Al-Shatib, Mohammed A. M. and Chen, Guangnan and Bennett, John McL. and Jensen, Troy A. (2021) Monitoring the behaviour of Australian Vertosols in response to the shrink–swell characteristic and cotton picker traffic. Soil Research, 59 (4). pp. 396-405. ISSN 1838-675X
Abstract
Vertosols are widely used for cotton production globally. One main advantage of this soil type is its capacity to improve its structure gradually due to natural processes over time. However, Vertosols are highly susceptible to compaction, especially under wet soil conditions. This study investigated the change in characteristics of Australian Vertosols due to the impact of rainfall, seasonal variability, and John Deere 7760 cotton picker traffic. Soil cores were collected between October 2016 and May 2017. Measurements of soil physical properties (soil water content, dry bulk density, and soil penetration resistance) were carried out in the 0–80 cm depth profile during the study period. Increasing soil water content due to rainfall caused the Vertosol to swell, providing some degree of natural compaction alleviation and decreasing the dry bulk density and soil penetration resistance. Increased temperatures from October 2016 to January 2017 resulted in increased moisture evapotranspiration. This led to shrinkage of the Vertosol and resulted in increased dry bulk density and soil penetration resistance, particularly in the top 0–30 cm of soil. Traffic from the JD7760 cotton picker induced significant compaction throughout the depth profile. These findings have important implications for farmers intending to grow crops in Vertosols and managing the issue of soil compaction.
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| Item Type: | Article (Commonwealth Reporting Category C) |
|---|---|
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Current - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Civil Engineering and Surveying (1 Jul 2013 -) |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Current - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Civil Engineering and Surveying (1 Jul 2013 -) |
| Date Deposited: | 01 Feb 2021 02:03 |
| Last Modified: | 14 Jul 2021 05:45 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | compaction, cotton picker, soil density, Vertosols |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 09 Engineering > 0999 Other Engineering > 099901 Agricultural Engineering |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 40 ENGINEERING > 4099 Other engineering > 409901 Agricultural engineering |
| Socio-Economic Objectives (2008): | B Economic Development > 82 Plant Production and Plant Primary Products > 8203 Industrial Crops > 820301 Cotton |
| Identification Number or DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1071/SR20222 |
| URI: | http://eprints.usq.edu.au/id/eprint/41003 |
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