No one is immune from soil compaction, no matter what type of tillage system they use. Clint Harrison, a district conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, offers these five ways that you may be able to limit the effects of soil compaction.

1. Recognize the cause of soil compaction on your farm. As farm machinery increases in size, an unseen problem may occur, Harrison says. The weight of tractors, grain carts, combines and other equipment may cause soil compaction issues.

2. Determine if you have compacted soil layers. Harrison says an easy way to determine if the soil suffers from compaction is to insert a wire flag, tile probe or penetrometer into the soil. It will be tougher to push the flag or probe through compacted layers. A compacted layer is frequently found at 6 to 8 inches deep, left over from the old plow pan, but other layers may also exist, sometimes caused by heavy equipment. If the topsoil has compaction issues, then machinery is most likely to blame.

3. Stay off wet soils as much as possible. Ways to avoid soil compaction include staying off the field when it is wet, making sure tires are properly inflated, using flotation tires and reducing tillage. Staying off soils that are wetter than you like and still getting crop operations done on time can be challenging.

4. If the subsoil is compacted, consider traffic alternatives. Controlled traffic patterns, where grain carts, combines and other heavy equipment run in certain lanes rather than all over the field, can help limit soil compaction, Harrison says.

5. Use cover crops where possible. Harrison recommends considering planting cover crops. They can be useful in breaking up existing compacted layers, and also helping to prevent future compaction. The roots of cover crops can also help improve water infiltration and movement throughout the soil profile.