Soil Improvement and Increased Growth Response from Subsoil Cultivation

Abstract

Subsoiling with an excavator, before planting, was used to reduce the negative effects of soil compaction. Two soil types were used and results showed that soil bulk density was reduced and pore volume and airfilled porosity at field capacity had increased. Penetration resistance was lowered for both sites. Three years after planting, plants were higher at the subsoiled sandy soil but not at the clay soil, compared with the controls.