The Energy Requirements, Productivity and Profitability Effects of Removing Subsoil Compaction in Maize Cropping in the Eastern Pampas of Argentina

Botta, G.F., Ezquerra Canalejo, A., Rivero, D., Ghelfi, D.G., Rodríguez, S. and Antille, D.L. (2026) The Energy Requirements, Productivity and Profitability Effects of Removing Subsoil Compaction in Maize Cropping in the Eastern Pampas of Argentina. AgriEngineering, 8 (5). ISSN 2624-7402

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Abstract

Removing subsoil compaction caused by agricultural traffic is energy-demanding and therefore expensive. Experimental work was undertaken on a Typic Argiudoll to quantify the energy required to remove subsoil compaction and determine the associated effects on yield and profitability. The following treatments were compared: (T1) soil under no-tillage for 20 years, which was used as a control; (T2) deep tillage performed with a paratill on soil that had had no-tillage in the 20 years prior to this study; and (T3) deep tillage performed with a chisel plow on soil that had had no-tillage in the 20 years prior to this study. The paratill and chisel plow were operated at depths of 400 and 250 mm, respectively, and the energy required to perform both (deep tillage) operations was determined. Soil cone index and maize yield were measured over three growing seasons and compared with T1. Results showed that the effect of deep tillage lasted for two years, after which the soil reconsolidated reaching soil strength values comparable to their pre-treatment condition. The reconsolidation of tilled soil over this period was due to both natural settlement and post-treatment (random) machinery traffic. The paratill treatment significantly increased maize yield compared with no-tillage, which therefore improved crop gross margins across all three seasons. The chisel plow treatment increased crop yields compared with no-tillage, but yield differences were small and therefore the average crop gross margins were not significantly different. Deep tillage with paratill costed US$76 per ha and generated an average gross income of US$1134 per ha, whereas deep tillage with chisel plow costed US$29 per ha and generated an average gross income of US$1027 per ha. These results compared with an average gross income of US$1001 per ha obtained under no-tillage. If (strategic) deep tillage needs to be performed on long-term no-tillage soil to remediate compaction, paratill may be preferred to chisel plow, but care should be exercised not to re-compact the soil after the operation has been performed. One effective way to do this is by implementing controlled traffic.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	agricultural traffic, deep tillage, soil compaction, soil cone index, tillage draft
Divisions:	Departments > Engineering
Depositing User:	Miss Anna Cope
Date Deposited:	19 May 2026 16:49
Last Modified:	19 May 2026 16:49
URI:	https://hau.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/18374

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