The Science of Soil Health: Compaction

What did their experiment show?

• Cover crops are better for soil compaction than plowing

• Plowing is the traditional and best method for preparing a field

• Cover crops can help, but plowing is still the best use

Why is soil compaction also showing pools of water on the soil surface?

• Squeezing the soil together

• Less crops to use the water

• More tractor tire ruts in the field

If organic matter is good for the soil, why do you think farmers continue to till their fields and end up using/"burning up" the organic matter?

• Traditional method of farming

• They can add more organic matter later

• As long as they add fertilizer, it will be fine

So, using cover crops meets the goal of...

• starting channels for earthworms to live in

• starting channels for the roots of our desired crops to grow in

• starting channels for water to enter