Decision support system for soil tilth assessment

Tilth is a qualitative term describing the physical state of the soil, A quantitative understanding of soil tilth would help scientists, engineers, and farmers. A 'tilth index' was developed to quantify tilth. Five soil physical properties (bulk density, cone index, uniformity coefficient, organic matter content, and plasticity index) were used in calculating the tilth index, ranging from 0 for conditions unusable by the plant to 1 for nonlimiting soil. Field experiments were conducted to determine the response of soil tilth and crop yield to different tillage systems and crop rotations near Ames, Iowa; and near Waseca, Minnesota. The fields had been managed with the same tillage and rotation treatment for the previous ten years at Ames and four years at Waseca. At Ames, in 1989, there were positive correlations (r^ = 0.78 and 0.86, respectively) between the tilth index (measured in July) and crop yield in continuous com and a corn-soybean rotation. In 1990, the effect of tillage systems on tilth index and crop yield was significant. The tilth index significantly changed during the cropping season. The tilth index was increased by tillage and planting operations and then decreased with time until harvest. Best correlations (r^ = 0.78 and 0.76, respectively) were obtained between crop yield and tilth index after disking in the corn-soybean rotation and after planting in continuous com. At Waseca, in 1989, the chisel plow system provided the highest tilth index and crop yield in both corn and soybean fields. The values of r^ between tilth index and corn yield were 0.74 and 0.75, respectively, for continuous corn and a corn-soybean rotation.

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