Soil Compaction

Examples of Soil Improvement at EPRIDA
Doug Clayton, April 2007

IMG_7237

Click on photo for full view

I took the pictures when I visited Danny Day at Eprida last month.

The first shot is of the red Georgia clay before and after charcoal had been tilled in two years prior. The second shows some "structure" as a result of the charcoal treatment. The untreated had become very hard (compacted).

Three and four illustrate how tilth was improved. In both shots Danny
is pushing the device (penetrometer??) with a force of 300#/ sq. in.
and it is obvious how much looser the soil in the fourth image is!

Douglas Clayton
50 Bullard Rd
Jaffrey, NH 03452
work: 603-532-1120
home: 603-532-7321
fax: 603-532-4581

Note: Root penetration decreases linearly with penetration resistance, until almost no roots penetrate into soil with a penetration resistance of 300 psi. See: Measuring Soil Using a Penetrometer Pennsylvania State University

Amelioration of Shallow and Compact Soils Through Charcoal and Humic Material Amendment
Paul Seger, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

Potential Benefits of Charcoal and/or Humic Materials
•Highly resistant to microbial breakdown
•Functional groups provide exchange sites
–Increase nutrient retention
–Assist pH buffering capacity
•Encourages aggregation
–Development of soil structure
–Benefit to available water holding capacity