Soil Compaction Tester

Is soil compaction costing you? Find out fast with a simple, low-cost DICKEY-john Soil Compaction Tester! 

The high cost of compaction Soil compaction is becoming a more serious problem in all parts of the world. A problem that is very expensive in several ways:

• First, compacted soils are much harder to work. Research demonstrated that over 90% more power is required to plough severely compacted soil.
• Second, compacted soil results in poor root and plant development. Compacted soil is dense; roots cannot grow in it. That can reduce yields by 20, 30, even 50% or more.
• Third, compaction severely restricts the manner in which soil naturally manages water; both by holding water near the surface of the field and by limiting the ability of plants to take up water and nutrients from below. Excess surface water makes fields difficult to work in the spring and fall. And water trapped under the compacted layer reduces plant development and yields, especially during dry periods.
• Fourth, a compacted zone means that the fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides you apply cannot be utilized efficiently. If they are not absorbed, they can be washed away easily. Even more serious, they can be trapped near the surface in a concentrated form resulting in crop damage and yield reductions. They can also be captured under the compaction zone, compounding the problem.

The answers you need The DICKEY-john SCT gives you quick answers to the questions you need to ask about your tillage program and your field conditions.

• Is your soil compacted?
• How severely and at what depth?
• How deep have you actually been tilling?
• How deep do you need to till?
• How deep can your roots grow?
• lf there‘s a problem, what‘s the best solution?
• Has your tillage system been hurting or helping the situation?