With fall harvest underway, recent rains have left fields soft, with harvest equipment cutting ruts into the soil in some areas. Those ruts leave the soil surface uneven and can indicate significant compaction below the surface. That compaction can restrict root growth for several growing seasons and increase runoff by reducing water infiltration. Heavy grain carts and the tractors pulling them can worsen compaction in wet fields.
Avoid harvest compaction in wet soils
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Standing water pools in a Fillmore County soybean field. Taking steps to minimize compaction during wet harvest conditions can help protect soil structure and future crop productivity.
Ruts left by harvest equipment indicate soil deformation under heavy loads. If the soil was wet enough to form ruts during harvest, it's probably too wet for tillage. Tilling wet soil can cause additional compaction across the field, particularly below the tillage depth, even when the damage isn't visible at the surface.
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