Removing soil compaction

The cause of soil compaction

Many dairy farmers observe a declining quality of grass growing on their land. This may be caused by intensive use of the grassland. The frequent use of (increasingly heavy) agricultural machinery may cause soil compaction, mostly occurring at a depth of 25 to 30 cm. A plough pan may also cause soil compaction.

In superficial soil compaction, the roots fail to penetrate sufficiently deep into the soil to absorb water and nutrients. In both superficial and deeper soil compaction, water will not sink into the soil fast enough during heavy rainfall, causing puddles and wet patches. Wet patches may cause a lack of oxygen, slower growth and withering of plants. That is how the grassland turns into a wet field with poor quality grass. This will reduce both the nutritional value of the grass and the kilograms of dry matter per hectare.

Removing soil compaction with the grassland subsoiler

The Evers grassland subsoiler removes soil compaction while leaving the sward intact. The subsequent improved water-absorbing capacity of the soil means that vehicles can drive and cattle can graze on the grassland sooner in spring. The improved soil structure also makes sure that the sward retains the good grasses for longer, so the (relatively expensive) overseeding process can be postponed or even omitted altogether.

The grassland subsoiler cuts through the sward, removes the soil compaction with the subsoiler tine and pushes the slot (made by the subsoiler tine) back shut, using the roller. In this way, the subsoiler tine breaks up the compaction while the sward remains intact.

Evers Penetrometer

Check with the Evers penetrometer how deep the soil compaction is. Watch the video.