Avoid unnecessary soil loosening

The importance of avoiding unnecessary subsoiling operations was clearly illustrated in recently released results from trials carried out in 2022/23 on Lamport AgX’s difficult silty clay loam.

Loosening an uncompacted plot with a low-disturbance subsoiler to 15cm before direct-drilling winter wheat created an open soil structure between the subsoiler legs and resulted in good root growth.

However, soil disturbed by the legs was left more fragile and slumped to depth, stifling root growth and creating an inconsistent wheat canopy across the plot.

Yield dropped to 86% of that achieved on an adjacent uncompacted, unloosened plot. The result was only marginally better than the yield from a compacted, unloosened plot.

“Less can be more, so check soils carefully,” says independent cultivations consultant Philip Wright. “If they don’t need loosening, they are better left alone.”