Many corn and soybean growers harvested record crops last fall. However, they may be facing compaction issues because of saturated soils at harvest. Combines and grain carts caused deep ruts and severe compaction issues. So what can farmers do to break up that soil and smooth out rough fields?

Farmers may be facing two types of compacted fields.  One type is an isolated compacted area, such as end rows or poorly drained sections of a field.  It is suggested to do whatever is necessary to get that area ready for planting and leave the rest of the field alone. The other type is compaction across the entire field, and whatever is done in terms of tillage operations is applied to 100% of the field.

The following options will aid growers in preparing for spring planting:

Research has shown that compaction affects crop yields. Years of Ohio State University Extension research on Hoytville silty clay loam showed that through compaction, 10-15% of the potential crop yield was being left in the field.

To counteract yield losses from compaction, researchers recommend no-till production. Recent research shows that continuous no-till soil resists compaction from heavy loads better than soil that is subsoiled every three years, resulting in higher yields.  Firm no-till soil resists compaction better than deep-tilled soil.  The first trip across loose soil causes about 85% of the total compaction.