Interaction of silty loam soil on the change of soil retention capacity and soil compaction following subsoiling

Abstract

The subsoiling of arable soils as part of a strategy against excessive compaction and the resulting plow pan can be successfully used as a pro-retention treatment. The study of changes in the physical and water properties of soil as a result of subsoiling was carried out on three sites: Wojnowice, Strzybnik, and Owsiszcze, located in the Racibórz district, Śląskie Voivodeship (Poland), in a silty-loam soil. A total of five soil profiles (0–150 cm) were analyzed before and after subsoiling. The experiment used a seven-tine Maschio subsoiler at a depth of 50–60 cm between 2012–2014. The physical (e.g., soil bulk density, soil organic matter) and water (e.g., maximum water capacity, field water capacity, permanent wilting point, total plant available water) properties of the soil were determined before and after subsoiling, taking into account the division into layers: 0–25 cm, 25–50 cm, and 50–150 cm. Statistical analyses were used to check changes in soil physical and water parameters. The results show that the subsoiling treatment caused a statistically significant decrease in soil compaction (bulk density) at all three layers and increased moisture in the range of total plant available water in the subsoil layer (25–50 cm). Subsoiling in silty-loam soil will enable the soil’s retention potential to be used, especially in dry years.