The effect on the yields of barley and kale of soil conditions induced by cultivation at high moisture content

Abstract

SUMMARY An experiment is described in which plots of a silt loam soil were compacted by ploughing and rotary cultivation when the moisture content was high. Kale and barley were grown on these plots in 2 years. Compaction of the soil was not as great as anticipated, but there were marked reductions due to wet cultivation in the dry-matter yield of kale and the vegetative growth of the young barley. Seed yield of barley was relatively unaffected, although there was a significant reduction due to wet ploughing in one year. The implication of these results for experimentation on the effects of soil structure on crop yield are discussed.