is strongly promoted by traffic from heavy machinery on wet soil, intensive tillage, livestock trampling and the depletion of soil organic matter. Its consequences for crops follow chiefly from restricted root growth and poor aeration, which limit water and nutrient uptake and reduce yields, with the greatest damage occurring in seasons when water or oxygen is already scarce. A distinction is drawn between comparatively shallow, recoverable surface compaction and persistent subsoil compaction caused by high axle loads. Because subsoil compaction is slow and costly to reverse, prevention through careful traffic and tillage management, controlled traffic farming, reduced tillage, organic-matter addition and biological loosening is emphasised over mechanical remedies such as subsoiling. Managing compaction is presented not as a single operation but as an ongoing commitment to keeping the soil open, biologically active and productive.

Keywords

Soil compaction, bulk density, penetration resistance, root growth, controlled traffic farming, subsoil compaction

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