Epsilon Open Archive

Abstract

The method to improve compact subsoil is very important to the soil fertility. This is because agriculture since the second world war has been through a lot of changes, and today bigger and heavier machines are used. In this work the ability of different plant species to penetrate soil and stabilize soil structure was screened. Barley (Hordeum vulgare, L.), lupine (Lupinus luteus, L.) and lucerne (Medicago sativa, L.) were grown in tubes. The soil in the tubes was compacted to create two different compaction levels, by applying pressures of 100 kPa and 400 kPa, respectively. After a growth period of five weeks and three months respectively, root length and saturated hydraulic conductivity were measured. Lucerne had a greater ability to establish root systems in compact soil compared to barley. Saturated hydraulic conductivity of the tubes was not very different between plant species. The laboratory method show on different abilities between species to penetrate compact soil. The method had some limitations in its ability to detect soil structural changes, but this can probably be overcome by small changes in the setup of the method.